Page 27

Theo stood about Chase’s height, his dark red hair perpetually tousled as if he’d just removed a helmet.

His blue eyes shone with enthusiasm as he gestured toward something outside the window, clearly trying to engage my stoic sons in conversation.

They hadn’t mentioned having classes with anyone at the club.

Of course, I didn’t know for certain which ones were the same ages as Chase and Levi, if any were.

Chase nodded occasionally, his posture rigid, one hand casually positioned so he could grab Levi if they needed to make a quick exit.

“And the quiet one?” I asked, noticing a lankier boy approaching with a laptop tucked under his arm. He looked familiar. Wait. Wasn’t he the kid who’d married us using his computer?

“That’s Atlas,” Ridley said. Yeah, I definitely remembered him. But he was dressed differently today and I hadn’t been able to place him right away. “Wire and Lavender’s son. Smartest kid in the compound. Probably the state.”

Atlas moved with a deliberate grace, his hair falling across thoughtful eyes as he joined the small group. Unlike Theo’s exuberant energy, Atlas carried a calm confidence, setting his laptop on a nearby table before offering a simple nod to my sons.

“Let me get you another drink,” Ridley offered. “Then you can tell me how you’re settling in with that stubborn man of yours.”

I reluctantly let her guide me toward the bar, though I kept my boys in my peripheral vision. Old habits died hard.

Across the room, Theo was gesturing excitedly, pointing at something on his phone screen. “That’s my dad’s Harley-Davidson Road King,” I heard him say as we passed nearby. “Custom exhaust, blacked-out chrome. Thing sounds like a monster when it fires up.”

Chase nodded politely, his expression neutral. “Cool.”

“You ride yet?” Theo asked, undeterred by Chase’s minimal response.

“No,” Chase answered, shifting his weight slightly to maintain his protective position in front of Levi.

Atlas settled against the pool table, observing the interaction with quiet interest. “Hammer mentioned you were working at the garage,” he said to Chase, his voice lower and more measured than Theo’s enthusiastic chatter.

Chase’s eyebrows lifted slightly, surprised to be the subject of conversation. “Just helping out. Learning some basics.”

“Dad says he’s good,” Theo jumped in. “Says you’ve got a natural feel for engines.”

A flicker of pride crossed Chase’s face before he could suppress it. “Just following instructions.”

I accepted the beer Ridley handed me, but my focus remained on the boys.

Something was shifting in their posture -- just slightly, but enough for a mother who’d spent years reading their body language to notice.

Chase’s shoulders had lowered a fraction.

Levi had edged out slightly from behind his brother’s protective stance.

“You into computers?” Atlas asked Levi, nodding toward the laptop he’d set down.

Levi’s eyes lit up, though his voice remained cautious. “Yeah. I do some coding.”

“What languages?”

“Python, mostly. Some JavaScript.”

Atlas nodded approvingly. “Solid choices. I’m working on a security system for the compound. Could use another pair of eyes if you’re interested.”

For the first time since we’d arrived, Levi stepped fully out from behind Chase. “What kind of system?”

“Multi-layered. Camera feeds with facial recognition, passive network monitoring to detect unauthorized devices, predictive algorithms for potential threats.” Atlas shrugged as if this was all perfectly ordinary. “Standard stuff.”

“Standard?” Levi repeated, clearly impressed despite himself. “That’s government-level security.”

Atlas’s mouth curved in a slight smile. “Government wishes they had our setup.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Levi lean forward, genuinely interested. Atlas opened his laptop, angling the screen so Levi could see, pointing out something on the display. My youngest son moved closer, his usual hesitation temporarily forgotten in the face of technological fascination.

“You designed all this?” Levi asked, his voice carrying an unfamiliar note of admiration.

“With my dad,” Atlas confirmed. “But this section here is all mine.” He tapped the screen. “It’s specifically scanning for any digital traces of Piston or Devil’s Minions activity within a hundred-mile radius.”

Chase’s head snapped up at the mention of his father’s name, his body tensing again.

“Relax,” Atlas said, noticing Chase’s reaction. “It’s just a precaution. Hammer asked us to set up alerts if anyone from your dad’s club starts nosing around digitally. Bank transactions, phone records, social media -- the system flags anything suspicious.”

“Basically, if your dad so much as Googles your mom’s name, we’ll know about it,” Theo added, leaning against the pool table. “Nobody gets past Wire, Lavender, and Atlas when they’re on the case.”

Some of the tension drained from Chase’s frame, though his eyes remained wary. “Thanks,” he said simply.

Theo grinned, clearly taking this as a breakthrough. “Hey, you guys want to see my dad’s garage? I’ve been helping rebuild this sick Panhead from the sixties. Original paint job and everything.”

“Your Panhead’s a piece of junk,” Atlas commented dryly.

“It’s a work in progress,” Theo corrected, unbothered by the criticism. “So, you in?”

Chase and Levi exchanged a look. To my surprise, it was Levi who nodded first.

“Yeah, I’d like to see it,” he said.

“I’ll come too,” Chase added, still playing the protector but now with a hint of genuine interest.

“Awesome!” Theo pushed off from the pool table. “And after, I can show you where the Prospects have been training. I’m gonna prospect as soon as I’m eighteen. My dad’s teaching me everything I need to know.”

“Which one is your dad?” Chase asked, curiosity finally overcoming caution.

“Sarge,” Theo confirmed proudly. “Been patched in for like twenty years.”

“And your mom?” Levi asked quietly.

Theo’s expression softened slightly. “She’s not around. But my aunt Katya’s awesome. She’s not technically my mom, but she’s like my mom, you know? I call her Mom, anyway.”

Chase nodded, something like understanding passing between them. “Yeah, I get that.”

I sipped my beer, watching this exchange from my position by the bar, warmth spreading through my chest that had nothing to do with alcohol.

“Your boys are connecting,” Ridley observed, following my gaze. “It’s good. They need friends their own age who understand this life.”

The boys moved toward the door, Theo leading the way with boundless energy, Atlas following at a more measured pace, laptop tucked back under his arm.

Just before stepping outside, Chase turned, his eyes finding mine across the room.

He lifted his chin slightly in question.

I nodded, giving permission, and the ghost of a genuine smile crossed his face.

“Go,” I whispered, though he couldn’t hear me. “Be kids for once.”

As they disappeared through the door, Levi actually laughed at something Theo said -- a clear, bright sound I’d almost forgotten existed. The sound pierced my heart, drawing tears I quickly blinked away.

Ridley squeezed my arm gently. “They’re going to be okay, honey. We’ll all make sure of it.”

The noise of the party pressed in on me like a physical weight, each laugh and conversation adding to the pressure behind my eyes.

I slipped out the door onto the clubhouse porch, the cooler night air a welcome relief as I drew in a deep breath.

Stars punctured the dark canvas above. I leaned against the wooden railing, letting the distant rumble of motorcycles and the chirp of crickets wash over me, a gentler soundtrack than the one I’d left inside.

The door creaked open behind me. I tensed instinctively, then forced myself to relax as Venom’s imposing figure emerged from the light.

He came to stand beside me at the railing, not so close as to invade my space, but near enough for conversation.

With practiced ease, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his cut, tapping one out before offering the pack to me.

“No, thanks,” I said. “I quit when I got pregnant with Chase.”

Venom nodded, tucking the pack away after lighting his own. “Smart woman.” He took a deep drag, exhaling smoke that curled away on the light breeze. “Ridley made me quit in the house years ago. Said she wouldn’t raise our kids in a cloud of smoke.”

I smiled at that, imagining the petite blonde laying down the law to this intimidating man. “She seems like someone who gets her way.”

“You have no idea.” He chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.

We stood in companionable silence for a few moments, watching moths dance around the string lights. The distant thump of bass from inside provided a steady heartbeat beneath the night sounds.

“How you adjusting?” Venom finally asked, studying the cherry of his cigarette. “To all this. To Hammer.”

I considered my answer carefully. “It’s… different. From what I’m used to.”

“Different good or different bad?”

“Good,” I said without hesitation. “The boys seem… lighter here. Less afraid.” I hesitated, then added, “But I still worry. About Piston finding us. About what happens then.”

Venom took another drag, his expression thoughtful beneath his silver-streaked beard. “You know what makes this club different from outfits like the Devil’s Minions?”

I shook my head.

“Loyalty,” he said simply. “Not just to the patch or the lifestyle, but to each other. To our families.” He gestured with his cigarette toward the compound. “Every man who wears this cut would die for his brothers. But more importantly, they’d kill for their families.”

The blunt declaration should have disturbed me. Instead, I found it oddly comforting. “Piston has a lot of connections. In law enforcement, in other clubs.”

“So do we,” Venom countered. “Difference is, our connections are built on respect, not fear or blackmail.” He turned to face me directly. “The minute Hammer claimed you, you became Dixie Reapers’ family. Your boys too. That means something here.”

I believed him, yet doubt still niggled at the back of my mind. “Hammer and I… our arrangement… it’s complicated.”

Venom’s mouth quirked upward beneath his beard. “Aren’t they all?”

“I just mean…” I struggled to explain without revealing too much. “I don’t want anyone fighting battles for me if this… if we…”

Yes, I wanted them to protect us, but I hadn’t really considered what that might mean. These people could get hurt or even die.

“Listen,” Venom interrupted gently. “Few decades back, one of our Prospects fell for a woman with baggage. Ex-husband, mean son of a bitch who thought divorce papers were just suggestions. He tracked her down, showed up at her workplace.”

I tensed, the scenario too familiar.

“Know what happened?” Venom continued. “Before he could even get to her, he was met by three Reapers who happened to be ‘passing by.’ They explained, very clearly, that the woman was under club protection now.” Venom’s eyes darkened.

“When he didn’t take the hint, they arranged a more permanent solution. ”

The implication hung in the air between us. I thought about how horrified I should feel at what he was suggesting. Instead, I felt only a cold satisfaction.

“Did she know?” I asked quietly. “The woman?”

“Some things are better not knowing the details of,” Venom replied. “But she understood that her problem had been handled. She’s not with the Prospect anymore, and he’s not part of this club either. They broke up, and several months later, he took off.”

I nodded, absorbing the weight of his story and what it meant for my own situation. “Thank you,” I said simply.

“No need for thanks. Just wanted you to understand how things work here.” He flicked his cigarette butt into an empty beer bottle with practiced precision. “We protect our own, Amelia. You and your boys will always have a place here.”

A lump formed in my throat at the casual certainty in his voice. “Speaking of Hammer, I haven’t seen him tonight.”

Venom’s smile was knowing. “Club business. He should be back soon.” He studied me for a moment. “You know, I’ve known that ornery bastard for thirty-plus years. Never seen him tied up in knots over a woman before.”

“Tied up in knots? He’s barely been home all week.”

“Exactly.” Venom smiled. “Man doesn’t run from things he doesn’t care about.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You scare the hell out of him, Amelia Williams. And that’s a good thing. Man his age needs shaking up.”

Before I could respond, the boys came running up the porch steps. Both started talking simultaneously, their words tumbling over each other in a rush I hadn’t heard from them in years.

“Mom, you gotta see the garage --”

“Theo showed us this Panhead that’s like sixty years old --”

“Atlas says he can teach me some advanced coding --”

I held up my hands, laughing at their enthusiasm. “Slow down. One at a time!”

Venom smiled, nodding to me as he quietly excused himself.

Chase barely paused to acknowledge his departure before launching back into his story about engine parts I couldn’t begin to understand.

Levi kept interrupting with his own discoveries about the compound’s security system, his eyes bright behind his glasses.

“Can we come back tomorrow?” Levi asked, a note of pleading in his voice I’d never heard before. “Atlas said he could show me how to access the camera feeds from my laptop. For security practice,” he added quickly, seeing my expression.

“And Theo’s dad said he’d let me help with an oil change on his Harley,” Chase added, trying to sound casual though his excitement shone through.

I pulled them both into a hug, overcome with emotion at the simple normalcy of their request. Until now, I’d hugged them sparingly, knowing they had an aversion to being touched.

But right now, they were just boys wanting to hang out with friends, pursue interests, learn new skills.

Everything I’d wished for them but never thought possible while living under Piston’s shadow.

“Yes,” I said, my voice thick with unshed tears. “Yes, of course you can.”

As they hugged me back -- even Chase -- I felt something settle deep in my chest. Not just hope, but something more substantial. A sense of foundation. Of roots beginning to take hold in this unexpected soil.

For the first time since we’d fled Florida, I allowed myself to believe that we might truly belong somewhere after all.

Not just as refugees seeking temporary shelter, but as family.

I’d dressed up tonight to play a part, not realizing all I had to really do was embrace my role as Hammer’s old lady.

And that realization was both terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.