Ryker by Jeneveir Evans
Chapter 36
The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don't. But, in the end, they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.
~Candice Bergen~
Mad Dog
November 19th, 1999
The Great Room was crowded with people. Every Brother of the MC and their families were here to welcome Vision home. Viper had talked to me a lot about my expectations concerning Vision. He brought up things I hadn’t even thought about but could see as being true. He’d helped guide me to make what I feel are better decisions concerning Vision’s return. It was now time for him to let others know a little of that since KJ had let me know they weren’t far from the compound.
I whistled loud and the room came to a silence.
“Listen up. Vip’s given me some realities that I needed to face concerning Vision. Things that really didn’t cross my mind. I want you to listen to him good. Hear his words and understand that it is coming from a knowledge that you and I don’t have.”
I nodded at Viper and he stood up from his chair at our table so everyone could see him.
“I know all of you are happy and excited that Vision is almost home. You’ll all want to give him hugs and be close to him as you visit.
“The thing is, for more than half his life Vision has been used to being pretty much alone. Men on the inside don’t typically tend to be in each other’s space. That can get a man killed pretty quick. He will be used to the sounds of prison, not the rowdy sounds of what basically constitutes a bar setting. We all know it gets loud and unruly here at times. So don’t be offended if he tries to distance himself from you. He’s doing that for his own peace of mind.
“Give him time to become acclimated again to the MC and how we live. It’s going to be an enormous adjustment for him. Instead of living in the Clubhouse, I suggested to Dog that it would be better for Vision to have his own personal space. He’s being given one of the Brothers’ starter homes. This will give him somewhere he can call his own and a place to relax in silence. It will also give him room for his son to stay with him if that is what Vision and Jett choose to do.
“So enjoy having Vision back, but try not to scare the living fuck out of him.”
I glanced around the room to find that everyone was listening to Vip talk. For many, I saw a dawning realization that Vision wouldn’t walk into the door and instantly be good to go now that he was home. Others were nodding as they took in what he said. Most of those Brothers were men who’d been in the military.
Everywhere I looked there were excited expressions, but none were greater than Jett, Gunny, Julie and Lacy. This would be a life changing experience for Vision and for us too.
My phone rang and I answered.
“On Highway 127, be there soon,” KJ uttered then hung up.
I whistled again, “Alright. Everyone heard what Viper said. Make sure you understand it. Let’s head outside, they’ll be here in a few minutes.
~*~
Jett
I swear it felt like a circus troupe was performing its act in my gut. It was churning in anticipation of finally getting to see my dad for the first time in my life. I have a few pictures of him that a guard had taken that he had been allowed to send to me, so I knew what he looked like. Yet it was going to be completely different seeing him in person.
From my earliest memories, my mom had read the letters my dad sent to me. She kept them all and as I grew older, I’ve reread them multiple times.
While I’ve missed not having Dad physically in my life, what I have had is more than a lot of kids. I was thankful for that. There had been situations that occurred as I grew up that I couldn’t talk to my mom about, but I could pour it out all on paper and send it to Dad. He always answered me back. Not once did he shirk replying. I didn’t always like his answers but I knew he was giving me sound advice.
I hadn’t wanted to go to college. From the very first, when I knew that Dad was in an MC, I’d wanted to join. Yet Mom hadn’t wanted that and, surprisingly enough, Dad didn’t either. He wanted me to go to college and get a degree. He said that he wanted me to have a chance to mature. To really think about my decision. He thought I could do that while I was getting my bachelor’s degree. While I hadn’t liked hearing that, I wanted to respect his wishes. Besides, I knew he had probably told Dog that he wasn’t to let me prospect.
Well, I had done what Mom and Dad wanted me to. I had my accounting degree. All college had done for me was reaffirm my decision to join the MC.
A couple weeks ago, I had GunGun take my bike to his house. I’d simply told him that I wanted it there to be able to take a ride with Dad when he got home. I’d said that I was driving my truck to the compound the day Dad made it in.
What I hadn’t told him or Dad was the fact that I was moving to the compound today. Mom hadn’t liked it, but she knew that I had done everything she asked of me and my mind had never changed. I told her that Dad hadn’t influenced my decision and even offered to let her read every letter Dad had ever sent to me. She’d declined. She still wrote to him occasionally about me and he’d let her know that he wouldn’t go against her wishes. He never had.
I might have a small case of hero worship where Dad was concerned. Okay, maybe a big case, because I thought my dad was the shit.
When I told Mom yesterday that I was moving to the compound today, she’d cried and said she didn’t want me to go. I’d pointed out she’d had me for twenty-one years. It was Dad’s turn now. I love my mom, I do. I would still visit her. But it was my time now. My time to get to spend one-on-one time with Dad. I couldn’t fucking wait either. I was psyched.
I’d come out a little early today to meet everyone. It was cool to see how Dad and GunGun lived. Everyone that Dad knew, they were just as he described them. It was weird but I already felt at home surrounded by the Brothers of the club and their families.
GunGun and JuJu, as I called my grandparents, Gunny and Julie, took me to their house and showed me where Dad had grown up. It had felt unreal to be standing in the room where Dad had grown from boyhood to man. There were still posters on the wall that he’d put there.
I snickered as I looked at them. Most were of motorcycles, yet he did have a poster of Farrah Fawcett above his bed. I’m surprised that JuJu left that. She had to know what Dad had been doing at night when he went to bed and stared at the ceiling. With one tit half showing and her nipples thrusting against her bathing suit, hell I could jack off to that. I laughed to myself as I thought about the ragging I was going to give Dad over that poster.
A whistle brought me out of my reverie. I was sitting at the bar drinking a beer while we waited for Dad. Dog got up and spoke, then Viper addressed everyone. Everything he said about Dad, I soaked up. It made sense that Dad would feel that way. When Viper mentioned that I could live with Dad at the house, I prayed that Dad would want that. I hadn’t told anyone that I already had my stuff packed in my truck. I didn’t want anyone to feel bad for me if Dad vetoed the idea.
Dog whistled again and let us know it was time to head outside. Dad was almost here. God, this was a long time coming and I couldn’t wait.
~*~
Vision
I sat forward in the seat in anticipation. A lot of the area looked the same and a lot didn’t. It had been a while since anyone had sent me a picture of what the compound looked like now. I’d read of the changes they were doing and while I could visualize it, as we turned into the drive, I realized that what I had pictured didn’t even come close.
Holy shit!
They had done all kinds of work since I’d last been here. The Clubhouse had been added on to more than once. I was stunned to see it. The fences in a way reminded me of prison, along with the towers. Yet I knew they weren’t there to keep me in, but to keep others out. I could handle that knowing they were keeping my family safe.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
“I’ll say,” I murmured as my gaze roamed over everything.
My eyes were drawn to the crowd of people standing before the building. In the very front were Jett, Dad, Mom, Lacy and her children, and not far behind was Sarge, Dog, Beau, Hoss, and Jessie. I quickly looked at my parents and sister, but my gaze was immediately drawn back to Jett.
Oh fuck.
There he was.
My son.
My boy.
I groaned as I took him in. I’d waited for so many years to see him. So many long fucking years.
Keith pulled us through the gates and before he stopped the truck, I was out of it and headed toward Jett. He took off running toward me. I braced myself because he came in hot. We wrapped our arms around each other and I lost it. I’m not ashamed to admit that I started bawling like a baby. I could hear him crying too.
“God, son. You have no idea how bad I’ve ached for this moment,” I forced out.
“Me too, Dad. Me too,” he muttered.
I don’t know how long I held him. My concept of time was gone. I just knew that I was holding my son for the very first time and I really didn’t want to let go.
“I want to stay with you, live with you, please let me, Dad,” he mumbled into my neck.
“Jett,” I uttered as I held him to me. “Nothing would make your old man happier than to have you live with me.”
“Thank God,” he sniffed. “Need you, Dad.”
“I need you too, Jett. Always have and always will. You are the main one that’s kept me going for the past twenty-two years. I love you, son. More than I will ever be able to show or tell you.”
“Ditto, Dad. I love you too.”
Finally, we were able to pull away from each other. With Jett by my side, I greeted my family and held them to me for a time. Then came Sarge, Dog, Beau, Hoss and Jessie.
“Fucking glad your back, Brother,” Dog said huskily.
“Me too, Dog. Been a long time coming.”
“Too damn long.”
“Amen, Brother,” I replied.
“Got something that belongs to you,” he stated as he held out my cut.
With hands that shook, I took it from him and put it on. A roar went up around me and someone shouted, “Our Own We Protect.”
I joined in with my Brothers as we yelled back, “We Protect Our Own.”
When I turned to Hoss, it was to see the big bastard had tears running down his face. He grabbed me in a bear hug so tight that I was glad that my ass had worked out while I was in prison or he would have broken bones.
“I’m so god damn sorry, Vision,” his voice came out agonized.
I pulled my head back and stared him in the eyes.
“Brother, told you once, telling you again. Not one damn thing to be sorry for. I’d make the same decision today that I made then.”
He clenched his jaw tight and nodded. I turned to Jessie and she threw herself at me. I held her as she sobbed. I knew she still harbored guilt. She probably always would. I’d told her to let it go. I’d done my best to make that happen.
While I didn’t know a lot about women, I’d discussed this with Mom and she told me that I’d just have to accept that Jessie would always have some guilt about what had gone down. She knew that I would have never been in Minnesota if it hadn’t been for her. I’d have to work at it and let her see that I truly didn’t carry a grudge toward her.
I greeted Brother after Brother and their families. I was introduced to the new men who had patched in and to Viper and the men that had patched over with him. That fucking man with all his kids had a damn football team.
Kinda envied that.
I could tell right off the bat that he and I would get along. We both saw it in each other’s eyes. We were warriors and we’d always protect those we loved. He put his hand behind my neck and squeezed it.
“Welcome home, Brother. You and I will get there.”
I jerked my chin to him because I knew what he meant. It wouldn’t take us long to become firm friends.
“It’s good to be home,” I huskily replied.
And it fucking was.
It was good to be home with my Brothers and family. After I finished greeting everyone, I took a few steps back and took it all in. I breathed deep and inhaled all the scents I remembered from childhood.
I’ve always heard it said that you can’t go home again.
I beg to differ.
Because I was finally home and it felt damn good.
~***~