She understood having a head full of longing and loving. There would be no other Brage in her life. He was the first man to treat her like she was valuable and should be cherished.
"But, I have my Slag family." Holly smiled. "My husband was a member, and so I stay with them and try to help out where I can. We never had kids of our own, and I don't have the experience a lot of the women have with babies, but I'm sure enjoying the heck out of taking care of the little one while Peer is busy with club business."
Tyr's little body had grown heavier on her chest.
"He's a sweetheart," she murmured, rubbing Tyr's back. "Not a care in the world now that he's sleeping."
Eventually, some of the women wandered back to the main room. Dinah continued holding the baby, reluctant to move and wake him if she tried to put him in the crib.
Holly's conversation kept coming back to her. Not knowing how Holly lost her husband, she worried that it was one of the hardships of being a member of Slag. Brage hadn't told her what he was doing today away from the clubhouse.
But she knew Brad and Tony would often come back from rides with Moroad MC battered, bruised, or not come back at all because they were thrown in county jail, awaiting a prison sentence.
The longer she waited for the riders to return, the more her anxiety grew. She needed to see Brage.
Holly was right. Life was short, and she'd learned how fast it could change on her. She wasn't ready for Brage to leave her yet.
"Riders coming in," shouted the young prospect before walking back out the door.
She swiftly inhaled. A wave of relief came over her.
Being careful not to wake Tyr, she slowly stood holding him securely in her arms. She couldn't go outside with the baby. The noise from the bikes was often overwhelmingly loud to her when they all were started at the same time, she couldn't imagine the damage it would do to a baby's tender eardrums.
Holly stood beside her. "There's nothing like hearing them return."
Her throat closed and she nodded. As long as Brage was okay, she could look back at his arrival as a good thing. A reason to celebrate.
The door swung open. Men poured in chanting.
Dinah raised her hand and cupped the baby's ear, leaning her head over him as if she was capable of keeping Tyr safe. Lost in the chaos happening, she searched the members, looking for the sexy man with magnetic eyes and a beautiful voice.
When she spotted him, he was already striding toward her with the most intense look she'd ever seen. She watched his gaze lower to the baby in her arms, and he never missed a step.
Then, he had his arms around both of them. She tipped her chin, and he captured her mouth, kissing her hard and deep. Her knees weakened, but she had nothing to fear. He supported her and Tyr.
"Missed you, babe." He kissed her forehead. "Did that little boy take my place while I was gone?"
She smiled, proud of herself for stepping out of her comfort zone. The benefits of holding a baby outweighed her fear of dropping him. It wasn't as hard as she'd thought.
"He did." She soaked up the warmth coming from the baby. "I could hold him all day. He's such a cuddler."
"I see how it is." He caressed her cheek. "I'll share you with him."
She laughed softly and then grew serious. "You're okay?"
"Ja," he said quietly. "I need a shower, a nap, and something to eat."
Peer approached them. Dinah turned, ready to give Tyr to his daddy.
"Hey, can you watch him until I grab a shower?" Peer looked between her and Brage, then leaned over and kissed the back of his son's head. "Five minutes. That's all I need."
"Take your time." Dinah waited until he was gone and said, "How does that work out with so many members needing showers at the same time?"
"There's a multi-shower in the community room. Only the officers share the bathroom we use. It's a short wait." His gaze wandered away from her. "Give me a few minutes."
She watched him walk away, meet Roar and talk to him quietly. Sighing at the contentment of being a part of the reunion. She enjoyed having the other women for support while he was away, but the best part was having him return to her again.
Chapter 26
"It's too soon to see how Brikken will react to us interrupting their transportation of the chopped motorcycles. I can guarantee they're going to try and change the schedule or go out of their way to take another route, and that will keep them busy." Roar looked around the table in the meeting room. "Normally, they go every six weeks. Slag will send two members to start watching them in four weeks. If we can get any sign that they're planning to move the schedule, we'll give them another visit. If we fail to get a step ahead of them, we're going to have to hit them a different way. Brage will talk to those who will be on the crew to watch them tomorrow."
"Will Brikken members come to the clubhouse to start any shit?" Viktor stroked his jaw through his beard. "We've got the majority of the members living in rentals in the area. We should think about beefing up protection around the block."
"They're not going to have the time to harass us, but we'll stay on high alert," said Brage.
"On to other business." Roar leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table. "Moroad has gone quiet since their visit a couple of months ago. By now, they're hurting without having the extortion money. They are the main reason
