Page 3 of Tav

Niko steps closer to his sister Sage, shielding her from view while eyeing up my club brothers.

“Hey, it’s OK. You’re safe here. This is my club Pres, Marx,” I tell Niko while indicating.

Marx steps forward and smiles gently at the teens. He’s met with a scowl from Sage.

“The rest of the men here are my club brothers. Their wives and girlfriends are over at that table.” I point to the girl gang. Thankfully, they’ve settled down.

Ten minutes earlier and the kids would have walked into their brawl with the bunnies. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with them, but seeing as they were scrapping with Dayz and Nat, two Ol Ladies, it wouldn’t surprise me if they get the boot. The girl gang smiles and waves at the kids, like nice ladies. Little do the kids know.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

Niko eyes everyone before setting his dark eyes on mine. “Mom went hunting. She told us to come here and ask for you if she wasn’t back in 12 hours. She said you’d keep us safe.”

“She’s damn right. Nothing is going to happen to you, OK?” I look down at Elio, hugging my legs, letting my free hand rest on his head.

The girl gang gets to their feet, Nat taking the lead. “We’ll get rooms set up. One for the boys, one for the girls.” Marx gives them a nod and I shoot them a smile in thanks as they all traipse off down the hall, whispering about how cute the kids are.

“Can you tell us what your mom was hunting for, kid? We can get a group together. Some of us are ex army search and rescue. We’ll find her.” Judge says, gently, quieting his gruff voice a little.

The older kids, Niko and Sage, stare at me, unsure how to answer Judge. Tipping my head at them that it’s safe to tell these men, Sage turns to look at Judge.

“It’s not what she’s hunting. It’s who.”

“What the fuck?” echoes around the room.

“OK, kid. Who is your mom hunting?” Marx asks, being infinitely more patient than I’m used to.

Niko looks at me before looking at Marx. “Royal Landry.”

“The prophet’s brother?” Wire asks. I know he and Remy have been watching the family closely since finding out that Hammer is working alongside them and their trafficking business.

“Tav, who have you been dating?”

Snuggling Cove closer to me, I look at my brothers before setting my gaze on Marx.

“Blanche Landry. She’s going to be my Ol Lady.”

“What!?”

I expected that from Marx. But not from the chorus of voices that joined him.

“What?” I ask, looking around the room. Gus, as per usual, is looking like he’s going to have a heart attack. Dayz and her girls are back, looking excited. Probably wanting to add another woman to their gang. Niko looks pissed, of course, I mean, it’s his mom I just claimed. Marx looks, well, he looks like he usually looks, just with squintier eyes. How the hell does Dayz put up with him looking at her like that?

“Let me take the kids and show them their rooms, and you sort, whatever this is,ne?” Mama Debs’ hand on my shoulder gives a little squeeze before she steps around me, holding her hands out for Cove, taking her from my arms. Her brother Elio untangles himself from my legs and follows Mama Debs like she’s the Pied Piper. Even the older kids stop scowling and follow her.

Everyone’s eyes follow the kids out of the room before they all turn on me.

“Tav, do you want to explain what the fuck is going on?” Gus says in the measured tone he uses with Dayz.

“I think the prospect made it very clear,” Marx says, his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s claimed Blanche Landry as his Ol Lady. The same Blanche Landry who got rid of Valor Landry, Hammer’s business partner, leaving us on the back foot. Blanche Landry, who Tav told us was just a friend.”

“Very, very good friends by the sounds of it,” Pops loudly whispers to Rider, nudging him with his elbow, both giggling at the joke.

“OK. I should have come clean then, but she’s got a lot going on and wants to wait a little before seeing where our relationship is going.” I drift off, not wanting the whole MC to pity me. Or worse, give me shit about it. “But my claim still stands. One day Blanche is going to be my Ol Lady and, as is laid out in thebylaws, Ol Ladies will be protected by the MC. I joined for the camaraderie and brotherhood.” I swallow. “And I’m hoping that if shit hits the fan, I’ll have you all by my side if I have to go to hell and bring her back to me.”

Glancing at my family, Gus, Jules, and Dayz, they all nod in unison. Looking back at my DRMC family, the brother’s faces give away nothing. Stoic until Marx makes his decision. He’s a big bastard, and his narrowed eyes are making me wonder if my bowels are strong enough to get through the next few minutes.

“She’s an unknown from a fucked up family, a family trafficking god knows what with Hammer. What’s to say we can trust her? You know as well as I do that family ties are strong.”

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