“Show me those sapphires.”
“Those what?”
“I always call your eyes: sapphires.”
Rising up to look at her. “You do?”
She nods, tracing my stubble as her eyelashes drop to watch. “I’m not a girl who ever needed jewels, but your eyes changed my mind.”
Burrowing into her I take a few deep breaths. “You’re too good for me. It’s just…sometimes I think how I almost wasn’t here.”
“I almost wasn’t either,” she whispers.
“Guess someone upstairs was looking out for us.”
There’s a smile in her voice as she traces my arm. “Or a lot of people downstairs. Oh shit, I really did cut you up, didn’t I?”
CHAPTER 35
DIESEL
“Well, look who’s wearing his Ciphers jacket while sipping his java?” a booming voice calls out as the back screen door clatters.
I turn in my chair and see a large, dangerous looking man I don’t recognize, walking up to us. Celia and Sofia shout, “Tyler!” rising from their chairs to hug the guy.
Luke stays put in the chair on my left, but he raises his hand in a masculine wave. “Hey Ty.”
“Luke, you fuck, how’d you manage to hang onto Sofia Sol? I figured by now she’d have dropped your ass, and you’d have moved up to Montana to cry in my arms.”
The girls stay standing with him as I rise to shake his hand while Sofia explains, “Ty was in Sedona with us. He knew about our meeting with you. That’s why he knows who you are.”
“Ah,” I smile.
Celia goes on to say, “He’s in our Montana chapter.”
“Where Scratch and Mona live?”
“That’s right!” Tyler booms. “We live with the damn buffalo in our backyard. Mountains as far as the eye can see. You like mountains?”
“I lived in Sedona, remember?”
“But did you like it?”
I smirk, “Have to admit, I like it much better here.”
He eyes me like that’s the wrong answer, then breaks into a grin, slapping my back. “I’m fucking with ya! I can tell this place has rubbed off. Word up there is you and Celia are an item.”
Locking onto my girl I announce, “She’s got me wrapped around her pinky…and all the rest of her fingers.”
Tyler cracks up, his back bending with the laugh. Grabbing her with his arm around her neck since he’s so much taller than her, he rubs knuckles into her head. “That’s my Celia working her magic! You bewitched the new recruit, eh Ceels?”
“Stop it!” she laughs, trying to push him off.
Sofia pretends to kick him in the balls and he lets go, covering his crotch. “Whoa now! Careful with the jewels! I might have more kiddos left in me!”
“You have enough children,” Sofia smirks. “Where’s your lovely wife?”
“Do I detect sarcasm?”
“Oh, so you’re smart and handsome?”
“I’ll give you smart!” he chuckles. The guy isn’t necessarily easy on the eyes but he’s got charisma to spare. “Inez is inside. We came down for Thanksgiving, the kids, too. We drove…wait for it…a fucking SUV here!”
All of us react like we’ve been punched by a suburban image that doesn’t fit this club’s M.O.
Luke laughs, “How the fuck did that happen?”
“It’s weird,” Tyler says, eyes big like he’s never heard of such a thing but, “They rent these things out!” He grins and winks at us, turning on his heel to head inside. “I need to say hello to a few folks. I’ll see you all in there.” Walking backwards he points at me. “I said I wanted to be here for the vote and they didn’t wait for me. Heads will roll!”
We sit back down as the door clatters behind Tyler. Celia explains, “He’s Melodi and Fuse’s son. The first of the kids in the house. So when I was growing up he was like my older brother. All of ours.” Her hand sweeps the air.
Sofia nods from behind her coffee. “He used to be cute. Then he started looking more like Fuse.”
Luke chuckles, leaning back in his rocking chair. “And yet he got as much ass as I did on the road.”
“Not as much as me, though,” Soph shoots back.
Luke’s eyes flicker to her. “Don’t bring that up.”
“You started it,” she murmurs coming in for a kiss that he happily delivers. They separate and look toward the door as it clatters again.
I turn at their expressions, to see who’s made them go still. My eyes widen and I leap from my chair. “Mom!”
Her angel sleeves float behind her as she hurries into my embrace, eyes crinkled in the biggest emotional smile I’ve ever seen on her. “Sean! Oh Sean, It’s so good to see you!”
“Mom! Oh my God!” I rock her in place, kissing her short hair. “This is amazing!” Grabbing her shoulders so I can see her face, I shake my head in shock. “Jett called you?”
She nods, tears hovering. “You look so strong! Oh my gosh, your neck is so thick! Look at your hair! You have a man bun?! I love it!”
Laughing with happiness I pull her in for another hug. “This is the best surprise of my life, Mom, I’m so happy you’re here!”
“All the way on the plane I was telling everyone how my son had changed his life around. Don’t worry, I didn’t give them details! I said you graduated from M.I.T!”
Laughing we pull apart so I can introduce the two most important women in my life. “This is Celia Lewis, Mom. Ceels, this is Santosh, my incredible mother. She’s the reason I’m here. Without her love, well…” My grin finishes the sentence.
Celia has already stood up and her eyes are so soft, almost shy, as she extends her hand. But my mother says, “Oh I’m not so formal as all that,” and wraps her arms around my girl, bending her she rocks her so much. Separating she scans Celia’s face, holds her hands and spreads her arms up. “You are absolutely lovely! Oh Sean, she’s so beautiful. And look at these muscles!”
Celia laughs, warm eyes glowing with
