Page 1 of Van

Chapter 1

Van

Another day, another girl. If you ask the guys, I’m your typical playboy. Never one to settle down, never one to go back for seconds. Why should I when there are so many willing girls throwing themselves at me every night? I’m not old, and I love to live my life. Maybe I just haven’t found the right girl yet, or maybe I have, and I blew her off after round one. It’s hard to say, really. Not that I care. I don’t need an old lady right now. I’m not ready for kids, and all that family shit some of the others have. It’s good for them but not so much for me.

“You gonna take this back?” I ask Jill, one of the old ladies. I’m holding her newest addition, which I don’t mind, or being around them. In fact, I like kids, but when they start to cry, it’s time to go back to mom.

“I think you’re doing fine,” she tells me with a laugh. The littlest of the Soulless Bastards lies in my arms, squirming and making noise as I look to his mom for help. I’m not used to babies this small in my arms.

“You should get one of those,” Mask says as he nods toward the baby in my arms.

“Yeah, I don’t fuckin’ think so,” I reply, causing him to laugh.

“Why not? Looks good in your arms,” Pike chimes in.

“Everything looks good in my arms, but that doesn’t mean I want one,” I tell them.

“The little ones seem to like you,” Free adds as he nods toward the baby, who has since calmed down in my arms. All babies like me. I don’t know why. It’s like a fucking gift or some shit.

“I have a gift. Since I was little, babies just calm around me. Don’t be jealous,” I tell them, making them all laugh. Jill finishes her drink before she walks over and takes the little guy from my arms.

“Thanks for holding him.”

“Anytime, darlin’.” She smiles and walks away, heading for the other girls as the guys give me shit.

“The goddamn baby whisperer,” Mask teases. I flip him off.

“Don’t be a jealous man, Mask. When you have kids, Uncle Van is gonna be the soothin’ one.”

“Oh, for fucks sake,” he grumbles.

“You know it’s true.”

“Speakin’ of babies, don’t forget Nicole’s friend is gonna be stayin’ here for a little while.”

“Who is that?”

“Chyanne. A friend of Nicole’s needs a place to stay. She’s pregnant. Boyfriend beat her ass, and she left his ass,” Mask explains, pissing me off.

“Beat her ass while she’s pregnant?” I ask to clarify.

“Yeah, I know. It doesn’t sit well with any of us, but it is what it is.”

“Fuck that shit. It is what it is. What the hell is that, Mask? We could easily handle a little bitch like him,” I tell him.

“No shit. I know we can, but that isn’t our choice now, is it? We’re not just gonna go around beatin’ people’s asses because we can.”

“Why the fuck not? It seems like a good reason to me.”

“I agree with him on this one. Anyone who puts their hands on a pregnant woman deserves what they get,” Pike adds.

“Maybe so, but this isn’t our problem. Nicole asked if the girl could stay awhile, and that’s it. I didn’t say yes to get involved in that mess,” Mask says as he brings his bottle to his lips.

“How long she stayin’?” Free asks now.

“As long as it takes her to save up a little money. That means she might be havin’ the baby while she’s here,” Mark informs us. Just what we need. A baby here all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind kids being here, but the thought of having one here at all times just doesn’t sit well with me.

“You tryin’ to mess up the pussy situation?” I ask him.

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