Ace
The new year has started off beyond my expectations. After the best holidays ever, I can’t wait for this year. I had my first Thanksgiving in... forever, that I actually had something to be thankful for, my girl. Christmas Eve, Jules and I got engaged marking another first for both of us. One we will never forget and can tell our kids and grandkids about. We agreed to build a house next to Beast and Bella’s that night too. Christmas day was a memorable one. The first Christmas in my life I actually enjoyed with my family, my whole family, with my girl at my side, with my ring on her finger, and my ink on her back.
A new year brings new life. We are planning a wedding this year and hopefully starting a family. Life can only get better from here. Things have to go uphill not down, right.
Ryder finally claimed Ces with the Club after New Year’s. It wasn’t a unanimous vote, but enough brothers stuck by him. He got into a few fights and Blaze, Beast, Gator, and a few other brothers had his back. This died down after about a week. The shiny new toy lost its appeal and they moved on.
Val, Lorenzo, Romeo, and Bash took Gigi up to New York after New Year’s to pack up their old home, which was a few weeks ago. Ryder and Ces accompanied them to pack up Ces’s stuff to move him here permanently. The guys are staying with us and started prospecting for us recently.
It’s the beginning of February and things have been good. Valentine’s day is in less than two weeks and I still have no clue what I’m gonna do for my girl, other than taking her out to dinner. I need to figure the rest out soon. I may need my brothers help on this one.
I’ve been in my office all mornin’ doin’ paperwork and figuring out the route for our run next week. Jules has been in the bar with Ces for hours working on some new designs. She said she wanted to start a maternity line.
I leave my office needing my girls’ sweet lips and some lunchtime fun with her.
I sneak up behind her and kiss her on the neck. She jumps then relaxes as I wrap my arms around her waist.
“Hey, kitten. How’s that new line comin’?” I ask in her ear. She turns to the side and I claim her sweet lips.
“Good, we have four dresses, some tops and shorts done,” she says and gives me a nervous look.
“You want lunch, Blue?” she asks. Hell, yea, I do and her naked on my desk or the couch or both.
“Yea, alone in my office,” I say, and she smiles, a mischievous smile. My girl is up to something and I’m gonna find out soon.
“I just have to heat it up and I can meet you in your office. Um, can you do me a big favor while I do that, please,” she asks timidly, and I nod. “I forgot my phone in our room on the nightstand and I’m waiting for a business call.” I can do that for her, anything for my girl. I kiss her one last time.
“Sure, I’ll meet you in two.” I leave her and sprint up the stairs two at a time to our room, so I can hurry back to her. I unlock the door and run straight to the nightstand. There is a piece of paper wrapped around a white plastic stick on top of her phone. My name is written on the top in Jules’s handwriting. I open the paper and see a pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test, I’m gonna be a daddy. Holy shitballs, I’m gonna be a daddy. I’m overjoyed, is this finally happening.
Then worry sets in, and I fall back on the bed on my ass. Is she gonna be able to carry this baby to term? Are our dreams really gonna come true? We have to be so careful this time, we can’t lose another baby. She can’t take the loss and truthfully neither can I. Watching her hurt just about did me in.
I see more of her writing on the inside of the note under the stick. I grab the test in my left hand and the paper in the right to read.
Daddy, mommy is 9 weeks along with me and I will be in your arms by the beginning of September. Mommy wants to keep it between you two for a little while. So, please don’t tell your brothers yet. My auntie and uncles can wait a few more weeks, enjoy this time with mommy. Then she’ll let you shout it to the world. Mommy loves daddy so much.
Now, come kiss me, Blue, I need to be in your arms. I love you to the moon and back.
I sit there frozen reading the note over and over again. I am gonna be a daddy and I need to get to my woman and love on her. I throw the note and the test in the drawer for safe keeping, grab Jules’s phone, and bounce out the room to find her.
I leap down the stairs and bump into Blaze when I hit the bottom step. My brother has been so off for months, so many months, and I don’t know what’s goin’ on with him. I’ll have to find out soon, I’ve just been so busy with Jules and the Club. Right now, I have more important matters to attend to.
“Where’s the fire, bro?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“No fire just need to get to Jules,” I say dashing past him.
“She good?” he asks concerned.
“Yea, meeting her in my office for lunch.” I dart into my office and slam the door and lock it behind me. My girl is in front of my desk with her arms empty. I come up behind her, spin her around, taking her in my arms and claim her luscious lips.
I make love to her on my couch, showing her how happy she made me. We have lunch and talk about things. While we sit and talk through lunch an idea pops into my head. I know what to get Jules for Valentine’s day. I’m not big on jewelry and either is she, but we saw a pendant a while back, when we were shopping at the mall. She made a comment about it. I think I’ll find that and give it to her. It was two hearts together, but they weren’t completely closed. She’ll love it.
After we finish eating, she finds Ces and we go back to our work. I have to leave her in two days for a couple days on a run. My brothers and I have been covering for Beast, so I go on runs twice a month. It’s all good, my brother has always put the Club first, until now. Now it’s time he put his wife first, for a while. All the brothers are willing to help with no complaint.
Valentine’s day comes and goes off without a hitch. Jules loved the pendant and the restaurant I took her for dinner. We spent a couple of nights away from the Clubhouse, too. Never celebrated this holiday before and I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. I did, and Jules was happier than she’d been in a while. She even dragged me shopping for the house. It should be done by the beginning of April.
Bella’s baby shower was an experience, one I thoroughly enjoyed and now I can’t wait for ours. I heard a ton of stories that day about my girl, from a baby till she was a teenager. I’ve heard stories before but none like these. Cindy went on and on about all of them. I laughed so vigorously my side hurt. Bella and Shorty were happier than I’ve ever seen them, talking about their parents. Having their brothers stay here and be around for them helps.
The guys got the day off from being our do boys to spend with their sisters. That has been an experience having them prospecting. Romeo and I may have called a truce, but I still see the way he watches my girl. I tend to give him a lot more of the rougher jobs, but don’t draw too much attention to my direction.
Bella had the babies a couple of weeks ago, she returned home a few days after with the boys. Funny thing is, she delivered them during bike week. The greatest honor to behold for an outlaw. Most of the guys hung back to stay close if they needed us. Especially Jules, Ces, Ryder, Bella’s brothers, and me. The rest of the Club that went to Daytona, met us at the hospital to meet the boys.
Jules and I were up at the hospital every day to check on them and to the house, since they’ve been home.
Beast hasn’t left their sides at all. He’s a good daddy, already, and a good husband. A tired one but that’s to be expected with two new babies, I suppose. My brother is happy, even sleep and sex deprived.
We just have to find peace for our brother Blaze. He’s lost and all out of sorts, emotionally. He’s withdrawn from us, always in his room on his laptop or at the gym on the punching bag. I don’t know what he does on the laptop, but I do know he’s had Throttle do some personal digging for him. Don’t know what on, but I don’t think they’ve come up with anything yet. He started acting weird when we got back from Maddox’s after the weekend bike rally. Something happened after the debacle with Bella, he slipped away from us for the last few days. Maybe he met a woman and that’s what got him all tied in knots. Women tend to do that when they are the one.
Maybe I should go for a ride with him this weekend, we can stop for lunch and talk. He’s beginning to not just worry me and Jules, but the guys have noticed too.
****
The next week Gator calls me into his office and it’s still dark out. I leave my girl in bed, dress, and slip out to meet him. It’s four in the mornin’. What in the hell happened this early on a weekday.
I enter his office and he’s in the same clothes as yesterday and looks like shit. He hasn’t slept all night. This is bad, really fuckin’ bad I can feel it.
“What the fuck, now?” I ask taking a seat in front of his desk. For the next hour, he tells me about the hurricane that we’re about to embark on. We have to call an emergency Church with all the brothers and strategize with the Club before we do anything. We’re treading in muddy waters with this one.
“We need to talk to Beast first, and then Ryder about Ces. This has to do with his girls and we can’t blindside him,” I say, then decide it’s time to spill the beans. Jules wanted to tell her besties first, but Gator needs to know the big picture before moving forward. I don’t keep much from the man, normally.
“I was gonna wait till Jules was ready to do this, but under the circumstances, I think now is the time. I’ll announce it at Church later to the guys.
“Jules is pregnant, almost 17 weeks along. We’ve been afraid to announce it because of what happened last time. Doc said the baby is healthy and Jules is good.” Jules is all stomach and has hidden it well. She wears a lot of those baby doll shirts and dresses she designed or my shirts to conceal her belly. I see her naked, so I see how big and beautiful she is all the time. She looks like she swallowed a small basketball.
“Congratulations, brother. I get it, and I knew. Sorry,” he says apologetically. “There is not much Sam doesn’t tell me these days. I didn’t say anythin’ cause I knew you would tell me when you were ready. I understand more than you can imagine,” he says sadly as he pauses. I should have figured Sam would tell him.
Then his last words register. How could he possibly understand?
“What do you mean you get it?” I wait for him to explain.
“As you know Sam and I dated in high school, started our sophomore year. In our senior year, I got Sam pregnant. I was so happy, and so was she. I planned on joining the Club and making money to support my family. I started prospecting and my dad, Cobra, persuaded the school to allow me to graduate early. I had all my credits, I was just hanging around for Sam. So, I graduated early and was at the Clubhouse all the time. Sam moved in with us when her parents found out and weren’t happy about the situation. She finished school on time and the baby was due that summer.” He pauses staring out the window, getting lost in his memories.
“I was away on a run one weekend with Cobra. He had left strict instructions with Tank, his VP, Ryder’s dad, to watch over her. You can never be too careful, you know. Plus, he just wanted her, and his grandchild to stay safe and protected.
“Tank and his ol’ lady had a fight that night, he ended up staying here, got drunk off his ass, forgot all about Sam. She was at work at the vet clinic late, cause they had a dog that was hit by a car come in. She got in her car around nine to come straight here. We’re not quite sure what happened, she remembers a motorcycle and that’s it. She never made it to the Clubhouse that night and none of the guys realized till the following mornin’. They went out searching for her and found her car in a ditch off the road that afternoon. She was 8 months pregnant. I returned early from our run to find Sam in a coma. They had to perform an emergency C-section on her because she was unconscious. The baby didn’t survive the accident. Sam never saw her. After losing Elizabeth, Sam stayed in a coma for months. I stayed by her side the whole time, every fuckin’ day and night. Even when the guys tried to force me to leave to eat and shower, I stayed. The doctors informed us she would never be able to have children, a complication from the accident,” he says the last part on a shuttered breath, with glassy eyes.
He closes his eyes and his head falls down. I don’t know what to say, I’m at a complete loss for words. I just sit there and watch him in stunned silence.
“When she woke up, she took all her hurt and pain out on me, swearing she never wanted to see me again. I was already devastated about losing our daughter, then Sam... It destroyed me, and I went off the deep end. I drank mornin’, noon, and night. One-night Cobra and I had a big blow out, fist flying in the bar, and then I took off on my bike, drunk off my ass. I crashed my bike that night, I came out of it without a scratch. I wanted to take my pain away, her pain, everyone’s pain.
“After Cobra straightened shit out with the cops, he gave me an ultimatum. If I wanted to take over the Club, then I needed to get my shit straight and enlist in the military. Or I’d be out on my ass with no support, no family. You know the rest from there.” He opens his eyes looking out the window, deep in thought and I have to know.
“She forgave you, though, and you two have been together since we got back. So, why not claim her? I know you love her and you only been with her since I’ve known you.” This is the million-dollar question. Not just from me, all the guys have wondered.
“Huh, cut right to the chase why don’t ya,” he says with a slight laugh and doesn’t move his eyes from the window.
“I love Sam with everything I am, and I claimed her in a way. She’s the one that holds back from the Club. You see, even after losing the baby and pushing me away she changed, became harder in her heart. She loves me, and she forgave me, knowin’ none of it was my fault. But the Club is a different story. She will forever blame this damn Club till she takes her last breath for taking our little girl away. To be honest, I don’t blame her, a part of me does too.
“I’m gonna tell you somethin’ no one knows, but Sam and me. She has a property tatt on her hip. She has my road name and my real name inked on her. She’s mine, she wears her kutte when were out with the other Clubs cause I make her, but her tatt... That’s just for me. We also both have matching tatts for our little girl. I won’t push her when it comes to announcing it to the Club. She knows she’s mine and I will make it official the second she says the word, until then it’s just us.
“She understands if somethin’ were to happen to me, the Club would be there for her as a friend nothin’ more. That’s how she wants things.
“It’s not like she needs our money, she makes bank and I paid off all her student loans.” Now, I get it and see the bigger picture when it comes to their relationship.
When we finish our conversation, the sun is starting to rise and it’s close to seven. I text Beast and he calls us back shortly after, saying he was up with one of the boys. We tell him everything we know and see if he has any insight on the matter. He’s at a loss for words too. This is new territory for our Club that’s for sure.
Gator spoke with Ryder while I was on with Beast, to fill him in. He wants to handle it, but according to our bylaws, he can’t. He’s gonna sit on it and wait till Church and see what the guys have to say.
Gator also texted all the patch members announcing an emergency Church at ten. I leave his office for some coffee and to see my girl for a few minutes. I find her in the kitchen with Ryder and Ces. I tell her the censored version of what’s goin’ on since it has to do with her and kiss her before leavin’ for Church.
Ten minutes later, Gator pounds the gavel calling Church to order. The room is jam-packed with everyone including the prospects.
“We have a traitor amongst us and I’m not quite sure how to proceed with this one,” Gator grunts stressed.
“I’m not gonna mix words here, brothers,” I say groaning. “One of our club whores betrayed us. I would never hit a woman, but I want her dead. She put Ces, Bella, Gigi, and my Jules in danger and is still doing it. So, we need to figure out how to proceed with this one since it’s not a normal situation.”
“How the hell did this new shit come to light?” Shadow asks.
“The information kinda fell into my lap last night and we need to come up with a solution,” Gator says and shakes his head, takes a deep breath, and continues. “Chrissy was the one feeding Antonio the information about the girls. She gave up Gigi because Beast wouldn’t leave his girls side and she wanted to hurt him for choosing Bella over her.
“Now, she’s got a hard-on for Jules because Maggie hates her and wants her gone.” Gator finishes.
“All these bitches need to be dealt with and soon. We need to start enforcing some damn rules around this fuckin’ place with them,” Blaze says mad as hell and all the guys agree.
Gator and I give them a look to quiet down and they finally shut up. It’s like a bunch of animals when you get all the guys together in one room, with or without alcohol.
“She’s fueled by her hatred towards Bella and has turned to the Hernandez Cartel. Specifically, Alejandro and his second, Santiago. As you may all recall, a few months back Ace and I contacted Alejandro about the deal he made with Antonio concerning Jules. I thought we dealt with all that shit and put it behind us. We’ve been conducting business as usual with them,” Gator says. “Then last night, I received a courtesy call from Miguel - the Mendez Cartel boss. He said he wanted to warn me that Alejandro had reached out to him for help. He’s building an army to come after us and take Jules and he added Gigi to his list. He said Chrissy is working with them to get the girls and she even offered Ces to them to sweeten the deal because Bella is highly guarded. She doesn’t know we’re on to her just yet, so keep this close to the belt. Beast, tell us your plan.”
We all wait for Beast to talk to us from my speakerphone sitting on the table.
“I ordered Prospect Dusty and Val to stay with Gigi at all times. I contacted her principal this mornin’ and made arrangements to have them shadow her until this shit is all resolved. Bella and the boys are stuck in the house for the next month until they all see the doctors. Prospects Romeo, Lorenzo, and Bash are gonna rotate and one of them will always be here with us. My house will be the hub for all the girls and Ces,” Beast says and only a small handful of our brothers in this room know why. He had a panic room built in his house for his family to be safe. It’s not on his blueprints, because Benny, Beast, Gator, and I built it. Besides them, only Blaze, Ryder, Ces, Cindy, Jules, Gigi, and Bella know about that room. It’s a large room, big enough to hold fourteen adults and a few kids. It’s stocked with food to last up to a month if need be.
“And Jules,” Blaze asks pointing at me to take over. Our brother has been very attached to all the girls, even with whatever he’s been dealing with on his own. A true big brother watching out for them. He hates the shit they have seen and been through as much as Beast and me.
“Brothers, I need all eyes on my girl from here on out. She will not be allowed to leave this Compound. They may want her, but it’s only cause they don’t know, no one knows. You see, they want to breed her, that’s not possible, cause I’ve already done that. Jules is about 17 weeks pregnant. That doesn’t leave this room, Chrissy can’t find out and tell them. I can’t let him get her now or ever,” I growl and pound my fist on the table so frustrated I want the take to bitch out myself and end this tornado that’s about to blow through.
“Wow, brother, why the fuck are we only hearing about this now,” Blaze grunts and Beast chimes in ganging up on me. The other brothers in the room curse at me for keeping secrets and I snap.
“Stop!” I shout, and the room becomes quiet. They all stare at me as I stand up and wait for my explanation.
“It’s complicated.” I don’t go any further hoping that will be enough to shut them the fuck up. It’s not, obviously as they all get angry and bitch like a bunch of girls. I can’t take any more of this shit, and I break. This is my family, my brothers we don’t keep secrets.
“Ok, ok. Shut the fuck up and I’ll talk.” I tell them about her miscarriage and how scared we’ve been about losing this baby too. After bitching me out some more, we can now carry on with our meeting to figure out what to do about Chrissy.
In the middle of our discussion, someone starts banging on the door. Shadow being the closest, gets up to check it out. The door flies open, and Shadow gets pushed back against the wall as Ces and Jules storm in past him. My girl is shaking like a leaf and has a look of fury in her eyes. One lonely tear falls from her eye when she looks at me. I jump up and go straight to her thinking the worst.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Rushes out of my mouth as I take her in my arms. She leans onto my chest and I hear and feel her take a deep breath. She grabs ahold of the sides of my kutte in her tiny fist. My chest tightens, and I look at Ces for answers cause she ain’t talkin’.
“She’s fine, well for the most part. She’s just upset and hormonal. Bells called her, told us you told the guys everything about the babies and Bells heard what Chrissy did. Jules is pissed, no furious with that bitch, we all are. We may even have a solution to your problem. If I may?” Ces says looking from Ryder over to Gator. He gives him the floor and I take Jules to my seat with me. Placing her on my lap and she calms down, a little.
“I know you guys have a code when it comes to women. To be honest, I should probably have the same code as well, but I don’t in this case at least. These are my girls, my family. They have been my responsibility for years and that doesn’t just go away now that they have men. I will always have their backs. I want to help you guys, I need to help you. So, I’m proposing...” he trails off and we all stare at my phone on the table. Beast and Bella are arguing, yelling so loud at one another about something, its ear piercing. I’ve never heard them get so heated like this with one another. I know how sassy her mouth can get, but this is totally different and out of character for them.
Just then Ces’s phone rings and he answers it, placing it on speaker too. We hear the echo of the same yelling and then Bella screaming.
“I want to take that bitch down. I’ll do it. I’ll tare that skank’s ass up and rip her fucking guts out. I don’t care how much my husband protests. Hang her ass in the shed and I will gut her like a fucking fish,” Bella roars through his phone and we hear Beast shouting at her to get off the phone. The new mama is going to get her ass spanked for this little stunt.
Chaos erupts in the meeting room along with Beast and Bella’s arguing mixes in with the some of the guys laughing, some arguing, and some agreeing, to allow her near this shit.
After a few minutes of the chaos, Jules leaps off my lap and takes Ces’s hand in hers.
“Shut the fuck up, you idiots! Put your dicks away for a minute and listen to me,” she yells sassily and pissed. They all freeze and stare at her like she has three heads. With all of us dumbfounded by her outburst, she takes the opportunity to speak her peace.