So, this is a very Molly-centric chapter. I have been meaning to write it for a while to close that chapter...sorry for the wait!
He parked his green truck far enough from the scene so as not to be noticed, yet he was able to survey the scene with perfect clarity. He watched as the Molly, Penelope, and Chibs Telford jump into the large SUV-probably stolen, he assumed- and pull out of the Iver residence.
Grabbing his ratted little memo book from the breast pocket of his beige button down shirt, he wrote down the time, place, and all in attendance and returned the pad to it's place. He watched intently as the biker, Alex Trager, threw Miss Iver over his shoulders and run into the house. A familiar pang of jealousy and anger yanked at his heart strings and he snarled.
He had made sure they had shut the door before turning the engine over and headed back towards town. This wasn't the first time these two had met, and it certainly won't be the last.
….
Much to Molly's surprise, Chibs had been right when he had said they'd arrive at their destination in about two days. What they hadn't taken into consideration was the time changes, which left the three of them arriving earlier than expected.
Their drive was pretty uneventful save for the fun dialogue between she and Chibs, which ranged on a variety of mild mannered topics such as favorite movies, music, etc. What they didn't touch upon were topics that, while not spoken aloud, nagged Molly in her head the entire drive home.
Her main thing was why; why had he chosen her? Would he stay knowing all the baggage she had attached to her? She had to admit, when she had first informed Chibs she'd have to return to Hohman, that his answer surprised her. Then again, a lot about him surprised her. She had been so used to men seeing she had a child and then they'd up and disappear. Chibs was one of the first people to embrace her and Penelope-perhaps because he had a wife and daughter once? Then, when she had told him she'd be returning to Hohman, she expected him to say, "Grea, see ya when you get back," not insist he tag along for the ride.
But then what?
What if, after he sees what an asshole Mick was and what a heartless jerk her father was, he assumes she'll turn out to be crazy or something? Then he'd create an excuse to end their affair and she'd be stuck in Charming.
True, she had Mina, but Mina's boyfriend was a brother so it's easy to assume that she'd still see Chibs, and then where would that leave her? Broken? Ignored? Stuck? After leaving Hohman for good, which was her current plan, she'd never live down the ridicule should she return to the area.
So many questions that demanded answers ran through her brain and, once again, she found herself mentally ending their relationship before it even had time to blossom. She hated that she did that, but then again, the last thing she wanted was to be hurt; especially now that she had not only hers, but Penelope's feelings to think about as well.
Finally arriving in Hohman, Molly's stomach was in knots. All she wanted to do was get all of this over with and to be back in Charming with her new family. As she put the car in park under the portico of the Plaza Star, she glanced back at the biker and her sleeping babe. When she and Chibs had switched driving duties several stops ago, Chibs opted for the backseat to calm down Penelope who had, up to that moment, been REALLY getting on Molly's nerves. As the biker and the babe snored quietly in the back seat, Molly smiled to herself.
It was 3 AM when they finally convinced the clerk at the desk to take their cash and give them a room. Molly placed Penelope in the middle of the King size bed. Chibs placed the luggage on the couch located in the mock sitting area of the room. Molly had to laugh as she saw her tiny babe look as if she were being swallowed by this huge bed before turning to the bathroom. As she flicked the switch, she sighed with relief. "Shower" she whispered in a rather seductive tone. Having been on the road for several days left her feeling rather grotty so this was a welcoming sight.
"Mol, if ya want, I'll wait out here with Penny and you can shower first." Chibs whispered as he stood by an opened window and lit a cigarette. From where she stood, Molly watched Chibs; the orange lights from the parking lot light up parts of his face, making his cigarette smoke look orange too. She felt the cool breeze permeate the room and, in that moment, she felt completely at ease and safe around this man. Eventually, Molly walked over to Chibs and wrapped her arms around his torso taking in the scent of tobacco and sent a pulse through her body down to her loins. As she continued to breathe in his scent, Chibs let out a drag and kissed her on top of her forehead.
"You alrigh'?" Chibs whispered into her hair. Molly looked up into his eyes, which twinkled even though there was so little light, and she smiled.
"You know, Chibs, the shower is rather large, and I really don't think Penelope will be waking up any time soon." Chibs looked down at her and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So," she continued, "why don't we just kill two birds with one stone and you shower with me?" She raised her own eyebrow and waited for Chibs response. For a moment, Chibs stared past her at the wall completely dead pan as he thought it over. When she felt it took longer then expected, a shot of anxiety hit her stomach.
Chibs looked down at Molly and moved a stray piece of hair that had fallen in front of her face. He saw a look of worry in her eyes.
"You're scared, aren't you?" Molly blinked and nodded. "Why?" He asked.
"That's just it, Chibs. Why?" Chibs was taken aback by her response and took a deep breath before moving his arms around Molly. Pulling her close, he felt her body jerk as if she were crying. He pulled her away from his body and brought his face down to hers.
"I want you to listen to me, alrigh?" She nodded and Chibs wiped a tear from her cheek. "I am here because I love you, and I love tha' wee one over there. Tha's why. And, there's nothin' tha' your da or your ex can say t'me to sway my mind. Ok?" Molly smiled a little as she nodded. "There's a lass," he whispered as he kissed her on the forehead. The sense of calm swelled over her body again as he pulled her close and began to stroke her hair. "Now, about tha' shower," Chibs trailed off and Molly looked up to him again. This time, with his eye brow raised, Chibs had a mischievous grin play across his face. Molly took the hint and the two raced off to the bathroom.
…..
The group slept in until about 12 which left them only about two hours before she had to be at her dad's to gather all of their things. After grabbing breakfast and checking in with Mina, they drove through the town to the little subdivision where her dad lived.
Pulling into the driveway, Molly could see her dad sitting on the cab door of his red pick up, drinking and smoking as he had always done. "GRANDPA!" Penelope shouted from her car seat as Molly unbuckled the seat belt and let her run in his direction. Molly watched as her dad caught sight of Chibs exiting the driver's side of the cab. He really didn't seem to threatened until he watched Chibs grab his cut and put it on. Like a dog, her father sat up in attention, sobering him up right quick and causing her to smile. "Penny Benny," her dad said quietly as he scooped up the small child, careful to not take his eyes off the biker. He gave a look of disapproval as Molly walked past and entered the house to grab their things. Chibs wanted to say something to her father, but out of respect for Molly, kept his mouth quiet. Instead, he followed her inside to help her bring out clothes, bedding, and whatever toys they could carry.
Molly finally stopped in front of her father to address him."Mom will stop by to grab the larger stuff and she'll just keep it at her place. You know, so it doesn't have to take up anymore space in your precious house." Her tone was sarcastic, but this was always how she addressed her father.
In the midst of all this, a blue hatchback pulled into the driveway and Molly felt her stomach in her throat. Mick, who looked like an extra from a Alice in Chains video, exited the vehicle and threw his cigarette to the ground. As Mick approached her and her father, Chibs was exiting the house with a pink sparkly tub full of toys. He stopped on the back porch and watched Mick approach Molly.
"DADDY!" Penelope shouted and Chibs knew that this was the piece of shit responsible for all Molly's concern. Mick flicked his long brown hair out of his face before he picked up Penelope like Molly's father had only moments prior and gave her a kiss on the head. "Hi baby girl," he said before making his way towards Molly. Putting Penelope down, Mick leaned in for an embrace but Molly backed away.
"No love for Daddy?" She'd almost forgotten his voice, but hearing it now made her want to vomit.
"Just say your goodbye's and be done with it, Mick."
"What do you mean, 'my goodbyes?' She's not going anywhere."
"Oh, I think she is.," Molly changed her attention from Mick to her father. "That goes for you too," she announced, which left her father with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"What do you mean," her dad mumbled, "Where are you taking her?"
"Away from you two, for good. Far away, where we'll never be a burden on either of you again."
"I don't think so," Mick stated matter of factly. "Courts say-"
"Courts say custody is MINE. Meaning, you have NO say. Not that you really give a shit anyway, considering you never really showed up for court or gave two shits about her to even pay child support."
"Bullshit, I gave you 12 grand."
"When? When did you give me this because, had you had done so, we wouldn't have had to struggle as much as we have. Oh and SPEAKING of court ordered, you owe me back support for all the weeks you haven't seen her. That's what, four months worth?"
"I don't see her because I'm at work AND I just bought a car from my brother."
"Really? So when you're at the strip club, and the bars, and concerts, and at JB's house fiddling around with your fucking car, which you shouldn't be driving considering your license is suspended, that's your idea of working?"
"So, what, you're stalking me now? You ARE a crazy fucking bitch."
"OY!" The group turned their attention to the porch as Chibs interjected the squabble between Molly and Mick. "Penny, go inside and make sure Chibsy grabbed everything, ya?" Chibs whispered to the young girl as he handed her her favorite stuffed animal, Chocolate the cat. She nodded and went inside. "You need to apologize." Chibs said to Mick as he began to make his way towards the group.
"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Mick stood his ground, though Molly could see that Mick was scared.
"I'm hers," he said pointing at Molly, "And I say, apologize to her." Chibs finally reached Mick. Chibs was only slightly taller than Mick, who looked from Molly to Chibs with anger in his eyes.
"Listen, pal, you only know one side of the story. How about when she-"
"There IS only one side to this story. Now, I'll tell you one more time-apologize." Mick scoffed and stepped back from the group before focusing entirely on Molly.
"Or what?" Mick asked looking from Chibs to Molly. He snorted, "So, that's it, huh? You hire a fucking biker as a guard dog and expect me to be okay with the fact that you're taking my little girl away from the only father she-"
"You're NOT her father!" Molly had had enough of Mick and all of his lies. "You're a fucking piece of shit sperm donor who wants people to think he's a good father because that's the only way your pathetic fucking ass gets any kind of pussy nowadays. You don't give a fuck about me or MY child."
"That's BULLSHIT," Mick lunged at Molly but Chibs intervened and knocked Mick to the ground. As he stood up, and dusted his shirt off, he looked at the two maniacally. "That's assault. You hit me-did you see that shit, Ben? This thug hit me." Mick's tone was smug as he began to walk towards Molly again. Chibs stepped in between the two now as if to shield Molly. "I'm not afraid of you, you two-bit piece of shit wanna be." Molly thought Chibs was going to jump down his throat but he didn't move or even flinch. Instead, Chibs stood his ground.
"Come on, biker man, hit me. You think I'm gonna let you come in and take away my child?"
"From wha' I understand, you're just a sperm donor. You're not a father." Chibs voice was very calm, which kinda scared Molly considering she had never seen Chibs this way. This must be what he's like when handling club business. "Now, if I were you, I'd say my good byes, and be on m'way."
"Not a chance. Not since I've a witness here that will say you're an unfit mother. Putting our child in danger by dating an 'outlaw biker;' it's gonna look real nice with that welfare fraud I was gonna tell the courts about. You wanna take that chance?"
Chibs smiled at Mick and turned his attention to Molly's father, who had a look of fear overcome his face. "Grandda, you see anythin' happen here besides us grabbing our things and leaving?"
"I-I, uh..." Molly's father trailed off as Chibs now approached him. As he did so, Chibs moved his cut aside to expose the handle of his gun hidden underneath. "Answer carefully, Grandda," Chibs said still smiling.
"No. No, you-you guys just came and picked up your things a-and that was it." Molly tried to stifle a laugh as her father's voice trembled. All those years of acting like a big man as he verbally abused his only daughter died in an instant. Not so tough now, huh dad, she thought.
Chibs smiled and returned to his place between Molly and Mick.
"Looks like you're witness fell through, but we're gettin' off topic. I believe you owe Mol an apology." Mick stared in utter disbelief at what was going on around him and looked back to the biker.
"Mick," Molly said, "just go, ok? You can say goodbye to Penelope and then just leave. Don't phone, don't text, don't write, don't contact us ever again. I'll do the same."
"No. No, I'm not doing that, you stupid, stupid fucking bitch-" but before he could speak any further, Chibs had knocked him to the ground and shoved the barrel of his gun into Mick's temple.
"You really are as dumb as Mol says you are, boy." Chibs emphasized the last part which made Mick flinch. Molly had took a step back and watched hoping to God Penelope wasn't around. When she looked to the empty porch, she'd been relieved.
"Now listen, you stupid cocksucker. You lost any chance at seeing Mol or the wee one again. You're going to get up, get in your car, and get the fuck out of here. And I so much smell you around my woman and my child again, I'll cut your fuckin' tongue out, got it, boy?"
"MOMMY!" Penelope announced herself as opened the back door. This caused the group to shift their positions. Molly and her father were more alert and Chibs pulled Mick off the ground and held him in front of him. Mick could feel the barrel of Chibs gun now being shoved into his lower back. He immediately felt defeated.
As Penelope approached the group, she immediately went for her mother. Chibs could feel Mick tense up and he shoved the barrel further into his spine causing Mick to wince. "Penelope, tell Daddy bye bye." Molly's voice was like sugar-coated venom as she saw all of the pride drain from Mick's face. She'd won, and it felt good. Penelope smiled and gave Mick a hug, which he returned. AS he held the child close, his eyes met Molly's. "This isn't over," he mouthed.
"Oh, but it is, Mick," and Molly looked to Chibs. When she was finished hugging Mick, Penelope went back into Molly's arms. Chibs gun returned to it's proper place and Mick jerked himself from Chibs grip. He walked towards his hatchback and caught one last glimpse before starting the car and driving off.
Chibs watched the coward speed of before turning his attentions towards Molly's father. "Mol, you ready?" Molly nodded. Penelope hugged her grandpa and the girls walked towards the SUV.
"Oy, Grandda," Chibs said and whistled, "I know I don't really owe this to you but, you don't need to worry about your daughter and grandchild. I'll take care of them, and my brothers and my club will when I can't. Tha' being said, if you try to contact them, you'll be hearing from me, alrigh'?" Molly's father nodded before Chibs took a step back. A scare ran through him as Chibs smacked him in the shoulder and laughed. "Great!" Chibs chuckled as he too approached the SUV.
Molly sat from the front seat of the cab and watched her father turn to grab another beer. Chibs started the SUV and also watched as Molly's father climbed back onto the cab door and lit a cigarette.
"You know, when my ma left him, no one was surprised." Her voice broke his train of thought. Chibs turned his head to look at Molly as she stared at her father. "Doubt anyone would be surprised we left him too. Not that it matters. He's just going to make up lies about me anyway. Piece of shit."
"Darlin'?" His voice caused her to turn her head towards him, "You don't have to worry about either of them anymore." Chibs grabbed her left hand and pulled her palm to his lips, kissing it very faintly but enough to bring a smile across her face. And as they pulled out of the driveway in the direction of her mother's house a very towns over, Molly felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off of her shoulders. Now, if she could only get away long enough to call Mina...