Ryker by Jeneveir Evans
Chapter 5
Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
~Wayne Dyer~
Mad Dog
September 20th, 1999
Viper and I were sitting at our table in the Great Room drinking a beer when I got a text from Mav letting me know that Cece and Sage were parking.
“They here?” he asked as he repeated the same question from earlier today.
“Yeah.”
Vip stood up and stretched. “I think Clair’s in the kitchen. I’ll go get her and we’ll head back to your office.”
“Sounds good, Brother,” I replied as I got to my feet and headed to the bar.
“Whatcha need, Prez?” Risky inquired.
“Take a few soft drinks and water and put them in my fridge. I’m running low.”
“On it.”
I watched as he started getting the things I’d stated. He’d worked his damn ass off ever since Viper had come back from killing his egg donor. I’d asked Clair if he’d said anything to the girls that was cruel or negative and she’d informed me that he hadn’t. Beau had let me know that Risky tried to stay with them as much as possible and had asked them to knock him in the head if he started saying anything he shouldn’t. I had to hand it to him. He wanted to be a member of the MC bad, but I think he wanted to stay close to Viper more.
I was watching Vip and Clair head toward my office with Risky right behind them when Cece and Sage came into the room. I saw Sage looking around. It was a little after six now and several of the men were in the room along with the majority of the club girls. She studied everything curiously but, I also noticed, she appeared to be a little timid. She stayed very close to Cece as they strolled in my direction.
“Cece, Sage, thanks for coming back out this evening.”
“Dog, that’s my job,” Cece remarked.
“Still appreciate it, darlin’,” I responded.
She seemed bemused by my answer. I had a feeling she’d dealt with so many verbally abusive parents over the last several years, she’d forgotten that people could be nice. Then again, her encounter with the MC had shocked the hell out of her. I don’t think she expected us to be so civil.
The thought of that amused me. It never failed to amaze me that people were so stereotypical in their views that when they heard the term 1%’er MC, or hell, MC period, they just automatically assumed that we all had to be rough, rude and crude men.
“Let’s head to my office.”
Cece nodded and headed in that direction with Sage trailing behind her and I brought up the end. I noticed that many of the men were looking at the women. I’d noticed that several checked out Cece anytime she came to visit. I couldn’t help but wonder who was going to be the one who would fall under her spell and become a taken man.
After we were all sitting at the round table and everyone had something to drink, I introduced Clair to the women.
“Sage, I had Cece bring you back because we have something we want to talk to you about. Viper and I believe we have something you could do for work.”
“Okay. But, Mr. Dog, I don’t want to do what those girls out there are doing. I’m not ready to be with a man yet, if I ever am again.”
“Nah, darlin’, it’s not that. We didn’t expect you to want to do that. You told us you worked in a daycare. We actually already knew that. Viper had the three of you that were going to stay local checked out thoroughly. During our check, we found out that besides having your child-care certification, that you are certified in CPR. Is that correct? Also, did you enjoy your job?”
“Yes, I’m CPR certified and I loved my job,” she smiled enthusiastically at us. “Like I said, I’ve always loved kids.”
“Clair, what do you think?” I queried. “Do you have any questions you want to ask her?”
“Yeah, I do. Sage, do you have experience with newborns?”
“Yes, ma’am. I worked in the infant program. We kept babies from six weeks to twelve months old.”
“How long did you work there?”
“I started right after I graduated, so it was a year and a half.”
“And you worked in the infant program the entire time?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did.”
“Have you been around younger babies?”
“Other than my brothers, no, ma’am, I haven’t.”
“Clair,” Viper spoke up. “If you want to take six weeks off, you can do that.”
Clair looked at him consideringly. “Thanks, I’ll think about it.”
“You have any more questions?” I asked.
She sighed. “I’m sure I do, but I can’t think of any. You said she had good recommendations?”
Sage looked shocked to hear that. “How do y’all know that?”
“Told you we looked into you, darlin’.”
“Did y’all tell them where I am?” she asked nervously. She looked afraid.
“Nah, darlin’. No one knows we looked into your background. We have ways of doing that without anyone finding out.”
“Okay, good. I’m just… I’m scared that if they find out where I am, someone might come try to take me.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Sage. We’ve got your back now,” I told her.
Her whole body sagged. “That’s a relief. I was so afraid y’all would send me home and I didn’t want to go back. I wouldn’t ever know who I could trust there.”
“We understand that, hon. You’re safe now.”
“Alright,” she murmured and seemed to calm down.
I glanced at Vip and he nodded.
~*~
Viper
“Sage, I want to ask you a few questions before I tell you what we are thinking.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to have your own place and work in town?”
“Can’t I stay at the house with Cece and Cele?” she countered.
“Eventually you probably could because we are building a complex that will allow us to be able to offer a home to trafficked survivors. But where you’re currently staying, that’s not their home. We use that house as a temporary shelter while we arrange for permanent placement for victims. Cece and Cele are only staying there with you until we figure out what you want to do. I take it you don’t want to live alone right now.”
“I’d rather not. I’m still afraid to be by myself.”
“I can understand that. What about working in town?”
“I could do that as long as I had somewhere to go so I wouldn’t be alone after work.”
Just as I thought. Kid is still scared to death to be by herself. She even sounded hesitant to work in public.
“Sage, how would you feel about being a nanny with unusual hours?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me tell you what we have and you see how you feel about it.”
“Alright.”
I explained that Clair was going to adopt an infant and told her what Clair’s job was here at the club. I let her know what her hours would be and her expression let us know that she liked that idea. She calmed down when she heard she would live on the compound where she would be safe and protected.
“How do you feel about that? Do you think that would work for you?”
“Yeah, I could totally do that,” she exclaimed ardently. “That’s like my dream job.”
I told her what her pay would be and she was shocked.
“Y’all are going to pay me that much?”
“Yeah, darlin’,” Dog replied. “You will watch the baby quite a bit. It won’t be an eight hour day job. Some days may be more, some less. Clair does the majority of the cooking, although she’s going to have to start teaching the other girls how to fix more of her dishes. It will be up to her how she wants to handle all of that.
“Most of your daytime hours you’ll be free to do what you want. Clair will also let you know all the club rules you’ll need to follow. If you have any questions or if there is something you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I understand that my hours have to be flexible and, it’s fine, I just, wow.”
We all smiled at her.
“Clair, sound good?” Dog asked her.
“Yeah, Dog. That will work.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“You said the baby won’t be here for possibly thirteen more weeks. What will I do until then?” Sage inquired.
“Thought about that too,” I responded. “Would you be willing to work with the younger children and help Dani out in the club’s homeschool until your job opens up?”
“Yes. I’d like that,” she replied. “I want to earn my keep.”
“Well, I think we have it worked out. Clair, you want to show Sage where her apartment is? Let us know what all she needs in it. If you want to take her tomorrow to get some things for her room, let either Dog or me know.”
“Also, I’ve got a card for her so she can buy some new clothes, shoes and other personal things she may need. Just drop by my office to get it tomorrow or whenever y’all decide to go shop. Sage, it’s up to you if you want to stay here tonight or wait until tomorrow,” Dog stated.
“I’d like to go ahead and get settled into my new place if that’s okay.”
“That will be fine,” he remarked.
Once Clair left with Sage, Cece looked at us like she wanted to say something but was hesitant to speak up.
“Hit us with whatever it is you want to say, Cece. Do you feel like I was too hard on Leah earlier?”
“No, actually I don’t. She’s been that way ever since Cele and I arrived. Dee mentioned that some of the other girls said she had a rotten attitude.”
“Considering what she was rescued from, I’m surprised she even had any attitude left in her,” I replied.
“Viper, for kids like her, that’s all they have left. That’s how they survive. A lot of kids in her shoes only relate to other kids around their own age who have similar home life experiences. Those are the types of young adults she would form any attachment to.”
“Then what’s on your mind?”
“Whose baby is Clair adopting?”
“That’s not any of your business, Cece.”
“Viper, I know there was a young pregnant teen rescued. Are you letting a club girl take a child? Do you really think that she will make a good mother for her?”
I studied Cece for a minute. I knew she only wanted what’s best for the child, but she needed to learn one thing. We had all of these kids’ best interests at heart.
“Majorly disappointed in you, Cece. I thought you would have realized by now what type of men we are. That we are doing our very best for these children. It wouldn’t matter if Clair had been a club girl her entire adult life, nothing gives you the right to judge her. Every single club girl is vetted. We know their backgrounds and their histories. We trust these girls and we take care of them.
“I don’t owe you an explanation nor does Clair, yet I’ll give you a little of her background because I know you’re concerned about the baby. Clair was married for fifteen years. She and her husband could never have children. They tried and lost several to miscarriages. Clair has only been with us a little over a year. She is one of the finest women I have ever met. She is caring, loving and very compassionate. Of anyone I’ve ever encountered, she deserves to be a mom. She will be a good one too.
“Before you get completely tied up with us, Cece, you need to do some soul-searching. Make damn sure you are ready to work with what you apparently think of as untrustworthy bikers. Not once did we ever look at you and judge you. We deserve the same respect, as does Clair,” I counseled.
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to be critical of any of you. This is all so new to me. I’ve never been around bikers. I’ve only heard negative things about them,” she declared.
“You might want to learn not to judge others until you actually get to know them. Cece, if you can’t get past this, then a relationship between the club and you will not work,” I remarked.
“You’re totally right. Please forgive me. I do want to work with the club. I just want what is best for these kids. I don’t want them to be hurt any more than they already have.”
“We get that. We feel the same. You’re going to have to learn to trust us. If you have any concerns with that, with who we are, then talk to Pappy. I think he will set you straight.”
“Alright. Again accept my apologies.”
I looked at Dog after she was gone, only to find him thinking deeply.
“There’s that look again, Brother,” I murmured.
“You think she’s going to be okay working with us?”
“Yeah, Dog. You know how others perceive us. She worked at DHS long enough to see the dregs of society and part of her job was judging situations as she came across them. She’s truly concerned about children. Even though I know she still has to get to know us, I felt I needed to call her out on her behavior. Get her to see what she was doing.”
“Good enough. I trust your judgement. I don’t get a bad vibe from her, but I don’t want our entire relationship being one where she is constantly judging or questioning us either.”
“Give her a little time, Dog. She’ll be okay.”
“Fair enough, Vip.”
~***~