Page 36 of Bonita Brynne
“We know where to find you, Track.” My mom went to the door, kissed Raul, and whispered in his ear.
“Okay.” Joseph winked and reluctantly tore himself away from my side.
For the next hour, Valerie talked and talked and talked about everything and anything under the sun. It hadn’t taken long for her mood to improve after the guys left, perhaps out of sight, out of mind.
With Joseph gone, Valerie could focus only on me, not on how her brother and sister were getting married. But where did her chatty nature come from? My mom and I weren’t huge talkers, nor were Joseph and Raul.
However, I loved learning all about my little sister, and she also mentioned a few things about Raymond. Naturally, the more his name came up, the more I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Where was he? Was he alone? Hungry? Hurt? Scared?
If Dorian hurt a hair on Raymond’s head, I was confident Raul, Joseph, and the Knights would make Dorian wish he’d never been born.
“Can we get out of here for a little while?” Valerie asked. “I’d like some fresh air and a snack. One I get for myself instead of Maddox giving it to me.” She really seemed to not like the young guy, Maddox.
“How old is Maddox?” I asked. “How do you know him?”
“He’s turning twenty in the fall,” my mom replied. “He and his twin brother, Markey, are the sons of the original president, Matt. Matt and Raul were best friends. Sugar is the boys’ mom.”
“Oh. Eve. She was nice to me yesterday. I thought she was a kitten.” Embarrassment turned my face hot.
“Oh my!” Mom giggled and covered her mouth. “She’s the original queen and was never a kitten.”
“Angel is the new queen. Have you met her?” Valerie asked. “She and Storm have a little girl named Melody Hope, but everyone calls her Birdie.”
“Aww, Birdie is a sweet nickname. I’ve metAngel, but not her little girl.” All the nicknames and road names were strange. Was it just a thing in motorcycle clubs? However, I did melt every time Joseph called me Bonita. “Are there other children in the club?”
Valerie bobbed her head like one of those bobblehead dolls. “Lots. Angel is having a baby in a few months, and so are Hero and Roja. Boxer and Snow have little Max, Lynx and Jaynee have Sadie. She’s five and super cute. Jaynee is also pregnant. Her baby will come next month.” Valerie hadn’t taken a single breath. “And my cousin Dodge and his wife, Emilee, have two kids, Dante and Demi.” She blew out a long breath.
“That’s a lot of kids.” I forced myself to not touch my stomach.
“Yup.” Valerie wrinkled her forehead. “I guess Dodge isn’t your cousin, huh?”
“No, but he’s still part of my extended family because of you and our mom.”
“Yes, and in clubs like ours, family isn’t only blood-related. It’s a chosen family.” My mom went to the door and opened it. “Maddox, Brynne, and I are going up to the clubhouse, and Valerie is coming with us. She wants a snack.” She was masterful at changing the topic and taking the spotlight off of me. God, I had missed her terribly.
“I can have a prospect bring whatever she wants,” the tall prospect replied.
“No, she wants to get out of here for a while.” Go, Mom! I respected how she didn’t back down. I need to up my game and be more like her and Eve, especially with the kittens.
The gentle hum of women’s voices surrounded me at the kitchen table. Angel and Eve were cooking when we arrived, and some other old ladies were munching on crackers and cookies. Instantly I felt at ease, something I rarely experienced with other people. Growing up in my childhood home, I’d been secluded. Being alone had been my normal. When I went away to college, I got wild as most teens did when out from under their parents’ roofs.
Still, I had faked being the fun extrovert just to have friends. And what had it got me? A roommate who had betrayed me for money. I’d thought I could trust Gina. I had cared about her. Now she was dead because she played with the devil.
Among the smiling and laughing women, I strangely felt safe, accepted, and cared about. They seemed to be devoted to each other and their men. A tribe of old ladies who ruled proudly together, a sisterhood forged in a world none were born into but openly accepted being part of… And they thrived.
I’d never seen anything like it. Could I fit into their world?
Maybe. But my heart yearned to be in Montana. At Bone’s club, I had been the only woman in the house. Well, except for when the single guys had brought women home. They didn’t have club girls roaming around like they had in Minnesota. I had preferred it that way.
“Let me be the first to say I’m not weirded out by you and Track being together.” Roja clucked her tongue and winked at Valerie. “And neither should you be, princess. They were strangers up until a few months ago.”
“Thank you.” I’d shout out hallelujah and amen, but the girls would probably think I was a dork.
“I’m not weirded out either,” Snow said. She snuggled her baby boy against her chest. “It’s just new, is all.”
“New is right.” My mom nodded. “New for all of us, but we support you, honey.” She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.