Page 1 of Dylan's Dad
Prologue
Reaper
The cold steel of the metal table in the visitation room bit into my skin as I sat there waiting for Stallion to arrive. In a few months I will be on the outside and rooms like these will be behind me.
“Hey there, Brother.” I hear his gruff voice coming from the direction of the door behind me. I rise and pull Stallion in for a hug. “How are you holding up?” he asks.
“I’m doing good.” I pull back and we take our seats at the table. “Missing my family but I will be home soon enough. How’s my boy?”
Stallion reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small stack of papers and sets them face down on the table between us. I flip them over to discover they are candid pictures, some of Dylan and others of the most beautiful young woman I’ve ever seen. I look up at Stallion in question. “That is Dylan’s girlfriend, her name is Celosia Martin. She is 20 years old and they moved in together about a year and a half ago. Since Dylan left the club right after you got locked up we’ve kept tabs like you asked but he really doesn’t want anything to do with the club. He has actually threatened a couple of the guys who have tried to reach out on your behalf.”
I look back down at the pictures laid out before me and as I am staring at the gorgeous Celosia Martin an idea comes to me. “Maybe I don’t have to reach out to him directly.” I tap on the picture of my son's girlfriend. “What if I write to her and see if she will talk to him on my behalf instead? She is his girlfriend so maybe she could convince him.”
Stallion reaches up and starts rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Brother. She seems like a sweet kid but do you really want to put her in the middle of this?”
“I just want my son back in my life. She is already in the middle of this whether you like it or not she is with my son which makes her family.” I bring the picture up in front of me and smile.
DearestCelosia,
I hope writing you this letter isn’t crossing a line for you. I really don’t want to create a rift between you and my son, Dylan. So, if that last sentence didn’t give me away. My name is Killian but I more frequently go by Reaper. You can call me either, but as I was getting to I am Dylan’s Father. Now since me and my son have had a difference of opinion about my choices in life, he hasn’t spoken to me in a very long time. Well, in just a few months I will be getting released from prison after serving my time and I would like to try and mend things with him but unfortunately every attempt I have made to contact him has been denied. Now I am sure you have heard some terrible things about me and most if not all of them are probably true. I am the President of the outlaw motorcycle club The Horsemen of the Apocalypse and I have done many unconscionable things. Over the years my brothers have kept an eye on Dylan and that is how I learned of you. I really hope I am not overstepping by writing to you but since I will be getting released soon I would really like a chance to mend things with Dylan. Since he won’t talk to me I was hoping you would be willing to speak to him on my behalf. I know I am asking a lot and I don’t expect a response from you or for you to even do me this favor. As I have already stated I am sure you have heard some stories of my past and all of them are probably more than true, this is more like a hail Mary, I am just starting to feel a little lost in this whole situation. I’ve never claimed to be a good man but I always thought I had been a good father at least until I was locked up but my brothers were more than willing to step in and take care of my boy when things went sideways. Sorry for the intrusion into your life and all the rambling.Me and my brothers will always look after Dylan even if he wants nothing to do with me, family always protects each other and since my boy picked you that makes you family too in my eyes and in the eyes of the Horsemen. If you ever need anything all you need to do is ask. Anyways this letter kinda got away from me so I’m gonna stop here. You take care of yourself Little Flower.
Reaper
AKA Killian
Lola
Reaper,
Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to help you any with Dylan. I don’t wish to hurt or offend you in any way as I too would like to think of you as family, but Dylan actually told me his father died and any time I’ve tried to broach the topic of you with him it has caused a lot of tension and even a couple fights. ‘Therefore, I don’t wish to cause any more and will not touch the topic of you with him again. I actually know nothing about you, as you have probably surmised from my last couple sentences. I do not wish to go behind Dylan's back but I also would like to know you like I said I would like to think of you as family. I am not sure how much your brothers have learned or told you aboutme but both my parents died when I was 16 in a car crash and we were very close so family is everything to me. Another reason I can’t understand Dylan cutting off his family. Oh, and nobody really calls me Celosia, most people call me Lo or Lola but feel free to call me whatever you prefer. Anyways I am not even sure you will want to get to know me knowing I am unable to help reconnect you with Dylan. So, before I overthink this too much I am going to wrap this up and run it to the mailbox before I can talk myself out of it.
Lola
Why did I send that letter? It’s been nearly 2 weeks with no response and I just know it was a terrible idea. I couldn’t give him the one thing he wanted. Why would he want to continue corresponding with me? I just couldn’t walk away from the possibility of more family. Since my parents died, all I’ve had is work, school and now Dylan. Oh, and Dylan will completely lose it if he finds out that I wrote Reaper back, he doesn’t even know that I know Reaper exists. I’ve spent every afternoon of the last week racing home to get to the mail before him, just in case Reaper does respond. So, I am currently driving home on my lunch break in order to get to the mail first. I know the fact that I feel guilty and I am sneaking around means it’s wrong and I should probably come clean to Dylan but I’m afraid. I’m not afraid of Dylan. I don't think he would ever do anything to hurt me but I am terrified that when he finds out I will lose him.
Pulling into the driveway, I can see the mail truck just driving up. I quickly hop out of my teal VW bug and try not to rush down to meet the mailman but fail immediately and end up jogging to him. “Hey, good afternoon. You got anything for Celosia Martin or Lola Martin?”
“Um,” the postman mumbles while thumbing through the letters in his hand. “No, I don’t see anything for either of those names. . .” I feel myself instantly deflate. “But I got one here for a Flower Martin.” He says holding out an envelope and I can’t contain the grin that spreads across my face at the sweet nickname Reaper has apparently come up with for me.
“Thank You!” I say exploding with glee. I carefully grab the small envelope from him and give a small wave before turning back around and heading for my car. Staring at the envelope, I run through all the reasons I shouldn’t read it but ultimately throw all those reasons away and rip it open. Before I can actually pull out the letter though a black Dodge Charger, I know all too well pulls into the driveway next to me. Quickly stuffing the letter between the seats, I unroll my window and smile up at Dylan as he walks up to my window.
“Hey Baby, I wasn’t expecting you home till later. Everything alright?” He leans down into the window resting his arms on the window ledge a lock of his pitch black hair falling into his nearly identical eyes.
“Oh, I’m not actually home yet. I just swung by on my lunch break because I forgot something.” The guilt is eating me alive; I just hope he can’t see right through me. “My lunch is nearly over now, I should head back.”
“That’s too bad, baby. Well, I’ll see you tonight.” Leaning forward he grasps the back of my neck pulling me toward him and crashing his lips on mine in a punishing kiss. “I love you, baby. Have a good rest of your shift.”
“Absolutely,” I say, smiling up at him. “Love ya.” I back out before the guilt I’m feeling becomes obvious to him. Driving a couple blocks away I pull into a forested secluded lot and pull the letter from between the seats.
Little Flower,
So, no, I didn’t know about your family. I am so sorry that you had to go through that all on your own. I am glad you have found your family in Dylan and like I said before the Horsemen and I will always be there for anything you need, don't be afraid to ask. My brothers didn’t really dig into your past. We all have pasts and we don’t hold judgment on anyone’s past but if you ever want to talk about it I am here. I ain’t doing shit with my time in here but working out. I’ve got lots of time on my hands, Babygirl. If you need the Horsemen, Stallion is your contact, he’s my VP. I know he has one of the prospects keeping tabs, so if you need anything put a card under your windshield wiper and the prospect will have Stallion reach out. I’ve already let My brothers know and they will drop the cards for you, just leave your driver side window down on the day you get this and they will drop them while you are at work. Enough about the club though, Let me tell you a bit more about me and hopefully you will tell me more about you in your next letter. Me and Stallion grew up in the club. His old man and mine were best friends and the founders of The Horsemen. When I was 16 I knocked up my girlfriend and from that Dylan was born. His mother had some issues and a drug problem when Dylan was 3 she bailed and I raised him with the help of my brothers and my father until about 10 years ago when my dad and Stallion’s dad were both killed on a run. Dylan had started to rebel a bit after that and then nearly 5 years ago I was locked up for criminal use of a firearm and Dylan took off after that. So tell me more about you. What were your family like? Anyways I’m gonna go ahead and send this out. I hope to hear from you soon, Little Flower.
X Reaper
I sit in my car, reading Reaper's letter over and over again. The guilt is suffocating me as his words sink in. He's offering me support, a connection to his biker club, and a chance to open up about my past. It's both overwhelming and enticing, but I can't help but feel torn.
Dylan and I have built a life together, and he's been there for me every step of the way. But now, with Reaper suddenly in the picture, I'm faced with a choice that could change everything. Should I risk it all for the possibility of a familial connection with Dylan's dad. I take a deep breath, clutching the letter tightly in my hands as I stare out at the familiar view of the forested park. The choice weighs heavily on my heart, each option pulling me in opposite directions.
