Leo
Little Rayna sleeps in her car seat and India can’t stop smiling. It’s obvious she’s tired, but she can’t sleep.
She’s glowing and I’m proud as fuck of her. She has given me the greatest gift of all.
“I should warn you, the old ladies are waiting on us,” I tell her.
Not only the old ladies, but brothers too. After I shot Roman, dad isn’t taking any chances when it comes to us. As it is, we’re being followed home by dad and Sparky.
“I don’t mind, I want to show her off.”
I manage to park up beside the cabin, but neither of us move after I cut the engine.
“I never thought we’d be here, bringing her home.”
“Nor did I for a moment.”
“This is it now, babe. From now on, it’s me, you and her.”
“I like the sound of that.”
I feel a lot better today, and my body isn’t so stiff. I push open the door as dad and Sparky come to a stop and they both nod.
The club is seeing my actions as a fuck up. I’m seeing them as a means to an end. Nothing was standing in my way, you only get one chance and I wasn’t messing up at the very beginning.
I’d do it again if I had to, but I think I’ll keep that to myself.
I round the truck and open India’s door and help her out. She has never looked so beautiful to me, and with my ring on her finger, and my kid, she is mine always. I get to wake up to her every day and I can’t wait.
I unbuckle Rayna’s seat and carry her out. Holding my girl in one hand, and taking India’s hand in the other, I walk my girls into our home.
The baby is like a magnet to the old ladies, as soon as we’ve walked through the door, they gravitate towards us one slow step at a time.
“Oh my god, she is so tiny,” Victoria coos, being the first one to get to us.
“She didn’t feel so tiny coming out,” India snorts and I frown.
She was in so much pain, I could barely breathe on her behalf. I don’t think I’ll be knocking her up again, ever.
In no time at all, I’m surrounded by women and Rayna is being taken from my hands by mom.
Within seconds, India and I are left in the hall, daughterless and guestless.
“Don’t worry, they’ll soon pass her back when she starts crying,” Dad chuckles behind us.
“Take advantage while you can.”
I lead my girl through to the kitchen, and I surprised when dad heads into the living room rather than steer clear.
“Who has my granddaughter?” he booms, and I smile.
Watching him through the old serving hatch, Bonnie passes him Rayna and he holds her to his chest, placing a warm kiss on her head. I reckon this is what he was like when Luca and I were born.
Not much gets to my dad, but as my eyes are glued to him holding his granddaughter, he softens before everyone and my mom is there to capture it all on camera.
“Babe, you seeing this?” I chuckle, looking over my shoulder.
Only, India has her head resting on her arms on the table and her eyes are closed. Walking over to her, I scoop her up into my arms and I slip upstairs and into our room. Fuck the pain radiating in my ribs, my girl comes first.
The first thing I notice is the moses basket beside our bed. Some sort of wooden contraption has been set up in the corner of the room and it’s holding a ton of diapers and who knows what else.
India shifts in my arms and I focus on lying her down. Pulling the blanket up over her, I kneel beside the bed. I knew she was tired.
I stroke her hair and press my lips to her forehead softly.
“Leo?” she murmurs.
“I’m here, go to sleep and rest.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
So much fucking more.
Backtracking to the door, I take one last look at her and I could choke on the air in my lungs at the sight of her.
Her beauty hits me too hard and I close the door, going downstairs and making sure no one wakes her until she’s ready to wake on her own.
It’s hard, but I allow everyone to have their cuddle before I scoop my daughter from Victoria and have my own time with her. In the corner of my eye, I see mom taking photos.
I hide out by the back door and look down at the angel in my arms. Everyone’s been saying she looks like Indie, but I can’t see shit, she looks like a baby, a beautiful baby. My baby.
“We need to talk,” Dad mutters in my ear, “Pass your mom the kid.”
I turn around and notice the brothers are missing from the room. I hand over Rayna and take a deep breath before joining the guys in the kitchen.
“Under different circumstances, you’d have all the time to spend with your girls, but after your actions yesterday, you don’t have that luxury,” Dad says.
“I understand why you done it, but you really shouldn’t have. The fallout is going to be drawn out and bloody.”
“What were you thinking, Leo?” Sparky cuts Slade off.
“I was thinking, no one was going to stop me from seeing my kid born. You’re always telling us all to take what we want, that we’re Lost Souls, who the fuck is Roman to show up at our gates and throw his weight around, telling us what he fucking wants. You should’ve taken him out when he started barking out orders.”
It feels fucking fantastic getting it off my chest. I was the one who killed Roman, but I don’t, for one second, regret it, and I will never cry over it. I did what I did, and I’ll own it.
Dad has a small smile playing around his mouth, and he leans back in his chair.
“What’s done is done,” he says, and brothers fall quiet, “Where we go from now on is another question. The old ladies and the kids will stay here for a few days until we see how the land lies. Their present has been cold for over twenty-four hours, if they come, they’ll be coming soon, so we’re going to go to the club, we’re going to celebrate my boy is now a daddy and Slade and I are granddaddies and we’re all going to be on alert for a possible attack. Life will not stop because of this.”
“I suppose with Leo taking Roman out like he did, the Black Crows won’t know how to take him or us,” Sparky adds.
“Don’t worry, dad, I’ll be sure to look out for ya when your old ass drags behind,” JJ laughs, helping himself to the juice in the fridge.
“Old ass?” Sparks snorts, “I’ll fuckin’ show you old, you little prick.”
JJ only laughs, and brothers begin to stand.
“Say your goodbyes, we’re leaving in ten,” Dad hollers and Slade pulls me back before I can run upstairs.
“You made a shit show of a decision yesterday, you better make sure you keep them girls safe,” he warns.
“I will.”
I don’t need this bullshit again. I’ve already proved myself to him, I’m not going to do it on a regular basis just to keep him happy.
* * *
We have been back at the club for five and a half hours and I’m calling India for the tenth time. She doesn’t sound happy and I’m winding myself up the longer I have to stay here. I should be at home and the only reason I’m not saying a word about it to my dad is because this is on me.
“Put the phone down and drink this,” JJ says, thrusting a bottle of beer at me.
I shake my head. I can’t think of anything worse. In forty-eight hours, I’ve got a real good beating from the brothers, killed a rival president and had a baby. Getting drunk is unwise, I need to be clear headed, especially as my body is slowing me down at the moment.
A commotion over by the bar gets our attention and find Pope is actually smiling for once. Both JJ and I follow his gaze and see the twins climbing on the bar.
“What the fuck are they up to now?” JJ groans.
I smile. As much as they are hard work, they are good boys to have on your side.
“Hey Leo,” Mason yells.
I lift my chin waiting for him to carry on.
“This is for you,” he yells over, “Yeah, we ain’t no good with buying girlie shit,” Myles hollers.
Together, they bend down and rise again, each holding onto…is that a picture frame? They turn it around and I pull myself to my feet.
“You crazy little shits,” Dad grunts, rising to his feet too.
“Where did you get that?” Ricky demands to know.
“From Roman’s body, of course,” they say simultaneously, both shrugging their shoulders as if their dad is stupid for asking.
“Why were you anywhere near his body?”
“We’re prospects, we had to help,” Mason throws at him.
“Fucking great, the first time you act like a prospect, it’s over a dead body.”
“Hey, leave them alone. It’s a thoughtful present,” Pope calls out and Rick throws shade over his shoulder at him, “The boys done well, they done what was expected. I remember you doing a lot worse when you wore that prospecting patch. I distinctly remember how you got patched in.”
“Pope…”
“Thanks Grumps,” Mason and Myles both says, jumping down from the bar.
They both walk towards me, still holding onto the frame and they hand it over to me. Trapped between the glass and the frame is Roman’s cut.
“You know what, boys, I fucking love it.”
“You fucking would,” JJ chuckles and I pound my fist to each of the twins fists.
A nice little reminder of what I’m capable of if needs be. Leaning the frame against the side of the couch, I sit back down and rest my ribs as the music is cranked up and the beers are passed around. I take one to shut my brothers up, and make out I’m drinking it, but really, I have no desire to drink.
The twins were ordered to watch the monitors behind the bar, but they’ve designated that order to Tal. To be fair, the twins will be patched in regardless of how well they follow orders as prospects, they’re third generation Lost Souls, the same as me, but my uncle the betrayer is long dead. By all accounts he was close to Pope, and I can see how Michael would’ve been if he got on well with the silent but violent brother in his heyday. It was my grandad that started all this, then my uncle, and then my dad, while my mom is laced through them all. If I bleed, I bleed this place. It’s who I’ve always been. I was born for this.
“Incoming,” Tal shouts and the music instantly dies.
“What are they holding?” Ricky asks, leaning over the bar.
“Fire bombs,” Sparky yells and everyone jumps to their feet.
I make my way over to the camera monitors and see the glow coming from beside each bike. Shit. As I look around me, brothers are preparing for a fight and my dad is staring at me.
Even from across the bar, I can hear him when he says, “Time to win, son.”
Time to survive is what he’s really saying.
Rounding the bar, I lean down and open the chest I saw Sparky put here the other day. I pull out a semiautomatic and head over to stand between my dad and his VP.
“I swear to god, after shooting Roman, any of these fuckers are a go, you got me?”
“I got you.”
“Hey, JJ, over here,” Sparky yells across the bar.
“Hey, Cas, we always wondered if we would get to fight along our boys. I guess now we know.”
Dad flicks his eyes at me and tries to hide his smile.
“Yeah, let’s hope they’re as good at staying alive as we are.”
“Mom said if we wanted to bond, we had to go on a father/son fishing trip,” JJ grunts as he joins us.
“Is that right?” Sparks chuckles, “If you manage to take out more Crow cunts than me, I’ll take you fishing. How’s that for bonding?”
“I’d rather make a wager, fuck the fishing.”
“Fuck this conversation, let’s do this,” Dad snaps and pushes open the door as the sound of Crow bikes fill the bar.
Looking over at the monitors, they’re through the gates. Dad’s going to be pissed they were left open.
“Fucking liberties.”
A cracking boom comes from across the way, and once dad has the door open, we see the garages have been hit.
Flames flicker out at the far end, and Crows circle their bikes in front of the clubhouse.
“Shoot,” Dad orders, sounding too calm.
Shots are fired, and more fire bombs are thrown. I count nine bodies on the floor with bikes on their side. The rest have fled and as I quickly scan around, I sigh of breath of relief when I don’t see any Lost Souls down and out.
“Take JJ and Zach and go to the cabin, make sure you’re not followed. I don’t want any of the women and kids alone with Prospects. I’ll sort this out and then we’ll join you.”
I hear my dad, but if he’s telling me he doesn’t the women and kids alone with prospects, then I have to get back to India, now.
I look around for JJ and Zach and they’re by the gates, looking up and down the main road.
My heart is thumping in my chest and I start up the truck and swing it around, and I’m pretty sure I drive over Crow’s dead body.
Winding down the old window, I lean my head in and whistle to get their attention.
“We’ve been sent to the cabin.”
JJ doesn’t hesitate to jog over and jump in.
“Come on, uncle Zachery,” I smirk and even though half the club is on fire, and there are dead bodies scattered around, he stills throws me a glare.
Winking, he full on scowls at me and yanks open the back door. Throwing the stick into drive, I peel out of the club and head for home. I need to be with my girls.
Prospects line the perimeter and I nod to each one as I drive up to the cabin. I suppose I should call it home, I have been living here for months.
Inside is quiet, the only light on is coming from the kitchen and my face starts to ache the more I allow myself to relax. My ears have stopped ringing and I’m in need a shower to wash off this dust. JJ and Zach disappear into the front room and I find India alone feeding the baby.
“Where’s the grandma club?” I ask her.
I quietly pull out a chair and lift it across the room so I’m sitting right next to them and press my lips to India’s head.
“They’re in bed, I wanted to be alone with her for a while. I can do this,” she tells me.
“Hey, I know you can. I wasn’t having a go or anything.”
“I’m sorry, but since we came home, I haven’t had a minute with her. Every time she starts crying, they jump on her.”
“They’re just excited, they’ll calm down soon, if they don’t, I’ll make them,” I promise her. I won’t have anyone make her feel uncomfortable with our own child.
She tilts her head and sees the state I’m in.
“Why are you so dirty?”
“I don’t want you to worry, but, the club was attacked tonight, and it was my fault.”
“Why was it your fault?”
“Because I shot their president, he was in my way getting to you at the hospital. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the near future, but I do know it’s going to be dangerous and I’m going to keep you both safe. I swear it to you.”
Her eyes widen and when she looks down at the baby, my gut twists. I gently run my fingers over Rayna’s silky soft hair and take India’s hand with my spare hand.
“Hey, nothing is going to happen to us, I swear it to you.”
“Can you really promise that?”
“Any promise I make to you, I will always follow through on my word. You don’t need to worry about anything, babe. You and our daughter are everything to me, I’m not going to let anyone near you.”
“I was thinking about people coming after you, even I know you don’t get away with killing a club’s president.”
“They’ll come for me, but I have a club who will stand beside me.”
The Black Crows will come again, and I’ll take as many of them out as I can. No one will take my girls away from me, and no one will take me away from them. I’m a Lost Soul, a brother, a father, and soon to be a husband, I haven’t got time to die.