“Oh my god!” I exclaimed, as Chance let out a low chuckle at Staffey’s stance and words.
“Your woman is gonna run him in circles,” Chance whispered in my ear making me shiver. “Can see it in her eyes.”
“Don’t talk to me like that Samuel Staffey, I am far too old to be chastised now!” Leslie exclaimed. Entertained, my head kept going back and forth like a tennis match.
“Chance, asking formally for a bunk in Hellfire, then want an application to Hellfire,” Staffey said firmly. “You got my girl there, and this blasted woman of mine here, need a billet.”
“You got a bunk Staffey, get an app off Rooster and it’ll go to the vote. If you’re in or not, we always got a bunk for you,” Chance rumbled, and Staffey inclined his head before turning his gaze onto a rapidly retreating Leslie.
“That woman can run, but I’ll find her,” Staffey muttered before reaching out to encircle my waist. “Got lots to catch up on chickadee, let’s park our butts.” Chance let Staffey pull me away, and we took bar stools as Chance gave me a swift kiss and returned to work.
???
“Hellfire MC, never thought I’d find my girl with one of the most notorious MC’s around,” Staffey said staring into my eyes.
“Notorious?” I asked, focussing on that word.
“Hellfire had a shit rep, when the first president died, some fucker got in and the good that Hellfire was known for doing, stopped. MC turned dark, and when I say dark, their rep spread as guns for hire, amongst many other things. Chance made moves over a decade ago to take his father’s club back and won.
Blood was split and know for a damn fact there are bodies in the ground that Chance and his brothers put there. Chance got his club clean and helped Rage MC do the same. Shit how both clubs went from great presidents to fuckin’ evil assholes and then back to two great legacies leadin’ them. Glad you fell in with Hellfire chickadee, Chance is well known to ride when there’s a problem. Ain’t a pansy assed asshole who talks it up and does shit, Hellfire has a rep, and they earned it.” Was Staffey warning me off Chance? I didn’t understand what he was trying to impart, and when I checked Staffey’s face, I saw acceptance. So no, he wasn’t warning me away.
“They’re clean now?” I asked.
“Would it matter if Hellfire weren’t?” Staffey asked astutely, I shook my head instantly.
“No, Chance is a good man, and I love him,” I said and jumped as there was movement behind me. I spun on my stool and saw Bear stood there with a dopey grin on his face and a look of intense approval.
“Ain’t wrong there girl,” Bear rumbled as he lumbered towards the exit. “You got a room upstairs Staffey, names on the door.”
“Good men, good club Clio, you couldn’t have done better,” Staffey said smiling
“I’ve only just met them Staffey, a week ago. Although I spied on them for six months,” I admitted. Staffey’s eyebrows drew together as he listened to my words.
“Chance said there was a story, he wouldn’t tell me when he contacted me a couple of days ago. Thinkin’ you better be telling me chickadee,” Staffey stated.
“Chance contacted you a few days ago?” I asked, thinking back to the hospital where Chance had exchanged glances with Drake.
“Drake did and then gave me Chance’s number. Chance told me he had you and you needed me to come home, I came,” Staffey stated emphatically.
“I’m so glad you did, I can’t believe Drake hunted you down,” I said tears encroaching. What a wonderful gift, I made a mental note to do something amazing for Drake.
“Start talking chickadee, and don’t leave shit out, start from where they placed you after forcing us apart,” Staffey said gently. He sensed my story wouldn’t be pretty or sweetness and light, and he was right.
I talked Staffey through what happened after I was taken and put back into care. The foster homes I bounced between every few months, some good others just terrible. The burning question on Staffey’s tongue was had I been abused, and while I could say no to sexual abuse, sometimes physical and emotional abuse had happened. I told him how I put a pin in a map at eighteen and ended up here.
Staffey asked questions about my jobs and education, and I saw sadness fall over his face again. He explained he’d began saving a college fund for me which choked me, and I cried. Staffey explained he still had the money and to this day continued to save a little each month. Gently Staffey led me around to my spying on Hellfire, and we decided my obsession with the bikes came from Staffey riding one.
To say Staffey was gleeful that I’d remembered him with so much love, was an understatement. Staffey took his own time to explain that he’d never had another kid, that I’d been it for him. That hurt because I knew how much love Staffey had to offer and the fact he’d never got a child to spoil was tragic.
When we talked about Benny trying to swindle me and Chance putting paid to that, Staffey tossed his head back and laughed. It was the big belly laugh I remembered so fondly. When I told him cautiously about Tommy and Randy Ron, Staffey’s face blackened, it took on a dire look when I explained about Slimy Sam and the camera. I didn’t think Staffey could go much darker, but when I mentioned the guy approaching Tati and me yesterday, I felt fury rise inside Staffey.
I kept to myself the four mechanics and their inferring looks, I think Staffey would have marched out of the clubhouse and caused a scene. Staffey diligently questioned me on my relationship with Chance, wanting to know everything Chance had said and done. When I finally ran out of things to say hours had passed, and Staffey was nodding.
“The man’s gone for you,” Staffey drawled, and I nodded with a warm feeling rising.
“I’m gone for Chance too Staffey, I can’t imagine my world without him now. We’ve known each other a week, a week, that’s all. And Chance has taken over every aspect of my life, it sounds nuts, but it’s not. I love Chance.”
“Chance is the type of man to recognise beauty and something precious and treat it like the treasure it is. He won’t treat you bad, he may lay the law down and expect you to follow blindly, but that’s because he’s a leader of men. I know the struggle he had getting Hellfire and then Rage clean. Became a fuckin’ legend, that Chance Michaelson was on the righteous path, and fought the devil himself. Lots of clubs look to Hellfire and Rage and see what they’ve achieved and the beauty they’ve been earning the last few years.