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He snorted. “That’s for damn sure. Yeah, we don’t have any plans. Just text me when you’re on your way and we’ll make sure to be at the clubhouse. If you can’t get her to come, then we’ll come to her again and see if we can get Neriah to as well. Although, you know if she comes, that means Thorn and Tiger will be with her.” He chuckled.
I laughed. Like all my married brothers, those two were just as protective of their woman as the rest. Her being pregnant only made them doubly so. “I know. Listen, I need to get off here. I’ll see ya when I see ya and thanks for yesterday.”
“Anytime. I mean that. Later.”
I was surprised when she came out of the bathroom a half hour later. She was wrapped in her robe and hurried to her room. I made a quick pit stop in the bathroom while she was in her bedroom. Ten minutes later, she came out dressed. Her hair was in a long braid. She was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved top and a pair of boots. Good idea. It was January after all.
“Okay, I’m clean and dressed. Now will you explain what I got ready for?”
“We’re going to go out and grab some breakfast then go to the Warriors’ compound. I think you should meet Neriah, like Storm said yesterday.”
She backed up and her expression turned anxious. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Blade.”
I raised my brow at her use of my road name. I knew it might take her time to get used to switching between both names, but I wanted her to call me Adam. The sound of it on her tongue made my body react. Like a tiny shock had hit me. She immediately caught on to why I was looking at her like I was.
“I mean, Adam. I don’t like the idea of dropping in unannounced and as a stranger on someone I don’t know.”
“Boo, I’ll text and make sure she and her old men don’t have plans today, if it makes you feel better. But even if they’re not there, Bryony and Storm are. And I have a lot more family for you to meet.”
“Are they really like a family to you? I know you call each other brothers, but are they like that? Do you have a real family around here too?”
“I do. One of my cousins is in the club. His name is Voodoo and his old lady, Nevaeh, is sweet as can be. They have a seven-month-old son, Reese. Voodoo has a brother, Justin, but we don’t get to see him much due to his work. There are some aunts and uncles plus more cousins scattered around the South. My parents are divorced and I don’t hear much from them. They both are living their own lives.”
“You're lucky to have Voodoo then and the club.”
“What about your brothers and sisters? You said there were several of them. Were you close to any of them?”
“No. My brothers were raised to be like my dad, so they dictated. I have two full younger brothers and four older half-brothers. There are three half-sisters, all older than me. They were married off to various men my dad approved of in the church.”
“Were they all married off at sixteen too?” I growled.
“No, they were at least eighteen when they married, and they knew who they were going to marry in advance. Dad didn’t tell me because he knew I’d resist. He said I’d become too much of a headache and he would be glad to see how my husband tamed me and made me into an obedient wife.”
“Jesus, I still can’t believe how they treated their women. You have to come with me to our compound for sure now. You’ll get to see the exact opposite of that shit.”
It took some cajoling, but finally she agreed. I sent off a text to Storm and then to Tiger and Thorn asking if they’d be around so I could introduce someone to Neriah. They said they’d be there all day. Storm replied back saying we needed to come to their house for breakfast. They’d be eating in half an hour with or without us. I think the thought of disappointing Bryony was what made her agree. I didn’t care what did it, as long as she came with me.
She eyed my bike when we got to the parking lot. I knew from yesterday, she wasn’t going to agree to get on it, however, one day she would. She drove her car and followed me to the compound on the outskirts of town.
I wondered what she was thinking when we pulled up to the walled-in property and waited for the gate to open so we could enter. As soon as we entered, I bypassed the custom garage and the clubhouse. This took us further into the compound and among the houses scattered all over the place. With so many guys settled down, there were over twenty houses here. I pulled up in front of Bryony and Storm’s.
By the time I helped her from her car, they were outside to greet us. Bryony hugged Cassia which she returned timidly. Tristan was smiling in his dad’s arms. He clapped his little hands and giggled. This made her smile and tickle his stomach. Tristan laughed harder.
Inside, we were taken straight to the large open living room kitchen area. I could smell the food cooking. We poured coffee and sat at the island with Storm. Bryony refused any help, saying all she was waiting for was a casserole to come out of the oven. Cassia was smiling, but I could tell she wasn’t comfortable. I didn’t know what to do to make her relax.
“Cassia, I think I could use some help after all. Will you take Tristan so Storm can set the table for us?”
Cassia looked shocked. “Oh, I can set the table.”
“No, he can do it. He knows where everything is and he usually does it. He’s been keeping Tristan entertained, but later he’ll get clean-up duty. He has to earn his breakfast,” she said as she winked at Storm and gave him a kiss. He growled playfully and smacked her on the ass, before going to get the stuff needed for the table. I got up to help him.
I knew we were shocking her by doing this. Everything she’d shared pointed to the fact that in her homelife, men didn’t do anything like this. The women are expected to do it. As the chatter kept flowing, she began to relax and even join in a little. She gave Tristan lots of attention and seemed to enjoy playing with him. Breakfast ended up being great. We all ate too much then complained about it.
Storm and I were on clean-up duty and the ladies were on the couch with Tristan. Cassia had him again. She had a wistful expression on her face as she looked at him. I nudged Storm. “I think she’s thinking about the baby she lost. It would be a year older than Tristan, I think.”
“Yeah, that’s fucking terrible, man. Well, at least you know she’ll make a great mother. She’s a natural with Tristan.”
I rolled my eyes. “If she ever lets me near her that way. She’s been so damaged by all that shit, I don’t know how she functions sometimes. I hate to say it, but what if she never does?”
