“Solid.” Axe lit up a joint and inhaled. This is what I fuckin’ need. A joint, a shot, and playing pool with a brother. Diapers, sleepless nights, and an exhausted old lady weren’t on his agenda. We talked about this. We agreed we didn’t want kids.
“You take the first shot, dude.” Helm took the joint Axe offered him.
Axe hit the ball so hard that some of the brothers across the room raised their heads from between the club women’s legs and stared at him. After he hit the first ball, nothing was on his mind but winning the game.
It was well after midnight when he entered the bedroom, his eyes fixed on Baylee’s sleeping form. He ducked into the bathroom as quietly as he could, washed up then went over to the bed and slid between the sheets. The room spun around even with his eyes closed, and he knew he should’ve stayed at the club instead of driving home, but he didn’t want to leave Baylee alone.
Emotions still whirled inside him like a cyclone spinning round and round, bringing him down. He turned on his side and punched the pillow underneath his head as he tried to get comfortable. Closing his eyes again, visions of rocking horses, his parents fighting, holidays without his father cluttered his mind driving him crazy.
Soon the booze took hold and blackness slowly erased the images until there was nothing but darkness.
Chapter Fourteen
Hawk
Cara placed a breakfast burrito with green chiles in front of Hawk and sat down on the chair across from him.
“How crazy weird is it that the Crazed Grinch picked Cherri and Jax’s house? Is it possible that it’s just a copycat because it didn’t fit the psycho’s MO.”
“It’s the fucker.” Hawk cut into the burrito and took a huge bite. “This is damn good, babe.”
Cara tapped her fingers on the table. “Thanks. How do you know it was him? I have to agree with you, but I want to know your reasoning.”
“Babe, I just wanna eat and not be cross-examined. We know it’s him, but he targeted Cherri. My thinking is that the tree was an afterthought.”
“Mine too. So that means he saw Cherri somewhere in town. Could be anywhere. He had to have watched the house because he knew to go in when Jax wasn’t there.”
“The club’s looking into it. Aren’t you eating?”
“I have another meeting at Brighter Lives. I can’t wait for next Saturday when the whole thing will be done. The good news is I just snagged another sponsor, so the club will have little to no expenses.”
“You’re a powerhouse fundraiser, babe.”
“I learned it from my mom. She makes a ton of money for charities. I also have a hardworking and killer committee. I never could’ve done it without them. I love seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces whenever we help make their lives a bit better. There’s so much poverty and heartache in the world.”
“The club’s favorite charity events deal with kids. When you’re young, you can’t do shit, so it’s good to have people looking out to help you.” For a brief second, a memory of him at thirteen scavenging through trash cans in alleys in LA flashed in his mind. “Are the kids still sleeping?”
“Braxton’s playing in his room and Isa’s still snoozing. I can’t believe how she loves to sleep. Remember how Braxton kept us up most of the night until he was almost three? Isa’s the opposite. She doesn’t take long naps but she sleeps through the night.”
“Enjoy it.” He smiled and pushed his chair back. Rinsing the dishes in the sink, he looked out at the deer walking across the back lawn.
“Are you wearing your dress shirt tonight? I’ll press it if you are.”
“Dress shirt?” He put the dishes in the dishwasher. “Why would I wear one tonight?”
“You look even more handsome when you’re all dressed up. My mom’s freaking out about the dinner tonight, so I’m going to leave a couple of hours before it starts. You can bring the kids, okay?”
Closing the dishwasher door, he leaned against the counter and ran his hand through his long hair. Inhaling deeply, he slowly blew it out. “I thought the dinner was tomorrow night.”
“No, it’s tonight. I really do think you should wear your dark green pinstriped shirt. It looks really good on you. It’ll only take a minute to iron.”
“Fuck, babe. I thought it was tomorrow. I can’t go. I have to be at the club’s party tonight.”
Cara’s face tightened and her lips curled down—the telltale signs she was pissed. “What? You have to go. I need you to bring the kids and help me pack the car because I have to help my mom. I’ve been telling you about it all week. You never mentioned you had to go to a club party.”
“I can still help you pack the car. I can drop the kids off too, but I just can’t stay. If I thought your dinner thing was tonight, I would’ve told you I couldn’t go.”
“You have to come. I’m going to be the only one without her husband. How stupid is that? And because you have to go to a club party where everyone’s getting drunk and fucking? That’s what you’re canceling a family outing for?”
Licks of anger singed his nerves as he watched her grow madder. “You don’t understand. This isn’t just a club party. They have those every fuckin’ weekend and I haven’t been to one in months. This is a big deal. All the charters and affiliates are gonna be there. I’m the goddamn vice president. I have to be there. All officers do.”
“Oh… well, that explains everything. You’re choosing to spend time tonight with a bunch of sweaty men instead of your wife and children during the holiday season. When the hell are you going to understand that you’re married? You’re not a bachelor who can just do what the hell he wants without thinking about anyone else.”
“You’re totally overreacting. I’m always with you and the kids. If this were a regular party, I’d be going with you to your family’s dinner. But it isn’t, and I need to be there. All the officers will be there. There’s nothing more to say about it.” He walked out of the kitchen.
Cara came rushing up to him, grabbing his arm to spin him back around. “It’s either your family or the club.”
A jolt of white-hot anger shot through him. He whirled around and put his face close to hers. “Don’t you ever fuckin’ ask me to choose,” he hissed.
Moving back, Cara glared at him. “You can’t go. We have to be at my parents’ tonight.”
He glowered at her, burning rage seeping through all his pores. “What the fuck did you say?”
Cara crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Her defiant gaze met his. “I said you can’t go.”
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his money clip and keys from the side table. From the corner of his eye, he saw her watching him. He went over to the door and turned the knob. Turning slightly, he swept his gaze over her frowning face.
“Don’t you ever tell me what to do, woman.” Cara started to say something, but he cut her off. “You need to fuckin’ respect me. I don’t tolerate that shit from anyone, even you.”
“And running off to the club and abandoning your family is treating me with respect?”
The vein in his temple pulsed. “I’m not abandoning anyone. You know I have to go tonight.”