Telling Finn was hard for her, but Finn was more thankful she’s alive and fascinated that she was going to get a scar and a new tattoo out of this.
Xander gave away more than he should have, but it allowed us to confirm what Joaquin was able to find.
Cedric wasn’t taken and that gives us more relief and time to find him before the Falcons can. The surveillance footage that Joaquin was able to pull showed that Cedric left on foot, no car, no transportation, the man was smart, leaving less of a track to follow.
Between us and Charlotte, we created a list of known places that he would visit or reach out to, we had slowly crossed off places leaving us in a stand still. Every turn we took, led us to nothing further.
We could see the heartbreak in Charlotte’s eyes, fearing that he’s in a worst situation. My girl’s a strong willed protector, but her heart takes a beating every bad news we get.
“At some point we’re going to have to call it and come up with another plan to take down Falcons taking the kids,” Rawlings grumbles.
He’s growing restless with the waiting. Everyday turned into a dead end and the more we waited the more that we thought the worst could happen. Each one of us working tirelessly to find the kid.
“Rawlings, we can't just give up on the kid." I protested.
"I'm not saying we give up Keola, but sooner or later business is going to have to be business," Prez said, putting thought into the club and everything we’ve put on hold.
“Like we know that the kid wasn’t in the home nor was he taken by the Falcons. Joaquin had found that he had escaped before the Falcons came and destroyed his home," I tried to reason with him.
Rawlings always had one thing on his mind which was protecting the club and the family. He had seemed distracted in some cases. Some of us thought it was a girl but maybe we're wrong. Jackson had come up between us, “Brother I think we're very close to finding him, we just have to be smarter.”
Jackson wasn't going to give up because of Tessa.
“Look, I'm just asking for a couple more weeks and if we still haven't found him then we'll call church and we’ll..." the words were struggling to come out as any kind of realization,“come up with a new plan and the women will have to just agree." I know that it is an unlikely plan but here we are.
Rawlings gave it a thought before responding, “Two more weeks and if after the new year we don't find them we move forward," his words sometimes are law, the blessing and the curse of being the president. “We can't risk any more injuries or accidents. We sometimes forget that the club has to come first.”
The club is always that battle between the original way of things and coming into the new age of generation. The only commonality is trying to put the club first, that's the whole reason why we were patched in. It's just convincing others that is the hard part.
I walk up to the door of Charlotte's house with gifts in hand and a nervousness that is settling in my stomach. Can't remember the last holiday that I ever spent with someone I was in a relationship with.
Damn has it been that long to call it a relationship?Now she has me in a bundle of nerves. Slowly but surely I’m going to show her that she doesn't have to be afraid to be mine or even to call me hers.
I know she didn't have to ask me but I love that she did. I finally knocked on the door and I'm welcomed by Finn. His ginger curls and his dark brown eyes light up brighter than the Christmas tree. Charlotte had said that his favorite holiday was Christmas and all I wanted to do is just make this special for her and him. He certainly is a special kid.
“Grump face!" he exclaims, throwing open the door to let me in. He's decked out in a tacky Christmas sweater with a Santa hat that had a bell on it. It's like a 180 from the kid that I normally see.
“Hey bud, Merry Christmas," I say, stepping across the threshold with presents in my hands. He walked me through the home where his great aunt sits with a cup of coffee or what I can assume is coffee and a wide smile on her face.
“Well bless my soul. You did end up comin’”, she says with her Louisianan accent.
“Miss Lilly, it's always nice to see you as well," I set the presents down by the tree before she interrupts, “Oh heavens, drop the Miss and call me Auntie.”
She embraces me with a warm hug and yet the only person that I want right now is not in the room.
There's a fire that's going, the stockings are off of the fireplace onto the floor stuffed full. I look around and it amazes me that it looks like Christmas threw up everywhere and yet it feels like home, like a family that makes memories here. The smell of peppermint and pine twirling in the air, the smell of baked ham cooking in the oven and a dash of cinnamon.
“Lottie’s in the kitchen if that's who you're looking for,” Finn pipes up. It's like he read my mind.
“Well, I got something for you and your aunts. You want to go get her?” I ask Finn and the boy’s eyes shine with excitement. He nods his head and sprints off to go get his aunt.
Soon a vision in Christmas white floats down the hallway. Her body was suited with a tight white sweater showing off her collarbone, seeing the spread out ink on her body, the sweater hugging the curves and edges of her hips but also covering the bandaged area from last night. A dark red lip painting her lips, a bite of temptation.
A true vision of angelic beauty, who takes your breath away and making you weak in the knees. Her lilac hair cascades her shoulders in loose waves.
She steps closer in my direction, “Honey, you might want to pick up your mouth, it’s on the floor.” She giggles, and it’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve heard all day.
I gathered her in my arms, “My Christmas wish came true.” I plant a kiss on her forehead.
