Page 13 of Tav

I move closer to my brother, leaning my head on his shoulder. No words need to be spoken. The boys were 16, 17, and 18 when our father put them out. Old enough to know how to work hard, but so sheltered that I know that first year really messed with them. I was so freaking lucky that they knew how the world worked by the time I needed them. Being 19 and pregnant is hard enough. Being 19, pregnant and knowing nothing of the outside world was hell. Although I count my blessings. From what I’ve heard from some of the women we’ve rescued, the legal age ceased to mean anything within the Keep after I left. A year ago we helped a 13-year-old pregnant with my uncle’s baby. At least Lovely made it to legal age before he sunk his hooks into her.

“We’ve got this squirt. We’ll make sure our new sister and Baby Blanche find a good place to settle into their new lives. We’ll keep in touch with her, but we need to keep her contact circle small until the threat is gone. In the meantime, you need to get back to your family.” Dom turns his head and drops a kiss to the top of my head.

Turning, Chris and Vic pull me into a group hug, Dom joining us and they squeeze as hard as they can before someone puts their smelly pit in my face, turning our hug into a shoving match.

Breaking free, I wipe my face and give them all kisses.

“Be safe, sis. Call us if you need us.”

“Promise.”

Chapter 4

Tav

By the time I quickly freshen up after mine and Tank’s very successful run and step into the common room, the Tombs have arrived. It’s only been a matter of months that Chewy has been Rhodie’s Ol Lady and yet I can’t remember where the hell we hung out before we all became fixtures around the clubhouse. Shit, Pops is here all the time pissing people off and no one seems to mind. That’s one reason I wanted to join, the ease with which these men accepted my family. I mean, shit, they’re a lot.

“Hey man, I’ve got this. Go do what you gotta do, brother.” I hold my fist out to Takoda and move up behind the bar, ignoring my family for the interim. I have a job to do and I know they’ll step up to give me shit sooner or later, anyway.

“Thanks man,” he says, bumping my fist with his before moving aside.

“Anything I need to know?”

“Yeah, there’s a shit ton of ginger ale in the fridge for the pregnant women. Oh, and Pops has been barred from cornhole.”

“What the fuck? It’s only been here for two days! How the hell did he get banned so quickly?”

Takoda shrugs his broad shoulders. He’s shorter than a lot of the brothers, but he’s built like a brick shithouse. “I think he was hustling the brothers again. How the hell is he good at every game he plays?”

“The Devil is always good at everything he plays. It helps him steal souls,” Judge says drily, stepping up to the bar.

Tank and Judge run the club’s towing business, Devil’s Big Tow. He’s big and bald and even quieter than Tank.

“Hey! That’s my grandpa you’re talking about! He’s not the devil. He’s probably just a henchman or something,”

Judge smirks at my comeback and gives me a chin tip when I slide his beer to him. “Prospect,” he says as before he wanders off.

“I’ll leave you to it. I’m off to the gym to get kicked in the nuts by Remy,” Takoda says with a wince before giving me a slap on the shoulder and heading off.

A few months back, Remy came to the clubhouse to learn how to hack from Wire and my sister. In the end she fell in love with her online best friend, became an Ol Lady, ditched her job as a librarian and now helps run self-defense classes at the Club’s new gym. Dex, who left Death Riders with Savage, runs the gym. Us prospects have to do shifts there now and then. I like it; I like watching the kids who have it rough gain confidence in themselves.

I get to work cleaning the bartop and I can feel I’m being descended upon by my relatives. I know this. I have a sixth sense for this stuff. Being the youngest brother, you gain extra senses, especially the ones that tell you that your brothers are going to give you shit.

“Little brother, I never took you for a catcher,” Jules’ ugly face smirks at me as I glare at him.

“Pops!” I say in not quite a whiney voice. But it’s borderline.

“Hey kid, you can’t blame me. When you find out your grandson may have a very close relationship with his MC sponsor, you tell everyone. I can’t keep that shit to myself,” Pops says in the innocent voice he uses when he’s causing shit.

“Well, I’ll have you all know that I am not, nor have I ever been, homosexual. Even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with people being attracted to the same sex,” I tell Jules and Pops, and then repeat myself when Gus, Ana, and Chewy join the group.

“Ah, cool, thanks for that, Tav. Now that that’s out of the way, can you please ginger ale me and Nat?” Ana asks, smiling up at me.

“Of course I can, my very favorite family member,” I answer her and get busy.

“I have no idea what he’s on about. Does anyone else know?” Chewy asks no one in particular.

“I want to know why the hell you’re all here and not at work. Tav, you’re fine, but what about the rest of you fuckers? You know the office closes at 5pm, right?” Gus grumbles.

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