A few times as we walk through the store, I swear I see Clark lingering in aisles.He always hides his face in the shadows and moves on quickly when he sees us getting too close to him.Some of the Prospects follow him when we see him leaving the store at Brick’s command.Matt didn’t take too long to get here and has been my shadow from the second he walked through the door and found us in the cereal aisle.I don’t know that bringing him was a good idea considering there’s definitely extra items he’s thrown in the cart and won’t allow me to return to the shelf.Snacks and junk food the kids and I don’t really eat because we haven’t had the money for those things in a very long time.Today it seems we’re being spoiled by the man I love and I’m going to let him.
Chapter Thirteen
Carbon
WORKING AT THE bartonight, I’d rather be anywhere else than here.The kids aren’t having a good day and were crying and throwing tantrums when I left.Peyton’s family is there so I know they’ll help her take care of the kids and get them calm.Cedric wanted me to stay home with them today and was clinging to me from the second I woke up until I had to get ready to come to Down ‘n Dirty.He’s never clung to me the way he did today and it broke my heart because I know he’s not having a good day.Instead, I left him crying in the hall of the house and I’m trying to pretend it’s not breaking my heart to know I’d rather be with my family than at work.
The bar is packed to capacity today and the crowd is driving me crazy.Women are hitting on me every time I move and men are just drunk enough to think they have balls big enough to start fights with the club members in here.The music is playing louder than normal and my bartender called off claiming to be sick.Brick showed me the evidence of Vanessa being at a concert instead of being sick.I’m already over this entire fucking day and everyone on staff knows it as they give me a wide berth while I move behind the bar to get the drinks served to everyone.Gears will be here soon, but he had to finish taking care of a few things at the clubhouse before he came in.
“Boss Man, what do you need from me?”Josh asks, walking up to me and accepting the soda I hand him.
“Need you to keep breakin’ up these fuckin’ fights.Fuckin’ assholes think they got balls of steel after havin’ a drink or two.Damn pussies,” I answer him, turning to take care of the next customers.“And if you see any of the women in here headin’ my way and you’re not busy, get them away from me.I don’t want anyone too close.”
“Got it.How’s Peyton doin’?”he asks, knowing I’m with the girl of my dreams and won’t ever do anything to make her lose the trust she has in me.
“She’s okay.Doin’ better than before but still not ready to truly live freely with the stalker still out there somewhere.We’re doin’ all we can to find him.If you hear anythin’, let me or one of the guys know,” I state, passing out the next round of drinks as two of the waitresses walk up to the bar for their next orders.
“I will.We’ll all be here.I might not know Peyton as well as you two, but if she’s got your attention she must be a very special woman.Never seen you spend more than a night with a girl before,” Josh says, his voice a whisper because he knows I like to keep my private life out of the world and away from everyone who doesn’t really know me.
With a nod of my head, I continue pouring drinks and opening bottles of beer for the customers filling the bar tonight.I don’t understand why it’s so busy because it’s a damn Wednesday night and we’re usually steady but not this packed.This is worse than a damn weekend and I have no clue what the hell is going on in town to cause this crowd.Even during the summer months when we get tourists, we’re not packed this much.
“Matt!What the fuck are you doin’ behind the bar?”I hear called out as my head snapped up and I look around to find my brother Callum standing at the end of the bar with a smile on his face.
“Callum!What the fuck are you doin’ here?”I question my older brother as I head to where he stands.
“I’m on leave for a while before my next deployment.Just came from seein’ Kimber and Brick.Our baby sister is doin’ good.She looks happier than the last time I saw her.Heard the reason for that was because Peyton’s back and she’s stayin’ at the house you built on the compound,” Callum says, pulling me into a hug and holding me for a minute before stepping back.
“Where you stayin’ this time?Got some girl you’re hidin’ somewhere and this is only a pit stop before you head to her?”I ask my brother as he starts laughing his ass off.
“Not at all.Women are fuckin’ crazy and I don’t need that shit in my life.Now, answer me about Peyton?Is she back?”
“She is.She got married after school and has two kids.A boy and girl.Her husband was killed in a car accident on the highway a while ago and she’s been on her own ever since.Now, she’s got some fucked-up stalker after her and we can’t figure out who it is.Kimber spends a lot of time with her and the kids because I’m workin’ and got other shit to take care of for the club.The only thing I haven’t done is gone on any runs.Rooster knows I ain’t leavin’ my family for that long.Not when we were just screwed over by an asshole usin’ us to do his dirty work.
“Callum, you should know she’s pregnant with my twins.Peyton and I are havin’ kids together and I couldn’t be fuckin’ happier than I am right now.Well, maybe not right now because I’m here instead of home with my family,” I tell my brother as he takes a minute to digest what I’ve just told him and process it.
“Holy fuckin’ shit!”Callum says, laughing and slapping the counter with his hand.“That’s the best fuckin’ news I’ve heard in a very long time, Matt.So happy you finally got your girl and you’re havin’ a family with her.You know, I might be leavin’ the military soon.Still don’t think I’ll join the club, but it will be nice to come home and not have to spend most of each year away from my family and the ones I hold close to my heart,” Callum informs me, the smile vanishing completely as he gets lost in memories only he knows and understands.“Kimber and Brick are gonna be here soon.Think they’ll bring Peyton with them?Can someone at the club watch the kids while she’s here so I can see her?”
