“I’m glad he’ll be around here more.You all deserve to spend time with him and get to know the man he is now,” I respond, lifting Cooper in my arms to burp her so I can get her changed into something else if we’re going down to the clubhouse.
Once she’s ready to go, I change Chayne and he doesn’t wake up at all.That’s not unusual for him though.Already he can sleep through anything just like his dad.Matt can sleep at any time and not a lot wakes him up.If the kids or I call for him, he wakes up, but that’s about it.I know if he’s on a run, Matt wakes up even easier so he can be there for his brothers.Right now, he’d be sleeping like a rock and wouldn’t hear his sister in the house.
The second the twins are changed and ready to go, Kimber and I place them in the car seats and carry them out to the living room of the house.My dad is there with Cedric and Caydence as they stand waiting for me.He’s gotten them ready to go which means Kimber had this planned and I was the last one to find out.
“Are you going to the clubhouse with us, Dad?”I ask him, looking at Cedric as he makes his way over to the twins where Kimber and I hold them.
“Yeah.I thought I’d go down there for a little bit,” he answers me, a smile on his face because he enjoys hanging out with the guys from the club.My dad walks over and grabs the seat from my hand so he can be the one to take it outside to the SUV.
“Let’s head out then.The quicker I get down there, the sooner I can get back home,” I say to no one in particular as Kimber frowns at me.
The three of us head out with the kids.My dad helps me get them in the SUV as Kimber puts Cedric in her car.He wants to ride to the clubhouse with his aunt and I’m not about to stop him.I’ll always give my kids what they want when I can.A short ride to the clubhouse with Kimber is nothing but it will make my oldest son happy as hell.That’s all that matters to me in this world if I’m being honest.
It takes longer to get Caydence and the twins in the SUV then it does to actually get down there.I sit in the passenger seat as my dad drives us.Yes, I’m still moving a bit slow from the surgery to have the twins and I still ache with certain movements.That’s why no one will allow me to carry the kids around very often.It’s not because they’re worried I’ll drop or hurt them, but because they don’t want to see me in pain.
“Are you okay?”my dad asks as we pull into the parking lot of the clubhouse.
“I’m as okay as I can be,” I answer him honestly, taking a deep breath as I look around the area for any signs of a threat.
“You’re safe here, Peyton.No one is gonna get close to you when you’re in the compound.Prospects are on the gate and there are a few members here already.They left work early specifically so you could come down and hang out with everyone today,” my dad informs me as I release the breath I’ve been holding for longer than I’ll ever admit.
“Rationally, I know I’m safe here.Carbon and the guys won’t let anything happen to me.Mentally, it’s another thing altogether.I have a hard time believing no one’s gonna get past the gate like they did before.It only took a few minutes for someone to breach the gate and get on Carbon’s front porch to leave all that stuff for me.Now, I’m out in the open here in front of the clubhouse and it’s terrifying,” I tell my dad honestly as I unfasten my seatbelt and get ready to get the twins and Caydence out of the SUV.
Kimber and Cedric make their way over to us, allowing me to hand one of the car seats over to her while my dad takes the other one.Cedric grabs my hand after I set Caydence down on the pavement next to me.Together, we make our way across the short distance of the parking lot and to the front door of the clubhouse.It opens before we can get too close and I see Brick standing in the doorway with a smile on his face.
“You’re all here.I was wonderin’ if you were gonna come down, Gary,” he greets us, grabbing the car seat from his wife’s hand and carrying Chayne inside.
Brick leads us to a table in the back of the common room before kissing Kimber and heading down the hallway.It’s only us in the common room as one of the club girls makes her way in the room looking slightly panicked.
“Can one of you take me to the store?”she asks, looking directly at me sending a tremor of terror through my body.
“Why can’t you take one of the club’s SUVs to the store yourself?”Kimber returns, her voice hard and cold as the girl hunches her shoulders just a little bit.
“I don’t have my license.We need a few things from the store and I can’t get anyone else to go for me or take me there.Please, I’m begging you,” she pleads, her voice grating on my nerves as the fear begins to bubble up inside me until I feel as if I’ll explode.
“I’ll take her,” I suddenly say, knowing the only way I’ll ever get past the fear of leaving the compound is by actually leaving.
“You don’t have to, Peyton.We all know you don’t want to be outside the gates of the compound.This bitch can figure out a different way to get to the store if she’s that desperate to get there,” Kimber says, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at the woman who’s now smirking at her.
Yeah, the feeling deep in my gut intensifies as I try to figure out what the hell is going on right now.Kimber usually isn’t like this with anyone.I mean, I’ve seen her give the club girls an attitude every now and then.Usually that’s reserved for when they’re hitting on Brick or one of the other taken men.Not when they’re trying to find a ride to the store.
“Let’s go,” the girl says, her voice trembling this time as I lean down to give my kids a kiss before turning to Kimber.“I’ll be okay.We’ll just run to the store and come right back.This is something I need to do if I’m ever going to get over staying here and not leaving the compound.Especially once all this bullshit is over with.”
“That’s the only reason I’m letting you go,” Kimber tells me, her voice losing the hard edge she just had.“Go to the store and right back.No other stops no matter what this skank tells you.And if my friend gets hurt in any way, I’ll make you pay.Do you fucking hear me?”
I don’t watch as the girl responds, already grabbing my purse from the diaper bag and taking the keys from my dad’s hand.Without a backward glance, I leave the common room and head toward the parking lot.At this point, I don’t give a fuck if the girl is following me or not.Right now, my main concern is not having a panic attack and ending up passing out when I’m behind the wheel.The last thing I want to do is hurt someone when I’m driving.
By the time I’m at the SUV, the girl is already inside and fastening her seatbelt.I get in behind the wheel and start the engine before fastening my own seatbelt and pulling out of the space my dad parked in.Seth opens the gate of the clubhouse for me and I give him a small smile as I pass him by.It doesn’t take me looking in my rearview mirror to realize he’s already got his phone out and is calling Matt.That’s just what he does because he knows how I feel about leaving the compound and no one is following me this time.
I keep my eyes locked on the road as I drive through town to the closest grocery store.I’m not about to drive this girl all over town to accommodate her wishes.She didn’t want to come to this store, but I don’t give a fuck.It’s either here or she can walk wherever else she wants to go.No, the girl didn’t like me telling her that, but I don’t care.
“Get out and get what you need,” I tell her, stopping in front of the doors to the store.
“You’re not coming in with me?”she questions me, her face filled with anger.
“No, I’m not.I don’t have to come in and hold your hand.You’re lucky I even brought you here,” I return, keeping my eyes on the parking lot in front of me as she finally gets out of the SUV and slams the door behind her.
Moving, I find a parking spot close by and pull in.I don’t shut the engine off as I wait for her to come back.There’s no way in hell she can’t see where I’m parked since I’m one of the only SUVs in the lot.I’m changing the station on the radio when my door is flung open.
