Stryker’s Fight by Erin Osborne
Chapter Eleven
Sally
TODAY IS MOVING day. Amelia and I have been busting our asses for the last week to put the apartment together enough for me to move into. There’s still a ton to do, but for now Natalia and I can move in. I’ve been working daily to pack our things and told my baby girl we’re moving to live above the bakery. She’s excited and views our move as an adventure. Even if she doesn’t fully understand what’s going on, Natty will be happy anywhere the two of us are together. She’ll miss the yard at Stryker’s, but it’s what I have to do for us.
I still have to let Stryker know we’re moving out and he can have his space back. I’ll send him a message later on so he can head home instead of staying at the clubhouse as he has been. We’ve disrupted his life enough and he sure as hell is pushing me away with the shit he spewed the other night about me finding the jackass that was harassing me. He hasn’t been in the bakery lately, but I’m not going to assume he’s moved on and won’t be back. Now, Stryker can have his large house with the amazing yard for kids to play in all by himself.
Walking through the house as Rich takes the last of our things out to my car, I double check all the rooms to make sure there isn’t anything I’ve forgotten here. I don’t want to have to come back or talk to Stryker for any reason other than letting him know about the baby and that we’ve moved out. That’s all we have left between us. As I stand in the living room of the house, memories assault me. I picture Stryker, Natalia, and I curled up together watching movies and hanging out after a long day. In the dining room I remember the times we all sat together sharing a meal and letting Natalia babble on about her day and what she wanted to do the next day. All the good memories spent under Stryker’s roof.
Now, I can’t wait to get out from under the place holding so many memories over the last few years. A lot is going to be changing in the coming year. My baby girl will be starting preschool, I’m having another baby, and we’re no longer living with Stryker. Eventually I’ll work on finding a small house to buy so my children can have a yard to play in and not have to worry about cars coming in and out of a parking lot. I’m going to miss laying back in the grass with Natalia watching the clouds float by as we try to figure out what shapes they are. I’ll miss playing with her in the yard without a care about what’s going on around us. Instead, we’ll go to the park. Or the clubhouse when I know Stryker isn’t going to show up. If he’s out on a run, we can head over there to hang out with the other kids and play in the massive yard.
“You okay Sally?” Rich asks, walking back in the doorway though keeping his eye on my car where Natalia is already strapped into her seat.
“I’m good,” I tell him as I turn around to face him with a fake smile plastered on my face.
As we walk out of the house, the rumble of a motorcycle fills the air. It’s not Stryker’s bike coming closer to us because I know what his sounds like. Looking up as my entire body tenses I take in Killer and Gwen making their way toward me. Killer pulls into the driveway and shuts his bike off. Natalia cranes her little neck to look out the back window getting excited when she sees who’s here to see us. I can’t help but laugh as I make my way over to the car in order to let her out of her seat so she can hang out with them for a minute.
“Hey guys,” I greet them as Natalia jumps from the car to go see them. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Need to talk to you Sally. Are you goin’ somewhere?” Killer asks me, looking at all of our things filling my car.
“Yeah. I’m moving out of Stryker’s place. I found an apartment and we’re moving in today. I promise I’ll let Stryker know we’re not here so he can come back,” I tell Killer as he continues to stare at our stuff.
“Can we sit somewhere a minute so I can fill you in on somethin’?” he asks as Natalia and Gwen move farther away from the porch as they twirl in the yard.
Motioning to the porch we walk there and sit down. Killer doesn’t say a word for a few minutes, and I can’t because I don’t know what he needs to talk to me about. Turning to face him, I take in him as he looks out at the road in front of us.
“We found some shit out. Chrome, the man who’s been harrassin’ you has a hard on for ya. He wants you somethin’ fierce and we’ve been told he’s not gonna stop until he gets you. A few of the guys went to where they were stayin’ and found a ton of pictures of you and Natty. They’re not there and we have no idea where they’ve moved. The only good thing to come out of findin’ their hideout is we managed to get Cammie’s baby back for her,” Killer tells me, not holding anything back. “I figured Stryker would’ve told you, but he told me this mornin’ he hasn’t seen you since the last time you came to the clubhouse. He needs to pull his head from his ass if you ask me. Is that why you’re movin’?”
“It’s part of it. There’s a lot going on no one knows about. Things Stryker doesn’t even know yet. We need to talk, but it’s not going to be today. I have a lot to get done before making sure we have what we need for the next few days,” I tell him honestly.
“I know you’re pregnant. Stryker hasn’t put it together yet, but it’s just a matter of time before he does,” Killer states.
“How?”
“Saw pictures of you headin’ into Doctor Sanchez’s office. Also know you’ve changed lately. I haven’t said anythin’ and I’m not goin’ to. You do need to tell him though.”
“I was going to the last time I was at the clubhouse. I’m sure you know what happened. Since then, I haven’t wanted to see or talk to him. I promise you I’ll let him know what’s going on.”
“I know you will. You’re not the kind of person to keep this from a man or use an innocent baby in order to control and manipulate a man. You’re a good, strong, and lovin’ person Sally. Stryker and you have a lot to work out, but I see you two makin’ it the long haul. Once you both pull your heads out of your asses,” Killer says, standing up from the steps to let me talk to Gwen for a minute.
“Hey. Everything okay?” she asks, taking her man’s seat next to me.
“Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about watching Natalia at our new place. I don’t want to have to go to the clubhouse if I don’t have to. Or even your house would work as long as I can get in the gate to pick her up when I’m done for the day,” I tell her, my voice hesitant.
“Of course. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. For now, with whatever is going on, I’ll watch her at our place. When it’s done with, I’ll start watching her at your apartment. Are you sure this is the best choice to make?” Gwen asks, her voice laced with concern.
“Yeah. It’s what I have to do for us. One day things might change, but I’m not holding out any hope.”
“Mama, it’s time to go,” Natalia rushes over to us, her voice excited as she continues to jump around.
“Yes baby, it’s time to go.”
Standing up, I brush my ass off before helping her back in her car. All of us head out at the same time. Killer and Gwen go on their way while Rich and I head to the bakery. Natalia and I sing along to the radio as we ride through town for the short drive. I’ve got a playlist that’s just for Natalia with kid friendly songs. We often make up the words to the songs to fit our mood for the day. Today, I’m not making up anything after the conversation I just had with Killer. I’m surprised he knows about the pregnancy. If he knows, he’s not going to be the only one. Everyone is going to catch on sooner or later because it’s starting to become noticeable. I’ve had to wear baggy shirts to hide it.
My ultrasound is next week, and I can’t wait for it. I want to know how far along I am and see my little one on the screen. When I was pregnant with Natalia, I loved watching her on the screen for the ultrasounds I had. The scariest part of my entire pregnancy was not knowing Killian’s side of the family. There was no way I could tell them if there were any genetic defects in his line or anything else. I was told I could have a test done to see if we could tell if anything was wrong, but I declined. No matter what happened with my child, I was going to love him or her without holding back. The same I’ll be with this new baby.
Pulling up in the back of the bakery, I turn my car off before getting out. It’s hot as hell today and I’m ready to get all of our things upstairs so I can figure out what else we need to get before finally being able to end our day. Natalia is clapping her hands excitedly in the back as I open her door and unbuckle her seat. She holds my hand as I grab a few bags to carry up with us. Rich grabs a ton more before following us up the staircase. I unlock the door and let us inside. Natty drops my hand and races around to check everything out. The apartment is on the small side, but it’s cute.
As soon as you step in the door, the living room and kitchen are right there. Off to the right of the living room is a small space Amelia and I put the table she gave us. It’s not huge, just a four-person table she didn’t have room for in the bakery. There are more cupboards than I expected in the small kitchen, along with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. I more than likely won’t be using the dishwasher because I like washing dishes. With just three of us being here, I won’t have to wash a lot of things. A larger than normal couch sits against the same wall as the door with a TV mounted on one of the walls across from it. Walking toward the front of the building is a bathroom and two bedrooms. A laundry room is the last room in the apartment. It’s got just enough room for the washer and dryer already in here along with a shelf for the detergents and to hang clothes on before they’re taken to the rooms they belong in. I’ve given Natalia the larger of the two since she has more things than I do. By the time I’m done, her room will be painted a soft pink while my remains white. Every other wall will remain white too. There are other ways to make it home instead of painting and making a lot of changes.
“You stay up here with Natty. I’ll get the rest of the things from the car. Make your list so we can head out to the store when I’m done,” Rich tells me already turning his back to me to head back outside.
Entering the kitchen, I don’t bother opening the cupboards or refrigerator; there’s nothing in there at this point in time. I’ll need everything for in here. Writing it all down on a list, Natalia comes rushing back out toward me. Rich makes three more trips up the stairs, bringing my girls bed up last. Since she’s still in a toddler bed, we managed to fit it in the trunk of my car. Her mattress was the hardest thing to wrangle in there, but Rich managed to make it fit. Now, we have everything inside and it’s time to head to the store. Natalia grabs my hand as we walk downstairs and straight to the car. I get the feeling I’m being watched as I put her in her seat before closing the door on her. Looking around the parking lot, I don’t see anything out of place. There are a lot of shadows surrounding the lot though. Quickly getting in the car, I start the engine and pull out of the lot heading for the store just outside of town.
Rich and I make our way through the store with two shopping carts. I’m pushing the one with my daughter in the front seat while he pushes an empty one. We grab everything I’ll need in the kitchen from pots and pans to cleaning supplies. Natalia asks for some cookies and things to bake with before we even make it to the grocery section. Money is going to be tight, but Amelia isn’t accepting any money for rent. She’s including it in my working at the bakery for her. Honestly, she’s being more than generous with the help she’s given me since hiring me to work for her. I’ll never be able to repay her.
Natalia gets excited when she sees a display with new bedding for her small bed. It’s covered in pink motorcycles with other designs filling in the space among the bikes. There are sheets, a pillow case, and small comforter in the set. When I tell her no, her eyes look up at me with the puppy dog look she’s already perfected to get her way. As I walk away from the display with her in the cart, I hear something land in Rich’s cart. Looking back over my shoulder, he’s put a set in his cart. He simply looks at me with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Can’t stand to see that look in her eyes. I’ll get it for my bestie,” he tells me with another shrug.
“You know she’s got you wrapped around her little finger and will take advantage if you let her, don’t you?” I question him, a smile on my face.
“She’s my bestie. What can I say?”
To hear Rich call my young daughter his bestie is hilarious. It’s a word she had to have said to him because I can’t imagine him using it in any other situation. He’s essentially taken over the role in her life Stryker used to fulfill. While I know Stryker will always be an important person to Natalia, Rich is becoming a close second. She loves all the guys, but when it comes down to it, she’ll go to Stryker first and then Rich. These two have spent the most time with her.
Looking around the store as Killer’s words come back to me, I know we have to get out of here. Rich hasn’t said anything to me about it, but I know he knows what’s going on. They won’t let him watch over me without knowing what they’ve found and what’s going on. He won’t be able to properly protect me if he doesn’t have all of the information. Still, he lets me move at my own pace and doesn’t once complain or bitch when I make my way to grab some towels and small things for the bathroom.
I’m so tired after everything we’ve done today. I don’t want to cook anything for dinner. We can call in an order to the diner on the way home and pick it up. After eating I’ll start a load in the dishwasher to wash all of our new dishes. This is the one time I’m not going to wash them by hand. If I had more time and weren’t exhausted, I might think of washing them before bed. Today is not the day for that though. I’m going to have to wash bedding and clothes before being able to go to bed tonight.
Rich parks the cart he’s been pushing up by the registers as we make our way toward the grocery section. It’s the last of what we have to buy before we can head home. We fill our carts up with the remaining items needed to fill the fridge and cupboards. I make sure Rich knows to add in things he wants to have at the apartment too. He’ll be there on a daily basis with us and I want to make sure he’s comfortable and has things to eat and drink there too. After overfilling our carts, I get nervous about having enough money to buy everything we’ve loaded into the three carts. It’s a lot, but it’s all things we need with the exception of the bedding set for Natalia.
When we’re done placing everything on the conveyor belt for the cashier, Rich pushes me forward to fill the carts up with the bags as the young girl rings us out. When everything is almost packed in the carts, I turn to run my debit card through the card reader to find Rich sliding a card from his wallet through the machine. I stare up at him, but don’t say anything just yet. It’s not the place for it. He will hear it from me when we get to my car though.
After paying for my things, the cashier rings up the bedding while Rich pulls out a different card to pay for it. Instead of placing it in a bag, the cashier hands it over to my daughter as she squeezes the life out of the packaging.
“Thank you, Richie,” she tells him as he bops her nose with his finger.
“You’re welcome bestie.”
Natalia laughs as we begin walking away from the register. Her laughter carries on until we’re outside where I get the same feeling of being watched.
“I can pay for my purchases,” I tell Rich when no one is standing near us.
“I know you can. Was given orders by Slim to make sure the club paid for it. The only thing I bought was her beddin’. Now, what are we doin’ for dinner?” he asks, rubbing his stomach as if he hasn’t eaten at all today.
“How about we order dinner from the diner and pick it up on the way back through town? It’s going to be all I can do to get this shit inside and make sure things are washed before we use them.”
“Sounds good. I’ll order it and run in to grab it while you wait with my bestie. Want the usual?”
“Yes please.”
After unloading everything in the trunk and back seat of the car, Rich orders our dinner before straddling his bike. We head back into town and park in the diner’s lot. He runs in to get our food while Natalia gushes about using her new bedding. She hasn’t let it out of her sight since Rich put it in the cart. Now, she’s currently got it on the seat next to her with her little hand resting it on the packaging. Rich is gone no more than a few minutes to get our things before he’s placing them on the front seat of the car. Getting back on his bike, he follows me to the apartment where we unload everything and lug it up to the apartment. Natalia helps us as much as she can after putting her bedding in the washer to begin washing.
The rest of our night is jam packed full of putting everything away and washing things. Rich helped put the things together including Natty’s bed. She helped me put her new bedding on before we put her to bed for the night. After putting my daughter to bed, I pull out my phone to send Stryker a message.
Me: I just wanted to let you know Natalia and I have moved out of your house. You don’t have to worry about seeing us there and you can return to your sanctuary. I’m sorry to have taken over your space for so long. I did go through and make sure none of our things were left behind and all of your things are still there. The key for your house is on the counter in the kitchen. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help my daughter and I since moving here. I hope you find someone to love you the way you deserve and make you happy. That’s all I’ll ever want for you.
By the time I fell into bed, I was exhausted and sleep immediately claimed me. I didn’t hear a single thing the rest of the night until the sun began shining through my window since I don’t have curtains hung up just yet.
