Fifty-Eight

Reaching for her ringing phone as she lounged comfortably by the pool, just content to laze in the sun and watch Charlie shoot hoops, Eden smiled to see the name lit up on the screen, but raised an eyebrow when she realised it was actually an incoming video call.

"Hi, baby," she said. "Missing me so much you've embraced the twenty-first century? I'm impressed. Did Bug give you lessons?"

"Oi, less o' yer lip, lass," the Samcro president grinned, peering at her from the screen. "Can ya blame a man for wanting to cop a peek at that wee bikini?"

Eden's cheeks flushed lightly at that, even as her nose wrinkled critically and she tugged at the floaty cover-up that didn't actually cover much of her simple olive-green bikini, making Chibs frown.

"Hey, I've told ya before - none o' that," he scolded. "You, my love, are an absolute stunner and I'd make ya see it if I didn't have a very particular reason to be calling …"

"What? Has something happened?" Eden demanded, immediately on guard and sitting up, her swimwear forgotten, before he had a chance to sooth her fears.

"Everything's fine, I promise," Chibs said quickly, realising his mistake. "No need to fret, pet. There's just someone here who wants to see you."

"Where are you? Is that the Scrapyard? Is it Seth? 'Cause he could just call me himself, you know?"

"Aye, he could," Chibs smiled knowingly. "But he's kinda got his hands full right now …"

More and more puzzled by the cryptic turn her old man's call had taken, Eden was just about to demand answers when the picture on the screen tilted away from his scarred face and the sound distorted into a mumble – only for it to all suddenly right itself and a curious little face to be beaming out at her.

"Auntie Eden? Oh, I see her! Hi, Auntie Eden!"

"Oh my god, Theo!" she gasped in shock and delight. "What are you doing there? Oh, sweetie, it's so good to see you – I wish I was there to give you the biggest hug!"

"Mom said we could visit dad," the youngster grinned. "I wish you were here. I like your boyfriend though – he's cool."

"He is, isn't he?" she laughed, tears of happiness pricking at her eyelids. "Oh, Theo, look at you. You got big!"

Her nephew, distracted by something just off screen, laughed too as he nodded at what had been muttered to him and then returned his attention to her. "Chibs says not to say you did too. Him and dad told me about my new baby cousin – you don't look huge like Auntie Mel did though."

"Cheeky monster," Eden giggled. "I've got a ways to go baking this one, buddy, and Auntie Mel did have two babies, to be fair."

"Anyway, I gotta go now," Theo said, that cheeky sparkle in his eyes. "Your boyfriend wants to talk to you."

"Okay," she grinned, amused to be teased about her love life by her nephew. "I missed you, monster. Love you. Hug your dad for me."

"I will. Love you, Auntie Eden. Here's your boyfriend."

After another shuffled moment, her old man's equally amused face reappeared and Eden could only shake her head in disbelief, her hand pressed to her mouth and tears slipping down her cheeks.

"How?" she managed.

"Long story," Chibs smiled. "Ah, darlin', don't cry …"

"Telling the pregnant woman not to cry, you might as well tell me not to breathe," she half laughed, half sobbed. "God, Filip, it'll just mean so much to Seth to see him again. I can't believe Aubrey changed her mind – is she there? Did she say why?"

"Listen, don't you go worrying about the details – just enjoy your trip knowing things are good here and it ain't gonna just be a one-time thing. You'll see the wee lad plenty in future. And a cracking wee lad he is too."

Eden's heart melted all over again at that and she wiped at her eyes as she beamed at him. "I love that you two have a bromance going on already. He thinks you're cool, you know."

"I'll have you know I am very cool, lass," Chibs smirked, a smug look on his face. "I've got a badass bike and a hot girlfriend."

She could only burst out laughing, fervently wishing she could be there to hug the nephew she hadn't seen properly in so long, to witness her brother's happiness, and just celebrate the moment in the arms of her handsome old man.

"I miss you already," she sighed, her bright smile turning wistful.

"Miss you too, baby. It's good to see you relaxing though. How's our wee button doing?"

"Growing like a weed if my appetite's anything to go by," Eden said, rolling her eyes. "Who knew pickles and ice-cream was a thing? Poor Charlie's appalled."

"Poor Charlie nothin'," Chibs snorted. "If he was here, he'd be scrubbing split beer and Christ knows what off the clubhouse floor – the lad's getting off light. You save that sympathy for yer poor aul' man. Been spoiled rotten having you in my arms every night and now not so much as a wee kiss and cuddle …"

"Just making sure you don't take me for granted," his old lady teased. "And hey, I'm the one with raging hormones to contend with, remember?"

"Oh-ho, so ya really are missing me then, lass?" he grinned. "Good to know. Hold that thought though, 'cause yer big brother's here and I don't want him trying to knock lumps outta me again …"

Chibs' face disappeared in a blur of motion and then Seth was on the screen, wiping a hand over his beard and grinning at her in a way she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hey, kid. Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Pretty crazy," Eden nodded, feeling her emotions threaten to overwhelm her again at seeing her brother's happiness. "I'm so happy for you, Seth, so happy."

"Did he tell you this was his doing?"

"What?" she said, thinking for a moment that he maybe meant the call, but sensing that wasn't quite it.

"Chibs," Seth said, sounding just a little impatient in his eagerness for her to keep up. "He tracked down Aubrey, talked to her. When she told me that at first, I thought I was gonna kill him for interfering – I thought maybe he'd made things worse, that she was calling to say stay away. But whatever he said … It worked, Eden, it really fucking worked! I get to see my son."

"Put him back on," Eden demanded, smiling through her tears when the biker's sheepish face reappeared.

"You mad wi' me?"

"Furious," she laughed, wiping at her eyes again. "How could you turn me into an emotional mess and not be here so I can cry all over you, you bastard?"

Chibs couldn't help but laugh too. "Sorry, baby, my bad."

"I love you so much, Filip Telford. I can't even … I love that you would do this for Seth."

But the Samcro president just shrugged. "That's what family's for, my darlin'."


"Like something outta fucking Deliverance," Tig muttered, kicking a used shotgun cartridge with the toe of his boot, after he and Happy had climbed out of the Sam's Yard van driven by a nervous-looking Wheels.

The long lane leading to the Cleary residence was overgrown, secured at the bottom where they'd parked up by a lopsided gate sorely in need of a fresh coat of paint and wrapped instead in barbed wire. It didn't exactly scream welcome, but they imagined that was exactly how its owners liked it.

"This is what I get stuck with while Charlie gets the hot chick in a bikini gig …" the prospect groused, until Tig reached in the driver's window and cuffed him round the head.

"That hot chick's your president's old lady, asshole. You got no business thinking about her in a bikini."

"So you want me to think about her not in a bikini?" Wheels shot back, his frustration over getting the worst of all the grunt work creeping through and dulling his usual sense of self-preservation.

"Don't give me an excuse to shoot you," Tig growled. "Just stay here and stay alert. Think you can manage that, shithead?"

Without waiting for an answer, the VP jerked his head in the direction of the house in the distance. "Come on, Hap. And if I rip these fucking jeans on that wire, I'm gonna crack skulls."


"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Yup," Knox drawled, from the chair he was tilting back on two legs, his arms crossed casually behind his head and his boots kicked up on the edge of the office desk.

Lyla looked at him expectantly at that.

"Right here," he shrugged. "Who knows where that Vane fucker's gonna pop back up? I'm manning the fort."

"So shouldn't you go do that then?" the little blonde said, frustrated with herself for getting flustered under his piercing gaze.

"What can I say? I'm keeping an eye on the thing in this place most worth protecting," the biker said, a knowing grin tugging at his lips. "Ah, nearly got a smile!"

"I'm busy," Lyla insisted, trying to wipe it away sternly. "And you're a distraction."

"I know. You should let me show you just how distracting I can be …"

"Oh, believe me, I already know," came her wry retort, even as he caught her hand when she got up to go to the filing cabinet and, in one fluid move, righted his chair and tugged her down onto his lap. "Knox!"

But he only laughed at her caught-off-guard squeak, reaching up to let a stray lock of her hair glide through his fingers before he tucked it behind her ear and guided her lips closer to his.

"What happened to Aidan?" he murmured, his mouth tantalisingly close to hers.

"Why are you always like this?" Lyla grumbled softly, even as her fingertips traced lightly over his stubbled jaw. Much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, he really was a very good-looking guy. And in such a different way to Opie, who had never really understood his own appeal. If there was one thing Aidan Knox definitely didn't lack it was self-confidence, as proven when he closed that final gap between them and softly kissed her lower lip, his hand sliding up her bare leg towards the hem of her short skirt.

"S-Stop," she tried. "I am not getting caught again."

"We didn't really get caught the last time," Knox protested. "Besides, Chibs knows anyway – he won't say anything …"

"Anyone could walk in. Aidan, I'm serious."

"So am I," he teased, kissing her again, this time more deeply. "Deadly serious."

She gave into it for a moment, unable to resist, kissing him back slow and soft until reality intervened again and she pulled back. "No, we can't do this. Not here."

"Ly, there's no one here," he sighed, those strong hands holding her in place on his lap. "Chibs took Kerri to Seth's, Tig and Hap got some club shit to handle – there's only a couple of the mechanics out there and they're clocking off … It's just you and me, doll."

Toying with a button of his shirt as she sagged against him a little, almost in defeat, Lyla let her forehead rest lightly against his, her eyes drifting closed for a moment. "I should be heading home."

"Isn't this the night your mom has the kids?"

It was. And damn him for having noticed. It had become a regular thing, a chance for Lyla to get some semblance of balance in her life as a working single mom, to hang out with Eden or Flick or some of the girls, or to check in at the clubhouse. Or sometimes just to have some time to herself to get her head straight. She felt she might need that right now …

"I should still be heading home," she said softly.

"Come on, Ly," Knox tried, his words light, but the look in his blue eyes more intense. "Just spend some time with me. Give me a chance. Unless you're only interested in me for my body …"

She couldn't help laughing a little at that, rolling her eyes at his bravado. "Does your ego know no bounds?"

He shrugged, that gaze breaking from hers. It was only for a moment and then he was looking her right in the eye again, but the tiny, unexpected hint of vulnerability still struck her.

"Takes a hit with you sometimes," he said evenly, no trace of accusation, just simple honesty.

Lyla's defences softened and regret washed over her as she suddenly saw how their interactions must seem to this big, kinda brash biker wearing his heart on his sleeve in a way Opie never had. She'd struggled for so long with living in the shadow of Donna's ghost, with Opie seeming to both want a relationship and yet keep her at arm's length. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of that and yet here she was doing the same thing to someone else.

She slipped off Knox's lap before he could tighten his grip enough to stop her.

"I can't do this," she said desperately, turning her back on him. "This isn't fair to you. I can't be what you want."

"Lyla, I don't want anything except a chance. I haven't got some big game plan here," the biker tried. "I'm not gonna propose or demand you run away with me. Look, I like you, I clearly think you're gorgeous, and much as I ain't knocking the sex, I'd actually kinda like to just be able to be seen in public with you. Go for bike rides. Catch a movie. Normal shit. Maybe it'll go somewhere, maybe it won't. That's fucking life, doll."

"I'm scared, okay?" she finally burst out, rounding on him tearfully. "I'm scared!"

The chair he'd tilted back on two legs again thudded back onto the floor and he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, sensing that they were finally getting somewhere.

"Of me?"

Lyla shook her head.

"Then what? Talk to me, babe – I don't fucking bite. Unless you want me to," he added with a little grin, before swiftly turning serious again as he rose to his feet and guided her to sit on the edge of her desk. "Talk to me."

She reached up to touch a hand gently to his cheek as he ended up stood between her legs, his hands resting lightly on her knees. "I … I'm scared of letting you in. I'm scared of letting myself get attached and then … losing you. And not just for me, for the kids. I have to think about them, Aidan, I have to – they've gone through so much. Losing Donna, Ope, Piney, and it's not like they're oblivious to what's gone on with the club. You think they haven't been scarred by what happened with Jax and Tara and Gemma? That they don't realise Bobby's gone? Those kids baked cookies with Bobby, played computer games with Juice, basketball with Kozik. You think they don't know how many people have been ripped out of their lives?"

"I know," Knox sighed, when he'd finally found his voice. "I get it. I do. And I can't argue with that, can I?"

Unsure whether to be relieved that he seemed to understand or disappointed, Lyla let her head rest against his shoulder when he pulled her closer.

"Can't go through life like that though, Ly," Knox said gently, his hand cradling the back of her head as he dropped a little kiss into her hair. "Not letting yourself get close to anyone. You gonna teach the kids to be like that, go through life alone? I know it's messed up what they've had to deal with so young. But you want them growing up cold and hardened by it, even more messed up? It's okay to be scared, but … wouldn't it be easier to be scared if you had someone to share that with? I ain't dismissing any of it to get my way, I really ain't. I just don't want that for you, for any of you. You can't shut everyone out forever, darlin'."

Pulling back just enough to look at him, not sure what she was hoping to see, Lyla couldn't help the faint smile that quirked the corner of her mouth, despite her tears, when he pressed the tiniest of kisses to her nose.

"It don't gotta be anything heavy," he said, seeming to sense this was going to have to be their crossroads. "I can do slow. I can do casual. I just don't think I can do sneaking around like we're doing something wrong. Not anymore."

Lyla took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before pulling him down so she could kiss his forehead.

He couldn't tell if it was a good sign or bad.

"Slow," she said. "Casual. No promises."

Knox stared back at her, a complicated and unreadable look crossing his face before he simply cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, I can do that. Yeah, I can do that."

He slipped out of reach, raking a hand through his dark hair as he headed for the door of the office. "Thought I'd just casually go change this shirt, maybe take ya for a very casual dinner in town? Or not. Whatever suits."

"Dinner would be … good," Lyla smiled, bemused by his new-found uncertainty. "Say seven?"

"Seven," Knox nodded in agreement, bumping his fist against the frame of the door as he disappeared – only to reappear a second later, dart back inside and lift her right off her feet to kiss her hard, before dropping her back down and grinning as he took off again. "Totally casual," he called back.

Lyla couldn't help but laugh, despite her worst fears, as she sank down at her desk to ponder what had just happened. And what she was getting herself into.