Page 7 of Bond

Rochelle laughs, and I chuckle and nod. “It’s true; she really is asleep by the time we hit the end of the road. I’m going to check where Skinny is with your bags so that you can change Daisy when she wakes up.”

Turning around, I left Josie and Rochelle talking and went to see where Skinny had got to. He’d been right behind me until we’d walked through the door, and that’s exactly where he still was—standing at the door talking to Bull and Rogue.

“Hey, all good here?” I question.

“Yeah, brother, we’re just checking in to make sure you got here with no problems,” Bull tells me, clasping my shoulder. “Your girls doing okay?”

“She cried for nearly an hour after leaving her dad. I’m not sure if she’s doing okay or not. I have a feeling she wouldn’t tell me if she was having a hard time. Rochelle’s used to doing everything on her own,” I answer honestly. Because it was true, I wasn’t sure if she’d tell me if something wasn’t right or if she was unhappy; she’d just soldier on and make the best of it.

Bull nods with understanding, “Something to keep an eye out for then.”

From down the passage, Daisy let out a little cry, nothing like the cries that I was used to from our MC kids.

“Is that the baby?” Bull asks, tilting his head curiously.

“It is, and she’s fucking tiny, man. Her arsehole ex beat Rochelle bad enough that she went into early labour. Daisy’s three months old, but she was born two months early,” I answer, taking the diaper bag that Skinny holds out to me.

“Take this and I’ll bring the rest in behind you.”

“Thanks,” I reply, hurrying down the passage and back to my room as Daisy’s squawks get louder until they go quiet.

Walking back into the room, I avert my eyes when I find Rochelle with her top up, exposing her breast to Daisy. Now I know why she suddenly went quiet. Josie stands up as soon as I walk in and tells me, “I’ll go and grab you something to eat as I’m sure you’re hungry,” she smiles at me, then turns back to Rochelle. “We’ll chat again in the morning. Have this one,” she throws a thumb over her shoulder at me, “bring you by my office and I’ll show you around.”

Rochelle smiles back at Josie, saying warmly, “Thank you, Josie, and thanks for the friendly welcome and the help tonight. I’ll definitely have Bond bring me over. I’d like a look around and see if there’s a job going somewhere.”

Josie slants her eyes at me at Rochelle’s statement, but I don’t say anything because she’s had decisions taken from her for the last few years. She has a job with me if she’s interested in it. I’ll broach that with her tomorrow, though.

Tilting my chin at Josie, I slightly shake my head, letting her know that I don’t want her to say anything.

“I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” Josie says again before she turns and walks out of the room, stopping Skinny from entering, probably worried about how Rochelle would feel with a man she doesn’t know coming in when she’s nursing.

It’s my excuse to walk away from a sight that I’m hard pressed not to want to look at because it’s so beautiful: the soft look on Rochelle’s face as she looks down at her daughter, who’s going to town like she’s starving, and she probably is, considering how long it’s been since her last feeding.

“Thanks, Skinny,” I say, taking the bags from him, “and thanks, Josie, I appreciate you making Roch feel welcome.”

Josie smiles, wrapping her hands around Skinny’s arm and leaning up against him, “You’re welcome. I like her; bring her around tomorrow before you hijack her to work for you.”

“I will,” I reply with a small chuckle, glad she’d understood what I’d been trying to say.

“We’ll be back soon with something to eat. Are sandwiches okay?” Josie questions.

“Sandwiches are fine, Josie, thanks.”

Closing the door as they walk away, I walk back into the room and come to a stop when I see Rochelle, eyes closed, leaning back against the headboard. Daisy looks to be finished, but the two of them seem to be dozing again. It makes me wonder just how much rest Rochelle has got over the last few months. Not much, I’d imagine, coupled with a new baby, the stress of her dad being ill, and the threat from the Black Mambas hanging over their heads. I am surprised she is still standing.

Squatting down beside the bed, I lay a hand on her leg and gently squeeze it.

She opens her sleepy green eyes and looks down at me with surprise.

“Hey, baby. Are you okay with me taking Daisy and changing her while you go and grab a shower?” I ask.

Rochelle shakes herself slightly before letting out a small yawn, covering her mouth with her hand. “Sorry,” she says, sitting up, “I can’t believe how tired I am. Do you know how to change a baby?” she asks curiously.

Laughing softly so as not to disturb a sleeping Daisy, I reply, “Oh, yeah. The Crows are a prolific lot, and we all learned how to change diapers pretty quickly with the number of babies that were born in a short space of time.”

“That must be nice,” Rochelle murmurs, gently removing Daisy from her breast and covering up before handing her to me.

“What must be nice, Roch?” I ask, wanting to know what she means. Standing up, I cradle Daisy’s lightweight form against my chest. I stifle a chuckle as she smacks her lips like someone who has just had the best meal ever.

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