A Biker’s Tiny Present (Rebel Vipers MC Christmas Standalone)

CHAPTER FOUR

TINY

“Where has she been all this time?”

Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do with a baby? I’m forty-fuckin’-five years old and have never been responsible for a baby before. I’ve never had to. Being purposely single, and admittedly grumpy by nature, has kept babies away from me. Any time a mother needed someone to hold their little one, not that I’ve been around many, they looked for help from someone who isn’t an asshole like me. Up until today, I had been thankful for that, but now I’m not so sure I was doing myself the favor I thought I was. Then again, I never expected for a baby to be abandoned in the bar and restaurant owned by the motorcycle club I belong to, with a note saying he was mine.

Still pacing the small office, sleeping baby in one arm, phone on speakerphone in the other, I’m wondering what the hell has happened to my life. Nicholas is out like a light. Our talking, and the thumping of my boots on the hardwood floor, doesn’t faze him one bit.

“I only know what the note says.” I’m talking to Whiskey, my club President, relaying to him the same information he’s been told twice already.

“Do you want to call the cops about this?”

I was hoping he wouldn’t say that.

It’s not the usual go-to situation for a biker to willingly call the police as the first plan of action, but this is not an everyday bad-guy type of situation we’re looking at. We don’t deal with missing babies on a regular basis. How we handle this can’t be like how we’ve dealt with our enemies in the past. We can’t just ride in, shoot anyone in our way, burn the bodies, and be home by dinner . . . this is a baby we’re talking about. Yes, I have the name and phone number of Taylor’s sister, not that I’ve called her yet, but involving the cops in this is the last thing I want to do.

“Can you have Cypher do some internet searching first? There’s gotta be a way he can look into some hospital records or somethin’.”

“Tell Cypher I’m gonna text him a picture of the letter.” Ring taps on the screen of his phone a few times, then tucks it away in his cut pocket.

“Even with only knowing the baby and mom’s first names, he should be able to find somethin’,” Whiskey replies. “You have a car seat, right?”

“Yea.” I point to the seat over in the corner even though he can’t see it.

“Bring the little guy to the clubhouse then. Once you get him settled, give the sister a call and see if she knows what the deal is.” There is some shuffling happening on his end of the call. I can also hear Duchess talking but can’t make out what she’s saying. “Duchess said she’ll have clothes and diapers and such for you to use if what you have isn’t enough.”

“Tell Duchess thank you.”

Sunshine holds out her hand and Ring gravitates to her like beacon. He helps her stand and rests his hand on her lower back. “Ring and I will get the car seat base in your truck. I just need your keys.”

“Let me know the second Cypher finds somethin’.” I hang up on Whiskey and set my phone on the desk. As I fish my truck keys out of my pocket, Ring finagles with Nicky’s car seat, unlatching something from the bottom.

“Did you break it?” That can’t be right. Can it? See, I’m clueless with this kid stuff. How the hell am I supposed to be a dad? Aren’t I too old for this shit?

“No,” Sunshine says with a laugh, then presses a kiss to Nicky’s cheek. “The base is what gets buckled in, then the carrier latches to it. That way you don’t have to fight with the seatbelt every time you put him in and take him out of the vehicle. Once he’s clipped into the carrier with the harness, he’s safe and secure.”

Ring helps Sunshine get her jacket on, and then his own, they grab the contraption and head for the door. Before Ring can even twist the doorknob open to leave, a light double knock comes from the other side and the door starts to swing in. Once it’s open all the way, Ring and Sunshine wave before ducking out.

“This is my office,” Raven walks in, again for what seems like the twentieth time but is really only the third I believe, this time followed by a drop-dead gorgeous woman I’ve never seen before.

“Oh, thank God,” the mystery woman says with a sigh of relief as her attention locks in on Nicholas.

“Who are you?” I can’t help but snap at her. I don’t recognize her, I would know it if I had met her before, but I know she’s not my Nicky’s mother. I would definitely know if I slept with her, and since I haven’t been lucky enough to do so . . . yet . . . I need to know more before I let her get any closer to my son.

“I . . .” She stops speaking and doesn’t move a muscle.

“Tiny, this is Riley. She’s Nicholas’s aunt. Riley, meet Tiny. Nicholas’s dad. Or so your sister’s note says.” Raven swoops in and saves her by giving introductions.

Fuck, she’s looker. Where has this woman been? Why haven’t I met her yet? Is it okay to be sporting a hard-on while holding your kid? Because I am and have zero shame.

Brownish-green eyes sparkle as she looks at Nicky in my arms. No, not she. Riley. Her name is Riley. I’ve only met one other Riley in all my years on this spinning rock. He was in my unit while we were deployed somewhere classified back in 2004. He was a great guy and all, but he didn’t look anything like the Riley in front of me now. Thank fucking Lucifer.

Her ashy blonde hair is tied up into a messy bird’s nest looking twist on the top of her head, giving me a clear view of her flawless face. A few strands hang loose, framing her cheeks, making her look like I just got done ravaging her, with her face pushed down into the pillow, while I fucked her from behind.

Oh, what a sight that would be. I can almost imagine it now.

No.

Fuck.

I can’t be thinking like that about her . . . Or can I?

Fuck yes I can. Even if she is my son’s aunt, who’s here to tell me I can’t fuck her? Nobody, that’s who! Obviously her sister, whoever she is, didn’t want me, so if I’m able to talk this mystery beauty into my bed, even if only for one night, no one is going to stop me.

I watch Riley as she watches me, trying to figure out who I am and if I can be trusted, and I wait her out. As much as I want to steamroll this situation because I’m fucking pissed to be just now finding out I’m a dad, but the sleeping tyke in my arms holds back my anger, and horniness, for now.

Knowing the anger I grew up around, with my dad being a physically, mentally, and verbally abusive husband and father, I learned how to mask my anger at a very young age. I can calm myself down when need be just as fast as strike with violence when it is appropriate. My father went to prison when I was sixteen for beating and almost killing my mom, so I never want my son to unnecessarily see me like that, especially toward his aunt.

“Can I hold him?” Riley holds her palms up, wanting me to hand Nicky to her. “Please?”

“Only if you stay in here and explain to me what the hell is goin’ on.” Now that I have him, I really don’t want to let him out of my arms, but I can’t seem to deny her.

Riley nods, seemingly agreeing, so I pass him over. “Thank you.”

Giving her a few minutes to snuggle him, I lean back against the door, hoping she doesn’t pick up on the barrier I’ve created between her and the only possible exit from the room. I fold my arms, cross one boot over the other, and just wait.

It doesn’t take her as long as I hoped it would for her to notice. As soon as Riley realizes she’s essentially backed into a corner, I see the shutters start to come down over her emotions. Her eyes track the room, finding the car seat in the corner, and she heads straight for it. Riley gently lowers Nicky to the carrier, expertly weaves the straps around him, and three soft clicks later has him buckled in.

Pushing the entire still confusing as hell contraption behind the desk, as if placing him out of sight will keep Nicky asleep through what I imagine is going to be a not-so-fun conversation, she gives herself a nod and squares off with me.

“I don’t know what is going on here, hell I don’t even know who you are, but Nicholas can not stay here.” Arms folded, like mine, but right hip and foot popped out to the side, she crosses her arms and lets me have it. “You need to move the fuck out of my way so I can take my nephew home. He is my responsibility. He lives in my house. He’s coming with me.”

Oh man, she’s a spicy little vixen when she’s angry . . . and I like it.

“Listen here, little lady. That boy over there is my son,” I growl as I stand up to my full six-foot three height, using every inch of myself that I can to look down on her sassy self. “Half of his blood is mine, so if anyone is leavin’ with him tonight, it’s gonna be me.”

“But—”

“No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Vixen,” she tried to speak but I interrupt her. “he’s comin’ home with me whether you like it or not. You can choose to make this easy on yourself, and I’ll let you come with, or I’ll make what happens next very unpleasant. I’d choose wisely if I was you.”

“You can’t take Nicholas away from me,” Riley whisper shouts. She peeks over her shoulder to make sure we haven’t woken the baby. Once her attention is back on me, the claws come out. She stabs me in the chest with her index finger, and it stings a bit but I will never admit it. “I have no idea where my sister is, so you can’t take the only piece of her I have. He’s just as much my baby as he is hers.”

“And he’s mine too.” I push my chest harder into her finger and she drops her hands into fists at her sides.

“How do you know?” she snaps back. “For all I know, you were just the first biker to see Nicholas and grabbed him ‘cause you wanted a baby.”

“Look here honey, I’ve made it this far in my life without climbing on the Old Lady and baby train. But I also didn’t just wake up this morning and decide that this would be the day I grab some random baby just for shits and giggles.”

Arms folded again, she looks up at me like I’m a mystery she needs to solve. I guess in a way, I am. She’s never met me before, and I’m basically holding her hostage and threatening to take her nephew, but she’s the one who more or less accused me of kidnapping him.

“Well, it’s not my fault we’re here.”

Very gently I put my hands on her shoulders and lead her backward toward one of the chairs in front of the desk. Raven is still in the office with us, but she stealthy moved to sit in her chair sometime during mine and Riley’s face-off.

“I had other plans for the evening before Nicky was dropped into my arms, so if anyone is slighted because what’s goin’ on, it’s me.” I spin the second chair to face her, positioning myself between Riley and the door. “It’s not my fault we’re here either.”

“Where did you find him anyway?” my snappy Vixen snips.

“That I can help answer,” Raven speaks up while typing a few things on her laptop. After a few mouse clicks, she spins the computer around, revealing the screen to show a grid of four surveillance camera views. Once she presses the space bar, the box in the upper comes to life. “These four clips follow your sister from the second she enters the building, to the second she drives out of the parking lot.

Speechless, because there’s not much to say as we watch Taylor walk into view on the screen with a diaper bag over one shoulder and the car seat holding my son sleeping in her other hand, I see my one-night stand from some random night last fall for the first time in fifteen months.

Now that I’m seeing her face, I can remember her from that night. She came to an open clubhouse party we had in the middle of September last year, the last one we had for a while before Duchess showed up looking for her sister who was missing at the time, and I haven’t seen her in person since. Taylor and I had sex once, that part I can honestly say I don’t recall being particularly memorable, and she was gone before I came out of my bathroom after tossing the condom. A condom that obviously failed at doing its job, might I add.

As the other screens come to life, Taylor walks inside, looks around the room, and walks right past a group of club Brothers and Old Ladies who commandeered a big table along the far wall. The second screen shows her stopping at what looks like the only empty table in the place, probably empty because it’s right in front of the cased opening leading to the bathrooms, and setting the car seat and bag on the reclaimed wood top. She looks around the room once more, looking for who knows what, but then disappears for a few seconds after heading down the back hall. There are cameras back here, but only a handful of people have access to the footage, not even Raven who basically runs this place can see what goes on when she’s not around. Club business is club business and Old Ladies are not privy to what we do unless absolutely necessary.

The third screen comes to life and it’s a view of the employee and overflow parking lot from the top of a light pole at the back of the building. The only activity happening outside before Taylor appears is a raccoon running out from under one of the dumpsters. She comes out the back door, walks around the left side of the building, and disappears again until the fourth screen starts playing. She weaves through a few rows of other vehicles, unlocks a mid-size four door car parked in the middle of the lot, gets in, and drives away heading west. And she’s gone.

“Why did she leave him there?” Riley turns her attention from the screen to me. “She obviously came here for a reason, to find you. So why didn’t see ask any of the other bikers she walked past how to find you?”

“No clue.” I shrug. “I was back here in the office. Watching this is the first time I’ve seen her in over a year.”

“Cypher pieced that together for us,” Raven turns the laptop back around. “He just emailed again saying Taylor’s phone is still offline. Last place it shows a signal is their house at three o’clock.”

“Who’s Cypher?” Riley asks, looking between me and Raven.

“He’s the club’s tech guru,” I reply. A question pops to mind but it’s for Raven. “What’s the timestamp on that video?”

She clicks the mouse a few times. “Six-oh-four to six-eleven p.m.”

“She walked right past me and I had no clue.” I turn and look at the door behind me, dumbfounded. “She was right out there, and I was in here, and she left Nicky out there, all alone.”

“He wasn’t alone for long.” I can tell Raven is trying to lighten the mood with her attempt at a chipper response, but it doesn’t work. “Sunshine came out of the bathroom and saw him there. She hollered over to Ring, and he came over to find me. He asked if I knew who the baby belonged to, but I was only seeing him for the first time. She found the letter tucked next to him in the car seat, read it once, and said we needed to find you right away. And you know what happened from there.”

“But I don’t,” Riley interjects. “And what letter?”

The letter is still laid out flat on the desk, so I slide it over to her. Riley starts to read and deflates with every word. I watch her lips move, like she’s reading out loud, but no sound comes out. I have the entire thing memorized, burned into my retinas, so I know the exact second she gets to the line about Taylor not wanting to burden her sister anymore, she’s crushed. Then when she says her son needs her father, the tears start falling.

A box of tissues appears in front of me. I pull a couple out and grab Riley’s free hand, passing them to her. Her fingers squeeze mine for a second, sending a shock wave up my arm, but just as fast as it started, she pulls her hand away. I don’t know if she felt it, but I’ll never forget.

“I got home from work tonight and the house was too quiet,” Riley says with a sniffle. She sets the letter back on the desk and leans her head back and stares at the ceiling. “Both her and Nicholas’s rooms are a disaster. She must’ve packed in one helluva hurry.”

“Do you have any family you can call to see if she’s with them?” I ask.

“No. Our parents aren’t around anymore. It’s just me, Taylor, and the baby.” She sits up straight and pulls her phone from her purse. She wakes up the screen but must not see anything useful because she clicks the button on the side again and it goes black. “I called our neighbor Sophie, she babysits Nicholas sometimes when mine and Taylor’s shifts overlap, and she rushed right over. She hadn’t seen or heard from Taylor, and I just got done working a twelve-hour shift and obviously hadn’t either, so I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t have many of her friend’s phone numbers, but I called and talked to the few who actually answered. No one had heard from her in a couple days.”

“Where does she work?” Raven questions. “Maybe call and ask see when the last time she was in.”

“We did that. She works at a strip club called the Velvet Room. She clocked out at three-thirty this morning and isn’t on the schedule until Tuesday. They have no idea where she is, and from the sound of how short the guy was with Sophie when she called, they really don’t care.”

Riley interlocks her fingers, twists her palms facing forward, and stretches her arms. She cracks her neck side to side, then rolls her head around. I can tell she carries a lot of tension in her shoulders, I know how that feels, and wish I could help her relieve it, but this isn’t the time or place . . . yet. I’m still not giving up the hope of seeing how far I can push her buttons.

I got to see a smidgen of her temper, when she realized I had blocked her only exit, but I know there’s so much more inside her. That’s where I want to be . . . inside her.

“The Velvet Room?” I’m dragged out of my fantasy by Raven’s voice. “I’ve never heard of it. Is it nearby?”

“About thirty minutes north,” Riley answers as she stands up. With her hands on her hips, she twists in each direction, causing small pops to come from her back. There’s that tension again. “Look you guys, I appreciate you both for looking out for Nicholas and all, but I really need to get him home and bed. Maybe Taylor will be there when we get back.”

“I’m comin’ with you.” I’m up on my feet in a flash. “We need to talk some more.”

I watch as Riley rolls her eyes but tries to hide them by looking down at Nicky who is still sleeping away in his seat. “About what?”

“About him.” I point at the baby. “Nicky is my son. I wasn’t kidding before when I said you couldn’t take him away from me. So for the foreseeable future, wherever he goes, I go too.”

“Why?” Riley looks at me like I said I was forcing her to move to the moon.

“Because I damn said so, that’s why.” I can hear my voice creep close to the almost too loud for a sleeping baby level, so I drop it back a few decibels. “I’m comin’ home with you whether you like it or not. I’m not leavin’ until we have a civilized conversation. I’ll sleep on the couch for a few nights if I have to. I just found out about my boy and you’re not pushin’ me away, so deal with it.”