Page 20 of Outlawed Treat
“Your dad’s right, Caleb.We all love ya.You know I’ve always been there for you and I have a ton of time to help you work through this shit.From my perspective, I see a guy who loves a woman that’s been part of his life for over ten years now.You’ve constantly put her wants and needs before yourself and have let her live her life with Darren.Any one of us could tell you she wasn't in love with him.She cared about him and loved him as a friend, but that’s it.Darren was the first guy who asked her out and they both did what they thought was right by gettin’ married when she found out she was pregnant.Neither one of them wanted to be married to one another.
“I know we weren’t here when Darren was consistently.However, I was here enough to see how he treated Cali.He went from a man who helped her around the house and with the baby to a guy who sat on his ass drinkin’ beer from the time he woke up until the time he passed out on the couch.They didn’t share a bed after she got pregnant with Rory.Darren was absorbed in himself and the demons hauntin’ him from each deployment you went on.Cali and Bryce got pushed to the back by him.Yeah, he played the part and acted like a good husband and father when Kreed and you were around.That’s not how he was when they were alone.Hell, that’s not how he was the few times she was in public with him.I watched them at the diner one night and Darren paid attention to every woman but Cali,” Tank says, telling me something about my friends I didn’t know.Cali sure as hell never said anything to me about how Darren was truly treating her when they were alone.
“You need to get off your ass and get your shit straight, Caleb.I’ve been the President of the Phantom Bastards for a long time.You’ll make a great President.I never had any doubt in that.Right now, you’re not a man I’d make the President of anythin’.You’d be lucky if I made you a member of a club with the way you’re actin’.You’ve got a ton of guilt built up inside for no reason.That day Darren made his own choice.He chose to go after Kreed and he gave his life doin’ that.You told him to take cover and wait it out.Darren knew you’d go after Kreed yourself and still made the decision to go after him.Let that guilt fuckin’ go, Caleb.You and Kreed both carry a ton of guilt for that mission and what happened to your team,” my grandpa says as the dam breaks and the tears slide from my eyes, down the side of my face, and land on the mat next to me.“Stop drinkin’ and fuckin’ around with the girls.Make Cali see you can be the man she needs as her friend.I know you won’t make the decision to claim her as your ol’ lady.So, your friendship needs to go back to what it once was.Let.It.All.Go.”
After several minutes of me laying on the mat and letting the tears fall for all the guilt I hold starts to fall from my shoulders, Kreed helps me up very slowly.My dad and Tank take me from him because my papa wants to talk to him.I have no doubt he’ll get the same words about letting his guilt go.They take me up to my room and help me in the shower so I can clean up before Doc comes up and patches the wounds from Tank.While I’m in the shower, I shed a few more tears and let them blend in with the shower raining down over my head.Thoughts of Darren and the last mission fill my mind and I replay every single decision and move I made during that battle.When I’m done with my shower, Tank helps me get out so I can wrap a towel around my hips.He doesn’t say anything because he knows I’m lost in my head about the situation and need to process everything that happened today.
Chapter Eleven
Caliana
AFTER WATCHING BRYCEplay for a while behind the clubhouse while Sam and Shy took turns pushing Rory in the baby swing, we make our way inside where it feels like a ghost town.The common room is essentially empty with the exception of two Prospects working.One is stocking the bar as Sidney cleans the area and the other one is wiping down the tables.This is the job of the Feral girls but they aren’t anywhere to be seen.It’s really not surprising because from what Kreed’s told me, these girls rarely do what they’re supposed to and have a tendency of being lazy.Especially Abigail.That isn't surprising at all because she was the same way in high school.Abigail never did her own work and used everyone around her.It would make sense she does the same shit now as an adult because she’s a bully and treats everyone as if they’re beneath her.Abigail isn’t some rich girl who has money to spend on whatever she wants.I honestly have more money than she does at this point and yet she still acts like a spoiled bitch.It makes no sense.
I’m sitting between Maddie and Sam while Shy sits across from me with Rory in her arms.She just got my baby girl back to sleep after swinging.I’m surprised Rory didn’t fall asleep in the swing.It’s happened before when I’ve had them outside playing.Today, Rory focused on watching her brother play while Maddie and Sam took turns playing with her.
“How have you been, Cali?”Maddie asks me as one of the Prospects brings us over drinks.
I accept the bottle of water from him and set it down in front of me before turning to Maddie to answer her question.Maddie’s the one I’ve spent the least amount of time with.She lives in Clifton Falls with her husband Tank.They’re part of the Wild Kings MC instead of the Phantom Bastards.However, Maddie’s Playboy’s sister so they spend a lot of time together.The two clubs do a lot of things together if I’m being honest.
“Things are what they are.I miss Darren when the big things happen with the kids.I want to call him and tell him their latest updates.Sometimes it takes me actually grabbing my phone and pulling up his name to remind me he won’t answer the call.That he’s no longer alive and can’t hear about what Bryce and Rory are doing.Those are the really hard days.Right now it’s getting bad because the anniversary is so close.I honestly can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we lost him,” I tell Maddie honestly as Sam rests her hand on my shoulder in comfort and I lean into her touch.
“I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it’s been for you, Sweetheart.You know you can call any one of us for anything you need and we’ll be there.I don’t care if we have to make the trip here to spend some time with you and the kids.Tank is always ready to ride and take a road trip.He loves spending time with you and the kids.Plus, he’d be around if Caleb and Kreed need their asses kicked,” Maddie tells me, a large smile on her face as I start laughing because I have seen Tank go after Caleb and Kreed.
Tank’s a big man and doesn’t look as if he can move very fast.Underestimating Tank in that aspect of a fight would be the biggest mistake any opponent of his could make.The man moves like he doesn’t weigh three hundred pounds of pure muscle.It’s incredible to watch him move around a ring as he stalks his opponent.And yes, I do mean stalk.Tank watches every slight twitch of his opponent's body and can guess what will be thrown his way before the guy even thinks about what he’s going to do.I’ve never seen anyone fight the way Tank does.He’s trained Caleb and Kreed with the rest of the adults so they kind of match what he does, but it’s not as good.
“Where are the guys?”I ask, looking around knowing it’s late enough in the day those who worked should be back at the clubhouse already.
“Well, Kreed called and let us know what’s been going on around here with Caleb.The drinking and fucking his way through every woman he looks at.We knew he wasn’t gonna handle things well.Caleb hasn’t talked about how close the anniversary of Darren’s death is and I know it’s weighing heavily on him right now.He never escapes the guilt that Darren died overseas while under his command.Or the fact that he feels as if he betrayed you because he didn’t bring your husband back home to you like he promised before every deployment.Tank has Caleb in the ring to knock some sense into him.The rest of the guys are in there watching the fight,” Maddie answers me as I try to be okay with knowing Caleb is in the ring with Tank.
“Don’t you worry about anything, Cali,” Shy speaks up from across the table.“Tank won’t hurt Caleb too bad.He’ll teach him a lesson because Slim and Playboy won’t be able to do what’s needed.Tank loves Caleb and doesn’t really want to do this, but he can put that aside to take care of the situation.Playboy and Slim would go too easy on him and not make sure Caleb learns his lesson.
As we sit and talk about what’s going on in the gym, I have to fight every instinct deep inside my soul to go to Caleb and ensure Tank doesn’t go too hard on him.That he doesn’t beat the hell out of him and hurt Caleb.I know this is something these guys do on a regular basis.The guys all get in the ring and spar on a regular basis.It’s something I’ve watched countless times over the years growing up.I would sit in the gym for hours and watch the guys spar and workout.Every once in a while they would get me to work out with them.Kreed and Caleb always helped me with my form and made sure I didn’t get hurt when I was working out with them.
“What are we doing for dinner tonight?”Shy asks, her voice cutting through my thoughts as I think of Tank and Caleb in the ring.
“I thought we’d order out and have the Prospects pick it up for us,” Sam answers, pulling out her phone and looking on one of her apps.
