Fat Louise (22 page)

Jane released a deep breath, standing up. She brushed down her jeans, thinking Lily wasn’t the only one who intended to find a haystack.
 

*  *  *
 

 “Ready?” Cade asked impatiently.
 

“I’m hurrying.” Jane wiggled her butt into a short leather skirt then pulled on a bright red sweater. “How do I look?”
 

“All Christmassy.”
 

Jane twirled. “That’s what I was going for.”
 

The club was having their annual Christmas party at the clubhouse. Instead of the members giving each other presents, everyone coming was supposed to bring a toy to be donated.
 

“I would prefer it if you dressed as one of Santa’s helpers,” Cade suggested with a leer.
 

“Be good, and I’ll give you a present when we come back here tonight,” Jane teased.
 

Cade had been spending a lot of time with her, catering to her every need. The only things keeping her from being spoiled from all the attention were the reasons she thought he was giving it to her. They had never discussed the tiny baby they had created and lost. In some ways, it had drawn him to her, while it had pushed her away from him. She couldn’t forgive how he had been with other women in the clubhouse after his night with her, nor had he regained her trust. She didn’t know if he ever would, despite that she enjoyed spending time with him, getting to know him better, and learning he had never had much of a family life. It was ironic. She wanted a loving family and home to replace the one she had never had, whereas Cade ran from the thought of a family, too wary of the pain his own had inflicted.
 

“We’re not staying here tonight; we’re staying at the club. I need to get away from Crazy Bitch and that cat. I don’t know which of them is worse. At least the fucking cat sleeps a lot.”
 

“That’s not nice.”
 

“It’s the truth,” Cade stated, handing her the black jacket she had laid on the bed. “Let’s go.”
 

They went into the living room where several brightly colored Christmas presents were
wrapped. Killyama was already blowing her horn outside.
 

“Does she have to do that?” Cade asked impatiently as he picked up several of the packages. Jane also picked up several to take herself.
 

“Take those on down and tell her I’m coming.” Crazy Bitch came into the room, looking fabulous in a green leather top with black leggings.
 

Jane and Cade packed the presents down the steps to Killyama’s car, and then Jane climbed into the backseat. Cade was going to follow on his motorcycle.
 

Crazy Bitch put the remaining presents in the trunk, slamming it closed before she climbed into the front seat next to Killyama.
 

“Did you buy out the store?” Killyama asked as she drove out of the parking lot.
 

“Almost,” Jane conceded. She had bought more than she had originally intended.
 

As they drove past the street that Jane’s mother lived on, she turned her head to look toward the apartment complex. Blue lights were flashing outside her mother’s building, which was divided into four apartments.
 

“Wait! Killyama, go to Mom’s house. The cops are out front.” Jane felt the beginning of panic as Killyama quickly took a sharp left.
 

Jane jumped out of the car, running toward her mother. The police were walking her out in handcuffs. She was kicking out at the officers as they tried to push her toward the patrol car.
 

“Step back.” Another officer by the police car blocked her from getting closer to her mother.
 

“That’s my mother. What happened?”
 

“She sold crack to an undercover police officer.”
 

Her mother was still resisting the officers, screaming profanities. Her brown hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed since the last time Jane had seen her, which had been last week, and she
was wearing a small pair of shorts that looked like they belonged to a teenager. In fact, Jane thought they were a pair of shorts she had worn in middle school. She also had on a T-shirt with no bra. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
 

“She’s been selling drugs to the kids in the neighborhood for a while now. We were finally able to catch her an hour ago.”
 

Jane took a step away from her mother, coming up against Cade, whose arm went around her waist in support. She had forgotten he had been following them.
 

“Don’t just stand there, call a lawyer. That stuck-up sister of Sex Piston’s is a lawyer, isn’t she? Call her. Tell her these sons of bitches are violating my civil liberties. I was in my own home watching TV.” Jane easily recognized the signs of her mother being high. “Get busy, you good for nothing slut. You better get me out of jail in an hour, or I’m going to smack the shit out of you.”
 

Jane merely stood there as the police finally managed to shove her mother into the police car where she began using her feet to kick at the window. She stared coldly at her mother, realizing the woman was never going to change. Each time Jane went to visit her and gave her money, her mother would promise to be different.
 

Jane had paid for three trips to different rehabilitation centers, each making the promise to help her mother. However, they had all failed, just like her own daughter had failed because, ultimately, the woman didn’t want to be helped.
 

“I’ll call Sex Piston.” Killyama pulled out her cell phone.
 

“Don’t bother. Let’s get to the party. We’re already late.” Jane didn’t watch the patrol cars as they drove away.
 

“You sure?”
 

“I’m sure.” Jane got back in the car. Killyama and Crazy Bitch both gave her curious looks as they also climbed back in, as well.
 

The ride to the clubhouse was short, and the parking lot was filled with bikes by the time they arrived. Cade came up to her as soon as she got out of the car.
 

“I could call a lawyer. I know he could—”
 

“Leave it alone, Cade. Maybe jail time can do what I couldn’t, but. I’m not going to think about that tonight. It’s three weeks until Christmas, and I want to have some fun. Can you help me with that?”
 

“Darlin’, I can give you all the fun you can handle.”
 

Chapter 25
 

Cade grinned as he watched the four women dancing, commanding everyone’s attention.
 

“They’re something else, aren’t they?” A man Cade hadn’t seen before stood next to him, drinking a beer. “I’m Skulls, former President of the Destructors.” When the man reached out his hand, Cade shook it.
 

“You’re Sex Piston’s father?”
 

“Guilty.” Her father laughed. “She been busting your balls?”
 

“A couple of times,” Cade admitted.
 

“Only a couple? Hell, she must like you.” The old man hit him on his back, knocking him forward against the bar.
 

“Which one’s your old lady?”
 

“How do you know one of them is mine?”
 

The man gave a sudden burst of laughter. “From the way you’re glaring at all the brothers thinking of approaching them. Stud’s on the other side of the bar doing the same fucking thing.”
 

“Jane.”
 

“Jane?”
 

“Fat Louise,” Cade said through gritted teeth. He was fast learning where Sex Piston had inherited her abrasive personality from.
 

“Aw, you’re a lucky man. She’s a sweet girl. Sometimes.” He took a swig of his beer. “You met that cat of hers yet?”
 

“Yes, I have,” Cade said grimly.
 

“I need some extra money for Christmas; want me to get rid of it for you?”
 

Was the man offering to kill Jane’s cat for him? Cade took a drink of his own beer, tempted by the thought. “No, thanks. I kinda like it,” he lied.
 

“You fucking liar. No one likes that crazy motherfucker. But I can respect a man who will lie to protect his woman’s feelings. Been doing that my whole married life. If my wife invites you over to dinner, run. She can’t cook for shit.” He leaned heavily against the bar. Sex Piston’s father was drunk off his ass. “Didn’t catch your name?”
 

“Cade.”
 

“What kind of name is that?”
 

“I was born with it.”
 

“The brothers ain’t given you a nickname yet?”
 

“Other than, ‘hey asshole,’ no, they haven’t.”
 

“They call him Traveler,” Stud said, taking a seat next to his father-in-law.
 

“Why they call him that?”
 

“Because they know he’s not here to stay,” Stud answered. “He’s waiting for me to finish building his bike.”
 

“I thought you finished that bike a week ago.”
 

“I did,” Stud answered, meeting Cade’s eyes. “I was trying to get him to stay around until after Christmas.”
 

“You shouldn’t hold the man up if he wants to leave,” Skulls reproached Stud.
 

“You can give me the bike. I’m not going anywhere,” Cade told Stud. “I’m done traveling. I’ve gotten weak. The whole time I was moving from town to town and fucking woman after woman, I thought I was happy.” His eyes went around the clubroom, looking at the men he had grown close to over the past few months. His eyes stopped on Jane.
 

“When I met Jane, I was attracted to her. I planned to fuck her before we left Corpus, but she took off before I could. When I came to Jamestown, I thought I’d fuck her then leave town.” He gave a wry smile. “How I felt about her scared the shit out of me, so I fucked it up. I couldn’t admit even to myself how much I cared until Sex Piston let it spill about the baby.” Cade’s voice went hoarse. “Never thought I wanted a woman and kid until I lost them both. I won’t be making that mistake ever again. Everyone at this fucking clubhouse has become my family, despite me not wanting one. I might not have been born into the family I wanted, but one day, I’ll die in one that was everything I could ever want.”
 

Stud nodded his head. “Stop by the garage and pick it up tomorrow.”
 

Cade grinned. “Looking forward to it.”
 

“What are those girls doing now?”
 

Cade and Stud both looked toward the dance floor to see Jane and Demie fighting. Sex Piston, Killyama, T.A., and Crazy Bitch were daring anyone to interfere.
 

When Cade reached the dance floor, Jane had Demie on the floor with her hands buried in her hair. One of her earrings was lying on the floor next to her with a piece of the skin still attached.
 

“I told you not to bother me. Maybe now you will listen!”
 

Cade wrapped his arms around Jane, lifting her off Demie.
 

“What in the hell happened?” Stud yelled.
 

“Stupid bitch kept taunting Fat Louise about fucking Cade. Said he knocked her up, too!” Sex Piston snarled at the woman trying to get to her feet.
 

“He did! I’m three months pregnant!” Demie yelled.
 

Fury hit Cade at Demie’s accusation. “You’re lying, and you know it.”
 

“Don’t touch me.” Jane tried to get away from Cade, but he held on to her.
 

He jerked her off the dance floor, taking her to his room despite her flailing arms as she tried to get away. Cade managed to get his door open then pushed her inside before shutting the door behind him.
 

“You bastard! Did you know?” Cade saw the hurt in her eyes.
 

Battling back his own anger from her not believing him, Cade told her grimly, “I did not get her pregnant. I haven’t touched her since I started seeing you again.”
 

“Did you use a condom with her?” Jane shrieked at him.
 

“Yes. I haven’t fucked anyone but you without a condom.”
 

“Thank God I made you use one after that one night.” While Jane walked agitatedly around the room in circles, Cade used the time to diffuse his own anger, leaning back against the door.
 

“Jane, if she’s pregnant, I’m telling you, it’s not mine.”
 

Jane came to a standstill, and Cade swallowed hard at the heartbreak on her face.
 

“You could be. You had sex with her.”
 

“Any brother here could be the baby’s father. Except Stud,” Cade clarified.
 

“You didn’t know I was pregnant until it was too late, and my baby was gone.” Jane went to her knees on the floor, burying her face in her hands.
 

“Our baby.” Cade knelt beside her, holding her close as sobs tore through her body. His own eyes watered. “Do you really think that, after losing one baby, I would ever deny a child that was mine?”
 

Jane looked up at him and saw his anguish at losing that fragile life. She had needed to know he cared, that he, too, had wanted to see their child grow into adulthood. To know that he had experienced the same feelings of loss she had suffered.
 

“There’s something inside of me that’s broken, and I can’t fix it.”
 

“We can fix it together, you don’t have to do it alone.” Cade promised.
 

“What’s broken can’t be pieced together again.” She cried out, her arms holding her stomach as she rocked back and forth.
 

“No, but it can be made into something new, something stronger, that can’t be broken.”