Melody

It’s a day so much like the one we met.

A beautiful sunset, a big bonfire, and the sweet scent of barbecue in the air while bikers and their families mingle. Enjoying it stretched out over the laps of my three favorite men in the whole world? It’s a million times better.

The party isn’t as big as the rally, but it stretches from lawn to lawn inside the compound, and it’s unlikely anyone’s going to end up in the hospital this time. It’s kind of poetic, beginning my next chapter like this, but this time I’m safe, loved, and actually wanted. Oh, and screwed silly anytime I feel like it. I like that part, too.

And I’m pretty sure they don’t mind, either.

Riptide brushes my hair out of my eyes where I’m resting my head on his thigh. His fingertips are warm as they slide over my skin, a contrast to the cool breeze that’s heralding evening and the end of summer. We’ll huddle up closer to the bonfire in the courtyard later, but right now, all I want to do is just lie here, with them.

Rebel squeezes my thigh, his hand brushing up under my flowy skirt. A little farther, and it wouldn’t be family friendly, even for this crowd, but for now it’s just a reminder of potential. I’m probably going to have to watch out a little once it gets dark and the real party starts. I remember how we met, after all.

“It’s worth it, isn’t it?” Mad Dog’s hand is stroking my stomach, his thumb brushing back and forth over my ribcage. “Even after everything?”

The younger kids squeal in the background as the older ones chase them with water guns.

“Yeah, I think it is.”

He leans down and kisses me, his lips meeting mine as his hand moves a little higher. I put my hand over his and cock an eyebrow at him. He smirks.

I stick out my tongue.

Rebel pinches my thigh lightly. “Behave.”

I do still worry about Dad. About him and the Devil’s Brigade. He has his hands full for the moment, but he’s not the kind of man who stays down. I don’t regret my choice, but I worry that it’s only a matter of time before the clubs clash again. My dad I know, but Joker? He might wear my father’s face, but he’s a stranger and that scares me.

“He’s not gonna bother us anytime soon,” Riptide says like he’s reading my mind. He strokes a finger over the worry wrinkle on my forehead. “Even if he wanted to, the Devil’s Brigade isn’t big enough to take us head-on. Like it or not, he knows we’re the big dogs on the block.”

“Yeah, but… he’s my father. He’s all I have left.”

“Not all. Not anymore,” Rebel says, like a promise.

Mad Dog kisses my jaw. “The future will sort itself out. Long as we’re together.”

Riptide nods in agreement.

“Food!” Chef yells, ringing a bell that can probably be heard around the entire compound.

“Okay, this is getting heavy.” Much as I hate to, I push myself off them and up onto my feet. “I’m starving.”

Later, I’m in front of the bonfire, doing my best to enjoy a juicy burger without it dripping on my shirt. I look down to find two sets of chocolate-brown eyes looking up at me and hoping I fail.

“You enjoying yourself?” Eagle-eye’s gravelly voice doesn’t seem nearly as scary as it did when we first met. Not that I think I’ll ever see him as a cuddly teddy bear or anything, but I know in my bones that he’ll do anything—and I mean absolutely anything—to protect his club, and at the same time, he loves his old lady, his kids, and the two dogs staring up at me.

It’s hard to be scared of a man, no matter how serious he looks, when you’ve seen him let a puppy chew on his fingers.

Speaking of which… “Can I?” I break off a piece of burger and look between it and the dogs.

Eagle-eye sighs. “Go on.”

Jupiter politely takes the bit he’s offered, wolfing it down before lying at Eagle-eye’s feet. Hercules, on the other hand, is like a school of fuzzy piranhas trapped in a dog suit. My hand comes away covered in slobber. He’s nearly as tall as his father, and broader, with enough energy for ten and feet too big for the rest of him. A wild teenager in dog terms.

“This is a lot better than my first biker party. Hopefully no one gets shot this time,” I say as a joke, but Eagle-eye’s answering grunt sounds more serious than I intended.

“If they do, you’re gonna learn what keelhauling is, and I’ve gotta warn ya. It ain’t pretty.”

It takes everything I have not to pull out my phone and look it up, but it sounds practically medieval. I decide to drop it since I probably don’t really want to know.

Rebel comes to my side, putting an arm around my waist. “How’s Herc settling in? Almost regretting not getting in on the puppies while the getting was good.”

Eagle-eye shrugs and takes a slug from his beer. A little smile curls his lips under the mustache. “Not shitting inside or eating my boots, so that’s good. Damien’s in fucking love with him, though. That boy’s gonna have a protector until Herc’s too old to do the job anymore.”

Mad Dog laughs. “Never hurts to have an extra set of sharp teeth around when the going gets rough. If he’s lucky, he’ll never have to worry about it.”

“Around here? That’s optimistic.” Riptide crouches down to scratch both dogs behind their ears at the same time. “I think your boy’s gonna raise some hell when he gets older.”

“Both dreading and looking forward to it.” Eagle-eye finishes his burger and sits down, allowing Hercules to put his big, puppy paws in his lap. He chuckles as he scratches Hercules’ neck.

The contrast between this and the energy in the club after the shooting is stark. The bikers are still rough and coarse and swearing like they’re getting paid for it. There probably isn’t a single one who doesn’t have a gun tucked somewhere, from the lowest prospect to the president himself. But at the same time, Lightning is back, the Harem Brunch Club is strongly represented, and kids, from barely born to entering their tweens, are roasting marshmallows at the fire. The other dogs from Jupiter and Junkyard’s litter terrorize the crowd, earning cuddles and laughter.

If I didn’t know that just about everyone here has been through some crazy trauma to get to this point, I’d just think it was any big barbecue event. Maybe a few more scars and tattoos than normal, but it just shows that we’re all human, doing human things. I wonder how different my life would’ve been if my father had ended up in an MC more like this.

“You’re looking fucking philosophical,” Rebel notes with his slightly crooked smile. He’s always the most observant one. “Thinking of something big?”

I shake my head. “The opposite, actually. How all the small things in life come together to make us who we are in ways we could never predict.”

“The things that make me who I am ain’t little. I know that much,” Mad Dog says.

Riptide pushes him so he almost falls over.

“You think you’re that big, huh?” I shove him too, but it’s like trying to push over a tree. I’m more likely to hurt myself than make any progress.

He grins at me, totally unabashed. None of these guys have an ounce of shame. “Oh, I know it, baby. You were screaming it all—”

I slap my hand over his mouth, feeling his smile under my fingers. “I suppose I might’ve said something like that. You’ll have to remind me later.”

“Playing with fire, honey,” Rebel teases.

Riptide presses against my side, sliding his hand up my thigh to my waist, where he slips it underneath my shirt. “Remember our first bonfire?”

“If you fucks are gonna get laid, could you do it in your own fucking space? The rest of us don’t need to hear it,” Eagle-eye breaks in gruffly. “This is a family fucking event.”

“Wait. A fucking family event? Family fucking event?” Mad Dog snorts. “No, it sounds bad no matter how you say it. Let’s go.”

“You’re horrible.” I try to sound indignant, but I also take Mad Dog’s hand. I’m not fooling anyone. Now that I’m no longer hungry for food, I’m getting hungry for something else that only my three guys can provide to my satisfaction.

“Fuck off,” Eagle-eye grumbles and pushes himself to his feet. “I’m gonna see if I can find Miriam.”

The moment he’s out of hearing range, Riptide comments, “What do you think? Is he going to find a dark corner to drag her off to while Faith has Damien?”

I can’t help laughing at that. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I can’t believe he has a three-year-old. Could you imagine if they had another baby?”

“Nah, not them anyway,” Rebel says thoughtfully.

“What do you mean? Because if you think I’m ready now, you’re crazy.” I give him a little shove, but it’s half-hearted.

“Fuck no, not yet. But you got me thinking. Just so you know. I could see that someday. I think it’d be good.”

I look between the three of them. The interest is painted clearly on their faces. God, these three men are dreaming of making babies with me, and that’s terrifying.

And hot.

“I’m—well, I’m not ready for that. Not yet. We’ll have to at least talk about it, figure out a plan, or something…” My face is burning up, and the heat goes all the way down my chest. I can feel it. “That doesn’t mean…”

Riptide captures my chin with his fingers and makes me look up at them. “Babe, we have all the fucking time in the world. It’s cool.”

Rebel nods.

“But…” Mad Dog starts, drawing it out while tugging my hand, urging me away from the bonfire, “if we wanna make sure we get it right when the day comes, it’s important we get enough practice.”

I pull back, just a little, so I can tease him back. “I don’t know. I mean, I feel like we’ve got it under control. Maybe we don’t need any more practice.”

And that’s when Rebel picks me up bodily and throws me over his shoulder. He gives my ass a quick swat, just hard enough to make me yelp. “Enough bullshit, girl. Off we go.”

Don’t tangle yourself up with bikers if you can’t handle getting thrown around a little, in the best ways possible.

They carry me off into the darkness, with, no doubt, filthy plans that involve all of us getting naked and warding off the late summer chill with vigorous physical activity.

Sounds perfect.