Tarin: Chapter 14
The last two days have been stressful. Hearing what Outlaw had to say about his dad and the kind of life he had lived, really helped me to understand that we all have things we don’t like or want to remember about our pasts. The situation with Mercer could have been way worse. It didn’t stop me from feeling ashamed and dirty, which I was starting to think I might need help with.
I haven't forgiven my dad and Outlaw for going behind my back and digging into my past. They should have talked to me. I may not have told them right away, but eventually, I believe I would have. Now, the whole club probably knew, and I didn’t know how they would act. Outlaw said they wouldn’t care; that there were women from their Dublin Falls chapter who’d suffered much worse and it was known. No one treated them like they were to blame or pitied them. I think I needed to see it to believe it. After all these years of hiding it, I felt strange being open about it.
I stayed at the compound in the townhouse. Outlaw had been sleeping in the guest bedroom. I knew he wanted to sleep with me, even if there was nothing but sleep going on, but I wasn’t ready yet. I was still deciding if I should give him and my dad another chance. If I did and they broke their promise, it would totally destroy me.
I was nervously waiting to go to the clubhouse. Both of them had tried to get me to go over the last two days, but I refused. Today, it seemed like I didn’t have a choice. Bull had invited the Dublin Falls club to come over. He hadn’t seen his daughter or grandkids in a few months. I was surprised though I shouldn’t be, that he had a grown daughter and new babies. Plus, Devyn was his stepdaughter. He and Bear had a lot in common it seemed. I took one last look at myself in the mirror then grabbed my crutches and made my way to the top of the stairs. Outlaw was coming up them. He must have heard me.
“Hang on, Jewel, I don't want you to fall.” Before I could protest, he’d picked me up in his arms bridal style and carried me and my crutches down the stairs. He gently sat me down on my feet and made sure I was steady on them before he let go. The way he treated me made my heart ache. He was so attentive and loving that it was hard to stay mad at him.
“Are you ready to go? I’ve got my truck outside. We’ll take it so you don’t wear yourself out walking on these things.”
“I can walk. It’s not that far. Are Bear and Ilara there yet?” I had reverted to calling Dad, Bear, which he hated. He didn’t say anything, but I could see it on his face every time I did. I was doing the same thing to Outlaw. He didn’t like it either, but he kept his mouth shut. I knew I was being petty, but a part of me wanted them to learn a lesson. If I forgave them, they needed to remember what would happen if they did something like this again.
“They just got there a couple of minutes ago. He texted, asking when we were coming. Terror and his club got here about twenty minutes ago. Bear’s eager to introduce you. I am too.”
“Outlaw, I’m scared. All these people will be looking at me. Do they know what happened to me?”
He shook his head. “No, we didn’t tell them. That’s up to you if you tell anyone else. Bull knows and so does Jocelyn. My other brothers don’t. I wasn’t going to compound my fuckup.” He tentatively wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into him. I needed the comfort of his arms. He lifted my chin and gave me a kiss. “Let’s go. Once you see them, you’ll understand and relax.”
He grabbed my jacket and helped me put it on. Outside, he again wouldn’t let me walk to the truck. I lay there and enjoyed being in his arms. It was barely worth starting the truck to go. He tried to carry me inside the clubhouse, but I refused. “I’m walking in on my own two feet,” I insisted. He sighed and opened the door, waving me to go ahead of him.
I walked into a sea of bodies. There were men in leather cuts, women in them, babies, and kids everywhere. It was loud and wild. No one seemed to be fazed by it. Outlaw took off my jacket and led me straight to my dad and Ilara. Hope was playing with another little boy and girl over by one of the couches. Ilara gave me a hug. Dad was more tentative about it.
“Hey, honey, glad you got here. I was afraid you were going to stay at the house. We’ve had several people wanting to meet you. They want to meet my daughter and Outlaw’s old lady,” Dad said.
“I almost hid under the bed, but I knew Outlaw or you would find me. So, I put on my big girl panties and came. Lead me to these people who want to meet me so much. They must be really bored if I’m exciting.”
Dad shook his head and grinned. He led us up to a man and woman. The man was really tall and imposing. He had long black hair with touches of gray, a goatee and a scar that ran from his right cheek to his jaw. His blue eyes were piercing. The woman was tall as well, though more delicate. She had long auburn hair and violet eyes. Bear stopped beside them. The woman hugged Bear and Ilara. “Hey, old man, what’s shaking?”
“Old man, my ass. I’m not that much older than your husband and I’m younger than your dad, brat. Behave. You’ve met Ilara already, but I want you to meet my daughter, Tarin. Tarin, this is Bull’s oldest daughter, Harlow, and her husband, Terror. He’s the president of our Dublin Falls chapter. He started this whole thing of us settling down when he claimed Harlow.”
“Hello, Tarin, it’s so nice to meet you. We were blown away when we heard Bear had a daughter. Man, how I wish you’d been around when I was growing up in this club. It would have been nice to have some female companionship. It was all testosterone overload,” Harlow said with a smile and chuckle as she took my hand. She didn't shake it. She pulled me close and gave me a hug. I was kind of stunned.
When she let go, Terror did the same. “Welcome, Tarin. I wanted to give my condolences on your bad luck to land this one. He’s such a pain in the ass,” he said as he grinned at Outlaw.
“Bullshit! You’re the pain in the ass. He started this whole zoo you see running around here, Tarin. He took one look at Harlow seven years ago, and he was a goner. He lured her to Dublin Falls and the next thing we knew, she was his old lady then his wife and they had Hunter. A couple of years later, they added Emmie and we’re waiting for this one any day now.”
Outlaw pointed to Harlow’s belly. He was giving her an affectionate smile. I knew from his story the other night; he’d been with the club while Harlow was growing up. She was only a few years younger than him. I wondered if they’d ever dated or hooked up. I pushed that thought away.
“Wow, you’re going to have three kids. Which ones are yours?” I asked, to say something. Harlow pointed them out. Hunter looked just like his dad, while Emmie was more like Harlow. “Do you know what you’re having this time?”
“It’s another boy. I think this will be the last one. Poor Emmie won’t be able to breathe with two brothers, her dad, uncles, and cousins as it is. She’s going to hate me. That’s why I love to see my brothers over here and at home finding their ladies. We girls need to keep up,” Harlow answered with a twinkle in her eye.
“Since when did you ever need help, Harley? You’ve been ruling shit and causing trouble since the day I met you when you were four. Nothing has changed except you got scarier,” Dad teased her.
“I hardly think she’s scary. Look at her,” I said without thinking. Terror, Dad, and Outlaw all looked at me in shock then burst out laughing.
Outlaw was the one to explain why. “Baby, if you want to learn to fight or shoot and have a woman teach you, Harlow is the one, though there are a few not far behind her. Before she met Terror, Harlow was in the Marines and was a sniper. She’s deadly as a snake when she wants or needs to be. Don’t let her sweet looks fool you. In fact, I don’t think I want you talking to her. She’s a bad influence.” He took a hold of my arm like he was going to lead me away. I laughed and shook him off.
“Oh, this I have to hear. Harlow, you need to fill me in on all you can teach me. I think I’ll need it.” The guys groaned. We spent the next half hour talking. I was amazed at her and she seemed totally unfazed about how awesome she was. She asked me about Atlanta and what I did. Ilara told her about the hats and dresses I made Hope. She even pulled out her phone to show her. Harlow got excited and asked if I'd make some for Emmie. She also said the other ladies would want to see them. When we moved on to the next group, I was stunned and speechless at how welcoming they had been and how much they loved my designs.
I’d always secretly wanted to design and make clothes. I could do adults, but kids were more fun. No one had ever told me if my designs were any good until Ilara and now Harlow. Could I maybe make it into a business? The spa was okay, but not where my heart was at. Designing and sewing was it. My mom had always sneered at me for doing it. She said we weren’t in the nineteen-forties anymore or pioneer women.
The afternoon passed in a whirl of names, hugs, tales, and laughter. We ate at one point and then it was more socializing. At some point, all the kids were herded to their room in the basement. Besides the regular babysitters for the Hunters Creek babies, Emma, Elizabeth, and Elias Fuller, a few ladies came with the Dublin Falls crew, Monica and Ashley.
One of the most startling people to meet was Ms. Marie. We were talking to a group when she came up with an older guy holding her hand. She looked at Outlaw with a sad expression on her face. “Another one of my harem has left me for a younger woman. I can’t believe you betrayed me too, Outlaw. I thought we were going to run away together?”