Page 4 of A Very Merry Unbirthday (Sacred Sinners MC- Mother Chapter #2)

White Boy

The Unbirthday

Carrying the cake in from Gunz’s truck that I borrowed to get the giant three-tier monstrosity here, Blimp chuckles from the door as he holds it open for me to dip inside.

All the woman cheer as I cart the heavy fucker toward the cake table, set up next to some weird caterpillar on a mushroom.

Kids’ music pumps through the speakers, lower than party volume, as a gaggle of loud children races through the common room.

It’s wild. Who would’ve thought, in just a few short years, I’d be a patched-in brother, and we’d be throwin’ the prez’s daughter an unbirthday?

At least the theme is on brand with Alice in Wonderland.

Joining me, Bink dances a little jig in her Alice costume, complete with white stockings and a blue dress that looks a lot more like it was made for the bedroom. Big’s a lucky man .

Once I set down the cake, she grips my bicep. “It’s prettier than I expected!”

“Sure is.” I flash her an uncomfortable smile before she rushes over to claim the mini-Alice, aka Leech, aka Harley, to show her the cake covered in 3D depictions of all the famous Wonderland characters.

Now that my deed is done, I find my way to the wall, where I prefer to be, away from the craziness.

Deke, dressed as a mouse, dances with his daughters as Jez, dressed as the Queen, does the same with her kids.

Janie and Dom are right there in the mix.

As are Dixie and her baby. It’s cute. If you’re into that kinda stuff.

I’ve never been one to want kids of my own.

I’m not down to be a responsible parent.

But I make an okay uncle. That suits me just fine.

Maybe a good friend, too. Given that my best friend, Jade, has a teenage son named Hunter, whom I just happen to like.

Speaking of Jade.

Hiding away from the kids and the brothers, who are kids, too, when they wanna be, I find her hidden behind the bar.

Alright. Perhaps hidden ain’t the right word.

You can see her. But she’s there for a reason, away from everyone.

She’s a different person now after the kidnapping and the shit that happened to her and the sisters.

Fuck.

She won’t even talk to me about it.

Or the sisters.

Or the therapist Big hired.

It’s work and home. Home and work. Occasionally, she drops by the compound, but it’s not like it used to be. I’m surprised she even showed up. Then again, she’ll do just about anything for my mom and Bink .

Rounding the bar, I prop my back against the wall beside her, but we don’t talk.

There’s no need. She’ll fight me. She fights me a lot these days.

I’m the only one she lets her anger out on.

Everyone else seems to think she’s fine or getting along okay since everything went down. But it’s not like that. Not really.

Hunter sees it.

I see it.

Hell, she kicks me out of her house at least a handful of times a week because I push her.

I push her to talk. To open up. To work through her demons.

She was raped, for fuck’s sake. She needs to talk about it.

I know it’s not my place to push, but I can’t help it.

I need to. Don’t ask me why. But I do. Just as I need to stand beside her in my clubhouse, with my brothers having a wild time, to show I’m here.

It annoys her. The glare she sends my way is evidence enough.

I get it. But I’m not goin’ anywhere—tough shit.

Bink rushes over to the bar and waves for us to join the party. “Come dance.” She breathes, face flushed with excitement.

I knock my shoulder into Jade’s. “Go on.”

She side-eyes me like she wants to stab me in the face.

I don’t take offense. I never do.

My mom, Jade’s best friend and neighbor, races over in her clown costume and pulls Bink back into the fray so shit doesn’t pop off. This is about Leech. It’s about the sisters. This is about letting off some steam when we’re at war.

“You want some food?” I nod toward the buffet tables.

Jade says nothing.

Knowin’ she’ll eat if I force her to, and I will, because she’s lost too much weight, I leave Jade and get us some grub. I scoop a little bit of this and that, your standard Midwest birthday fare: shredded chicken sandwiches, chips, and a variety of carb-heavy salads.

Blimp slides in behind me to fill another plate. His pot-scented cologne hits me with a dose of nostalgia, calming my nerves a bit. By cologne, I mean actual pot. He’s a walking cloud of smoke.

“How’s it goin’ over there?” He jerks his chin toward Jade.

I shrug, not wanting to talk about it. “Same as it has been.”

“Silent treatment?” he guesses.

“Pretty much.” I pop a chip into my mouth and crunch down.

“Your girl comin’ today?”

“With the club at war, no. Plus, I had to pick up the cake.” I tip my chin at the tiered thing that weighs a lot more than you’d think it should.

“She okay with bein’ left out?” He checks, always lookin’ out for me.

“I didn’t ask.” Why would I? Club business stays club business, and she knows as much as she needs to for her protection. Her come to a family party? No. Not when it could put a target on her back like it did Kit, Jade, Beth, and my mom.

“Brother.”

I know that tone. That’s Blimp’s, don’t make me give you a talkin’ to tone.

“What?”

“You know she’s gonna hold out on you if you keep treatin’ her like this.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got other shit on my mind these days.

If she doesn’t like it, that’s life.” Plus, it’s for her own good.

To keep her safe. We text. She drops by Jade’s sometimes, where I meet her out front to catch up and whatnot.

Sure, it’s not ideal that I spend most of my time there these days, but someone has to do it.

Hunter needs me, and whether Jade thinks so or not, she needs me too.

To clean and grocery shop and all the shit she doesn’t have the energy to do anymore.

Hunter needs to eat more than Ramen and eggs.

“Damn.” Blimp whistles in surprise. “It’s like that, huh?” A subtle smirk peeks out of his wild beard.

“Jade’s family. It’ll always be like that. You know it.”

Humming to himself, Blimp strokes his beard and nods. “Yeah. I suppose I do. Just kinda weird hearin’ it come from you.”

It shouldn’t. Club first. Family first. It’s always been that way. I was raised by a hellion of a single mom, who pounded that shit into my skull from the moment I first drew breath.

“Mom would hand me my ass if I didn’t know where my priorities lie.”

“Mom would what?” my mom chimes in, coming to join us. She wraps her arms around Blimp’s neck, kisses his cheek, and focuses back on me.

I brush her off, not in the mood to go there with her. Not now. Not tonight. “It’s nothin’, Mom.”

“It’s about Jade, ain’t it?”

“Please, leave it alone.”

“Listen to him, babe, leave it alone,” Blimp cuts in, saving my ass.

“She’s my?—”

“Best friend,” I interrupt. “Yeah. We know. But she’s also family. So let me handle this my way and you handle your relationship with her however you want.”

Sighing, my mom pats me on the shoulder. “I love you. ”

“Love you, too,” I reply when she pecks me on the cheek and leaves to join the rest of the sisters in the middle of the chicken dance.

Bullet dodged.

Full plates in hand, Blimp and I stand back and watch the women and a handful of the brothers with the kids make a fool out of themselves.

Kit’s got the camera rollin’, to collect the memories.

We need ‘em. As of late, there’s been a lot more bad than good ‘round these parts. With the war with Remy and all the death, it’s nice to come together like this.

Once everyone moves into the electric slide, I take that as my cue to get the hell outta dodge, before I get roped in.

Bink grabs Prez and forces him to join, and he ain’t half bad, even though he can’t keep his hands off his woman.

I join Jade and offer her the plate, which she accepts with complete silence.

Standing side by side, our shoulders touching, we watch our family celebrate the little girl we all adore.

Runner would have loved this.

For as much of a dick as he was, this would have been fun for him. To talk shit and dance. To have let loose. To smile and flirt with Beth. Even if he ruined shit with her, there were still feelings there—lots of ‘em.

Same goes for Beth. I wonder how she’s doin’.

So much has changed.

It’s hard to keep up from one day to the next.

When the presents are opened and we sing Happy Birthday, I don’t leave Jade’s side. Sisters drop by to talk to her, but she doesn’t say much. She never does anymore. But I’m here. Here to stay. Whether she likes it or not.

As the night winds down and the kids go home, the common room transforms from a children's party to adult fun .

Brew takes his post behind the bar, forcing us to claim a new spot to grow roots. He hands us two bottles of beer as we depart.

“Thanks, brother,” I call over my shoulder as Jade and I migrate to the corner by the pool table, away from almost everyone else.

I offer her the brew. When she accepts it, I clink our bottles together. “Cheers.”

She says nothing, tips her head back, and chugs the entire beer without taking a breath.

“Christ, Jade.” I chuckle, impressed with her skills.

She burps, wipes the back of her hand over her mouth, glares at me, and shoves the empty at my chest. “Fuck off, Josh,” she growls and marches away.

It stings.

It shouldn’t.

But it does.

The brush-off.

The anger.

My heart aches when it shouldn’t. I set the empty on the ground and rub that knot in the center of my chest as I watch her walk away, with those wide hips, dark hair, and tattoos, rockin’ a pair of leggings and a t-shirt.

I don’t know what I gotta do to fix her.

To make things right again.

But I’m gonna try even if it breaks me.

That’s what friends are for.

Now please excuse me while I get shit faced and eat half the cake I delivered.

I need it.

Later.