Fifty-Seven
"So, this thing wi' you and Lyla-"
"Hey, I ain't trying to mess her around, man," Knox said, his hands held up as he watched the mother charter president straddle his bike in the Sam's Yard lot and light up a now rarer cigarette in the absence of his pregnant old lady.
"Glad to hear it," Chibs drawled, through a slowly exhaled stream of smoke as he tilted his head back. "'Cause I'd hate to have to post ya back home in a wee box. But that leads me to my concern. Now, don't go getting me wrong – you're a good asset to have here. But at the end o' the day, you're still patched to Rogue River. Monroe's sergeant no less. You thought about what that means?"
"Thought about very little else, as it happens," Knox sighed. "Look, it's early days - I dunno how serious this thing is. I know I ain't looking to play her, but for all I know, maybe I'm just the rebound guy after Ope."
"Maybe," Chibs said, without conviction, simply watching his brother as he paced restlessly in front of his bike.
"And it ain't like I could ask her to come back with me anyway, is it? This place, it's her home. She's settled here, the kids are settled here."
"Lot o' memories," Chibs acknowledged. "Not all o' them good though."
"But not the kind you can run from. I guess you probably know that better than most."
The Scotsman took another long drag on his cigarette, staring off into the distance thoughtfully. "You ever consider transferring?"
"What, patch Samcro? I mean, I guess I ain't ruled it out, but …"
"But you earned that SAA patch. Nah, I get it, brother. But, think on this for a minute, what if you didn't have to gi' it up?"
Knox frowned, trying to work out how that might be. "I ain't looking to tread on Hap's toes here," he said.
"And if you were, he'd probably cut 'em off for ya," the president smirked. "Might not be an issue though. Look, keep it under yer hat for now. Ain't nothin' settled, but … Well, Quinn ain't ever been used to settling in one place too long. He's thinking about resurrecting the nomad charter. And it could be a good thing for us in the long run – recruiting tool, y'know. And Hap ain't exactly the settling type either. Might be looking to head off wi' him for a spell. Six months maybe. Maybe more. If he knew there was someone to step up in his place."
The Rogue River sergeant stopped his pacing to stare at the older biker. "You're serious? You'd have me as mother charter SAA?"
Chibs shrugged. "I reckon I'd trust you wi' my life, brother. Although, I gotta warn you, if this comes together and you wind up breaking Lyla's heart, I'll personally put you in a fucking hole. That lass is like blood to me and she's been through enough hell for any lifetime."
"I don't want her hurt either, Chibs. I swear on my goddamn life."
The president pitched his smoke, buckled his helmet and let his bike roar into life. "Good enough for me."
"Brace yourself," Eden grinned, turning towards Charlie as he followed her instructions on where to park up and switched off the ignition of her car.
Sure enough, no sooner had they both stepped out of the vehicle than they heard the shriek of delight.
"They're here! Oh, Gray, they're here, come quick!"
And with that, an effortlessly elegant older woman with silver-blonde hair and dressed all in floaty layers of white hurried towards them, her arms outstretched in greeting and not one but two tiny long-haired Chihuahuas scampering around her feet.
"Eden, oh darling, look at you!" the woman, who despite their different colouring was unmistakable as Eden's mother, declared joyfully as she swept her daughter into a loving hug before pulling back to look at her again in delighted disbelief. "I can't believe my baby's having a baby of her own!"
But if Charlie felt like an awkward intruder on such a reunion, it was only for a second, before their hostess gave her daughter another little squeeze and then left her to hurry round to his side of the car and, catching him off-guard, simply swept him into a hug too.
"And this handsome young man must be Charlie," she beamed, pulling back to look at him too and laying a hand on his cheek. "Welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you could make the trip with Eden – she's told me all about you. A boxer, like my Joey, I hear. Eden's dad, you know. Now, you have to promise me something. Promise me you'll treat this just like home and make yourself comfortable. You're not just a guest, not to us. Promise?"
"Uh, I promise," Charlie nodded, a slow grin crossing his face at the unexpected warmth of her greeting and at the two tiny dogs now jumping up around his legs in excitement over someone new.
"And these two rascals seem to like you already," Eden's mom smiled, stopping to scoop them up and hush them. "This is Gidgit and this is Coco. And where on earth is my head? I'm Celeste. So no calling me Mrs Moore, even if you do feel it's polite. Now, a strapping young man like you can bring the bags, but then I want you two to just relax and settle in. Everyone wanted to come and see you, but I said no, let's give them an evening to just unwind."
"Oh, thank god," Eden sighed happily, shouldering the small bag that was the only one Charlie had allowed her to lift while he hefted the rest and followed Celeste inside. "I was dreading having to get dressed up for some big welcome dinner or something."
"I knew it," Celeste nodded. "Besides, there'll be plenty of time for all that. Ah, there you are – look who's here, Gray."
"Eden, so good to see you, honey – you look great," the tall, distinguished-looking man absently cleaning his glasses as he approached smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek before extending a hand to Charlie. "And you must be Charlie – welcome. Grayson West, but everyone calls me Gray. Good drive?"
"It was good," Eden nodded. "Charlie didn't shout at me over my directions or anything."
"Wise man," Gray laughed. "That all the bags or do you need me to go get the kitchen sink out of the car?"
"Very funny," Eden rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know I packed light! Mostly because nothing fits anymore …"
"Oh, don't tell your mother that. Like she needs an excuse to go shopping. Charlie, son, you're welcome to stick with me if these two decide to hit the mall. Save yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll let Celeste get you settled in your rooms and I'll be serving drinks out back when you're done."
"Thanks, Gray," Eden smiled fondly as he headed off, before catching the look on Charlie's face and practically reading his mind. "Hey, don't worry about getting in Chibs' bad books," she whispered. "I won't disappear off without you, promise. Relax. Enjoy yourself. We're on vacation!"
Having shown a wide-eyed Charlie to his more than comfortable room first and left him to unpack or sprawl out on the big double bed as he pleased, Celeste and Eden headed down the hall to the light and airy room that was always Eden's for the asking, mother and daughter sitting down on the edge of the bed and just looking at each other for a moment before pulling each other into another warm embrace.
"I missed you, mom," Eden whispered, almost tearfully, as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder.
"Oh baby, I missed you too," Celeste sighed, stroking her hair softly as she held her tight. But after a long moment, she pulled back to look at her, taking her hands and giving them a little squeeze. "Are you happy?"
Eden nodded, too emotional to trust herself to speak.
"Then that's all that matters. Now, am I ever going to get to meet this man of yours, or at the very least see a picture? He is going to be my son-in-law after all and it's his fault I'll soon be a grandma four times over!"
With a little laugh, Eden wiped at her eyes and pulled out her phone, finding a few pictures Lyla had taken and sent to her from the night of the clubhouse party to celebrate both her and Chibs' engagement and Kerrianne's presence in Charming.
"So, uh, this is Filip," she said tentatively, having found a photo that captured him smiling and more relaxed, but still suddenly unconvinced she'd done enough to prepare her mother for the realisation her daughter had gotten herself inextricably involved with the significantly older leader of a bunch of outlaw bikers.
But to Celeste's credit, if she had her doubts, she kept them off her face as she took the phone and examined the photographic evidence of her daughter's relationship.
"Hmm, older than I expected, but I can see the attraction," she said quietly. "And Scottish, you said – kept the accent, I take it?"
Eden nodded, staring at her mother unsurely. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"
"Oh, Eden, what do you want me to say, darling?" Celeste sighed. "That I don't approve? That I'm scared for you, for what your connection to a man like him might bring? What good would that do? What good would any of that do when you're sitting here pregnant with his baby?"
"If I know you're thinking it, you might as well say it," her daughter mumbled, looking down at her hands and toying with the diamond on her finger. "I just … I hate disappointing you …"
"Eden, sweetheart!" her mother gasped, gripping her shoulders to make her look at her. "You could never disappoint me. I don't want you thinking that. You're my little girl and you have been through so much. Probably more than you've even told me. I just want you to be safe and happy."
"He'd do anything to keep me safe, mom. And he makes me happy. I do get why you'd worry and it's not like I haven't wondered if it was crazy to get in too deep, to get caught up in his world. But … I love him, I really do."
"And I don't have to look too hard to see he loves you," Celeste admitted, lifting the phone from the bed again to swipe through a couple more pictures, stopping on one of her daughter wrapped in the biker's arms. Even in just a photo, she could see the love in his eyes as he looked down at Eden and, for a moment, she felt like she'd actually intruded on the couple. "You don't need my blessing, baby. But you have it. You do. I trust you. I trust your judgement."
"Even after everything?" Eden asked. "After … Shane?"
"Ugh, that name is banned in this house," Celeste declared. "You put him right out of your head, sweetheart, and tell me more about this Filip and his club. Charlie, he's one of them too, these Sons? That lovely young man, I can't quite believe it …"
Eden had to chuckle at that, wiping tears from her eyes as she started to swipe through more pictures, introducing her mom to her new family until Gray had to call them to join him and Charlie out by the pool. And in the late SoCal sunshine, a weight finally lifted off her shoulders.
"The fuck d'ya mean he's gone? How can he be gone? You're clearly fucking joking."
"I ain't that fucking funny. And if I knew that, I'd hardly be standing here with my thumb up my ass, would I?" Tig bit out, pacing back and forth in front of the cabin and cursing up a storm. "You think the War Boys got to him?"
"What, Johnny One-Leg and a couple o' fucking dentists? Any serious outlaw ambition went to shite when that cookhouse blew and, one way or another, took their key players outta the game," Chibs said grimly. "Could he have taken off himsel'?"
"State he was in? Doubtful."
"Who was on guard?" Knox asked, arms folded across his broad chest.
"Caught out on a shift change," Tig admitted, finally running out of steam and coming to a halt, wiping a hand over his face. "He was there when Rat left, gone when Montez arrived. He got held up and Rat couldn't stay with another security job waiting. Shit happens. None of us expected Vane to be going anywhere. And he had a twenty-minute window, tops. Motherfucker. What now?"
"I don't need this goddamn bullshit, Tiggy," Chibs sighed, shifting to lean his back against the wall of the cabin.
"Maybe that's a loose end we shoulda tied up right at the start …"
"Maybe," the president shrugged. "Too fucking late for coulda-woulda-shouldas now. Put a few feelers out. See if our resident Aryan meth-head brethren might throw up a wee clue. I gotta get back to Kerri."
"Course," Tig nodded. "I'll keep you posted, brother. Probably ain't worth worrying about his sorry ass."
"I hope you're right," Chibs grimaced. "I really hope you're right."
