Page 19 of Scythe’s Salvation (Imperial Knights MC: Roanoke, VA #2)

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

Tamara

With the last of the salads and desserts finished and put up until later when it’s time to eat, I sit outside with the other ol’ ladies sipping on a bottle of water while I watch the kids run around.

One of the prospects put up an inflatable pool and there’s a water slide that’s running as well.

Yelling and laughing, children are going back and forth, their screams of excitement almost louder than the music that’s steadily playing.

“So, what do you think?” Selah asks, sitting next to me.

“It’s a lot to absorb, of course, but I’m having the time of my life right now,” I admit.

“Scythe’s a good guy. He was with us when we found Moira,” she says. “Just so you know, she’s quiet until she gets to know you, because of the trauma she’s endured, but that’s her story to share or not, you know?”

I nod because I understand completely that some things are best left in the past where they belong.

Reliving painful memories in therapy is one thing so you can get the coping skills needed to move past it all, but constantly regurgitating pain keeps those wounds wide open.

I’ve noticed how solicitous Kracken is with her, and I’ve paid attention to how the other men in both factions of the club are with not only their ol’ ladies, but their children.

They exude family from every pore, and seeing big, gruff, sometimes scary looking bikers gazing lovingly at their child or woman shows me what my future holds.

Because Scythe already looks at me that way.

It still boggles my mind that we’re moving at what feels like warp speed, but I guess when it’s right, it’s right.

I’m slightly startled when Dragon leans over and quietly says, “What you’re feeling is real, Tamara.

Embrace the crazy and welcome to the family.

” With that, he walks away with a six-pack of beers in his beefy hand, toward a group of the brothers who are standing around talking.

“So, has Scythe told you about his… affliction?” Selah asks, a gleam in her eyes.

“Um, no. What is it?” I question, praying that he’s not secretly a closet sadist. I’ll never yuck on someone else’s yum, but pain isn’t my thing at all.

She snickers then calls out, “Faith, can you come over here? Bring your new dolly.”

“Okay, Mommy,” a little girl replies. A few minutes later, she comes over, cradling a porcelain doll that’s dressed in an old-fashioned outfit. Selah leans in and whispers something to her, and I watch a grin split Faith’s face before she nods and heads toward where Scythe is standing.

“Watch this,” Selah instructs, pointing to where Faith has just reached Scythe’s side.

The high-pitched screech that comes from him shocks the hell out of me.

It’s like watching the Supernatural episode where Dean has ghost sickness, and everything terrifies him.

When the little terrier crosses his path, he loses it totally and screams, then looks at his brother and says, “That was scary!”

Scythe glares over at Selah, who blows him a kiss as she says, “Chop, chop, China doll.”

“You are an evil, evil woman, Selah. Butcher! Control your woman.”

Laughter erupts all around us as Selah explains how she told the story to the brothers during their trip to rescue Moira.

The one about the China doll freaked Scythe out so badly that he threatened to turn off his mic in his helmet.

Ever since then, she’s occasionally pranked him by hiding dolls in his saddlebags, or even emailing him tidbits she finds about the possessed doll.

But today’s prank is epic because everyone saw his reaction.

“I mean, those creepy kewpie dolls freak me out,” Rory murmurs. “So, I kind of understand his phobia.”

“We all have them,” Selah agrees. “But his reaction is always so freaking priceless, I can’t stop.”

As the day goes on, I watch my son whenever he deigns to run by me.

He’s absolutely filthy right now, but the smile lighting up his face is one I’ve never seen in my life.

No matter what happens with the court case, I internally vow that he’ll always be this happy.

At least while he’s young before life shows him that it’s not always rainbows and sunshine.

“Hate I can’t sit with you during the fireworks,” Scythe says as we eat some of the best barbecue I’ve ever tasted. Several of the brothers pride themselves on their grilling skills and smelling all the food cooking for what seems like hours has had my stomach eating itself.

“It’s okay, Scythe, I promise. You’ll be with us when we watch the movies, so it’s all good.”

“You having a good time, sweetheart?” he asks.

“Definitely. Thank you for inviting us.”

“Wouldn’t want it any other way. Do you want more of anything? I’m heading back to the table.”

Smiling internally at his generous nature, I reply, “Um, maybe some more of the pasta salad? And a brat without a bun?”

“You got it, Tam. Be right back, my woman needs more food to keep her curves,” he says as he nearly bumps into Hawg, who was heading in our direction.

I shake my head. Only a man wouldn’t care that the woman he’s interested in is curvy.

I still have the pooch from where I carried Chance, for heaven’s sake!

But it doesn’t matter to Scythe. He shows me in his actions that he thinks I’m perfectly fine just the way I am, and that goes a long way toward healing broken pieces inside of me from the past.

“Guys don’t like fat girls, Tamara,” my foster mother said as I went to get another helping of mashed potatoes. “You’re getting to the age where what you eat will stick to your bones, and not in a flattering way.”

“What has you frowning?” Hawg asks as he sits down at our table.

“Something from the past,” I admit. I don’t know him well at all, but he’s one of the three people actively searching out stuff on Tim, so I’m definitely going to be nice.

“Well, the past is just that. The past. Shake it off because my brother is so into you, it’s positively disgusting,” he says. “And I don’t mean disgusting in a bad way either. He’s like the other brothers who have found their ol’ ladies, totally focused on what you like and need.”

I don’t see anything wrong with that myself. I think a couple should be focused on each other. How else will they become one of your best friends?

“Yeah, but sometimes shit said in the past creeps back in,” I tell him.

“I know what I was told isn’t truth, but it was said at an impressionable age, and while that stuff doesn’t really bother guys so much, for us women?

It can sting, even years later, especially if we’re insecure about something. ”

“You flirting with my woman, Hawg?” Scythe asks as he returns to the table with two overladen plates. I’m not sure where he puts it all because he’s very well-muscled. I briefly wonder how he’d look with a ‘dad bod’ then realize that no matter if he had one or not, he’d still be hot as hell.

Hawg chuckles then retorts, “I kind of value my life, brother, so no, I’m not flirting with her.

Just needed a place to sit and eat. Feels weird to be out of my office with everything going on right now, but Brick said I had to.

Said I was too fucking pale, and he didn’t wanna have to change my road name to Casper. ”

I start laughing, because Hawg has a somewhat swarthy skin tone, which I imagine will darken if he gets a lot of sun. But there’s no way he’d ever get as pale as a ghost. At least, not in this lifetime!

“Well, you shouldn’t work so damn hard, brother,” Scythe replies. “With the three of y’all working on stuff, what’s meant to be found will be.”

I realize they’re kind of talking in code, likely because it’s what the ol’ ladies called ‘club business’ and that makes sense to me.

As protective as these guys are over their families, I can only imagine that if there’s something going on with the club, they’d want to keep it far from them.

It’s more than about the whole plausible deniability thing, too.

It’s about making sure they don’t unnecessarily worry.

And I kind of like that; knowing that Scythe will do what it takes to protect me, Chance, and down the road, any children we might have, settles something in my soul.

“I’ll try, but it’s not easy since threads keep showing up,” Hawg admits. “But I’ll never find my own ol’ lady holed up in command central.”

“Not unless you order her from one of those mail-order bride sites,” I chime in. At his look, I add, “They’re still around, but I think mostly millionaires and whatnot use them now since they’re too busy running their empires to do something as basic as date.”

“Mommy! Did you see that one?” Chance asks for the millionth time as another batch of fireworks hit the sky, the colors arcing into a preset design, which elicits oo’s and aah’s from everyone.

I don’t know how they do it, the fireworks manufacturers that is, but seeing stars and images in the night sky has me impressed.

“Yeah, buddy, I sure did,” I reply, sipping on a frozen concoction that Ryleigh brought me.

Seems that all the ol’ ladies are drinking them, and I imagine that there will likely be more kids around this time next year.

That thought makes me snicker, then my smile falls as a longing fills my heart to have another one myself.

Thinking about another little boy who looks like a combination of Scythe and myself has me writhing with desire. Wrong place, wrong time, Tam , I remind myself. But hopefully soon because I want him with a desperate need at this point.

I honestly wish Amara was here so we could dissect every little thing about these past two days. I make a mental note to call her once I’m home so we can discuss all of it without little ears listening in, of course.

Scythe’s voice crackles over the mic, coming through every speaker and making me shudder in delight. “And now, for the grand finale!”

As Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA starts playing, images implode across the sky and when the song ends, a huge American flag is waving, which has all of us standing and clapping as Scythe, Prowler, and Striker take a bow.

“Okay, folks, we’re going to take about thirty minutes to get the movie set up.

That’s plenty of time to hit the heads, then grab your snacks!

” Scythe announces. He walks toward me and leans in to give me a resounding kiss.

“What did you think?” he asks as the three of us walk toward the clubhouse to do as he suggested.

“It was better than any I’ve seen before,” I confess. Looking down at Chance, I say, “Go ahead and get in your pajamas, buddy. That way you’ll be comfortable for the movies, okay? You’ve got time to take a quick shower too, which isn’t a bad idea since I can see the mud behind your ears.”

Chance grins then says, “Okay, Mommy. I want lots of butter in my popcorn.”

“We’ll meet you in the common room and all go out together,” I tell him.

We’re back out on our blankets before the thirty minutes is up, our hands full of drinks and snacks. “Don’t worry, if we run out, I’ll get us some more,” Scythe promises as we get settled in. “Just so you know, I plan to steal a lot of kisses during both movies.”

“But is it really stealing if I’m willing to give them to you?” I tease.