Raven’s Climb: Wrath MC by Tiffany Casper

Chapter 11

Cam

I had just parked my bike to eat lunch with Michelle when I noticed the activity in the hospital.

Walking inside with the bag in my hand I looked to the nurse's station to see her head hanging down.

Walking over to her, placing my hand on her lower back I asked, “Hey, everything okay?”

“Yeah,  there was a pile-up on the interstate and there were mass casualties, they need me to stay but I can’t get a hold of anyone to pick up Laci from school.”

“Need me to go and get her?” Please say yes. Fuck. Please.

She bit her bottom lip as she considered it. “You understand what this will mean right?”

“Yeah, darlin’ I know that I will be with your greatest treasure in life. I won’t allow anything to hurt her.”

“Yes but that’s not it. You ever hurt me again, means you hurt her. And if that ever happens Cameron Bryant, you’ll never see either one of us again.” The moment I saw one of the tears she had been holding back fall, I wiped them away with my thumb.

“Honey, nothing in this world comes before you and that little girl. I’ll kill myself before I ever allow anything that has to do with me harm y’all. You need me to leave the club to make that happen than say the word. You want me to wear a chastity belt and you hold the key? Again, just say the word.”

“Okay, Cam.” Closing my eyes at hearing my name finally come from her lips. Fucking perfection.

Placing a kiss on her forehead I murmured, “What school?”

“Elwood Primary. I’ll call them and let them know that you can check her out.” She was pulling out her phone to do just that.

“Okay, babe. I’ll text you and let you know when I get her and where we go. Gotta run home and swap out my bike for my truck.” Leaning forward I placed a kiss on her temple.

“Here’s lunch, make sure you eat,” I told her sternly.

Watching her face soften was enough for me to miss out on what I had grabbed for us to eat.

“Thanks, honey.” She murmured softly.

Tossing her a wink I walked out of the hospital smiling the entire fucking way.

The moment I parked my bike at my house and then got in my truck I headed for the school.

Elwood Primary was the same school that a few of the kids in the MC were either attending or had been attending. They ought to be used to seeing men with kuttes, however, the old bat in the office wasn’t.

As soon as I hit the button to be let in, I opened the door and walked into the main office. A woman sitting behind the counter sneered at me, that was nothing new. “Sorry but gang affiliate things aren’t allowed on school property.”

“He isn’t in a gang; he is a motorcycle enthusiast.” Hearing Laci stick up for me melted my heart as she rounded the counter.

The moment she made it to my side the woman asked, “Your name?”

“Cameron Bryant. Picking up Laci. Her mother called ahead.”

Her next statement caused my fists to clench. “I’ll just call and make sure it’s okay for you to take her.”

Growling I tamped down my anger, I wouldn’t show that side of me in front of Laci, “You can do that but she’s elbow deep in trying to save lives due to a mass pile-up on the interstate. And lady, you’re sure not setting a good example for students treating people like you are.”

“What Cam said. You need to go back to kindergarten and learn some manners.” Did I attempt to cover Laci’s mouth? That would be a negative.

Chuckling I said “Hey there peanut. Ready to roll?”

“Yep. What happened?” She asked as I grabbed her Care Bear backpack and slung it over my shoulder.

“Accident on the interstate, your mom had to stay.”

“Gotcha.” Walking out of the school with her little hand in mine I held the truck door open for her. The moment she climbed inside I closed it, then rounded the front of the truck to get inside.

As soon as I started the truck up I asked, “Hungry?”

“Yes! School lunch wasn’t that good today.” I nodded knowingly.

“What are you in the mood for?”

I watched her face in the rear-view mirror as she grinned and said, “Pizza!”

“Girl after my own heart.” Smiling, I turned on some rock. And shit you not, Laci started to sing with every single song on the radio. So here we were, the windows down sitting at a red light while we cranked out rock songs and played air guitar.

I’ve been kicking my own ass these past years, but no more than I am right at this moment. I should have been there for Michelle. Should’ve stepped in and helped her raise Laci. Had I known she was pregnant, I wouldn’t have stopped trying to find her. I would’ve camped out in front of her mother’s house and waited for her mother to come to terms that I wasn't going anywhere.

But had that happened, I was sure that she wouldn’t be as fucking awesome as she is now. Michelle had raised Laci with love, and there was no better way.

We had just walked into the best pizza parlor in town when the hostess asked, “How many?”

Ignoring the sultry look she was giving me I said, “Two.”

“Love daddy-daughter dates.” The hostess whose name tag read Holy stated.

I didn’t bother to correct her and when I looked down at Laci I saw her staring at me with a confused brow. “What?”

“Nothing. I like it.” And that was the end of it. No more was said as we were seated and I ordered a Dr. Pepper for me, a Lemonade for Laci, and a large pizza with everything on it.

However, my good mood ended when I heard that voice. The voice, six years later and it still caused my anger to boil, asked, “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

“I don’t. She’s a friend's daughter.” Knew the moment the words came out of my mouth that I shouldn’t have said a goddamn thing. Should’ve ignored her and carried on with my dinner date with Laci.

“Well then, mind if I join y’all.” She said in a voice that grated on my last nerve.

However, before I could tell the woman not no, but fuck no, Laci spoke up in her cute little voice and I fell head over heels for her, “Yes we do mind.”

“Your mother obviously never taught you any manners.” Mina snarled.

My entire body stilled. “Mina…”

“Wait your Mina? You’re the evil woman that showed Cam some bull crap pictures and caused him to dump my mom. She was right, you are a nasty piece of work.”

Mina stared down at Laci, and Laci, being her mother's daughter, said, “Leave already. Trash like you isn’t wanted.”

It took everything in me to not burst out laughing.

We both watched as Mina stormed out of the restaurant, only when she left did I turn to look at Laci.

Leaning into the table, she whispered, “Do me a favor?”

“Name it.”

“Don’t tell my mom I said a bad word.”

I held in the laugh that wanted to bubble up, if she heard the way we talk at the clubhouse, I was sure Laci would be the one grilling me for the language.

So that being the case, I did the only thing that would stop the laughter from coming out, I did what any grown-ass man would do. I lifted my right hand and held out my pinky to her, “Pinky promise.”

Her little finger wrapped around mine and that was that.

Laci and I had made dinner and it was the shocked expression on Michelle’s face that had caused me to throw my head back and laugh. Sure it was nothing like what she cooked, but still, who went wrong with blueberry pancakes and bacon for dinner?

Later that night after Laci fell asleep, I sat on one of Michelle’s loungers while I sipped on a soda. My woman was a single mom through and through.

“What do you need to get your doctorate?” I asked her.

With her leg thrown over mine, she said, “Someone to watch Laci and get her after school. The classes are vigorous.”

“You got me and the whole club babe,” I told her.

It was a long few minutes before she responded, “Do I have you.”

“Told you, baby, all you gotta do is to say I’m your man.” Smirking, I tossed her wink.

“Might take you up on that.” She murmured as she took a pull from her own soda

Just as I was about to respond to her, she jumped up and whirled, “Mommy, my tummy hurts.”

Laci stood there in her little pink nightgown while holding onto a plush dragon as she wiped at her eye sleepily.

“I’m sorry baby, let’s go get you some ginger ale and see if we can get it to stop hurting.” Without a backward glance, she led Laci into the house and closed the sliding glass door.

Did it bother me that she didn’t say a word to me, yes in a way, but I knew that Laci always came first. No matter what. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The next day after I had finished on a build I drove to the hospital to check on with Michelle on Laci. I had been worried about Laci all morning. I sent her a text but never got anything back and I called her, twice.

Walking into the hospital I headed straight for Michelle. “How’s Laci?”

She jumped, then answered me, “Stomach bug I think. It’s going around her school.”

“Does she need anything?” I asked.

“No. My mom has her today. But thank you, Cam, that means a lot.” Smiling down at her I put a strand of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear.

“Sorry I couldn’t answer your call, it's been a madhouse here.” It was then that the nurse Mackenzie handed her a tablet.

Leaning forward I placed a kiss on her forehead then smiled, “Go, kick-ass baby, I'll see y’all tonight.”

Giving me a wink she turned on her heel and walked back into a patient's room.

Sitting at the clubhouse with a warm beer sitting in front of me after we voted on the new prospects, all of them getting the approval, I tried to come up with a plan. A plan to move us forward. I was ready to put a ring on her finger and to give her my last name. Hell, the ring had been sitting in my safe at my house for four fucking years.

Told myself when I saw it, that the moment she came back to town, if she were to give me the time of day, I’d drop to my knees and ask her to be my wife.

Snapping me out of my thoughts it was Heathen that asked, “How are things?”

“Fuck one-minute things are great and the next, fuck man I just don’t know.”

“Keep trying Cam,” Heathen said as he reached under the bar top and handed me a cold beer. “A woman scorned is hard to forgive.” He was right about that, “The look she has for you. See it in June.” And with that, he turned and walked away.

Grabbing the beer I took a swig of it. Processing everything that had gone down over the past couple of weeks.

But all of my thoughts stopped in their tracks when a call came over the scanner we had in the main room of the clubhouse.

Nothing really registered at first about the call, that was until the address that I had been going to almost every night after a certain little raven-haired beauty went to sleep.

I was up and off my stool so fast as I sprinted out of the clubhouse and to my truck.

On the way there my phone rang, “Michelle.”

She was coughing and wheezing, “Cam…”

“I’m on my way, baby. Be there in five.” The rumbles of the motorcycles and the roar of Heathen’s truck sounded behind me.

The moment I got there her entire house was on fire.

“What the fuck?” I asked no one in particular.

The rumble of bikes shut off as they all climbed off and took in the scene, but I paid them no mind. My eyes immediately scanned the area and when I saw my two girls, I all but ran over there to them.

The moment they saw me, they launched themselves in my arms while the paramedics scrambled after them trying to keep the oxygen masks over their noses.

“I’ve got you both. I’m right here.” I soothed them both.

Two hours later after the fire was put out, I said, “Come on baby, y’all are staying with me.” I told her in a tone that normally brooked no room for argument, however, that was not the case with Michelle. Hard-headed woman.

“No, Cam.” She cried into my kutte. Both of my girls had my t-shirt underneath my kutte drenched, but I didn’t give a damn.

“At least for a few nights honey. Laci looks dead on her feet.” Sure that was a cheap shot, but the moment I saw the fight leak out of her, I knew.

She took in how tired Laci looked, I knew that moment she gave in, sighing, she muttered, “Okay.”

Loading them up in my truck, I finished helping Heathen and Skinner as they loaded the only thing that was standing in her house. A fucking fireproof safe. Thank God the metal wasn’t hot anymore.