Page 48 of Single Mom for the Bikers

I nod while sniffling. “God, I'm sorry. I don't usually fall apart like this, but you're all being so nice to me.”

“If that's what niceness does to you,” says Harper as she brings over a box of Kleenex, “then you really need more doses of niceness in your life. Stick around and we'll do our best.”

After wiping my eyes and blowing my nose, I gather myself a little. “If I can, I will. I don't know, like I said, it's complicated.”

Faith rolls her eyes. “Tell me about it. It's always complicated.” With Eagle-eye as her father, yeah, I can imagine.

“She's right, though,” says Alessa. “Tell us about it. Let us help. Between all of us, we’ve dealt with a surprising amount of trauma.”

God, they're too much. I dump my whole story on them, as much as there is. What happened to me when I ran away. How I met Havoc, and my history with the Pit Vipers and Mia's father.

Faith is especially angry when she hears about the Pit Vipers. “If I could go back in time I’d like to see them wiped out all over again,” she snarls. “If there are any left running around, it wouldn’t surprise me if they are still causing trouble.”

Alessa nods. “I know what you mean about raising Mia. I had a fling with my guys and got pregnant when I didn’t really know anything about them or the club except that my family hated the Screaming Eagles. It was my version of running away, I guess. I had her on my own because I was afraid of both them and my family. You can see how that worked out for me,” she says with a grin.

“Exactly,” says Emily. “But you’re right to be worried. I came here as a scared eighteen year old, and I don’t regret my choices, but I’m a nurse now, and I see the members when they get hurt. And they get hurt a lot. We can go months where everything is quiet, and then something like this will happen and everyone pulls together to protect their families and the club. Right now, you’re in danger, and this won’t be the last time it happens.”

I nod. She's not telling me anything I haven't thought of, though it helps to hear it from someone else. “When did you know you could make things work?”

“It’s a little different with multiple guys,” says Kaylee, who's been pretty quiet for most of this. Her smile is encouraging, though. “All of you need to work together. That’s not usually a problem for the men. They’re used to working as a team, but sometimes they forget that you need to connect with them individually, too.”

Harper nods. “Have you all… you know. Together?”

My face probably lights up like a Christmas light. “Not all together. Not yet.”

“Oh, honey. You need to sort that out now,” Natalie says with a serious nod.

“Don’t worry about Mia,” Alessa encourages. “I’ll bring her back to our place if she gets tired of hanging out with the other kids, but usually they love playing in the clubhouse with our men while we’re meeting. It’s off limits to them a lot of the time, so they think it’s fun to hang out where their daddies go.”

“Really? You think so?”

They all nod, but it’s Faith that speaks up. “Last night could have gone much worse than it did. We were lucky. I thought I might have lost Ripper.” Emily and Natalie nod. They both had men who were inside when the bombs went off as well. “Don’t let a minute go to waste.”

27

SHELBY

I leavethe brunch club meeting with butterflies in my stomach. Sure, I've fooled around with all three of the guys now, but not all at once.

God, who even am I? Three men at the same time? Life is wild. I still can't quite believe it.

But if this is going to work, the others are right. We have to know all four of us are compatible, and that we can all appreciate… understand the beauty of…

Oh, who am I kidding? I've been given the afternoon off by the brunch club so I can go get laid with three big bikers all at once.

I find the guys in the garage, arguing over something on Phoenix's bike.

“I think you put it on backwards,” Havoc says, smirking. Sledge laughs.

“Oh, fuck you guys. I know my way around my bike, thanks very fucking much.”

They haven't seen me yet, so I take a moment to just appreciate them. That somehow they’ve all decided that I'm the one they want. Together, no less.

It's hot for April, and Havoc's wearing a black tank top that exposes his incredibly muscled arms and hangs just right off his chest. Phoenix is crouched next to his bike, his position emphasizing the broadness of his back and the agility that he moves around his bike with as he's checking it out. And Sledge, leaning against the counter behind the other two, built like a mountain with his big arms crossed over his chest. He looks like the most threatening one, but I know how tender of a soul he can be. They're not the only men in the garage, but they're the only ones I care about.

Sledge looks up and sees me. He smiles, which takes him from dangerous to just dangerously sexy. “Shelby.”

The other two look up. “Brunch Club over already?” Phoenix asks.

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