Banger's Ride: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 5) (31 page)

Holly nodded. “Poor Harold. Even though he was a sonofabitch and couldn’t keep his pants zipped, he didn’t deserve to die. Do they have any idea who did it?”

Belle pointed a finger to herself. “Me. I don’t think they’re looking at any other possible suspects. They’ve decided I did it all because that damn syringe was in my storage unit. I have no fucking clue how it got there unless someone’s trying to frame me, but who? And why? Doesn’t make sense. Harold’s death was ruled a heart attack, so there was no reason to plant the syringe.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Doesn’t make sense to me.”

“It’s probably that slut who tried to break up your marriage.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I saw your brother with her the other day. I was shocked. I didn’t even know he knew her. What do you know about that?”

Holly rose to her feet then went over to the counter and grabbed the coffee pot, refilling each of their cups. “What can I say? He’s fucking horny. He saw her last time he was in town, and was taken with her. I’m pissed as hell at him for it. I told him who she is, but he doesn’t give a shit. Men always think with their dicks.” She laughed.

“Really? I didn’t think Scorpion had been back after the… Well, you know, the incident with Banger.”

“Yeah. He’s been back a couple of times. He just steered clear from you. Speaking of, how’s it going with Banger?”

Heat rose to her face. “Great. He’s a real sweetheart, and Ethan adores him. Emily is getting a little better. At least she’s not glaring at him all the time.”

She and Holly spent the morning laughing, gossiping, and complaining, and it was wonderful. They walked out to her friend’s car and before leaving, Holly hugged her and whispered, “It’s all going to be okay, you’ll see.”

Belle waved as Holly pulled away from the curb. She was happy she’d called her friend and asked her to come over. She walked slowly back to the porch, thinking how lucky she was to have such a good friend, her kids, and Banger in her life. A smile crossed her lips when her phone rang and Banger’s name flashed on her screen.

“Hi, handsome,” she said.

A deep chuckle. “I love the way you answer a phone. How are you? No fuckin’ badges around?”

“No, and I hope it stays that way. I asked Holly to come over, and it was good. We’re back on track.”

“Her fuckin’ brother better not be around.”

Belle decided not to share the fact that he’d been in town a couple of days before; she had more than enough drama in her life without adding to it. “So, what’re you doing?”

“Helping Hawk in his shop. Whenever the weather gets nice, the shop is fuckin’ busy with customers who are itchin’ to ride their bikes. They all want tune-ups. Mark Saturday on your calendar. We’re going to my sister’s for a barbecue. Kylie’s gonna be there. Bring Ethan and Emily.”

She groaned. “Your sister
and
Kylie at the same time? I’m going to be so nervous.”

“They’ll like you. I’ve already told my sister ‘bout you, and she can’t wait to meet you. Kylie may be kinda unfriendly, but she won’t be rude—she wasn’t raised to be disrespectful. You gotta give her some time. The good thing is she called me late last night and said she’d come for the barbecue at her aunt’s house.”

“Okay. It’s going to be scary, but if you stick with me, I’ll do my best to charm everyone.”

“I’ll stick by you, babe.”

*     *     *

All Saturday morning,
Belle ran around like a madwoman, making sure her baked beans came out perfectly, and she tried on so many outfits that she was exhausted. She finally settled on a black jean skirt, a long-sleeved black knit top with a spattering of silver grommets around the scooped collar, and black mid-calf boots. As she pulled out her beans from the oven, the smoky scent of bacon tantalized her nostrils.

“Did you make my favorite beans?” Ethan asked as he came into the kitchen. “We only have those in the summer.”

“I thought I’d make them since we’re going to our first barbecue of the year. I hope the weather stays pleasant.”

“Can I try a spoonful?”

Belle laughed. Ethan was so crazy for the baked beans. The summer before Harold died, they’d all come home from the company’s barbecue, and Belle had put the leftover beans in the refrigerator. The next morning, she’d discovered a spoon in the sink, the empty bowl of beans, and Ethan, who’d moaned all day from a major tummy ache. She thought he’d never eat them again, and he hadn’t for a good year, but it seemed like that day had become a distant memory in his young mind.

“Mmm… real good, Mom.”

“Make sure you don’t eat them all. They’re rich with the hamburger, bacon, and cheese in them.” She pointed to the dishwasher. “Your spoon goes in there, not the sink.” He dutifully placed it in the dishwasher then ran out to the porch.

Soon, Banger came by and picked Ethan and Belle up to head over to the barbecue. Emily didn’t want to go, and Belle was disappointed, but she pretended to be fine with her daughter’s decision. She had been looking forward to spending a nice afternoon with her kids and Banger, and she also wanted Emily to meet Kylie since they were only three years apart. After helping Belle and Ethan in the car, the trio took off to his sister’s.

Amelia lived on an acre of land surrounded by forests of evergreens and pine trees. When they walked into the backyard, a large honey-colored brick patio had three round tables on it, and two large grills. Outdoor chairs and table trays were spattered on the grass, which was still mostly brown from the long, cold winter. The aromatic hickory scent mingled with the sweet smell of beer. There were about thirty people milling about, talking and laughing with beers in their hands. Thin wisps of weed smoke curled above their heads as the pungent aroma permeated the yard. Belle noticed a few older men sporting the same cut Banger had, and surmised they were members of his club.

“There’re a bunch of kids here,” Ethan said excitedly. Belle was happy to see that there were many who seemed to be around Ethan’s age for him to hang out with so he wouldn’t be so bored with the adults.

A woman who looked a few years older than Banger came up to them, a wide smile spread across her face. Her skin looked like she’d spent a lot of time in the sun, and her ocean-blue eyes were copies of Banger’s. She was a fit, attractive woman, her blonde hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. With an outstretched hand, she said, “You must be Belle. I’m Amelia. I’m happy to finally meet you. I’ve been bugging my brother about it for a while now.” She playfully poked Banger in his side.

“It’s nice meeting you too. This is my son, Ethan. I brought baked beans. Where do you want me to put them?”

“You didn’t have to bring anything, but they do smell good. I’ll show you.” She walked a few steps then stopped and winked at Banger. “You go on and get a beer. You don’t need to be following Belle everywhere. I’ll take good care of her. Why don’t you take the boy and introduce him to Tyler and Cory?” Amelia motioned Belle to follow her. Shrugging at Banger, she followed his sister.

In the kitchen, several women stood around, slicing tomatoes, making salad, chopping onions, and filling platters with deviled eggs, carrot sticks, olives, and other veggies. They laughed and talked as they worked, taking sips from beer cans and mixed drinks in between. Amelia introduced her to the women, and their friendliness warmed and embraced Belle. After placing her beans on a very low heat, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she came out, she rounded the corner and slammed into a very pretty young lady who had long, glossy blonde hair, a cute figure, and piercing blue eyes.
She must be Banger’s daughter. Shit.
Belle smiled, and the girl smiled back.

“I’m sorry,” Belle said. “I should’ve been looking. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“No, I’m okay. I wasn’t looking either. I just got here, and I was going outside to look for my dad. I don’t know you, but Aunt Amelia always has some new people at her barbecues. I’m Kylie.”

Belle licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Nice meeting you, Kylie. I’m Belle.”

Kylie’s smile disappeared, and she stared at her. “Oh.” She turned around and walked out to the patio. Belle watched after her, her heart sinking.
Well, that fucking sucked. What if Kylie never accepts me? I want to tell her that I have no intention of taking her mother’s place.
Belle walked over to the picture window and looked out at the forest of trees. Maybe this thing with Banger wasn’t going to work. The only one who was cool with it was Ethan. How could she isolate Emily, and have him do the same to Kylie? It seemed like their relationship was doomed.

“Why don’t you come out and join the party?” Banger’s deep voice breathed, making her insides melt. He pulled her back into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. “I’m missing you.” He kissed the side of her face. “You okay?”

She shrugged. “I bumped into Kylie. She was super friendly until I told her my name. How’s this ever going to work?”

He swung her around, his hands on her shoulders. “Stop. I told you it’s gonna take some time with Kylie, just like it’s going to with Emily. We both love the fuck outta our kids, but what we have is between you and me. You do things to me that I’m not willing to give up.” Cupping her chin, he tipped her head back and kissed her deeply. “Now, stop overthinking. Let’s go back outside and get you a drink.”

Belle nodded and pressed into him. “You’re pretty special to me.” She kissed him gently on his Adam’s apple, and his throat vibrated when he groaned. She took his hand and said, “Come on. Introduce me to your people.”

As the day wore on, Belle had a wonderful time, and Banger’s club brothers, his nieces, nephews, and siblings welcomed her and Ethan into their fold. Throughout the meal, she spotted Kylie sneaking glances at her, and even when she came over to talk with her dad, Belle saw her darting her eyes in her direction. When Banger introduced her to Kylie, his daughter muttered, “We already met,” then changed the subject, turning her back to Belle. Banger didn’t push his daughter, and by the time everyone was ready to leave, she noticed Kylie smiled at her for a few seconds when they all said good-bye. It wasn’t much, but it was better than throwing daggers out of her eyes.

As they sat on the couch in her house, Ethan snuggled in his bed upstairs, Belle pulled Banger’s face to hers and kissed him passionately. “Thank you for today. It was wonderful sharing that part of your life.”

“I loved having you and Ethan with me. You know what Kylie whispered in my ear when she hugged me good-bye?” Belle shook her head. “She said you’re ‘pretty and seemed nice.’ That’s a big step for my little girl.”

“I so want all of it to work out, but I know this isn’t a romance novel or one of the fairy tales I used to read to my kids. Life has so many fucking bumps in it.”

“It does, babe, but the key is how you take them.”

“Maybe. Sometimes things are so fucked and you don’t have control over them. Like Emily. Where the hell is she? I gave her space today, didn’t make her come to the barbecue with us even though I really wanted her to go, and she’s way past her curfew. She drives me crazy! I don’t know what her fuckin’ problem is. I’m trying so hard with her.”

Banger held her close and stroked her hair. Belle leaned her head on his shoulder, happy she wasn’t alone waiting for her daughter to come home. The back door slammed and Belle jumped. Emily staggered into the foyer and waved at her mom and Banger. “Hiya,” she said in a loud, slurred voice.

“Why are you home at two in the morning? And why are you drunk?” Belle rose to her feet and marched over to her, but Emily just ignored her and stomped up the stairs.

Belle began to follow when Banger said, “Leave it alone, babe. Nothing good’s gonna come out of you confronting her when she’s like that. Things will turn bad, and you’ll both be sorry come morning. Come over here.”

Belle hesitated, her eyes fixed at the top of the stairs, then she slowly padded over to Banger’s waiting arms. “She was doing so well, and now we’re right back where we started,” she lamented.

“You can’t expect change overnight. She’s got some demons that’ll take time to work themselves out.”

“But when? I just want my little girl back. I’m so scared she’s going to get herself in some serious trouble. You know, she’s back with her old group of friends, and they’re a bad influence on her. I’m nervous all the time about it.”

“Maybe she needs to go through some bad shit to appreciate the good stuff she has. I know the worst thing for a parent is to see their kid go through hell and not be able to help or prevent it, but maybe that’s what it’ll take for her to see what she’s got.”

“I don’t know. I’d die if I knew she was living on the streets, or with a man who hurts her. I can’t even think about it.”

Banger laid her head on his shoulder. “She’s stronger than you think. I see the fight in her, the determination. She’ll be all right. She may have a tough go of it, but she’ll come out okay.”

“Can you stay with me tonight?”

“What about your kids?”

“We can stay here on the couch and hold each other. I need to be in your arms tonight. I don’t want to be alone.”

He kissed her. “I’m here for you, baby.” She reached over and grabbed an afghan she kept by the couch for cold nights. He kicked off his boots, took off his cut, and stretched out on the couch, drawing her to him. She threw the afghan over their legs then brought it up over them as she cuddled against him, safe in his embrace. His arms wrapped around her calmed the storms in her heart.