Page 39 of Property of Riptide
My eyes stay glued to Indiana and Icer as they exit behind the masses. “Why is it that church never ends up being what I expect? I always have a script, then things spiral and I end up playing referee,” I commiserate.
“Because we have hot heads in our crews,” Rio says, chuckling. “You get a group of men together with likeminded personalities who see each other seven days a week, you can’t expect things to run smoothly.”
“I hope for Gemini’s sake, his men are more level-headed than ours are,” I mumble. “Otherwise, we’ll be breaking in a new president because from what little I know about the man, he won’t put up with that level of bullshit.”
“Let’s hope we can mentor him through it,” Rio says. “It’ll be a change for him, but both Big Daddy and I believe Gemini can handle it or we wouldn’t have propositioned him to take the president patch.”
“I need a beer, Rio.”
“I have some stocked in my office, let’s head there so we can hash out some things. Your women and kids are with Issy and Pancho, they’ll be good for a few hours.”
I nod my head and follow him out of the room. I grab my phone from the prospect in charge of watching over our belongings and send Van a quick text letting her know not to leave Issy’s side until I come and get her. She sends me a thumbs up followedby a snapshot of her on a horse with Issy holding the reins. Just seeing her smiling face makes my day.
Damn, I’ve turned into a love-sick fool and can’t even find it inside of myself to care that I have. Van and little man are worth it.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Van
Tears leak down my face as my belongings are placed back into my car. It feels like only yesterday I was lugging everything into the cabin. Issy is holding Gagey, bouncing him on her hip as she talks to him, making promises that she’ll always be his auntie and will be there for him. She’s having as hard of a time as I am saying goodbye. These people, in such a short amount of time, have become family.
Attachment issues are no joke and I have them in spades.
After losing my parents and spiraling into a pit of always feeling alone, it’s a revolving condition that I can’t seem to get rid of. When I bond with someone, they’re stuck with me for life. “You’ll see them again, Van,” Riptide promises. “Rio’s my cousin and we get together for family functions as well as club sanctioned ones. You’ll see so much of them that you won’t realize we live in different territories.”
“These tears aren’t only for me, Riptide. They’re for my boy too. He loves Issy and he’s not going to understand why he’s not able to see her as often as he has these last couple of weeks.”
“Kids bounce back from things easier than we do as adults. Icer and Elodie will keep him so busy and entertained he won’t feel the separation,” he guarantees. “Wipe your tears, baby, they’re breaking my heart.”
When he lifts his shirt and uses the bottom of it to wipe my cheeks clean, I smile. It’s the little things he does that show me what I have come to mean to him. “Thank you. I’ll be alright.”
“Yeah you will,” he says, pulling me into his arms and swaying us from one side to the other. It’s a dance full of love and promises and settles me quicker than anything else could. “It’s a long drive back home, Van. If you can’t handle it or need to pull over, flash your lights at me. I’ll be riding in front of you. We’re boxing you in so don’t get nervous when we won’t let anyone get between you and us.”
Shaking my head, rubbing my face along the soft material of his shirt, I say, “I know there’s a reason for that so I won’t ask any questions. You don’t know what it means to me that little Gage and I have become an important component in the club’s lives.”
“You’ve become everything to me, both of you have,” he whispers in my ear before squeezing me tighter to him. “I’d go on a rampage if anything happened to either one of you.”
“I believe it because I’d react the same way if you were hurt too, Riptide.”
“Okay,” Issy says, coming up to us and breaking into our candid moment. “Little G is all strapped in and I gave him a couple oftoys to choose from, one of them a teething ring. Are you sure you are good with driving alone, Van?”
“I am,” I tell her. “I did it coming here and everything was fine. Plus, I have these guys in case it gets to be too much.”
She rips me out of Riptide’s arms and squeezes me in an embrace that contradicts her size. “Be careful, let us know when you make it there.”
Rio comes up and joins us, shaking his cousin’s hand. “We’ll be on the lookout for that motherfucker, Rip. If he’s still in town, we’ll get him.”
“Something tells me he has already headed back to Canton,” Riptide reveals.
“In case he hasn’t and he’s planning some sort of ambush, watch your back,” Rio advises, leery about letting us go without knowing the whereabouts of the asshole.
“It’ll be his funeral, brother, not ours,” Riptide vows. Then a smile breaks out across his face as he teasingly says, “You’re turning into Paps, you worry too much. It’s gonna make you turn gray before your time.”
“Fuck you, Rip,” Rio scolds. “I’m not the one using box dye to cover my grays, fucker.”
“They’ve always been like this,” Issy informs me. “Saying goodbye, even if it’s for a short time, gets them sentimental and they don’t know how to react.”
