Ryker by Jeneveir Evans

Chapter 14

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.

~Elbert Hubbard~

Ryker

October 14th, 1999

After we’d parked where Viper showed us, we all piled into the Suburban and headed down the road that led into what can only be described as a housing addition. The houses all sat on good-sized tracts of land. Each home felt private with so many trees surrounding them. I was amazed at how nice the houses were. Bane had said the MC was well off, I knew what he meant now. No wonder he didn’t want to leave any of this behind. I couldn’t blame him, I wouldn’t want to either.

The main room of the Clubhouse had been like an upscale sports bar. There had been a giant assed TV with seating around it, three pool tables, a jukebox and dance floor, a stage, and one of the biggest damn bars I think I’d ever seen. Scattered throughout all of this were tables and chairs. They had a separate dining room and a kitchen that would rival most restaurants.

I’d noticed the club whores but I had a feeling these men didn’t call them that. The men that were there all seemed to pay deferential treatment to the women. I liked that. Just because a woman chose the life these women were living, it didn’t mean that they were beneath any other person. I’d also noticed that all the women were dressed sexy and damn fine. But they were nowhere like HR’s club whores who went around with their tits showing and their ass and cunt barely covered. I’d almost laughed out loud as Tor took in the woman introduced as Clair. She was a damn hot woman. I thought I was going to have to shut the boy’s mouth before drool started falling out of it.

As if he read my mind, Tor spoke up, “Those were some fine fucking club whores, Dad.”

“Son, I feel fairly sure they aren’t called that here. I’d almost bet you money if you called one that, those men would hand you your ass on a silver platter.”

“I believe you on that. The men all showed respect to the women.”

“They call them club girls,” Bronte piped in.

“How the fuck you know that, sis,” Tor wanted to know.

“Because I asked them, dip-shit.”

“Christ, Bronte. I hope you were a little discreet about it,” I rumbled, slightly aggravated at my daughter. Sometimes she didn’t have a filter.

“Jeez, Dad. I do have some couth, you know.”

“Right,” Raiden drawled. “I’ve never seen it.”

“Oh shut up, you ass,” she grumbled.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Raiden give his sister a wicked grin and she stuck her tongue out at him. I just shook my head. I’d learned long ago that sometimes it didn’t matter how old your kids got, there were always going to be times they reverted back to when they were prepubescent.

As we turned into the driveway that Viper had told me was Bane’s, I took in the house in front of me. It was what I would call a mountain design. It was two stories with a rust-colored cedar shake and grayish-brown rock exterior. It had a large welcoming front porch and a triple bay attached garage.

Before I even had the vehicle put into park, Bane had the front door open and was heading toward us. I barely got the door shut before he had his arms wrapped around me in a hug. Damn, it felt good. I enfolded him in an embrace and hugged my son.

“Fuck, Dad. It’s good to have you here,” he murmured into my ear.

“It’s damn good to be here, Bane,” I said quietly. “Missed you like crazy, son.”

“Same, Dad, same.”

When we pulled apart, I think both our eyes were moist. He then turned to each of his siblings and gave them hugs. He even hugged Trina. After he’d met her, he’d accepted my word that there wasn’t anything going on between us. I think he would have been okay with it even if there was. He was an adult. He knew that life didn’t always play out like we wanted.

“Bane, think it’s time you introduce me to your woman and my grandson.”

A smile lit up his tired features. I remember those days. I think parenting a newborn is definitely for younger adults. Then again, Viper somehow made it through four recently. I couldn’t wait to see his crew again.

We followed Bane inside an open concept floor plan that was all the rage lately. I was old school. I still liked my kitchen, dining room and living room separated. I understood the concept of the family all being able to be in the same space, but I enjoyed eating my meal and if I didn’t immediately want to do dishes then I didn’t have to see them if I was in the living room. Granted, I didn’t do dishes, still the thought was there.

“Dad, y’all have a seat. I’m gonna run up and get Kenz and Dane.”

“Bane, if they’re sleeping we can wait.”

“Nah, Dad. It’s all good. Be right back.”

“Wow,” Bronte exclaimed. “Did you see all the houses here? And Bane’s house is freaking nice.”

I had to agree, the large rock fireplace with the huge hearth was stunning. The dark wood floors had a rich luster. All the appliances were top of the line stainless steel. The cabinets were painted a light gray and the granite counter tops were a white with variegated shades of gray and black swirling through them. The entire house was luxuriously appointed.

The two sofas were a dark gray suede and the leather rocker recliners were in a muted burgundy. It was obvious that no expense had been spared when the house was built.

A sound caught our attention and we all turned to watch Bane walk down the open stairs. A stunning auburn-haired woman was holding lightly to one of the dark espresso-colored railings. She had a wide welcoming smile on her tired face. Damn, my son had himself an enchanting beauty. Bane was holding a small bundle wrapped in a blanket. I stood and walked toward them.

“Dad, this is Kenzie. Babe, this is Ryker, my dad.”

She held out her hand and smiled sweetly at me. “Nice to meet you, Ryker.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, Kenzie,” I stated as I gently shook her hand.

Then my eyes moved to my grandson. Bane shifted his hands around and held him out to me. I took him and held him in the crock of my left elbow. His small body lay on my arm and was snuggled to my chest.

I swallowed hard. Christ. It was like looking into the faces of my children. He looked just like them. I reached out a shaking finger and gently stroked his small cheek. He made a sucking motion with his pursed lips.

“Mom says he looks just like Leigh and me.”

“He looks just like your brothers and sister Bronte too.”

I heard my crew step up behind me.

Trina gasped. “Oh my god. It’s like looking at y’all when you were babies. He’s so beautiful.”

“That he is,” I uttered. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. “What color are his eyes?”

Kenzie grumbled, “Smoky blue. He looks nothing like me. He’s Bane through and through.”

I quirked a grin at her. “Darlin’, all of my kids look like me. It stands to reason that my grandchildren will too.”

“It’s not fair. He could have at least had my eyes.”

I glanced at her emerald green eyes and realized that they would have been stunning with Dane’s rich brunet hair.

“Sorry, Kenzie. Maybe the next one you have will have them.”

“Yeah, right,” Bronte muttered. “Don’t hold your breath. All of us have Dad’s eye color as well.”

Kenzie sighed. “I kinda figured as much. One thing about it, there is no way you or Bane could get away with denying one of your children. Not when they look just like you.”

We all laughed at her comment. Soon we were all sitting around and talking. The kids, then Trina held him and finally I was able to get him back. Damned if he didn’t feel good in my arms. I realized that I had missed this. I missed the sweetness, the softness, the total innocence of a child I knew I’d do anything to protect.

“Dad, get that look off your face,” Raiden growled.

“What look?” I asked without taking my eyes off Dane.

“The look that says you want another kid. I think six is enough.”

At that I raised my head and stared at my youngest son. “Raid, a man can never have enough children. They are a part of him to love, protect, and take care of. They are his legacy in life.”

“Dad, you’re nothing more than a big sap,” Bronte snickered as she made that statement.

“Just don’t let others know that, okay, Bron?”

She smiled softly at me. “Alright, Dad.”

I glanced at Bane and Kenzie. Both were taking everything in. Bane looked at me and uttered huskily, “This means the world to me. To have my dad holding my son and having my brothers and sister in my house, I don’t think it could get much better than this.”

He’d no more gotten that out of his mouth than we heard the noise of a door opening. Bane jumped up and headed down a hallway off the kitchen. He came back into the room carrying sacks of groceries. Not long after came another young man and I knew as soon as I saw him who he was. This was Bane’s best friend. Eagle.

I stood and strolled over to them.

“Eagle, I want you to meet my dad, Ryker. Dad, this is my best friend. The man who has kept me sane most of my life.”

I studied the young man in front of me. He was a good-looking man. He wore his hair short on the sides and spiked about an inch high on top. He had piercing light blue eyes. He wore a small round hoop through his left nostril and his left ear had four piercings. In the bottom two piercings he wore silver studs, the top two had a silver cartilage bar with a silver stud on each end. He was tatted up his arms and I saw them peeking out of the neck of his shirt. He looked like a biker through and through.

I held out my right hand and he reached and grasped it. “It’s good to meet the man who's been there for Bane his entire life. Thank you for that. There’s nothing like having a man at your back that you know will be there for anything.”

“I’m not sure I always did that good of a job,” he responded in a low raspy voice.

“You did, Brother,” Bane stated as he looked at his friend.

I saw Eagle glance at Dane. I grimaced but knew I had to quit being selfish. I handed the baby to him and Eagle easily put him in the same position I had him in.

“Eagle, what’s your full name? I’ve been curious ever since Bane named Dane after us,” I inquired.

“Camden Dane James,” he replied.

“Your dad is Deb’s brother?”

“Yes, sir. He is.”

“Call me Ryker or Ry. We’re family. I don’t believe in being formal.”

Eagle grinned at me. “Will do, Ry.”

We spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other. I noticed Bronte looked at Eagle several times, but he wasn’t secretly stealing glances at her like she was him. It seemed he saw her as nothing more than Bane’s little sister. I had a feeling that Bronte was out of luck if she was even the least bit interested in Eagle.

Bane showed us where we would sleep. Trina and Bronte were going to share a room. Taron and Raiden would share one and Tor and I would share one. Hell, we’d all slept in much worse places. Their fifth bedroom was set up as a nursery.

We convinced Bane and Kenzie to let us help out with Dane during the night. I knew that both of them could use more than one good night’s sleep. Trina took him into her room and I took a monitor into the room with me.

As I lay in bed listening to the sounds of my grandson breathing quietly in the background, I knew that my decision to move to Arkansas was the right one.

Now if I could just get everything taken care of so we could live free and breathe easy, then all would be right in my world. There were only two things that could make it better. The first would be for my oldest daughter to give me the chance to get to know her. The last would be if Deb would let me back into her life. Then I would have everything that a man could ever want. The love of his kids and a good woman that he adores.

~***~