“Yeah, of course. What else? Food? A stiff drink?” Despite her frustrations with her wild child hiding beneath the table, the motherly instinct was clearly strong with Ever.
“Hand sanitizer if you have it,” Dillon croaked, able to feel the ink on her flesh burning like acid. She needed it gone, now.
“No problem. Top, if you see my wayward son, let him know there won't be any popsicles in the freezer for the next week.” Ever winked at Top and strode from the room.
As soon as she was gone, Lyon crawled out from under the table with a fierce scowl and gave his little leather jacket a tug.
“No fair!”
Top blew a raspberry on the little girl's throat that made her shriek with laughter.
“Tough titties, kid. You're not supposed to run from your mama. It's not safe.”
Lyon gave an honest to god growl and scuffed the toe of his boot against the floor. “Nowhere safer den the pound. Unka Nasaw said so.”
Top snorted shortly, still struggling to keep a grip on his stern grandpa face. “Don't argue with me, Lyon. Your daddy would lose his mind if anything happened to you because you were goofing off and not minding your mother.
"Then who would go riding with me or sneak popsicles out of my office freezer when your old man is busy makin’ your mama happy?”
“No-buddy,” Lyon grumbled, ducking his head in an appropriate show of remorse.
“That's right. So, when she comes back, what will you say to your mother?”
Lyon heaved a sigh, scrunched up his face. “Imma tell her sowwy and try hard to be a good boy.”
“And when this door is closed?” Top drawled with a narrow glare for the kid.
“Nobody comes inside who idn't a brudder, and I don't got my patches yet. But I will soon,” Lyon said, looking at Dillon with a confident lift of his chin, like it was important for her to know his leather jacket wouldn't always be bare.
“You're pridy, who're you? Can I pet your dog?”
Dillon choked on the laughter she knew she didn't dare let go of. “I'm Dillon, and this is Elka. She only lets her friends pet her, so if you want to be friends, you have to shake hands first.”
She thought Lyon would hesitate, considering Elka was so huge he only came up to her chest, but the boy walked right up to her and bravely stuck out his little hand.
“Shake?”
Dillon gave Elka a little squeeze, and the huge beast lifted her paw, gently placing it in Lyon's palm to somberly shake.
Lyon chortled when Elka licked his face, diving right in to wrap both arms around Elka's thick neck.
“You're pridy too, Elka. Can she haz a snack?” Lyon asked, fishing a huge milk bone biscuit from inside his jacket with a way too cute grin.
“I was gonna save it for Crunchie, but I give him snacks all duh time.”
Heart melted to goo, Dillon nodded. It was highly unlikely a toddler had done anything other than get pocket lint on the biscuit.
“Sure, she'd like that a lot.”
Elka was gentle as a lamb when she took the bone from Lyon, devouring the treat in three huge chomps. Lyon's eyes went wide with delighted awe, petting Elka's shoulder.
“She's hungee! I can get more.”
“Thank you,” Dillon murmured with a genuine smile. “But Elka has to see the doctor soon, so she has to wait until after.”
“Oh no, is she sick?” Lyon asked, his eyes going wide with instant worry, his bottom lip even gave a little wobble.
“No, but a very bad man put something in her dog food and made her go to sleep. I want to make sure she's okay before she eats anything else.”
Lyon took a step back, the sadness gone from his too cute face, replaced with baby biker rage. Once again at the top of his lungs, he howled, “What bad man? Gimme a name, wumin, and he seeps with fishes a-fore dawn!”
One of the bikers Dillon vaguely remembered escorting her inside walked in with a huge grin on his face. He was broad shouldered, blond, exuding sexiness like an aroma.
“You planning a vicious murder again, son?”
Lyon whipped around to face the man who fathered him and dramatically declared, “Daddy, someone hurted my fren! Nobody hurts my frens and wivvs! I wanna see a body, wight now!”
The biker dipped his chin in a grave nod. “We're workin’ on it. Who's your friend?”
“Dis is Elka. We shook hands, Daddy. We best frens forebber now.”
So saying, Lyon turned around to wrap his arms back around Elka's neck and stroked her ears with gentle hands.
“It's okay, Elka. Daddy will bring you a new pair of balls soon. Den we can play fetch.”
A squeak escaped Dillon's lips as she looked to see both Lyon's father and grandpa grinning at one another like they'd just witnessed one of the proudest moments of their lives.
“Well, I see my son is wasting no time charming the ladies.” Ever sauntered in with a wicked smile on her face, a basket full of stuff balanced on her hip.
Her husband reached out to draw her under his arm. “Chip off the ole' block, huh?”
Ever clicked her tongue in reprimand but shot a smoldering look at her man from under her lashes. “Unfortunately.”
Top cleared his throat loudly, which made Lyon's shoulders hunch, but he let go of Elka and shuffled over to give his hugs to his mother's leg, tipping his head back to look at her.
“I'm sowwy for being a bad boy, Mama. I won't climb out duh winder again and wun away.”
It was plain to see Ever wasn't immune to either of the men in her life because she sighed, palming Lyon's tawny hair. “You are a good boy. Don't be in such a hurry next time, okay?”
“Okay, Mama. My fren needs a pupsicle.”
“Nice try, mister,” Ever snorted. “No dice. You want a popsicle, you better go clean up that huge pile of blocks in the game room.”
“Aw, Mama, you k’win me here!” Lyon griped, but he
