“She’s awake, pissed, and wants her kids,” I say, shrugging my shoulders as I sit in the chair next to him.
“Did she say anything else?” Tracker demands finally glancing in my direction.
“Not yet, just demanded to see you and to have these two brought to her,” I state, nodding to the babies.
“I’m not letting that girl have these two sweet babies until I know why she just rammed a truck into the side of the clubhouse,” Momma B growls.
“Rachel would never hurt her kids,” Tracker says in defense of his cousin.
“How do you know? When was the last time you talked to her or even saw her?” Momma B snaps. “Five years is a long time to be away. For all we know, she turned out just like her momma and thinks she’s better than the rest of us.”
“Then why would she be coming to us?” I ask. I, for one, would love answers to these questions myself.
“I’m betting it has something to do with her kids’ dad,” Nerd says as he sits down next to Bear.
“What do you mean?” I demand as I furrow my brows.
“I mean, the father of these two is none other than Lucien Raleigh.” Fuckin’ hell, Nerd did not just say what I think he did.
“Fuck, tell me there’s more than one Lucien Raleigh,” Tracker yells, startling the baby he’d been holding.
“Nope, ‘fraid not. I checked,” Nerd states nonchalantly. “This means Tracker’s cousin is the ol’ lady to the VP of the Lucifer’s Heretics.”
“Motherfucker,” I growl as I jump out of my seat. “Tracker, give the baby to Bear and come with me. I’m not getting this club mixed up in a war without answers. Rachel is family, but she just fucked us by coming here without a heads up.”
Walking out of the room with Tracker right behind me, I take the stairs two at a time until I get to my room. I’m fuckin’ livid right now and trying to determine if it’s the fact she belongs to someone else or if it’s due to the war heading our way.
The minute I open the door to my room, I instantly become furious at the sight of Rachel on the floor.
“I told you, you weren’t in any shape for getting out of the fuckin’ bed,” I growl as I make it over to her and lift her up off the floor.
“Yeah, well, you were taking too long, and I want to see my babies for myself as well as my cousin,” Rachel snaps.
I could strangle this woman with that sarcastic mouth of hers. That or shove something down her throat to keep her from talking. “What did I tell you about speaking to me that way?” I growl.
“I don’t care what you said, now move along and let me speak with my cousin since you can’t seem to do a simple task of bringing my children to me.” I swear, a weaker man might bend to her will with the way she’s glaring at me.
“Alright, you two, back to your corners,” Tracker barks, gaining both of our attention.
Gently, I place Rachel on the bed and step away. I need to put as much space between the two of us as possible yet still be in here to hear what she has to say. Well, that and this is my fuckin’ room.
“Now, if you two can get along for a couple minutes, we can get to the bottom of this,” Tracker says, irritable as he glances between the two of us before focusing on Rachel. “Rach, I know you rarely got to spend time around the club growing up; however, you need to show respect.”
“Okay, Tracker, I’m sorry. I just need to make sure Corinne and Luca are okay,” she says softly.
“That’s their names?” Tracker asks as he sits next to her.
“Yes, Corinne Ann and Luca James.” The smile that crosses her face is one that only a mother who adores her children would have.
Pulling out my phone, I send Bear a text to bring the babies up here.
“You gave your son my name?” Tracker says quietly.
“Of course, I did,” Rachel whispers. “I need your help. Well, more like I need you to take care of the twins. I screwed up.”
“Back up and start from the beginning. You can explain to me how you got involved with the VP of Lucifer’s Heretics,” Tracker demands.
Chapter Four
Rachel
Tracker’s demand for me to explain how I got involved with Lucien makes me feel like a traitor to my family. I mean, I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late.
“I’m waiting,” Tracker says.
Sighing, I close my eyes, might as well start from the very beginning. “I met Lucien after my sophomore year at ECU. Several of the girls from the softball team wanted to go out and have some fun. Normally, I didn’t go with them, preferring to stay in and study. I was taking a summer course to get ahead of the game. Anyway, they dragged me along with them. I didn’t know we were going to a motorcycle club until it was too late.
“Worse was they all ditched me when they found someone to either dance with or to go somewhere to fuck them. I was getting ready to leave when Lucien came up to me. He played all his cards right. Made me fall for him before I realized it. I thought everything about our relationship was normal. I mean, he took me out on dates, came to my softball games. He even supported me when I graduated with honors. I’d already moved in with him, and I was a fool for thinking a guy like him would be faithful to someone like me.
“I mean, who wants plain Jane when you can have a sea of women at your beck and call. The day I found out I was pregnant with the twins, I was so excited. It was the day I found out he was never faithful to me. Goes to show how naïve I’ve been considering it was the day he first hit me.” I go on to explain the rest of it to my cousin, all while trying to ignore the fact that he’s not the only one in the room.
Stoney’s in here as well. What is it about him that causes me to not think before speaking? I’m so used to watching my words with Lucien that I should know better, especially since this man is the President. Yet I can’t stop myself from snapping at him.
As I finish telling them everything, including what happened right before I ran with the twins, I can almost taste the tension in the room. Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and meet Tracker’s. “This is why I need you to take Corinne and Luca. You can keep them safe, and I can clean up the mess I made by being foolish and getting involved with the wrong man,” I say before lowering my voice, “I’m not my mother, and I refuse to be like her.”
“Why would you be like her? You are two totally different people,” Stoney demands.
Glancing in his direction, I take a brief second to let my gaze wander up and down his body before meeting his gaze. “Because my mother was a lowlife bitch who would have sold me to the highest bidder if it weren’t for my uncle. Yet when he offered to take me off her hands, she refused because I was her meal ticket. I don’t want my children to have that life, being a pawn in someone’s game. I won’t allow Lucien to use them against me. I’ll die first,” I say.
“You’re not gonna die, Rachel,” Momma B states as she strolls into the room, carrying Luca in her arms with her husband Bear right behind her. I’d know her voice anywhere, even if I haven’t heard it in so long. I used to think of her as my fairy godmother growing up.