Page 78 of Charger

I catch some parents giving me weird looks. What, a biker can’t have a family? Fuck them and their fucked-up, biased opinions. We struggle every day with having a bad name. We can try, proving ourselves over and over again, but it doesn’t seem to matter. The town compares us to the others, like the Skulls, and that will forever have an impact on us.

Every day I may be faced with a new challenge, but being a dad is even more rewarding than I would have thought. As the days go by, it’s becoming more and more natural to me. Like this is exactly who I want to be, and where I want to be. With Jules and Chloe. I’ve wanted this since we were kids, wanted to be with her forever. When I found out the condom broke that night in her bedroom, I wasn’t even scared. I was eighteen years old and wasn’t even scared at the thought of her having our baby. That’s how fucking in love with her I was. I am. I didn’t even think (when I ran like a coward) that she could have gotten pregnant. I didn’t think with such a small chance that it would actually happen.

“Daddy, can I go play with the other kids on the jungle gym?” She looks at me with her big blue eyes. Same as mine.

I pick her up, then kiss her cheek. “Yes, but stay where we can see you. Got it?” She nods her head, then I set her down and she runs to the other kids, her pigtails flying in the air behind her.

I walk back over to Jules, wrapping my arm around her waist before tugging her to me. “We created that,” I say as I nod my head in Chloe’s direction.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Jules smiles and sets her palm to my chest. I turn, staring deep into her eyes. I run my fingertips along her soft, blushed cheeks.

“Jules, I want to tell you…” I stop when her mouth opens and her eyes widen. I see the fear inside her, which makes me immediately spin back around.

“Zach…” Jules’s voice trails off. I hear the nervousness in it. But all I see is fury.

“This fucker.” I leave Jules’s side, anger coursing through my veins. My fists are clenched and I don’t know how I am going to be able to control myself. I continue to stalk toward Venom, who is crouched down in front of Chloe. A lot of parents are walking away with their kids in hand, giving questionable looks. She’s not smiling and as soon as she sees me, she runs behind me and grabs hold of my leg.

“Chloe, go over to your mom, now.” She waddles over, Jules meeting her halfway as she scoops her up. Once I see that they’re both at a good distance, I’m on him. He slowly rises at the same time I meet his face—our noses practically touching as the toes of our boots meet. “You’ve got some fuckin’ nerve,” I sneer at him. I’m five seconds from lashing out and losing my shit. I clench my jaw, my fists tight.

“I was out for a nice stroll. Just thought I’d come see them both. I miss them, really. Chloe was like a daughter to me, you know. And I was like a father figure to her. Since, well, you weren’t around.” He smirks. I grip his shirt in my hands.

“You don’t ever, and I mean ever, come near Chloe again. You’re running out of warnings, Venom. I swear to fuckin’ Christ I will bury you.” I grind my teeth. “I. Will. Bury. You.” I release his shirt, tossing him backwards. “That goes for all your little biker buddies.” I turn on my heels, but don’t look back. If I do, I might just change my mind and give the onlookers a reason to think they’re right about us. I reach Jules, who has Chloe in her arms. “You okay, kid?”

“I don’t like that man. He’s scary.”

“Chloe, listen to me. If he or anyone else who isn’t Uncle Chain, Aunt Maggie, or the others I work with ever approaches you, you run, understand?” She nods. “Good, let’s go.” I wrap my arm around Jules’s shoulder and we head back to the car. Our family fun-filled day had to get cut short because of that asshole. My patience is running thin. Very fucking thin.

When we get back to Jules’s place, Chloe runs to her room and Jules fishes for glasses in the cabinet. As she reaches up on her tiptoes, her shirt rises enough to show a small part of her bare back. Goddamn, she’s beautiful. I stalk toward her like she’s my prey, placing both hands on either side of her from behind and trapping her in. My chest presses up against her back, and I get a whiff of lavender and vanilla. I lean in to get a better whiff. She breathes in deeply, laying her head back against me. My hands find her waist and I jerk her ass up against my growing cock.

“I will never let anything happen to you two,” I whisper close to her ear.

“I know, but honestly…” She spins, still in my arms. “Venom never hurt Chloe and I don’t think he ever would.”

I cock my head back like she’s slapped me across my face. “What? Are you trying to tell me that man has a fucking soul?”

“No, no, I’m not, trust me. I don’t think any of them have much of a soul.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “What were you trying to tell me in the park before?”

She’s begging me with her eyes. Her gorgeous brown eyes. “I…” A buzzing followed by a ringtone sounds from my pocket. Damn it. I want to tell Jules exactly how I feel, that I want them to live with me, to find a home that we can all live and be happy together in. Like something out of a damn chick-flick. But I’ll happily admit it.

I crash my mouth to hers and she lets out a small moan. Every time she does that, my dick twitches, ready to come alive for her. But I break us apart to check my cell.

“Church meeting.” I touch my forehead to hers. “I’ll come back tonight.”

“I close the bar tonight.”

“Then I’ll come by after you close.”

She smiles. “Okay.”

I kiss her forehead, say goodbye to her and Chloe, then walk out. I hate leaving—it’s something I plan on never doing again.

THIRTY-THREE

Jules

“Hey, girl, care if I take off?” Lucy’s at the end of the bar counter, throwing her hair up in a pony. I check the clock on the wall—it’s already three fifteen in the morning. Zach said he’d be here by now.

“Yeah, Lucy, of course. I’m just going to do one more sweep, then refill the ketchup bottles.”

---