“How would you know? Have you had many babies yourself?” Iris looks up at her, waiting for a response.
“Sounds like the boys are back.” Freya sounds relieved when the sound of bike engines comes from outside, and when Ruckus and Vike step through the door, and Greaser isn’t with them, I dread the idea of having to deal with Iris for longer.
“Is Siddy not with you?” Iris stands up, looking concerned,
“He didn’t have his bike here, so he had to take the car, and he got caught at the lights. How are my girls doin'?” Vike manages to smile through his sadness, stepping toward us, resting his ass on the armrest beside me, and kissing my temple. “Look at that, she’s really goin’ for it. I told ya she just needed a little time.”
“Holy shit! Sorry, Alicia.” Ruck quickly turns his head when he realizes what I’m doing.
“Why are you acting as if you’ve never seen a woman's breast before?” Freya laughs at her boyfriend.
“Hey, I’ve seen plenty of breasts in my time; I just ain’t ever seen ’em get used like that.” Ruckus is still shielding his eyes.
“You know this is what their actual use is, right?” Vike shakes his head and laughs a little, too.
“It sure ain’t how I use ’em.” Ruck grabs hold of Freya and drags her so she’s standing with her back to his chest in front of him, “I’m sorry, but I don’t fuckin’ share,” he whispers before kissing her cheek.
“Well, you're gonna have to learn to when we have a baby of our own.” Freya looks up over her shoulder at him.
“Weren’t you telling me, just last night, how I wasn’t coming near you with my dick ever again?” he reminds her.
‘A girl can change her mind.” Freya smiles before dreamily looking back over toward my pretty little girl.
“Sheiscute.” Ruck smiles to himself. “I’d say ya got lucky, considering she’s hal–” He stops himself when he remembers that Iris is in the room.
“Did you see Peyton or Eden at the club?” Freya quickly jumps in and starts up a new conversation.
“They spent the whole time we were there at the beach hut,” Ruck explains, suddenly looking all lost again. “You know, it don’t feel real; for a second there, I forgot.” His frown tells me he’s feeling guilty for it.
“Hey, don’t be like that. Raze wouldn’t want you to be sad,” Freya tells him, turning in his arms and kissing him.
“No, but hewouldwant us to find and slaughter whoever it was that took him away from his girl.” All the sadness in Ruckus’s eyes turns to hate and determination.
“And we will.” Vike stands up as Greaser steps through the door.
“How is she?” he asks, looking at me and then down toward his niece. I use the blanket I have draped over my shoulder to cover me a little more. I don’t know what it was, but there was something chilling about the way he looked at me last night. Something that makes me doubt all the times I’ve convinced myself he’d never hurt us.
“She’s fine, all she’s really done since you were gone is sleep.” I look up at Vike and smile.
“I say we leave these guys alone to get their rest.” Freya does me a solid and lifts Iris's bag from the table and hands it to her.
“Oh, I was going to stay and make din?—”
“Don’t worry, I got it.” Vike stands up and makes his way to the door, passing a look of warning to Greaser.
“Come on, Mom, let’s get home,” he grunts, leading her out the door while I smile with relief.
“I can’t stop looking at her.” Vike smiles as I slide into bed beside him. He looks so happy with her resting in the crook of his arms, it makes me want to cry.
“Did you speak to Peyton?” he drags his head up from staring at her to ask.
“Just briefly, I didn’t know what to say.” I sigh as I take my little girl's foot in my hand and stroke it. I’m sure that I’ve studied every inch of her, and she has the most adorable little feet.
“You want her back?” he offers.
“She looks comfortable there.” I smile, resting my head on his shoulder. It feels so different having him hold her from when Iris had her; I know our little girl couldn’t be in safer hands.
“You thought of a name for her yet?” he asks.
