Page 3

BOND

I kept an eye out to see if we were being tailed, but it didn’t seem like it. I’d clocked one of the gang members as I’d left the yard; you couldn’t miss them with their denim jackets depicting a black snake that I assumed was the Black Mamba. He’d seemed more worried about chatting up the woman who was with him than being a lookout. Small blessing that he was more worried about getting his dick wet than doing his job.

It didn’t take long for Rochelle to join Daisy in sleep. My heart hurt for them. While I didn’t know what it was like to have a parent who gave a shit about you, I’d been in the company of some pretty phenomenal parents since I’d been with the Crows, and I knew how much it had to have hurt Rochelle to leave her dad behind, especially as he was obviously a good one.

It was closing in on eight in the evening when I pulled into the private drive at the back of the hotel. I’d worry about unloading tomorrow. Tonight, I wanted to get my girls into my room so that they could get comfortable.

Switching off the engine, I sat back in my seat with a relieved sigh, thankful that I was back on home ground where there was protection.

Getting out, I stretched my back out and swung my arms, trying to ease the tension that had crept up my neck and shoulders, knowing that if anything were to happen, I’d be hard-pressed to protect Rochelle and Daisy by myself. With the type of threat against her, I needed to assess how much she knew about firearms. Although having grown up here, where most people carried a firearm, I’d be surprised if she didn’t know how to shoot.

Through my open door, I could see that Rochelle was still fast asleep and Daisy hadn’t made a peep the whole journey. I wasn’t sure if I should be worried about that or not because she seemed to be really quiet for a baby as young as her.

Walking around to the passenger side rear door, I slowly opened it. Just then, the back door to the private rooms of the hotel opened, and Skinny, Josie, Blaze, and Cairo walked out.

Not wanting to wake Rochelle and Daisy up, I nodded at my brothers as they walked up.

“Hey,” I quietly greet them.

“Bond, you doing okay?” Blaze asks just as quietly, coming up beside me to look into the back.

“I’m good, brother. Can one of you grab Daisy and the bags that Roch put on the floor? I’ll have to unpack the truck tomorrow; I don’t want to leave them alone tonight,” I tell them.

“Give me the keys,” Cairo says, holding out his hand. “Blaze and I’ll go and unload into the warehouse, and you can sort it tomorrow. Safer than leaving the parts out here, where they can be nicked."

“Thanks,” I reply, tossing him my keys before removing Rochelle’s seat belt. Skinny is on the other side of the car from me, and he’s unhooked the car seat from the base and handed it to Josie before grabbing their bags from the car. Once he has them all, I slip my hands under Rochelle and pick her up and out of the car. I’m shocked at how light she is. Surely, she should be heavier. I hope she’s been getting enough to eat, especially as she is nursing.

Rochelle wakes slightly when Cairo starts the truck and looks up at me, her green eyes hazy with sleep.

“Daisy,” she says, looking around.

“It’s okay, Skinny’s Old Lady has Daisy,” I tell her, nodding towards Josie, who is walking slightly ahead of us. “Skinny is behind us with your bags. We’re going to my room, and I’ll get you two settled and some food sent up.”

“Okay,” she says, snuggling her head back into my shoulder with a soft but heartfelt, “thank you.”

It made me wonder how long she’d been carrying the weight of the world by herself. She’d not have to do that anymore, not now that she was with us.

It wasn’t long and we were at my door. “Where are your keys?” Josie asks.

“Here,” I answer, shaking the keys on the finger of the hand that was cradling Rochelle’s legs.

“You can put me down,” Rochelle informs me.

“It’s okay, baby,” I tell her as Josie takes the keys from where I had them hanging off my finger and opens the door. After a year of not allowing myself to think about her and what could be, I liked having her close, and if that meant carrying her for a bit, well then, I was good with that.

Josie pushed open the door to my room and switched on the light that turned the bedside lamps on rather than the main light. Immediately, I saw that someone had taken the time to add a cot for Daisy, and I now had a microwave sitting on the dresser along with a case of bottled water. Stopping at the foot of the bed, I set Rochelle on the end.

Josie set Daisy’s car seat on the bed next to Rochelle with a smile, holding out her hand to introduce herself, “Hi, I’m Josie. It’s lovely to meet you.”

Rochelle shakes Josie’s hand with a smile, “Hi, Josie. Thank you for bringing Daisy in for me. I appreciate it.”

“Aw, that’s okay, she’s a real cutie and so tiny,” Josie says.

“She is,” Rochelle answers. “She’ll be waking up soon to eat. I’m surprised she hasn’t started crying yet.”

Josie shrugs her shoulders a little, pulling the light blanket down so she could look at Daisy’s face, “Probably the car ride. I know I’m asleep before we even get to the end of the road if I’m not driving.”

Rochelle laughs, and I chuckle and nod. “It’s true; she really is asleep by the time we hit the end of the road. I’m going to check where Skinny is with your bags so that you can change Daisy when she wakes up.”

Turning around, I left Josie and Rochelle talking and went to see where Skinny had got to. He’d been right behind me until we’d walked through the door, and that’s exactly where he still was—standing at the door talking to Bull and Rogue.

“Hey, all good here?” I question.

“Yeah, brother, we’re just checking in to make sure you got here with no problems,” Bull tells me, clasping my shoulder. “Your girls doing okay?”

“She cried for nearly an hour after leaving her dad. I’m not sure if she’s doing okay or not. I have a feeling she wouldn’t tell me if she was having a hard time. Rochelle’s used to doing everything on her own,” I answer honestly. Because it was true, I wasn’t sure if she’d tell me if something wasn’t right or if she was unhappy; she’d just soldier on and make the best of it.

Bull nods with understanding, “Something to keep an eye out for then.”

From down the passage, Daisy let out a little cry, nothing like the cries that I was used to from our MC kids.

“Is that the baby?” Bull asks, tilting his head curiously.

“It is, and she’s fucking tiny, man. Her arsehole ex beat Rochelle bad enough that she went into early labour. Daisy’s three months old, but she was born two months early,” I answer, taking the diaper bag that Skinny holds out to me.

“Take this and I’ll bring the rest in behind you.”

“Thanks,” I reply, hurrying down the passage and back to my room as Daisy’s squawks get louder until they go quiet.

Walking back into the room, I avert my eyes when I find Rochelle with her top up, exposing her breast to Daisy. Now I know why she suddenly went quiet. Josie stands up as soon as I walk in and tells me, “I’ll go and grab you something to eat as I’m sure you’re hungry,” she smiles at me, then turns back to Rochelle. “We’ll chat again in the morning. Have this one,” she throws a thumb over her shoulder at me, “bring you by my office and I’ll show you around.”

Rochelle smiles back at Josie, saying warmly, “Thank you, Josie, and thanks for the friendly welcome and the help tonight. I’ll definitely have Bond bring me over. I’d like a look around and see if there’s a job going somewhere.”

Josie slants her eyes at me at Rochelle’s statement, but I don’t say anything because she’s had decisions taken from her for the last few years. She has a job with me if she’s interested in it. I’ll broach that with her tomorrow, though.

Tilting my chin at Josie, I slightly shake my head, letting her know that I don’t want her to say anything.

“I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” Josie says again before she turns and walks out of the room, stopping Skinny from entering, probably worried about how Rochelle would feel with a man she doesn’t know coming in when she’s nursing.

It’s my excuse to walk away from a sight that I’m hard pressed not to want to look at because it’s so beautiful: the soft look on Rochelle’s face as she looks down at her daughter, who’s going to town like she’s starving, and she probably is, considering how long it’s been since her last feeding.

“Thanks, Skinny,” I say, taking the bags from him, “and thanks, Josie, I appreciate you making Roch feel welcome.”

Josie smiles, wrapping her hands around Skinny’s arm and leaning up against him, “You’re welcome. I like her; bring her around tomorrow before you hijack her to work for you.”

“I will,” I reply with a small chuckle, glad she’d understood what I’d been trying to say.

“We’ll be back soon with something to eat. Are sandwiches okay?” Josie questions.

“Sandwiches are fine, Josie, thanks.”

Closing the door as they walk away, I walk back into the room and come to a stop when I see Rochelle, eyes closed, leaning back against the headboard. Daisy looks to be finished, but the two of them seem to be dozing again. It makes me wonder just how much rest Rochelle has got over the last few months. Not much, I’d imagine, coupled with a new baby, the stress of her dad being ill, and the threat from the Black Mambas hanging over their heads. I am surprised she is still standing.

Squatting down beside the bed, I lay a hand on her leg and gently squeeze it.

She opens her sleepy green eyes and looks down at me with surprise.

“Hey, baby. Are you okay with me taking Daisy and changing her while you go and grab a shower?” I ask.

Rochelle shakes herself slightly before letting out a small yawn, covering her mouth with her hand. “Sorry,” she says, sitting up, “I can’t believe how tired I am. Do you know how to change a baby?” she asks curiously.

Laughing softly so as not to disturb a sleeping Daisy, I reply, “Oh, yeah. The Crows are a prolific lot, and we all learned how to change diapers pretty quickly with the number of babies that were born in a short space of time.”

“That must be nice,” Rochelle murmurs, gently removing Daisy from her breast and covering up before handing her to me.

“What must be nice, Roch?” I ask, wanting to know what she means. Standing up, I cradle Daisy’s lightweight form against my chest. I stifle a chuckle as she smacks her lips like someone who has just had the best meal ever.

“Having all those people around to help out.”

Turning my attention from Daisy to the woman who I’d not been able to forget in the last year. “You’ll have that now, Roch,” I tell her.

She frowns slightly and says in a disbelieving tone, “But they don’t know me, and Daisy isn’t even blood.”

Laying Daisy down on the bed, I open the diaper bag. Taking out a tiny baby grower, nappy, wipes, and cream, I start to change her, telling Rochelle, “Blood doesn’t mean anything to a Crow, Rochelle. You’ll understand more tomorrow once you meet everyone. For now, go and grab a shower while I settle Daisy. Skinny and Josie will be back soon with some food for us.”

When she still hesitates, I turn my full attention back to her. Lifting my hand, I cup her cheek, tilting her head slightly towards me before reassuring her, “I promise, baby. Everything is going to be okay. You and Daisy have nothing to worry about.”

Her gaze searches mine, and whatever she sees has her nodding her agreement. “Okay,” she whispers with one last glance at Daisy, as if to ensure that she is still okay. It is only then that she goes towards the bags and starts rifling through them. Once she has what she needs, she goes to the bathroom; it isn’t long before I hear the shower start.

Turning back to Daisy, I was surprised to see her eyes open. Eyes that are the exact same colour as her mother’s.

“Well, hello, princess. Did you have a nice nap? You’re probably going to keep us up all night, huh?” I speak softly to her as I quickly finished changing her nappy and putting her in a fresh grower. Picking her up and resting her on my shoulder, I gently rub her back to be rewarded with a huge burp, making me chuckle and then sigh happily as she snuggles her head further into my shoulder, seemingly content for the moment. Looking around my room, I’m surprised that the slight messiness isn’t bothering me as much as it usually would.

My childhood had left me with many scars—messiness, being dirty, and ill-fitting clothes only being a few of them. It was how I got my name, Bond, because when I got the chance, I’d made sure that I’d never have to live like that again. I’d always been well turned out, with tidy hair and pressed clothes. My brothers understood my quirks and made allowances for them. That didn’t mean that I didn’t get dirty when I had to, because I could, as long as I knew there was a shower and fresh, clean clothes at the end of it.

Taking Daisy with me when there was a knock on the door, I opened it to find Blaze holding a plate, not Skinny or Josie as expected.

“I sent them to bed,” Blaze explains at my puzzled look. “Josie has to get started early tomorrow. This must be Daisy.”

“It is,” I told him, turning slightly so he can see her face. She is wide awake and happily gurgling away.

“Fuck, Bond, she’s tiny, man. Beautiful and strong though,” Blaze says softly, holding out his finger, chuckling slightly as she grips it tight in her little fist.

“I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” he continues when we hear the shower shut off. “I’m happy for you, Bond, and I’m glad she’s out of there. We’ll handle whatever’s coming. Bull’s going to call Church tomorrow just after lunch.”

“Thanks, Blaze,” I tell him. None of us thought that this was over. We all expected there to be blowback; it was just a matter of time. The only good thing was that this gang didn’t know us and what we were capable of when it came to protecting ours. Luckily, we had made connections before we even arrived in the country, and Bull had organized a stockpile of weapons and ammunition should we need it.

Closing the door on Blaze, I put the plate that was piled high with sandwiches on the table. I wasn’t sure how hungry Josie thought we were, I thought with a twinge of amusement, taking in the number of sandwiches on the plate.

“It looks like your Aunt Josie thinks we haven’t eaten in days. What do you think, Daisy?” I ask the sweet little girl who seems utterly content to be carried around. Keeping my hand around the back of her head to make sure she is secure in my hold, I squat down by the fridge and open the door, perusing the contents, “What will your mum drink, hey, Daise? Coke won’t be good for you, so it’s either juice or water.” Turning my head slightly, I look into her big green eyes; her lips give a small lift at the corners that I take for a smile. Smiling back at her, I nod my head, “Yep, I agree with you, princess, water it is.” Taking two bottles out of the fridge, I put them on the top of the fridge. Closing the door, I stand up and stop when I see Rochelle standing just in the doorway of the bathroom, watching us with a small smile, her eyes soft.

“Princess and I decided water all round,” I tell Rochelle.

Rochelle’s lips twitch slightly, “Princess, huh?” she states, amusement in her tone.

“Yep, princess,” I reply, handing Roch a bottle of water and waving a hand to the chairs before continuing, “Sit, baby, and have something to eat. You’re way too thin.”

Rochelle lets out a bark of laughter at my words, “That’s a first; usually, men are telling us to lose weight.”

Snorting a little, I tell her, “Well, they’re idiots. All I want is for you to be happy and healthy. You’re feeding Daisy, so you need extra food. That’s just common sense,” I say as I put a sandwich on her plate and nudge it towards her before taking one for myself.

Rochelle doesn’t reply to my statement, but I’m happy to see she eats a couple of sandwiches and finishes her water. When she pushes her plate away, only then do I say anything.

“How are you really, baby?”

Her eyes fill with tears, but she blinks them away and clears her throat before replying, “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s all happened so fast. This morning, I woke up in my childhood bedroom expecting my day to go as it usually did, and then Dad saw your name in the order book, and he hustled me to get packed.

“I’m not sure what lit a fire under his arse, but something did. And now I’m here in the bedroom of the man I’ve not been able to stop thinking about since I first met you last year, and you’ve taken us in like it’s nothing. You’ve taken Daisy as yours, and you’ve looked after us like you’ve always known us.

“It’s confusing. I’ve never known a man like you. Not even my dad, as wonderful as he is. I’m scared it’s all going to be taken away from us, and then Daisy and I’ll be homeless again.”

Leaning forward slightly, I take Rochelle’s hand, “I promise, Rochelle, it’s going to be okay. You’ll see tomorrow when you meet everyone. Bull’s called Church after lunch, and we’ll sit down and hash out a contingency plan to keep you and Daisy safe. I don’t want you to worry.”

“Umm, Church? Are you going to pray for answers?” she asks with confusion.

Chuckling quietly so as not to disturb the now sleeping baby, I shake my head in amusement, “No, baby, Church is what we call our meetings.”

“Okay,” Rochelle replies, but I can still see the confusion in her eyes.

“I’ll introduce you to the other Old Ladies tomorrow, and they’ll explain most of it to you better than I can,” I reassure her. “Just know we don’t work like other motorcycle clubs. While what we speak about in Church is for our ears only, our women are allowed in meetings. We’ve found it’s better for them to know what is happening so that they are prepared should they need to be. That reminds me, can you shoot?”

“Yeah,” Rochelle nods, “I think most who grow up here can. I have my handgun in my handbag.”

“Good,” I tell her. “Make sure you keep it on you at all times, at least until we know what the threat level is. Now how about you get into bed, and I’ll put our princess down?”

“Where will you sleep?” she wants to know, looking around the room.

Nodding towards the floor, I tell her, “I’ve got a bedroll in the wardrobe; I’ll be fine on the floor.”

She’s shaking her head before I’ve even finished speaking. “No, please don’t sleep on the floor. We can share the bed. I mean, it’s huge.”

Studying her intently, I wanted to make sure she didn’t feel pressured in any way, but all I saw was genuine distress at the thought of me sleeping on the floor.

Standing up, I cup her chin, tilting her face to mine, “It’s not a problem, Roch, I’ve slept in worse places and conditions. I want you to be comfortable here. You don’t owe me anything. If tomorrow you still feel the same way, then we’ll discuss it again, but for tonight, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Rochelle grasps the wrist of the hand that’s cupping her chin. “Please, Bond, sleep in the bed,” she says softly. “I don’t want to be alone. I trust you, please don’t sleep on the floor.”

Staring into her green eyes that are swimming with tears, I don’t have the heart to push it. If she needs the comfort of someone next to her, then I’ll happily provide it.

Gently rubbing my thumb under her eyes, I wipe away the tear that flowed. “Okay, baby, go get ready for bed so you can feed Daisy again while I shower,” I tell her quietly. Letting her go, I tug her to her feet, wrapping my free arm around her; I hug her to me as she wraps her arms around my waist, returning my embrace until Daisy squeaks unhappily at being disturbed, making us both laugh softly. Pressing a kiss to her temple, I nudge her towards the bed, where she again settles up against the headboard. Handing Daisy to her for a feed, I leave them to it and disappear into the bathroom for a shower.

Resting my hands on the tiles, I allow the hot water to pound down my back and over my tense shoulders as I try and settle my thoughts about all that had transpired today. I’d never in a million years thought that when I left this morning, I’d be returning hours later with not only the woman who hadn’t been far from my thoughts since I’d first seen her but also her mini-me. Shaking my head, I wondered if this was how my brothers had felt when they met their ladies.

Finishing up, I dried off and put a pair of sleep shorts on before venturing out into the bedroom. Closing the door slightly behind me to allow some light into the now dark bedroom. Stopping by Daisy’s cot, I made sure that the mosquito netting was covering all sides so no pesky mosquitoes would get to her. Although we sprayed the gardens, so we didn’t have many, it was always better to be careful, as a dose of malaria was not fun to have.

Rochelle was asleep already, tucked on her side, one hand under her cheek, her blonde curls spread out across the pillows. Something settled in my chest at the sight of her in my bed. Reaching up, I undid the mosquito net from above the bed and fitted it around our bed. Once I was satisfied that it was tucked in just right, only then did I slip into bed next to Rochelle. It didn’t take long for the day to catch up with me, and I was asleep.

It felt like I’d only just closed my eyes when I woke to an unfamiliar weight on my chest and Daisy stirring. Rochelle grumbled but sat up, still half-asleep.

“Stay here, baby. I’ll get her,” I tell her, not wanting her to try and find her way around the semi-dark room. Lifting the mosquito net up, I go to Daisy and pick her up, quickly changing her on the makeshift changing table I’d set up last night before taking her back to our bed and handing her to Rochelle.

“Thank you,” she mutters quietly, situating a fussing Daisy to her breast.

“You’re welcome,” I reply just as softly, sitting next to her and leaning up against the headboard with her. I fully intended to stay awake and put Daisy back in her cot, but the next thing I knew, the sun was sliding around the curtains and Rochelle was asleep next to me. Looking over at the cot, I could just make Daisy out in the murkiness of the morning.

‘So much for staying awake to help,’ I thought to myself, slightly disgusted that I’d fallen asleep. I slid quietly out of bed, trying not to wake my girls so I could get a head start on my day.