Climbing Out (4 page)

Fuck. I sounded like a dog for saying that shit, but I was. I was happy, because I knew Swan would now be in a tightly secure family. It was a family who took care of one another no matter what.

It was obvious something had gone down in the house last night, and the fuckin' knowledge my baby girl was here for it made me sick. Nothing like this would have ever happened at the compound, or even in the brotherhood. We party, but we don’t it with the kids around. They were always safe at home with someone trustworthy to take care of them.

The front door opened, and in walked Blue, Stoke and Killer. They came over to the couch where I sat with Swan, who was now asleep in my arms. “Check the house, brothers. See what needs to be hidden, and what gives us clues on what went down. We've got about five minutes before the cops show.”

“Done,” came from Blue.

“On it,” Stoke growled.

And Killer gave me a chin lift. He was the silent type. Didn't utter a word unless he felt it necessary, and he knew now was no time for talkin'.

They spread out and went on the hunt for me, while I sat back with my resting baby girl, thinking of the next step.

Deanna

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orry seeped into me. What was Griz involved in that had him running every time he got a phone call? It had to be something shitty, and if it was, no matter how much I wanted to tap his fine arse, I wouldn't.

Maybe just once? Get it outta my system?

No. I couldn't.

I looked up from the floor and into three sets of eyes that were all focused on me.

Fuck.

“Kitten, start talkin',” Talon growled and then shook his head. “Damn, but that shit sounds familiar. You two can't keep doin' this—keepin' things from me and my brothers so we can’t help you.”

“Hey,” Zara snapped. “Don't go all angry-man at me. I only
just
remembered what all this is about.”

“You can go angry-man on me anytime,” Julian offered. I couldn't help but smirk; that fucker was always bringing a smile out of me when he'd say shit that would usually never be said, especially to an alpha male like Talon.

Zara turned to Julian and glared. He took a step back, hands held up in front of him and said, “I'm just saying. Whoa, momma bear, you are scary when preggo.” He coughed into his hand. “Overprotective much?”

“Stop hitting on my man then,” she grumbled. “Then I wouldn't feel the need to pee on him. It happens all the damn time. Whenever we go down the street, how do you think I feel when he's walking next to a waddling duck, while all the skanks’ eyes are checking him out and thinking he could do soooo much better.”

Fuckin' hell. She was on the verge of tears.

“Zara,” I said, “get your hormones under control.”

She stood straighter and said, “Right, yes. We're here about you.”

Damn, I shouldn't have said anything.

“Kitten,” Talon barked. We all looked at him to see he was tense, but his eyes were warmly focused on his wife. He took two steps and had her in his arms. “You don't have anything to worry about. I don't give a fuck if there are ten thousand women checkin' me out, and you shouldn't either, 'cause I fuckin' love the way you move, the way you look and the way you tell me off. No one will ever gain my attention for the rest of my life the way you have.”

“Oh. My. Gawd,” Julian whispered.

Something dropped onto my cheek. I looked to the ceiling to find what it had been, but nothing was there. It was then I realised my eyes had tears filling them, and one had escaped.

Fuck.

What was wrong with me? Why in hell was I leaking over shit like that?

I could only come to one conclusion—I must’ve been PMSing.

“Honey.” I watched Zara melt into Talon. She whispered something into his ear that had him chuckling, and if I knew my girl like I knew I did, she was promising him something steamy in bed.

She turned in his arms back to me. “Now how about we all go to our house, hun? We'll have dinner, some drinks and we'll get all this sorted out.”

“No, thanks. I'm all right here. You guys go ahead though.” I walked around my bed and out of my bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen. I knew they were following me.

I stopped at the coffee pot and offered, “Anyone want one before you hit the road?”

“Hell Mouth,” Talon hissed through clenched teeth. I turned to find him on the other side of the kitchen bench with Julian and Zara.

“Yes, boss-man?”

“If you don't get your arse in Zara's car, I will carry you outta your own house kicking and screamin'. What's it gonna be?”

“You know he'll do it. You've seen him do it to me,” Zara added.

Sighing, I looked down at the floor pretending to think about it, but really, I just wanted to annoy him for butting into my shit.

Though, I couldn't really blame him. No, it was his wife I was gonna smother in her sleep.

Glancing up, I rolled my eyes. “Oh, all right.”

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D
inner at Zara and Talon's house was always something I enjoyed, no matter what kinda funk I was in. Honestly, who wouldn't? What I presumed would just be Talon, Zara, Julian, Mattie and the kids, actually turned out to be all of them, plus Zara's parents with their foster daughter

Josie, and Talon's sister Vi and her boyfriend Travis. Thankfully, Talon's house was huge enough to have us all there.

It was loud, messy and fun.

Until the front door opened, and in walked Blue and Killer. From just one look at their tense faces, Talon was outta his chair and in their little huddle at the front door.

“Oh, my. I'll never get over seeing so many delicious men in a room,” Nancy, Zara's mum, said, causing Josie to giggle and Richard, Zara's dad, to sigh loudly.

“Mum,” Zara snapped and made wide eyes, gesturing toward Cody and Maya.

“Oh, what? It's not like I said they were—”

“Nancy,” Richard interrupted, “let's get these munchkins ready for bed.” He stood from the table. “Josie, want to help, honey?”

Josie was still quiet around a large group, but if she was on her own, one-on-one, you could never shut her up—unless that someone was a male. She was still very timid around any man, even Mattie. Though Julian was girly enough, she never flinched any longer when he'd get near her. Still, there was one exception, and that was the youngest Hawks member, Billy Anders. Anyone could see the major crush Josie had on him. We could only hope he'd never be stupid enough to break her heart. But most of us were sure it was bound to happen, because he was such a womanizer.

Nancy, Richard and Josie disappeared with the kids from the kitchen and down the hall. They must have sensed something was going to go down, because in the next second, a piercing cry sounded at the door, bringing everyone’s attention back to the group of delicious bikers.

Talon, Blue and Killer moved aside, and in walked—Holy hell. It was Griz carrying a beautiful, little blonde girl in him arms who was screaming like a banshee.

What in the hell was going on?

I didn't know, but damn he looked good in jeans, biker boots, a white tee and his club’s vest over the top. His eyes were a little more grey and hard, and his salt-and-pepper hair was a mess, but seeing it made me want to run my hands through it—just like every other time he walked into a room.

And honest to fuckin' God, he looked sexy as hell carrying that gorgeous little girl in his arms...even if she wasn't shutting up.

“Oh, my,” Zara whispered.

“Zara,” Talon called. She got up from the table and went straight into his waiting arms. He said something quietly to her and I watched—though I was sure it wasn't only me watching—as her eyes grew wide, her hand flew to her mouth and she nodded.

“New drama is a-blazing,” Julian sang.

He was sure as fuck right.

Griz

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atching Zara being informed I not only had a kid, but that kid’s mother had just died hurt me more than I thought it would—especially when she turned her eyes toward me, which were now filled with sympathy and pain.

But I didn't deserve it.

I hated the bitch who died, and right then, even though Swan was balling her eyes out, I was one fuckin' happy man. I had my girl—my baby—to myself, to raise in the way I wanted her to be, surrounded with people who cared about her more than anything, even more than their own life. That was what the brotherhood was about, and that brotherhood extended to their old ladies and rug-rats.

“Hey there, pretty girl,” Wildcat cooed, capturing Swan's attention, who immediately settled a little. “Are you hungry?”

“She doesn't talk, Wildcat, but I'm sure she's hungry. Thanks, sweetheart.”

Zara nodded, clapped her hands out to Swan and I was goddamn surprised when Swan reached out with her own small arms to be taken.

As Wildcat walked off with Swan, I watched them the whole way and was damn glad I did. Swan looked over Zara's shoulder and smiled. She smiled. My dead heart started to fill from that one little expression, only to skip a beat when my gaze landed on Deanna.

Fuck. She looked sexy. She sat at the table with Mattie, Julian, Vi and Travis, and while they all talked, her attention was only on me, and the look she was giving me—like she wanted to rip my clothes off—caused my dick to harden.

Shit.

“Griz, brother, wanna fill me in on what went down?” Talon asked.

“Like I already said, I found Kathy dead in her house. Swan was crying, so I broke in. I got the brothers to come first, and then the cops came and questioned us. It was obvious she'd OD’ed on something.”

“Did they accuse you of anything?”

“They would have liked to, but a neighbour stated she'd had a crazy party last night, and that she saw me pull up not long before the cops did.”

“Fuck, man.” Talon sighed. He turned to Blue and Stack. “Did you find anything?”

Blue looked at me. I nodded, giving him the go ahead to talk. “Yeah, Talon, we found a member’s vest...an old one.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” Talon hissed.

“It was Maxwell's,” I said.

Max was the one who left our club when Talon had taken over and cleaned the brotherhood up. Max still wanted to deal in hookers; he couldn't get enough of it. He loved the money they brought him, the attention and the pussy.

“We gonna have a chat with him?” Talon asked.

I ran a hand over my face. “Not tonight, man. I'm tired, and I want Swan to have my attention all night. I don't wanna leave her.”

Talon nodded. “Fair enough. But tomorrow, we go talk with our old pal.”

I smiled, because I sure as fuck had questions for Maxwell, like why the fuck he would allow Kathy to have a party with my little girl in the house in the first place.

Jesus. The thought made me sick to my stomach. What in the hell had my baby seen last night?

“Calm down, brother,” Talon ordered. “We'll find the answers.”

Giving a chin lift, I turned my attention back to the table. Talon would have known how I was feeling, because he'd feel the exact same way if it had happened to his kids.

“What's the situation with Hell Mouth?” I asked.

“Don't fuckin' know yet. Everyone turned up for dinner and we didn't want to talk about shit in front of the kids, but whatever it is, she'll need protection.”