Chapter 13.
1449 Words
Chase’s POV.
I chase my son inside the clubhouse and scoop him up in my arms and he laughs, a real belly laugh. I kiss his face and blow raspberries on his neck. He shrieks and kicks his legs.
“Daddy, stop. I needs to pee. I needs to pee.” I stopped instantly and carry him towards the room is have here and place him down. I point to where the bathroom is, and I follow behind him to make sure he doesn’t need any help.
“You ok there, buddy?” I ask from the door with my back turned, of course. Got to give my little man some privacy.
“I can’t do the knot.” He says in a desperate tone and I move quickly and see the knot has become tangled.
“Ok buddy, I’m going to fix it.” I say, and he nods his head, his curls coming free of his hair tie. I pull at the knot and it comes loose and then it comes free.
“All good, go on.” I say, standing and moving back to my spot like a silent sentinel.
“Twinkle twinkle little pee, you will end up in the sea.” I smile to myself knowing he is just like me. I hum a little tune too when I go to the bathroom. Shannon definitely remembers that. Because she asked me once why I hum when using the bathroom, and I told her. It is to help coax it down. So she has instilled that in our boy.
“Daddy, I’s done.” I turn around and he is pulling his jeans back up. I walk closer and see no mess to clean up because, let’s be honest now, us men always leave little messes. I flush the toilet and Chance washes his hands in the little sink.
Once he is done, we both walk out of my room and back into the main room to see the members and the prospects bringing the huge tree inside the clubhouse. Chance is bouncing on his toes and clapping his hands. Excitement is radiating off of him.
“Wow, would you look at that?” We both turn and see Shannon walking from the corridor that leads to the office with Beard behind her, and he gives me a polite nod and walks back to get a refill on his coffee.
She walks closer with a huge smile on her face.
“Mommy look it, daddy and me got’s two trees, one for here and one for grandpa’s.” Chance says and I see the tender, loving look in Shannon’s eyes as she squats in front of our son.
“Wow, well it looks like we have to get some hot chocolate and decorate tonight then, don’t we?” She says, and Chance cheers and bounces before running towards Stinger and telling him all about the plans for the trees. I chuckle at him. Shannon has done an amazing job of raising him. He is a great kid. He is helpful and polite and simply a joy to be around.
“He is amazing, Shan. Thank you for allowing me to spend time with him today. How are you? Stinger gave me the notes about what happened with the sheriff.” I say to her, and her smile falters, and she sighs.
“We need to talk.” She says and I nod my head at her. I don’t like this feeling. Doesn’t that usually mean something bad when someone says we need to talk? Oh, I don’t like this at all.
“Sure, we can sit over there if you want?” I say to her and she chews nervously on her bottom lip. On instinct, I reach forward and gently tug her lip from between her teeth and she blinks slowly, looking up at me before taking a small step back.
“Sorry, habit.” I say then wanting to kick myself for saying it because the look on her face is one of devastation not fondness. She thinks I did that with Ruby. I’m such an i***t.
“Over there is fine.” She says and I follow behind her and chuckle when I see Chance directing the men to where the tree needs to be. He is standing below the stage with his thumb up and waving his other hand to make sure the tree is just perfect.
Little perfectionist.
“Ok, Shan, what do you need to talk to me about?” I ask her and she sighs, looking nervously around the clubhouse. What the hell happened while I was out? Has someone upset her? Whoever or whatever it is, I will deal with them.
“It’s about the issues within the club.” She whispers and I look at her in confusion, then it dawns on me.
“You know about that?” I ask her stupidly of course she does if she is asking about it, numb nuts.
“Ignore that question. I mean, what do you think is happening?” I say to her, and she chuckles, shaking her head.
“The brothers my father banished were some of the ones sleeping with Ruby, correct?” Oh, she knows everything, it would seem. I hang my head in utter shame and disgust that she knows this.
“Yeah, not that I’m upset by her doing it. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what she was doing or who she was doing as long as she stayed the fudge away from me.” I say, crossing my arms over my chest as I watch her.
“Then you are also aware of her threat of vengeance against me?” She says and I stiffen at that, because yeah, I do and I don’t like where this is going.
“She wouldn’t.” I say, and Shannon chuckles and looks at me.
“I bet she would. After all, to her I am the reason you never gave her what she wanted and then the men who were willingly sleeping with another brother’s ol lady get banished for dealing and then a year later my father, brother, and his ol lady are killed in an RTA. Suspicious, don’t you think?” She says and I can see where she is going with this.
“You think Ruby had something to do with this?” I ask her, and she sighs before raking a hand over her head and down her ponytail.
“I don’t think. I know. She had a motive. Kill the last of my family to hurt me, because she knows how much it hurt me when you chose her. Then, when she didn’t get you completely, she became desperate to make you choose her and you never did. So yeah, she goes after the last of my blood family to make a statement. She makes you pres but in her mind she gets the keys to the castle and can start running drugs through the club right under your nose.” Shan says and I blink at her, because even as farfetched as it sounds. Something inside of me is telling me she is right.
“But the twins are still blood-related to you.” I say, and her face changes to something dark, a dark look I haven’t seen since she was a kid.
“Yeah, and if Bear hadn’t called me, who do you think would have volunteered to look after them?” She spits and my eyes widen, that conniving, evil little w***e.
“I wouldn’t have let that happen. She would have never gotten those girls.” I tell her and she chuckles sadistically and looks at me.
“Yeah, well, she won’t now either. Same as she won’t get her grubby hands on this club. I know what I have to do and I will do it. There are legal things I have to take care of but they will have to wait until the New Year.” She says, standing up and I look up at her.
“What things, Shan?” I ask as I grab her wrist and she looks down at me.
“I found my father’s will. Guess who he made pres if anything was to happen to him or Shane?” She says and I look at her before smiling up at her.
“You, he made you pres.” I say and she nods her head once.
Holy s**t! Sweet baby Jesus in the manger.
Ranger made his daughter president, the first women to ever hold that title in the history of the tri-state area.
- Writer
