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“You didn’t lose me, Calla. If anythin’ this has just made me understand everythin’ we could have lost tonight. I’m not wastin’ any more fuckin’ time. I can’t hold a grudge against you for what you’ve done. It’s the past and it’s where we need to leave it. I’m tellin’ you now that we will have more kids and I’m not gonna miss a single second of it from the second we make him or her until they grow up and leave our home. This is me stakin’ my fuckin’ claim on you, Calla.”
Before Calla can respond, Zane is brought back in the room and we both give him our full attention. Right now, he’s the only one who matters. We remain here for another hour or two while they get all the results from the tests I demanded they perform on him. We can’t be sure what the fuck that asshole did to him before we showed up. So, I’d rather be safe than sorry. When they finally give us the all clear and assure us nothing has been done to him, Zane is fast asleep. I carry him out to Calla’s car as she climbs in the passenger seat.
Everyone from the club is here and haven’t left since they finished taking care of everything at the house where we found my son. I don’t even know what happened there. From the second we got to the hospital, I haven’t left Zane’s side. He’s been my only focus and now Boxer is going to drive my truck back to the compound so I can be with my family. I don’t see myself letting either one of them out of my sight for a long time. Despite knowing the threat has been handled, so many other things could happen to them. It’s up to me to protect them and make sure nothing touches them. That’s what they’re gonna get.
Chapter Ten
WAKING UP THIS morning, I know Calla and my son are in the clubhouse. They’re safe and no one will ever touch them again. However, I need to do something to ensure they’re in my life forever. Even if Calla isn’t ready to move on to the next step of our relationship and let me back in her bed, I want her to have my last name. Zane already has it. That’s the one thing she did when she had our boy. I’m on the birth certificate and he’s got my name. I’m sure that pissed her father the fuck off. Calla did the one thing she could for me even if I didn’t know a thing about Zane or what was going on with her at the time.
Getting up, I quickly shower and get ready for the day. I’ve got a plan in mind and there’s only one thing for me to do. Not only to protect my family but to ensure I’m always with my son and Calla. My mind is made up and I’m not going to change it for any reason. Hopefully I can get Calla on board with it because it’s happening today. We can do something bigger and better later on. For now, this is what I need to do for me and my family.
Heading downstairs to the common room, I scan the room for any sign of my girl and son. They’re not in here with everyone else. This is good news for me. Making my way over to Hartley, Lash, Sabotage, Jaelyn, and Zeus I sit down and look at the women of the club. The ol’ ladies. I couldn’t give a fuck about the rebels here. They’re nothing more than pussy for the guys and I’m not interested in anything to do with them. Not when I have Calla. I’ll wait for her as long as it takes for her to want me back in her bed. It’s the reason we didn’t share a room last night.
Calla’s in the room next to mine with our boy. It’s been sitting empty and I wasn’t about to push her for more with everything that happened yesterday. I stayed in there with them until Zane fell asleep. Calla was exhausted and ready to sleep herself. So, I gave her a kiss on the forehead and made my way next door alone. I hope she got the rest she needed instead of tossing and turning the way I did. Every single time I closed my eyes I saw my son locked in a room after being taken by a fucking monster. I see Calla beaten to hell with a cast on her arm. Yes, I know he’s no longer alive and can’t hurt them again. It doesn’t mean I won’t think about everything they’ve gone through so far in their lives.
“What’s goin’ on, Shank?” Lash asks me after I sit there for a minute and don’t say anything because I’m too lost in my head.
“Can I leave Zane here with you, Hartley? I have to take Calla somewhere and I don’t want Zane there with us. Not this time. Usually, I’d take him with us. Especially after yesterday but this is important and I don’t know if Calla’s gonna be agreeable to it,” I ask the first lady of the club.
“Of course. Do you think he’ll stay with me after everything yesterday?” she questions, concern filling her face.
“I’ll talk to him and make sure he’s okay with stayin’ here with you before I do anythin’ else. I’m not gonna have him be uncomfortable or make him do somethin’ he doesn’t want to do. We won’t be gone long and then I plan on spendin’ the rest of the day with my family. More than likely we’ll be up in one of our rooms because I just want it to be us,” I tell her as I look around at the table.
“You do what you gotta do, Shank. Spend all the time you need with your boy and woman. Are you gonna claim Calla?” Lash asks, a smirk on his face.
“Eventually I will. After everythin’ she’s been through, I’m not gonna push her or make her do somethin’ she’s not ready for. I don’t think she’s ready to be immersed in the club full time at this point. It’s a conversation we need to have. Hell, she was out drivin’ around yesterday lookin’ for any sign of her father and our son because she didn’t think she’d be welcome here. I don’t know what happened when she showed up, we didn’t talk about it. Calla’s obviously been alone most of her life and she doesn’t let people in easily. Then she comes here and sees everyone talkin’ to me and Zane but not really sayin’ a word to her. I get we don’t let outsiders in easily, but that’s not Calla. She’s my family no matter what happens between us,” I state, not sure how to feel about the treatment of my girl by the ol’ ladies and members of the club.
“We apologized to her, Shank. Talked about why we acted the way we did. We weren’t sure what she was to you but we should have let her in from the second she walked through the door. There isn’t anything we can do to prove it to her except make sure she knows we accept her and she’s part of this club in any way she chooses. We’ll continue to make sure she knows we welcome her with open arms,” Hartley informs me, her voice barely above a whisper as I find my girl and son making their way downstairs.
Calla’s eyes are locked on mine as they descend the stairs. I get up from the table and make my way toward them so we can get breakfast together.
“Mornin’, baby. How did you guys sleep?” I ask her, stopping just in front of her and Zane.
Zane stands there and reaches up for me to take him in my arms. Picking him up, he wraps his small body around mine. Making our way in the kitchen, I lead Calla to the island where everything is set up buffet style. There’s so much damn food still with everyone up and I follow behind my girl as she fills two plates of food for her and Zane. Moving along behind them, I get my own food before we make our way out to the common room. Instead of making her sit with people she doesn’t know, I direct them over to a table we can sit on our own at. If anyone wants to join, it will be up to Calla as to if they can or not.
“I didn’t really sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Zane being gone and the most horrific things being done to him by that asshole. It doesn’t matter what the hell happens to me. It’s never been about what happens to me. The only person I ever gave a fuck about was Zane. I did everything in my power to make sure Zane was as protected as I could make him, Billy. I would give my life for his,” Calla says, tears filling her eyes as she keeps her gaze locked on me.
“I know you would have baby. Trust me, I didn’t sleep last night either. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you beaten to hell and our son locked in that small as fuck room. We’ll get past this, baby. I promise we will. We don’t have to worry about him comin’ after us any longer. No one will get close to you if I can help it,” I tell her, my voice full of promise.
“You can’t promise that, Billy. Things happen to people every single day. No, we don’t have to worry about my father any longer but he’s not the only threat out there. I could leave here in five minutes and get hit by a car. You can’t be with me every second of the day to make sure nothing happens.”
“I know. It scares the fuck outta me, but I do understand that shit,” I tell her before turning to our son as he eats his breakfast as if nothing has happened to him. “Buddy, I have a question for you.”
“What?” Zane asks around a mouthful of food.
“I want to take your mama somewhere today. Can you stay here with Hartley? We won’t be gone for very long. I’m just takin’ her on a short trip. If you’re not comfortable stayin’ here with them, I won’t make you,” I ask my son, not sure how he’ll feel about this.
“I can stay here. You’ll come back to me?” he asks, looking up from his food and breaking my heart at the uncertainty filling his eyes.
“We’ll always come back for you, little man,” Calla says, rubbing her hand up and down his arm. “There isn’t anything in this world that can keep me from you. Or your Daddy. I love you so much and everything I do is for you.”
“I love you too, buddy. Your mama’s right. I’ll always do whatever it takes to come back to you. And your mama. I promise you that we’ll only be gone a short time and then the three of us will spend the day together. We can hang out in my room and watch all the movies you want,” I assure Zane before he nods his head and goes back to eating his food again.
“Where are we going?” Calla asks me, taking a few bites of her food and looking at me for answers.
“It’s a surprise. I just hope you’ll keep an open mind and go with me on this.”
With a nod of her head, we go back to eating. Zane talks while eating his own food and fills the silence at our table. Calla and I eat our breakfast while keeping up with Zane’s steady stream of conversation. While he doesn’t act as if yesterday affected him the way I thought it would, there’s an underlying vulnerability to him that I’m just seeing for the first time since meeting him. The carefree little boy I played with at Calla’s house the first night we met is still here but he’s different. Being taken from his house changed my boy and I can’t fix it for him.
