Roman

9 - We're all proud of you

Roman

“Thanks for this. It means a lot.”

“You don’t have to thank us, Roman. We’d do this for any one of you in the MC. Hell, we have done it for most of you. You’re family, and we take care of family.”

“I know, Prez.”

Half the MC are helping me decorate the house I’ve managed to rent for my family. I’d sooner have bought a place, but I don’t have time to search for one suitable just yet. I want my girls in their own home sooner rather than later. I don’t want them staying at the clubhouse; it isn’t right.

I’ll find us a house and buy it once the right one comes along. It will be our forever home, so it has to be perfect. Besides, when I buy a house, I want Marley with me. It has to be right for all of us, and my woman should be the one to make the final decision. I want her to love the place. If I chose it behind her back, she might hate it, and I can’t have that if we’re gonna live there for the rest of our lives.

Sounds nice, right?

I’m getting too far ahead of myself. Anything could happen, and we’d have to move. But I won’t be deterred.

My mother offered to let us stay with her for a while, well, use her house while she’s away. After I called her to tell her about the fact I’m now a father and I’m with my child’s mother. She cried her f*****g eyes out and told me she’d be home just as soon as she could be.

I took her up on the offer of using her house until mine was ready. It’s much nicer for Marley and Romany. However, our home is almost ready, and we’ll be moving in tomorrow. My Brothers have worked their asses off to get this place ready in time. I just hope Marley likes it.

She’s been really quiet since I brought her home. I don’t know what changed the night Romany was born, but every time I so much as touch her hand, she flinches.

Willow told me that it’s just hormones and that some women don’t feel comfortable in their own skin after giving birth. She said I should give Marley some time, and she’ll be fine.

I can give Marley time if that’s what she needs. She’s been alone for so long that she’s probably not used to human contact or anyone giving a damn about her. In fact, I know she’s not. I may have gone to Marley’s cabin to see her as much as I could, but it took her a while to let me so much as touch her hand.

“This place is amazing, Roman.”

I wrap my arm around my aunt’s shoulder and kiss her head. Taylor has been decorating Romany’s room, all pink and lilac walls, a white crib, and a rocking chair for Marley to sit and nurse the baby. Taylor added little murals and pictures of teddy bears and butterflies to the walls. Taylor even went shopping to pick up some clothes for Romany.

Taylor has also picked up diapers, bottles, and all the usual stuff babies need. Marley hadn’t gotten around to buying those things because she thought she had a few more weeks to pick them up.

By the time Taylor had finished shopping for Romany, I was exhausted with it all, and I was only looking at the stuff! It all cost me a small fortune, but I didn’t care; I’d spend every last penny on my daughter if she needed it.

I borrowed the club’s truck and drove over to the place where Marley had been living and picked up her belongings. She didn’t have much, just her clothes and what she’d been slowly buying for the baby. None of the furniture belonged to Marley; it was furnished when she rented it. I didn’t think much of the apartment she’d been living in, but it was clean, and she’d tried to make it nice.

Ace was with me, and while I packed up Marley’s shi.t, he went and let her boss at the restaurant she’d been working at know that Marley wouldn’t be coming back. Don’t worry; I didn’t take it upon myself to quit on her behalf. Marley asked me to sort it out for her.

Once the truck was packed, Ace spoke to Marley’s landlord, who was not pleased that she’d taken off. I ended up pinning the fat fuc.k to the wall after Ace called to tell me what the bastard said. He wanted inconvenience money, or he’d sue Marey for breach of contract.

I made him see things my way and son of a bitc.h pissed himself like a damn child. Ace laughed and told the piece of shi.t to remember the emblem on our cut and told him to forget he ever knew Marley. I told him if he couldn’t do that, I would be back, and he didn’t want to know what would happen to him if he opened that fat mouth of his. He stared at me like I was insane, then nodded his head.

What else could he do against the likes of us?

That’s right, nothing.

“You’ve done an amazing job, Aunt Taylor.”

“It does look good, doesn’t it?” I nod, and she chuckles. “I am so proud of you, Roman.”

Yeah, even my aunt calls me Roman. Ain’t many in this world that don’t. Only my mother and grandmother call me Tallon. Even my dad calls me by my road name, my little sister, and both grandfathers, too.

My grandfather on my dad’s side calls both Ace and me, his eldest grandsons, by our road names, maybe because he used to have one himself once upon a time.

Grandpa Brad went by the road name Caeser. He belonged to a small MC called The Demon Scavengers. He rode with them for over thirty years, only retiring when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer twelve years ago. He survived, of course, but he lives his life now, traveling with my grandmother, bringing her dreams to life.

My father and Ace’s father never joined an MC. My father is a high-paid surgeon, and Ace’s father is a lawyer. Of course, Ace and I joined the Snakes Henchmen, not The Demon Scavengers.

How did we end up with Snakes Henchmen?

My grandfather’s club and the Snakes Henchmen had a close relationship. They worked together when needed and never stepped on each other’s toes. But what the Snakes stood for resonated with my cousin and me, so we asked if we could join. Let me tell you, Apollo put us through the ringer before that happened. But it was all worth it in the end.

One night, I was in a bar, and Shepard was there with some other Snakes Henchmen. I was there with Ace; neither of us was a club member yet. Neither of us had our road name, either. I was still Tallon, and Ace was still Lucas.

I’d been watching a young couple most of the night. The guy would grab the girl in ways no man should grab a woman. I lost my shi.t, and I ended up beating the crap out of the guy to the point Shepard had to physically drag me off the kid before I killed him with my bare fists. I made sure the young woman was safe before I did anything else.

I was seventeen and a Prospect with the Snakes the next damn day, much to my uncle and grandfather’s pride. Shepard had told Apollo what I’d done for that young girl, and he smiled while clasping my shoulder and telling me he’d be honored if I joined the club.

I was a full member by the time I was nineteen, twenty fuckin.g years with my club, and I’ve got no plans on leaving any time soon. The only way that would happen is if I ended up in a pine box.

I’ve finally got a woman to call mine, and I fuckin.g love that girl like you wouldn’t believe. We have our baby daughter and our own home, and I will make Marley my wife before long. You mark my words.

“We’re all proud of you.” Taylor kisses my cheek, and I chuckle.

“You know what? I’m proud of me, too.”