Page 92 of Claim Me

Indigo instantly smiles at that idea. For an outlaw biker, my man really loves legal documents with his name on them.

Soon, our son’s birth certificate is added to the pile of paperwork Indigo craves. Lorcan is born healthy and medium-sized.That last part is a big deal since Bear worried Olívie was too big, and Tack worried Lotus was too small. Baby Lorcan proves to be the right size.

We return home with Lorcan on a Wednesday. My parents bring the four kids the next day. The twins are amazed by their little brother, wanting to touch his wispy brown hair and help with bottles and diapers. Glen and Nora take a bit longer to warm up to the baby. Like Indigo, they don’t crave change.

I encourage them to help me with the baby. Mom gets Nora involved with cooking dinner. Dad and Indigo take Glen on the dog walks. We rally as a family, so everyone feels safe and loved.

“Caveman saved me,” Indigo tells me one night while we watch the oldest four kids chasing my dad around the backyard. “Dot was nice, too. The family I stayed with after my mom died was kind. When I came to the farm, Aunt Fred made me feel loved. But I still missed my mom and brother so much that I felt like I was dying sometimes. I worry Glen and Nora will hurt that way, too.”

“We’ll do our best,” I say and wrap my arms around him. “Though you’ll always feel the loss of your mom and Bubby, you have a good life. With Glen and Nora, we’ll help them feel happy while never forgetting why they might feel sad.”

Indigo rewards my words with a sexy smile and lingering kiss. He glances down at our son in his arms. Lorcan’s dark hair is crazy wild after the twins decided to make him look like Einstein.

“Glen and Nora will struggle in a new school,” I explain. “They’re likely behind, so we’ll hire tutors. If they’re bullied, we’ll locate the mean kids’ parents and set them on fire. In the end, Nora and Glen will adjust just like the twins did when they wanted to share a class.”

“Iwouldset someone on fire for my kids.”

“I know, baby,” I say and kiss him softly. “I wasn’t exaggerating. When a few girls jumped Carys in elementary school, my dad and uncle blew up their houses. So many gas leaks happened to Carys’s enemies over the years.”

We chuckle at how my sister’s big mouth gets her into trouble. I look at my son, wondering what kind of kid he’ll be when he does more than sleep, eat, and poop. I hope he’s a quiet child similar to Indigo. Of course, he claims he wants our son to be a fun kid like me.

In an ideal world, we’ll both get what we want.

INDIGO

Leaving Siobhan isn’t easy after Lorcan is born. I’m in no hurry to return to riding the roads during the day or spending time at the clubhouse at night. Like Bear, Tack, and Pork Chop, I take paternity leave and stick close to home.

Yet, as the summer comes to a close, I find myself going out more with the guys. Once the kids are in school during the day, I begin running errands for the club. Siobhan, Natasha, and Hunter spend many days at each other’s houses. With everyone busy during the day, I want to be home at night.

Twice a week, I force myself to spend a few hours at the clubhouse with the guys. Zoot and Noble often drop by. They both seem relieved to find me back in the mix. Caveman occasionally shows up to annoy Zoot.

Tonight, I hang out with my friends at the pool tables. While Bear hassles Golden for making a poor shot, a waitress sidles past me and says, “Indigo, a man is asking about you at the main bar top.”

I instantly worry the press is digging around again. Two investigative journalists have tracked me down in the last month with offers to tell my story.

I’ve never read what the press said about me. I don’t know if I’m painted as a bad guy or a victim. Their truth doesn’t interest me. I know what happened. With Tommy’s plea deal, I won’t have to rehash anything in court. The city also agreed to a financial settlement, so I’m now flushed with cash for that perfect house Siobhan hopes to find.

“I can tell the fucker to fuck off,” Bear says, sounding a little buzzed.

“What if it’s a reporter who wants to talk to you about the attack on Natasha’s convoy?” Tack asks Bear. “Our faces were plastered on the news.”

“I’ll check it out,” I say when the men start eyeballing each other. “If it’s a reporter, I’ll get the prospects to throw him out.”

“Good plan,” Bear says overly loud.

Tack snorts at how buzzed our friend has gotten.

Bear looks at his Negroni and shakes his head. “How the hell does Noble drink this shit all the time?”

“Just drink beer and be normal, dumbass,” Golden scolds from nearby. “Why you gotta be like other motherfuckers when you couldbe like your motherfucker?” We frown at Golden who smiles in a sloppy drunken way. “I had two Negronis earlier, and they didn’t affect me at all.”

I don’t wait around for Bear and Golden to hash out their drunken complaints. Moving through the crowd, I arrive at the bar top, where the bartender gestures at a man speaking into a woman’s ear. I don’t recognize him from this angle and figure they’re reporters.

Once the man turns in my direction, I feel like someone’s taken a sledgehammer to my chest.

My brother recognizes me and starts to smile before hesitating. Bubby is wearing a buttoned-up shirt and black slacks, looking overdressed for the bar. The woman with him wears a summer dress. They look like they ought to be at a posh yacht party like Bear goes to with Natasha occasionally.

Bubby’s hair is the same color as mine, yet short and tidy. He has our mom’s shade of brown eyes, dark like chocolate.

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