associate with him.
“I’d like to say I’m here just because, but that’s not the case,” I admit.
He sighs. “What did she do now?”
His dejected tone makes my heart ache. She put him through hell and back from the minute she got pregnant and didn’t know who that father was. “Drug trafficking.”
“How many months?” he asks.
“We’re thinking years.”
His eyes grow round and he leans forward. “Explain.”
“She had kilos on her, Shadow. They caught her not far from the border.”
“Fuck,” he hisses.
“We got B, I’ll take him. She won’t go to trial for a few more weeks, but considering her priors and the hard-on the county has for the Kings, we’re planning for the worst.”
“Where is he now?” he asks. His jaw turns to stone, and his nostrils flare.
“At home. I’m in the process of moving in.”
“Gave up that sweet place on the north?”
“Yeah, family first.” I shrug.
“Hmmm.”
The doubt in his voice makes my stomach tighten. “You think I’d turn my back on my family?” I ask. My voice shakes, and I curse my inability to mask my emotions.
“No, I think this isn’t your job. We both know you’re more of a mother to my boy than she’s ever been. A better man would tell you to go back to your old life, but there’s no one else I’d trust with him. I got six more months in here if I keep my nose clean. I need you to do this for me.”
“It wasn’t even a question in my mind,” I say.
“Maybe it should’ve been.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”
“Nothing else to do but think inside. When I get out…we’ll be talking,” he says.
I want to press him for more, but his face clouds over and I know he’s in stoic mode. “I…if you’re okay with the arrangements, there’s some papers I need you to sign.” I remove the papers from the inner pocket of my jacket and slide them across the desk.
The guard moves over to oversee his use of the pen I carefully sit down on the table between us.
I cleared the document signing ahead of time. After all the time I spent in and out of prison visiting people, I could write an etiquette book. Once the paper is signed, the guard takes the pen and I slip the papers back into my pocket.
“Other than the latest Calla cluster fuck, how’ve you been?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” I ask.
“Why? Every day is the same for me. I’m just biding my time until I get out.”
“Working, helping Pops and Mom out with Bolt. The usual,” I answer.
“Hmm. What does ole Jamie have to say? Is he onboard for you taking over my son?”
“He doesn’t have any say. We’re on a hiatus.”
He snickers. “Ain’t no such thing.” He nods toward my hand. “And that sparkler says something entirely different.”
“Well, he asked me to think about it. I thought it was the least I could do.”
“You ever get tired of being so saintly, Blue?”
His words sting. I glance away, embarrassed and humiliated in front of the one man I want to see me as a capable woman. “Is it so wrong to want to do what’s right? Maybe people would prefer I behave like Calla?” I spit the words out, pissed he’s hassling me.
“Fuck no. You do that, and I’ll kick your ass myself. All I’m trying to say is…there comes a time when you have to go for yourself.”
“And screw everyone else?” I fire back, furious. “What if this ‘doing for myself’ made me uninterested in caring for your kid? Where would you be then? I got the paperwork I needed. I’ll take my leave.” I push my seat back.
“Sit. That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” he says.
His voice is steady and calm, but I hear the steel in it. I pause.
“Look at me, Blue.”
I do as he asks because I don’t want to make a scene.
“You’ve always put others before yourself, no matter the cost. We ain’t getting no younger.”
Easy to say when you’re the man. Men run everything in the outlaw motorcycle world. They get all
“I’d like to say I’m here just because, but that’s not the case,” I admit.
He sighs. “What did she do now?”
His dejected tone makes my heart ache. She put him through hell and back from the minute she got pregnant and didn’t know who that father was. “Drug trafficking.”
“How many months?” he asks.
“We’re thinking years.”
His eyes grow round and he leans forward. “Explain.”
“She had kilos on her, Shadow. They caught her not far from the border.”
“Fuck,” he hisses.
“We got B, I’ll take him. She won’t go to trial for a few more weeks, but considering her priors and the hard-on the county has for the Kings, we’re planning for the worst.”
“Where is he now?” he asks. His jaw turns to stone, and his nostrils flare.
“At home. I’m in the process of moving in.”
“Gave up that sweet place on the north?”
“Yeah, family first.” I shrug.
“Hmmm.”
The doubt in his voice makes my stomach tighten. “You think I’d turn my back on my family?” I ask. My voice shakes, and I curse my inability to mask my emotions.
“No, I think this isn’t your job. We both know you’re more of a mother to my boy than she’s ever been. A better man would tell you to go back to your old life, but there’s no one else I’d trust with him. I got six more months in here if I keep my nose clean. I need you to do this for me.”
“It wasn’t even a question in my mind,” I say.
“Maybe it should’ve been.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”
“Nothing else to do but think inside. When I get out…we’ll be talking,” he says.
I want to press him for more, but his face clouds over and I know he’s in stoic mode. “I…if you’re okay with the arrangements, there’s some papers I need you to sign.” I remove the papers from the inner pocket of my jacket and slide them across the desk.
The guard moves over to oversee his use of the pen I carefully sit down on the table between us.
I cleared the document signing ahead of time. After all the time I spent in and out of prison visiting people, I could write an etiquette book. Once the paper is signed, the guard takes the pen and I slip the papers back into my pocket.
“Other than the latest Calla cluster fuck, how’ve you been?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” I ask.
“Why? Every day is the same for me. I’m just biding my time until I get out.”
“Working, helping Pops and Mom out with Bolt. The usual,” I answer.
“Hmm. What does ole Jamie have to say? Is he onboard for you taking over my son?”
“He doesn’t have any say. We’re on a hiatus.”
He snickers. “Ain’t no such thing.” He nods toward my hand. “And that sparkler says something entirely different.”
“Well, he asked me to think about it. I thought it was the least I could do.”
“You ever get tired of being so saintly, Blue?”
His words sting. I glance away, embarrassed and humiliated in front of the one man I want to see me as a capable woman. “Is it so wrong to want to do what’s right? Maybe people would prefer I behave like Calla?” I spit the words out, pissed he’s hassling me.
“Fuck no. You do that, and I’ll kick your ass myself. All I’m trying to say is…there comes a time when you have to go for yourself.”
“And screw everyone else?” I fire back, furious. “What if this ‘doing for myself’ made me uninterested in caring for your kid? Where would you be then? I got the paperwork I needed. I’ll take my leave.” I push my seat back.
“Sit. That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” he says.
His voice is steady and calm, but I hear the steel in it. I pause.
“Look at me, Blue.”
I do as he asks because I don’t want to make a scene.
“You’ve always put others before yourself, no matter the cost. We ain’t getting no younger.”
Easy to say when you’re the man. Men run everything in the outlaw motorcycle world. They get all
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