Lena threw her little body around, not wanting to be carried. I held on tight, and she clocked me in the face with her tiny fists a few times thanks to my efforts. But if I let her go now, we’d never eat tonight because I would be busy chasing her.
Luca was too intimidated to do much more than clutch my hand and stumble along behind me.
I once again received a few nods and waves that I returned. It wouldn’t be smart to piss people off on our first day here.
The kitchen was empty except for the big guy Sebastian introduced as Grim and one barely dressed woman.
“There you are,” Grim greeted me. “I was wondering when you’d be brave enough to leave your room.”
“The kids were hungry,” I said, my tone apologetic.
“There’s plenty of food, so you should be able to find what you need.”
Luca didn’t leave my side when I rummaged through the fridge, finding it well stocked. I decided on hot dogs. They were quick and easy to make, and the kids loved them.
I grabbed the buns and sausages and got to work. Luca was holding on to my leg, and Lena was still trying to get down.
“Baby girl, stop trying to dive onto the floor. You have to wait until I’m done cooking,” I said, placing a kiss on her head, barely missing another head butt.
“I’ll take her,” Grim said, holding out his hands.
He read my hesitation and said, “I’ve got eight grandkids. Haven’t dropped a single one. Your little one is safe with me.”
Lena stared at him wide-eyed when I handed her over, surprising me by not screaming at the stranger who’d picked her up.
Grim sat down with her on his lap, letting her play with his beard and leather vest. I finished dinner, keeping an eye on Lena to make sure she wasn’t scared or turning into a turd and annoying the big guy.
“Do you want hot dogs?” I asked Grim, wanting to do something to repay the favor. He was really good with my little tornado, stopping her from sliding off the bench they were sitting on and keeping her entertained.
Luca had fused himself to my leg, but I had no intention of removing him. I understood his feelings well, since I also wanted to hide behind someone’s leg.
“That would be great, darling,” Grim said.
I put everything on plates, making sure to give him three hot dogs.
Once we were all settled around the table, Lena went straight for Grim’s food.
He didn’t stop her, and we both watched her pull off a piece of his sausage and stuff it in her mouth. And spit it out again immediately.
“Hot,” she cried and put the regurgitated meat back on Grim’s plate.
My eyes went wide, and I jumped up. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get you a new plate.”
“Do I look like I’m scared of a bit of saliva? Sit back down and eat your dinner.”
I plopped back onto my seat and watched with not a small amount of horror as he continued shoveling food into his mouth, the half-chewed sausage getting caught up in the process. “This is amazing,” he mumbled between bites.
“It’s all about the right ketchup-to-mustard ratio,” I said, blinking at him when he finished the last bite of his food before I’d even gotten through half of my hot dog.
I’d settled in and stopped checking over my shoulder when about four guys burst into the kitchen.
Luca immediately dropped underneath the table, and Lena stood up, leaning on Grim’s arm.
“You made food and didn’t make us any?” one of the guys asked Grim.
“Wasn’t me who made it,” he responded and pointed his fork at me. “Ace’s girl did.”
“Do you want some?” I asked, getting up.
“Eat first. And if you still feel like cooking up a little more after you’re finished, I won’t say no,” he said and pulled out the chair next to me.
The guy looked to be in his thirties, with dark tousled hair and a body that saw a lot of gym time. Must have been one of the requirements to join their gang: big and muscly, facial hair preferred.
He only sported stubble and his eyes crinkled around the corners, making me hope he was a happy guy who wasn’t planning on damaging a hair on mine or my kids’ heads.
“I’m Talon,” he introduced himself with a wink.
“I’m Nora. This is Lena,” I said, pointing to my girl, then underneath the table. “And this is Luca.”
Talon leaned to the side so he could look underneath the table. “Hey, buddy. Looks like a good spot down there. Mind if I join you?”
Before I could tell him that he was the reason Luca was down there, he’d pushed his chair back and crawled under the table.
I shoved the rest of my food in my mouth, not really tasting anything, watching Talon talk to my son.
After five minutes, Luca chuckled. After ten he was talking to his new friend.
I decided it was safe to leave them to it and put more sausages in the pan. More people joined us, and soon I was making dinner for at least twenty bikers. The kitchen was big enough to house everyone, and the table was a long monstrosity with a bench attached to the wall and chairs on the other side.
Every seat was taken, and I couldn’t keep up. It wasn’t hard to fry up a sausage, but you’d think I’d made a three-course meal by the way the guys held out their plates.
Luca had come out of his hiding spot somewhere between sausage forty and fifty and was sitting on a chair next to Talon, eating his food.
Lena was done with her bun and climbing all over Grim, who didn’t seem to mind. He let her go wild, holding on to her shirt so she wouldn’t fall off.
I was beginning to think I might have judged these guys a little too soon. So far no bodily harm had
