Page 15 of Biker's Baby

I let myself collapse onto the couch and I grabbed the pillow, wadding it into a small ball under my head as I sank into the cushions. I didn’t know if it was normally a comfortable couch or not, but I did know at that moment it was the most comfortable couch I’d ever been on in my life.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wasn’t intending to fall asleep. I didn’t know what Abe was doing, and I didn’t want to be in his way if he was in the middle of something. On the other hand, if he was anything like he had been three years ago, it was likely that he wasn’t going to stick around the house for long.

I didn’t know what he had going on these days. We had talked about me and only my situation. I would have to ask more about him and what he was doing when I was less tired and had at least a little food in me.

The soft patting of something on my cheek woke me. My eyes flew open, and I nearly shot up on the couch, almost knocking Tristan over as I did. He had tears running down his cheeks and he was saying “Mama!” as he patted me.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I said as I scooped him into my arms. I felt bad for leaving him in the other room when I fell asleep out here. That meant he had to wake up in a strange place all alone. “I’m sorry. Mama’s here. You’re okay.”

He wasn’t crying hard, and it didn’t take me long to calm him. I rocked him in my arms for a moment, looking around the house. There wasn’t any sign of Abe anywhere.

“You hungry?” I asked. I rose and headed to the kitchen. I could see from where I was on the couch that he had moved my bag to the counter, and Tristan’s jars of baby food were in there. I didn’t have anything for myself. I’d already eaten what Maria had packed for me on the road the day before.

But there was a note stuck to the fridge.

Had to go to work. Help yourself to any food you can find. Not sure when I’ll be home but make yourself comfortable. What’s mine is yours.

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

Abe was being reserved. I could sense it, and I felt it was with good reason. There had been a lot of emotions when I left last time, and if he felt any of the things I was feeling being around him, odds were there was still emotion toward me.

Still, he was being very kind.

I didn’t know what there was to eat in the house, but he told me to help myself, and I was starving. Tristan was already taken care of with the things that I’d packed, but I was more than a little grateful with the food that he left for me.

I opened the fridge to find something edible, and I was glad to see that there was some store-bought soup still in an unopened container. It felt less like I was intruding if I took something that hadn’t even been opened yet. At least that way I could offer to pay him for it when he got home.

I poured some soup in a pot and put it on the stove, then I warmed some baby food in another bowl.

This wasn’t the ideal situation I thought I’d find myself in, but it was a step forward. It was something that would help me get away from Joel forever. I hoped things didn’t get ugly with him like they had when I was on the run from someone else, but I couldn’t help it if they did.

He had to get the message one way or another, and I knew Abe wasn’t the kind of guy to mess around.

If Joel wasn’t going to get the message from me, then Abe would make sure he got it from the club.

I just hoped that it was simple and straightforward.

No one had to get hurt. There didn’t need to be any violence or bloodshed.

Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew I was kidding myself.

I had gone back into MC territory. I’d walked right back into the life I had sworn I’d never be part of when I was younger. Fuck, I had gone to these people to help me with my problem.

There would be violence, I was sure of it.

And I was the one who asked for it.

I didn’t want to believe that it was me. I didn’t want to believe that any of this was the person I was underneath the pretty exterior.

But the fact was that I was here. There was no changing that. Abe would tell me to my face that I had come here because I knew that it would be safe, and I couldn’t deny that fact.

I just hoped he’d take care of this for me, and Tristan and I could go on and live our lives without worrying about Joel ever again. I might not stick around. In fact, I never planned on staying here ever, but if this was the way I could get rid of that guy once and for all, so be it.

We could live in peace once he was gone, and I would forever be in Abe’s debt. Not that that concept was anything new to me. I looked over to Tristan, smiling as he ate his baby food.

With a sigh, I served myself some soup.

This was the real me. I knew that for a fact. And Tristan, well, he wasn’t just my son, he was our son.

And Abe didn’t know.

What mess had I gotten myself into now?

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