Page 10 of Brandishing Betrayals

Only I couldn’t sleep. The moment I closed my eyes and tried, my thoughts raced in my head. I immediately thought of my son Lucas and how much I had missed out on the first nine and halfyears of his life. All the teething sessions and diaper changes, all the first roll overs and steps, and all the damn cuddles. I had missed out on so much, and it hurt my heart to see my son and know I’d never have those moments with him.

Luke was a great kid and the two of us had hit it off immediately. Luke had asked about me regularly growing up and Maya had told him everything she knew. When Luke started asking about meeting me, Maya had moved them home.

While some of that hadn’t exactly played out quite that way, Maya had never denied me my time with Luke since knowing he existed. She may not be open aboutwhyshe left in the first place, but she was open with sharing her son with me now.

I needed to get a house, as soon as possible. The one-bedroom apartment I lived in was not enough space for the two of us, and if I was honest, I missed living with Stone and Dagger. After Maya had up and left, we’d tried staying in the same house, but things hadn’t been the same. Things hadn’t been the same for quite a while, if I was honest.

I needed to bring up the subject with his brothers, see what they thought about moving in together again. Maybe we could pool our money and buy something faster than what I’d be able to.

Our previous club president Larry “The Butcher” Buckley had run the club’s finances and businesses into the ground. The income we earned from the club had most of us barely making ends meet. In the six months since I took over as president of the MC, I had made some great changes in the way we ran our businesses.

I also had mended business relationships that Buckley had let go by the wayside, or had shat on all together, like the protection detail with the Irish. The IRA didn’t come through often, but when they did, they appreciated the extra protection. They werenot friendly with the Russian Bratva and moving guns was a tricky business.

I knew Johnny and the Knights worked with the Bratva, and had dealings with the Seratelli crime family as well. Nico had his own ties to the Seratelli’s through his mother. The whole web of crime syndicates that wove through Mourningside and Creekton was intricate. Add in the Las Serpientes… and we were all fucked.

Lilah let out a little coo on my chest that stopped my grim thoughts and brought me back to present. I needed to set her down in her basinet and get some sleep, I had a feeling she would be up again in a couple hours.

With a reluctant sigh, I set my niece in the pack n play bassinet that my sister had set up in the living room, and grinned when Lilah didn’t fuss. I grabbed the thick fleece blanket off the back off the couch and wrapped it around myself as I laid down and closed my eyes.

Maya

“Mom,canIridedown to the creek with the guys?” Luke asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned away from the back picture window I’d been gazing out of and looked at my beautiful nine-year-old son. He was the spitting image of his father: tanned skin, dark hair and eyes, and the same chiseled features as Marcos.

I frowned slightly, wondering if it was safe. The carnation on my car the day before had rattled me of all sense of security I thought I’d had. Maybe I had been naïve to think that after ten years, HE would have forgotten about me.

I really didn’t want to have to explain it all to Lucas though. He was used to going down to the creek with his friends in the neighborhood. “Yeah, alright. You got your watch on you?” I asked, referring to the smart watch he wore, that allowed him to call me in case of an emergency.

“Yep!” he smiled brightly and took off toward the door.

“Be home by five, for dinner!” I called after him.

“Ok!” he shouted back as he tore out the door.

I chuckled to myself, spirits lifting at the sheer joy Lucas exuberated. Feeling better, I glanced at the time and saw it was early afternoon, still plenty of time to cut the grass before dinner. I headed to my room and changed into a strapless bikini top and a pair of cut offs. It was the middle of July in central Illinois, and it was hotter than hell outside, so I was going to take advantage of it and work on my tan while I cut the massive yard.

I’d been mowing for about thirty minutes, cutting in and around all the planting beds by hand with the push mower. When I saw a shiny black Silverado pull into the driveway I frowned. I wasn’t aware of any plans that Marcos had with Lucas. While he was getting used to dropping by unannounced lately, he still usually texted to make sure we didn’t have plans.

I pulled my cell out of back pocket as I cut off the mower. A quick glance at the screen showed no missed notifications of a text or call, so I pocked my phone again and wiped away the sweat from my brow with a bandana I’d tucked in my back pocket.

I didn’t go to the truck though; I waited for him to climb out. I couldn’t see through the tinted windshield, so I was surprised when the passenger door opened as well. I waited with my hands on my hips, panting slightly and dripping in sweat, as Marcos and Jason climbed out of the truck and Marcos stalked over.

I watched as both men slowly survey my body, their gaze raking over me hungrily. I knew I looked damn good; I’d workedhard to keep my body in shape over the years. My tits filled out my bikini top, the tanned smooth skin of my upper body was on display, showing off several of the tattoos I’d gotten over the years and the piercings I’d added, like nipple piercings I knew were visible through the fabric of my red bikini.

My eyes landed on Jason, watching as he closed the truck door, but didn’t move toward me. His gray eyes showed a storm-cloud of feelings, but his face was otherwise his usual stony mask of indifference. He was dressed in his usual summer attire, a white T-shirt with his Devil’s Psychos leather cut over it, and despite the heat, he wore blue jeans with white shoes. His blond hair was cut short and styled in a spikey bedhead look.

Marcos was dressed the same as usual for him too, a black T-shirt under his cut, blue jeans, and black boots. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes, hiding them from me, but even then, I knew he was watching me was he stalked toward me. “Hey, is Luke around?” Marcos asked.

I wanted to roll my eyes when he didn’t even ask me how I was doing. I knew he didn’t care. All he wanted was his son, and I was being patient with him regarding his unscheduled drop-ins, but he was starting to get on my nerves.

I shook my head. “He’s down by the creek with friends.”

Marcos nodded slowly, running a hand over his buzzed hair. “Right,” he said.

There was an unbelievably awkward pause as I waited for Marcos to figure out what he was doing. I looked past him, to Jason who was standing with legs spread and his hands in his jean pockets, eyes on me.

I stared back until Marcos said, “When will he be back?”

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