Chapter 2

“Is that what you were talking about when you came back? I mean, you weren’t that bad, I know that, but still, his desperation reminded me of the night you got drunk and beat the shit out of some asshole. When I bailed you out, you were a mess,” Te said as he looked out the window in the office where they had gone.

Z closed his eyes; he didn’t need his family thinking he was a head case. They all dealt with PTSD. Differently, the counselors told him that, it didn’t matter what you saw or didn’t see, it was a feeling and experience that came back time and time again to haunt you.

“Yeah,” Z said softly and then opened his eyes, he didn’t want to see the pity he was sure was there. But he was surprised; there was no pity in his brother’s eyes, there was pride and admiration. He could see it. Hell, it was like a f^king weight shifted in him. “There was so much shit floating around in my head, Boony takes it out on himself, I took it out on others.”

Te nodded. “Yeah, and instead of understanding and learning more, we all just let you go when you left. It was easier you know that having to face there was something wrong with your brother you couldn’t fix. Dad was pissed, he wanted to fix you, he was ready to drag you back, but I stopped him. I told him you needed time. But that isn’t what you needed; you needed your family.”

Z shook his head. “No, you are not taking this shit on, man. I am fine now, I have dealt with shit, I have bad days, we all do, but I needed to deal with it by myself in my own way. That is why the motorcycle, the club, all of this. Why I never called and checked in. I couldn’t. This life, these people, they accept me, they understand, I didn’t have to explain, f^k, I wasn’t ready to explain. I still am not, but I know I left it for too long. I need to get this shit sorted with Mom and Dad. You too, we need to get this shit out, I miss my brother.”

“Miss you too, man, f^k but I miss you,” Te said gruffly and then nodded and cleared his throat. “Okay, so we work on this, now, the other shit we need to talk about.”

Z narrowed his eyes at Te. “Oh yeah? What?”

“Well first of all Treat, I don’t know a damn thing about this situation other than what I have read.”

Z nodded and then began to explain about the Warriors and their situation. Then about Treat and the girls coming to San Diego and all the crap that came with them. Finally, he ended with the Lady Riders and what they were doing. He kept it short and to the point, but when Z said Nike’s name he felt something in his brother shift. They may not have been together for a few years, but he knew his brother, they had shared a close relationship when they were younger, always together, they were only thirteen months apart, so even though Z was older, Te had been smart and skipped a grade in school and they ended up graduating together.

“So, Alessandra and Treat are half-sisters, and they had no clue, but joined the same biker club at different times.” Te frowned.

Z nodded. “Nike and Treat are going to be shocked.”

Te grinned. “Nike? I have always wondered how she got that name, do you know?”

Z laughed and then leaned forward. “Apparently when she showed up in the Nevada chapter she was wearing a shirt that said, ‘Just Do it,’ they asked her if she followed her shirts advice, and she said, ‘Try me.’ Been with the club ever since. And I just told Freebyrd I was going to lay down a claim to her. Nike and I have been dancing around our attraction since she got here, I am done with it. So, any protection will involve me.”

Te’s eyes widened. “Alessandra? There is something you should know, brother.”

Z frowned. “Really? She married or something?”

“No,” Te said slowly. “However, Alessandra and I, well…we have been involved in what she likes to call a no strings attached relationship, yeah we have strings. When I ran into her the other day, I called her afterward. Told her that her time was up, her parents were buying a place here, and I was staying. She and I were gonna come to terms.”

Z stared at his brother closely, shit, he couldn’t fight him for Nike. “Does she know that?”

Te leaned back and shook his head. “She is fighting it.”

Z swore in his head, damn it, then he looked at his brother, the one man he trusted his whole life. Could he trust him with this, and how would he feel about it?

“Well…” Z started and looked at his brother who was smiling, and he paused. “What?”

“Dude, ménage, yeah, duh, have a few friends, done it a few times. Never felt right,” Te said.

“What about…” Z started, and Te rolled his eyes.

“Mom and Dad?” Te laughed. “You know old Mrs. Munzo from down the street?”

Z frowned. “Of course, she used to give us the big candy bars at Halloween.”

“Yeah, well remember her husband and his brother lived with them?” Te said.

“What?” Z said, looking at him shocked. “How do you know, why don’t I know, did Mom and Dad know?”

“You never asked, shit you know me, I asked and yeah the folks knew, said it was no one’s business how people find love if it is right it is right.” Te laughed.

“How could I have missed that?” Z grinned, shaking his head.

“‘Cause you left when you were eighteen and never looked back. Hell, I didn’t even question it until like three years ago when I saw Mrs. Munzo kissing the brother in the front window.” Te laughed loudly.

“You don’t think it is weird?” Z asked.

“I think I would never compete with my brother for a woman, I couldn’t, but Alessandra. She is special, I can feel it, and I will step aside if you want.”

“I will too,” Z said immediately. “I mean it would kill me, but I would ‘cause you are my brother.”

“Feel the same, man, but like you said, why do we have to? If she feels the same then hey, let’s go for it. We can work this shit out,” Te said, and Z relaxed.

Nike leaned back in the chair she was sitting in and closed her eyes. Angel sat on her lap, the poor little thing, she felt bad when the girl had clung to her, refusing to let her go.

Now she was at the police station with her waiting for Social Services to show up and take her to an emergency foster home for placement. Angel didn’t know what was going on, and Nike hadn’t told her, how could she, professionals should do that.

“Nike?” Angel asked softly. She was five years old, and a f^king sweetheart. Nike hated everything that was happening to her.

“Yeah, baby,” Nike whispered.

“My mommy went to heaven, didn’t she?” Angel asked and leaned back to look at her.

Nike froze, what the f^k was she supposed to say to that? Honesty, there was no other way. “Yeah, baby, do you know what that means?”

Angel nodded. “Yeah, that is why my mommy named me Angel. She said she knew she was going to go away to heaven soon, but since she named me Angel in my dreams, I could fly up to her and visit.”

Nike felt a hitch in her throat, f^k. “Oh, baby girl, your mommy is right, you can visit her anytime you want. All you have to do is think about her.”

Angel nodded. “I know. She told me that too. She said I shouldn’t hate my daddy ‘cause he is sick. He can’t help himself from hurting her, but he never hurt me.”

From the mouth of babes, Nike thought, my God how could a child be raised to know this crap. Nike was angry; Angel didn’t deserve this, any of it. She deserved to be cuddled and held tight, protected. Shit, this sucked.

“You will be taken care of and safe,” Nike promised, hoping she was right because if anyone deserved it, Angel did.

“I wanna stay with you. Mommy said whoever answered the phone would take care of me. Nike, you answered the phone, and then Boony talked to me, so you guys gotta take care of me, my mommy said so. She never lies, she always told me lying was bad,” Angel whispered, and Nike closed her eyes. She opened them when she heard footsteps getting closer and saw an older woman walk into the station with a bag. She was looking around, and Nike knew she was the Social Worker.

She wasn’t your typical social worker who had pinched lips and looked like something was stuck up her ass. No, she was older, but her hair was blond and had purple streaks in it. She wore a pair of jeans and a Harley Davidson shirt, which made Nike smile, but when she saw her boots, Nike knew this woman was cool. They were steel-toed Harley boots with a chain wrapped around them, even from here Nike knew what the chain was, any biker chick knew, on the straps were pewter guns and roses. The straps came out years ago, and they were the bomb. They made several different ones; however, most true biker chicks wore the guns and roses, not for the band but because it symbolized the sweetness of a biker chick as well as the willingness to fight for what was right.

“Hey,” the older woman said to Nike softly, pulling her gaze to where she now stood. Nike had been too engrossed in her thoughts to see that she had approached.

Nike jerked her head up in a greeting and then said, “Angel?”

The little girl lifted her head and looked at Nike and then to the woman.

“Hi,” Angel said softly.

The woman went down, sat on her calves, and smiled at the little girl. “Hey, darlin’, my name is Nike.”

“I like your name,” Angel whispered and giggled, and Nike smiled and then looked at Nike.

“We need to talk for a few minutes.”

Nike nodded and then turned to Angel and smiled, slid her off her lap and said, “Honey, I am gonna go get you some juice, I will be right over there where you can see me, okay?”

Angel nodded and then said, “Apple?”

“Apple it is,” Nike said and grinned and then turned and motioned the woman to follow her. They made it to the vending machines before either of them talked.

“Listen,” Nike said softly. “I read the official reports on what went on. Then did searches on the parents, they had no other family. I have no one I can place her with that is suitable. Right now, I have no other choice but to place her in a group home.”

“No,” Nike said firmly. There was no way that was happening; she didn’t even need to think about it, it was a fact, Angel did not belong in the system, moving from place to place until she was lost and alone once again.

“Sorry, I don’t have a choice,” Nike said softly and then looked at the little girl, Nike could see the sorrow in the woman’s face she didn’t want her to go to a group home either.

“Let her come with me,” Nike said quickly.

Nike looked at Nike and raised her eyebrow. “I can’t just place her anywhere; there are rules.”

“F^k the rules,” Nike snapped. “She feels comfortable with me, she knows me, I was the one who took her out of the house, to begin with.”

“About that,” Nike said slowly. “We have never had a report thereof domestic violence, how is it a complete stranger who has no connection with the mother happened to knock on the door right then?”

Shit, Nike thought, the Lady Riders weren’t doing a damn thing illegal helping women of violence out. They had barely opened shop, so they had nothing to hide right now, but Nike knew because of the nature of the system, and the laws they would in order to protect a victim, they were going to do what it took to get them away. They would be skirting the law, but it didn’t matter, Nike was proud of what they were doing.

“I work for an organization for battered women and families. We just opened and have barely gotten our feet under us. But one of the women I work with also works at a clinic close to us. She handed out cards to women; Angel’s mom must have gotten it there. Doesn’t matter though, she told Angel to call us for help, but we arrived too late. Angel was there by herself; I took care of her.”

Nike nodded slowly and then said, “Lady Riders?”

Nike looked surprised and whispered, “How do you know that?”

Nike grinned and pointed to her shirt. “My old man’s club works with the Warriors all the time.”

Nike nodded. “Tell me what I need to do to keep Angel.”

Nike shook her head and looked at Nike, and the said, “Won’t be a problem as long as you stay in Free’s house. He is a licensed emergency foster home.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?” Nike snapped.

Nike laughed. “I hadn’t called them yet.”

“Call,” Nike snapped, turned, and got the juice out of the machine. Then she turned and smiled at Angel who was watching them closely.