“Fiona is an incredible young woman. You really found a good one there,” she eventually said as a small smile appeared on her face. She looked across the room to where Fiona was seated. I smiled, too, enjoying the sight of her in the middle of the guys and her easy rapport with everyone she had met so far.
“It’s nice to see you settling down. You have an aura of peace around you now. Always knew it would take a special type of woman to hook you. Couldn’t have picked a better girl, even if I tried,” Seph continued, and I couldn’t help feeling both embarrassed and proud under her scrutiny.
“You’re going to have your work cut out with that one. She’s feisty. She’s going to keep you on your toes for sure,” Reaper said, his face one of pure amusement at my expense.
“When I met your mother, she put me through hell and back just to get her to say yes to a date. Hardest I ever worked to get a woman to go out with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Dad said, stars in his eyes. The conversation was mildly annoying, but I made sure to pay attention, soaking up any advice that might help me lock Fiona down. For good. Reaper, Seph, and Guard continued their trip down memory lane, and I felt like I was seeing everything in a new light. It was corny, and maybe too soon, but everything they were describing matched my feelings for Fiona. Speaking of, I turned around to check on my girl. I was starting to feel itchy the longer I was away from her.
Eyeing Fee’s table, I saw her step away from Match and Bull and make her way toward the bar. Halfway across the room, she was stopped by Atlas, her eyes finding me almost instantly and screaming for me to get to her. As he reached for Fiona, everything inside of me froze. Her face was lined with pure rage.I had no idea what he did or said to her, but I knew I had to get to her.
By the time I did, a small crowd had formed around them. Grateful to see she had Bull and Match at her back, there was a collective gasp of shock as she hauled off and punched Atlas.
In a tone filled with so much venom, Fee addressed Atlas asbrother, and I froze. Catching Charlie’s gaze, I saw as fury transformed her features. I didn’t know much about Fiona’s childhood, wanting her to tell me when she was ready, but I knew there was a brother she hadn’t seen in years.
I stood frozen, watching as the horrible scene unfolded, only snapping out of it at Fiona’s parting jab before she fled the clubhouse at lightning speed. At another time, I might have felt bad. Atlas looked completely gutted, but right then, all I knew was that he was the cause of my girl’s pain.
“Don’t let him leave. Bring him downstairs if you need to. Don’t give a fuck, but he’s not going anywhere,” I said to Bull, who looked all too happy to follow my instructions.
Knowing Atlas would still be there when I got back, I went after Fee, desperate to get my hands on her to make sure she was alright. To make sure she didn’t run. When I finally caught up with her, she was muttering to herself as she clenched her hands into fists.
Fiona was so caught up in her own head she almost struck out when I touched her. I pulled her to me, both to trap her arms by her sides and to try to calm her shaking. I had never seen her like that, but I knew she needed to get away.
“Think you’re up for the bike?” I asked, knowing she didn’t fully understand the statement that would make.
No one rode in the back of your bike but your Old Lady or family. It wasn’t something taken lightly. None of it mattered right then. She wanted to run. I felt her need to escape, and would provide her with that. She nodded, her body slowlyregulating. Stopping next to my bike, I shrugged my jacket off before gently putting it on Fee. I zipped it up, but it still swamped her small frame.“Come here. Let me just get those sleeves for you, sweetheart,” I said, keeping my voice low so as to not spook her further. I adjusted my jacket, rolling the sleeves up far enough so her hands were out. I took the helmet and secured it on her head, then gave her a thorough once-over.
Satisfied that she had enough gear on, I mounted the bike, then helped her climb on behind me. Her posture was rigid and withdrawn, so I yanked her closer to my body until she was fully pressed against me. Her arms were wrapped around my waist, and we slowly took off. Once we got onto the open road, I was pleased to notice her body had relaxed against mine.
Making an executive decision, I decided to head toward the farm. It was a longer ride, and no one could disturb us there. I had done minimal work on the house except to clean out all of the rooms so they were move-in ready.
After I had taken Fiona there, I knew I wanted more. I went out and bought a brand-new bed and mattress, tossing in bedding and some towels as well. I had the master bedroom and bath set up, and had started stocking the kitchen.
It wasn’t fancy, but it was enough to get us through the night. Sometime during the ride, Fiona scooted closer, her grip tightening. I loved having her on my bike, loved the idea that it was providing some sense of calm at that moment. When we pulled off the road that led to the house, I slowed down and parked.
I held the bike upright so Fee could hop off without any issues, and I followed her shortly after. Once I was sure she was steady on the ground, I undid her helmet and pulled it off. She had a wide-eyed expression and a small smile on her face
“That was amazing. I’ve never felt anything like that. Thank you, and thank you for bringing me back here.”
“Of course. I hope you’ll be back here a lot more soon. Since it’s still warm out, I thought you might want to take a walk by the water?” I offered, studying Fiona’s posture.
Despite her smile, Fee was still strung tight as a board, her body and mind warring with whatever information she was processing. She nodded, and I grabbed her hand, leading her around the house toward the back of the property.
She looked adorable, wrapped in my jacket. It swallowed her whole, with the sleeves back to hanging far past her wrists. We made it to the edge of the water and stopped for a moment so Fee could look around. She started walking along the creek, picking rocks and tossing them into the clear water.
After a few minutes of silence, Fiona finally spoke.
“What do they call him? His club name,” she asked, clearly talking about her brother.
“Atlas,” I replied, watching a variety of emotions flit across her face.
“As in, the whole world is on his shoulders? That’s rich. Good to see his martyr complex is still going strong.”
“I always assumed it was because of all the traveling he did,” I replied. “Can you tell me about him? He’s your biological brother?” I asked tentatively.
“He was my best friend. My whole world, really, until he left,” she said, the sorrow in her voice cutting at me. I kept silent, squeezing her hand and guiding her as we walked along the water.
“I always knew he was going to leave. We had a plan. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was going to join the Army. He would write to me and visit as often as possible until he was able to get housing on base I could move into. He promised me he would fight for custody, that he wasn’t leaving me, but doing something to save both of us.
“Not one single letter. Not a phone call, not a visit. I had no way to reach him. I tried calling several different Army bases, but they wouldn’t tell me where he was. I was barely fifteen, and no one took me seriously. After a year of trying to find him, convincing myself they shipped him off somewhere and he died, I found a letter in my parents’ room from him.
