I smile and trace my finger around his brightly colored raptor tattoo. “Okay. If you tell me why this one's in color.” It's broken free from chains, and there are the two dead ones in the background. I can make some guesses, but I want him to explain it.
“It's fucking dumb.”
“I bet it isn't.”
He sighs. “Okay, not dumb, but I was an angsty teen, all right? It's me. Breaking free. Fuck, I was young. The two in the back are my parents.”
I nod, guessing the one facing away is his mother. “Is your mom dead too?”
“She is to me.”
“Okay. No grandma to go visit then.”
He snorts.
“I haven't chained you again, have I?” I trace the tattoo with my finger, settling on the broken chain. “Your freedom's important to you.”
“Chains of my own choosing aren't chains,” he says. His grip on me tightens. “Now shut up so we can sleep.”
It's not long before his breathing slows, his chest rising and falling under my cheek. I listen to his heart beat, but it takes me a little longer to fall asleep. I still regret having him miss out on something so important to him with Izzy, but like he said… maybe she needs a sibling.
27
ALESSA
“Wait. Fuck, you've never ridden on a motorcycle? Never?” Snark looks at me like I'm telling him I've never taken a breath or worn clothes. We're cuddled up together in the common room. It's not even ten o'clock, which means that pretty much no one's awake yet except for us. The other members don't have a baby that's ready to get up at the crack of dawn.
“What can I say? My family isn't exactly motorcycle types. I bet I've ridden in more limos than you, though.” I shrug and laugh.
Bea nods in agreement. She crashed here again last night. I’m surprised she hasn’t gone back to the apartment yet, but she doesn’t seem to be in a hurry.
Viking snorts. “A limo isn't riding. It's just being carried around. No wind in your fucking hair, no asphalt rushing by under your feet, no vibrations keep you hard the whole way—”
“I don't think that applies to us,” I interrupt him.
“That's ‘cause you've never ridden in front of me without your clothes on.”
I blink at him. “You can't do that on a motorcycle!”
“Can't you?” The guys all laugh and I can't tell if I'm just not in on the joke or if they're being serious.
Snark's got me in his arms, while Viking's sprawled in one of the chairs across from us, shirtless as always. Hawk leans up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and Bear's on the rug with Izzy, who's wobbling back and forth on all floors, looking ready to take her first crawling steps. With a huge smile, he encourages her, “Come on, baby girl. You can fucking do this. I've gotcha.”
Okay, so nothing's perfect, but he loves her and I've given up on correcting the guys' language at this point.
Emily comes into the common room, yawning. “I hate being up at ass o'clock, but this thing inside me seems to be into morning gymnastics.” She rubs the bulge and grimaces. “Do we have anything to drink?” She makes a beeline for the kitchen down the hall. She returns a moment later with a glass of orange juice. “It's like I can't stop drinking or eating citrus right now. Babies are weird.” She downs almost all of it.
“Fuck yeah!” Bear cheers. “Did you see it?”
One cautious step closer, Izzy's looking up at him and beaming like the sun. She lifts her other hand tentatively, places it forward, and then the leg follows. It's shaky and slow, but she's started to crawl. And we were all here to see it.
I glance up at Hawk to see his reaction. I don't think I've ever seen him smile like that. He's got a handsome smile when he lets it through. I'm glad the guys found me before Izzy got any older. He's going to get most of the milestones, even if he missed a couple.
Viking, Snark, Bea and Emily applaud, cheering Izzy on. She's so startled, she falls over and starts crying. Easy win, easy lose. Bear scoops her up, and it's not long before he has her laughing again and pulling on his beard.
Snark sits up suddenly. “You know what? It's fucking time. You're getting on a bike. Right now.”
“What?”
“Fuck yeah.” Viking pushes out of his chair and Hawk's already standing. “Virgin run.”
“I'm not a—”
“Obviously.” Bear holds up Izzy, then passes her to Bea. “You girls watch her. We'll be back in a while.”
She blinks, but accepts. “Wait, you're all going? Now?”
“Hell yeah.”
She looks at me, looking uncharacteristically worried. “But, I mean, Dario's still out there.”
She's not wrong. I've still got the messages, and a few more tick in every day. I'm doing my best not to think about them, so I don't freak out. But still. “Do you know something I don't?”