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“You were recovering and I didn’t want to add any more stress to your plate,” she remarks, begging me with her look to forgive her for holding back this important information from me. “Don’t be mad, Mer. I didn’t keep this from you to hurt you, I just wanted you to feel better and be up and about before telling you the news.”
“I’m not mad, Shaynie,” I answer. “I’m shocked and happy. So very, very happy for you. You’re going to be an amazing mother.”
Shayne places her hand over mine where it’s stationed over her developing baby. It’s only now that I notice the small bump, and a smile blooms on my face. “Do you really think so? We didn’t have the best role models growing up. I don’t want my child thinking that he or she is to be seen but not heard. I want them to make up their own minds about things and believe in stuff that’s meaningful to them. What if I screw up?”
“All parents screw up, Shayne. It’d be unnatural if you didn’t. Nobody’s perfect, no matter how much they think they are. It’s how you handle those mistakes and correct them that matters,” I respond. “We all have faults, but you have a village of people behind you that will help you along the way.”
“Thank you for the reminder. You’re right, I do have a group of amazing people that’ll help me along the way,” she utters. “This is why you’re my beam of sunshine on a gloomy day. You never let me drown in the darkness.”
“Never. If I can’t swim to you without sinking, I’ll toss you a life preserver until I can find a way to rescue you,” I state, my tone resolved.
“Can the rest of us get in there for a celebratory hug?” Jessia asks, Texas and Malice surrounding her, holding her tightly between them. I hope everything is okay with them. I don’t know Jessia well enough to know if there is something wrong or not. Looking sideways, I catch Aspen’s eyes and she lets me know with a look that she’ll get down to the bottom of what’s going on with Jessia. Nodding back, I step away and let everyone else hug the momma-to-be.
* * *
After everyone settled, and food was consumed, the dishes cleared and washed, the kids were packed into the media room with blankets, pillows, and snacks so the adults could get together and talk. Us women had our own silent discussion, and without any verbal communication between us, we decided that being excluded with how we proceed in regard to coming out of the woodwork and disabling the convent, wasn’t going to work for us… at all. The men begrudgingly gave in, after some intense arguing and a few threats regarding bedroom proclivities, but in the end, they saw things our way.
We’re sitting in the living room, going over blueprints and structuring, staffing, and the best entrance and exit points that’ll get us in and out quicker from the building if crap hits the fan.
“Have we discovered how many little ones and preadolescent teenagers we’re talking about here?” Luca asks, strumming his fingers on the arm of the couch. “Will we need to call in some backup, or do we have enough numbers on our side to accommodate an operation like this ourselves?”
“I think we’re good doing this on our own. We’ll have Leo, Marco, and Matteo at these three spots being our lookout,” Country answers, leaning around Charlee to point at the areas he’s talking about. Country has become the DreamCatchers coordinator when it comes to infiltrations. Master and Tyson have been training him so that they can take on other responsibilities in the club.
Changes are coming, I can feel it in my gut. We’re all getting older, and the guys are all looking for different paths to take in life. At least that’s what I overheard. Most of them are ready for retirement, but that means they’ll have to do a lot of restructuring when it comes to the MC and Alvarez organization.
“I agree,” Gunner inserts. “The less hands in the pot the easier this thing will be.”
“Gunner’s right,” Julius adds. “There’s more room for miscommunication if we bring in outsiders. We’re better off doing everything ourselves since we have a working rapport built amongst us already. There’s not enough time to teach our hand and head signals. We’re going to have to act soon, preferably before we yank the guys out from hiding, and let the law know they’re alive.”
While everyone is talking, my eyes are drawn to the photographs of the school age kids. They’ll be the ones that’ll be harder to find placements for. Everyone wants to adopt babies, toddlers, and elementary school aged children. But the older ones are always forgotten and viewed as troubled. They don’t know these teens the way I do. They’re good kids who deserve a chance to prove themselves.
“What is it?” Shayne asks, nudging my shoulder with hers.
“Duncan, Sheraton, and Winter are going to be pushed to the bottom of the list. I don’t like it,” I murmur. Dottie, having overheard us, stands up from the chair she and Bull are tangled together in, and comes our way.
“I’ve seen this happen one too many times,” she grumbles. “How old are these two girls and the boy?”
“Duncan is sixteen. Sheraton and Winter are between the ages of twelve to fourteen,” I reply, uttermost sadness enveloping me on behalf of these misunderstood preteens and young adult.
“Let me see what I can do for them,” Dottie says, patting my hand in sympathy. “We won’t leave them behind.”
“Thank you, Dottie,” I say, knowing that if there’s anyone who can make it happen, it’d be her.
Luca
After coming up with a pre-plan,one we still need to gloss over, the men all went into the lounge and are presently drinking our top-grade liquor. I need to remember to have Leo restock our bar and stash so that when we want to sit back with a cigar and tumbler of our finest whiskey, it’s at our disposal.
“Polka Dot wants us to adopt the oldest three of the brood. Think you can make that happen for us, Luca? What my Dot wants, my Dot gets, so I’m hoping we can do this your way before I have to step in and do it mine,” Bull contends, lifting the crystal glass that has a double shot of scotch tucked inside to his lips, and taking a small sip. “Damn, that goes down smooth.”
“You know we’ll do whatever it takes to get them to you, Bull. We take care of our own first,” I promise, then swear, “If you and Dottie want Duncan, Sheraton, and Winter with you, then that’s what’s gonna happen.”
“Appreciate it, brother,” he states, patting me on the shoulder.
“You know I’ve got you. Hell, we all have your back, no questions asked. Those kids are lucky that you two want to take them in. It’s me who’s appreciative that you’ve made them a priority. It was messing with Mera. She was worried nobody would take an interest in them seeing as they're the oldest girls and boy in the nunnery.”
Texas sits down beside us and announces, “Jessia has taken an interest in this Cortland kid. Tammera and Shayne were talking to her about him. He’s in the older group, but not as old as the other three. I remember being eleven and understanding that if there was something nefarious going on around me, I needed to be in the know. I think I’ll be able to connect with him and help him out.”
“Heaven help that kid,” Bull snorts. “You as a role model? We haven’t even gotten the kids out of that hellhole and he’s already doomed.”
