“Blade, man, you gotta try this,” Talon called to the guy who’d just walked in. They’d called him Prez last time I was here.
Two girls followed in his wake, and they looked less than pleased to be in the kitchen. Guess they weren’t big on carbs. Couldn’t win them all.
“There’s plenty there,” I said, nodding at the mountains of hot dogs I’d made.
I turned the stove off once everyone had had at least two servings. If they wanted more, they could make it themselves.
A glance at the time confirmed we’d been in the kitchen for nearly two hours and it was time for bed for my little ones.
“Okay, I’m off,” I announced, drying my hands on a dish towel. “Food’s on the plate on the counter. I have to put my kids to bed.”
There were a lot of groans, and a few guys jumped up to get more. Chuckling when they pushed each other out of the way, I went to collect my kids.
“Come on, baby girl,” I said and tried taking Lena from Grim.
She wasn’t having it and went from giggling to piercing screams.
“I’ve got her,” Grim said and got up.
Lena quieted down, and I looked at the table, the tips of my ears burning. “Sorry, guys.”
They all waved me off and didn’t seem to care that their eardrums had nearly been shattered a few seconds ago.
“Luca, time for bed,” I said to my son, who was playing a card game with Talon.
He could barely hold the cards but was having the time of his life. The tip of his tongue was sticking out in concentration as he studied the cards on the table.
I tapped him on the shoulder when he didn’t respond. “Come on, Sötnos.”
“No, Momma, I’m playing Go Fish with Talon.”
I blinked at my four-year-old, then at Talon. He shrugged, grinning at me. The big biker was playing Go Fish with my son. Who would have thought that would ever happen?
“It’s a great game. And he wanted to play, so one of the guys went out and bought the cards since all we usually play is poker,” Talon said, like he had to defend himself for playing a kids’ game.
“Hey, I’m not judging,” I said and put my hand on Luca’s arm. “Time to finish your game.”
“But, Mom,” he whined, looking at Talon with big eyes.
“We can play again tomorrow, but you have to go with your mom now,” Talon said.
Luca huffed but put the cards down. “You promise?”
Talon put a hand to his heart. “Promise.”
Luca studied him for a moment, then seemed to come to the conclusion that Talon could be trusted with his promise. He got up and took my hand.
“Say goodnight to everyone,” I said, and Luca and Lena both called out to everyone. They were delighted when they received a loud chorus of goodnights back.
“You coming back down?” Talon asked. “We’re having a few drinks tonight. Nothing big.”
“Maybe,” I said, having no intention of doing anything but sleeping tonight.
We walked back to the room, Grim following me with a tired Lena. I opened the door to Sebastian’s room with the keycard he’d given me and ushered Luca inside. Lena let me take her this time, her eyes drooping.
“Thank you so much,” I said once both kids were inside.
“It’s no problem at all. And you should really come down. You’ll go crazy if you stay in the room the whole time you’re here.”
I forced out a smile, hoping I hadn’t been too obvious about my thoughts on my temporary accommodations. “I’ll think about it.”
He waved to the kids. “Good night, munchkins. See you tomorrow.”
The kids went to bed easier than anticipated, and I soon found myself sitting in the dark, trying not to make too much noise so I wouldn’t wake them up.
I didn’t want to turn the TV on, and there was only so much online poker I could play on my phone before I got bored. After an hour, I still wasn’t tired enough to go to bed.
I plugged the child monitor in, making sure it faced the bed, and grabbed the other monitor.
Guess I was joining the party downstairs.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Why are you looking under the table? Your kids are still fast asleep upstairs,” Talon asked, watching me stick my head under the table.
“Just checking,” I muttered, my face feeling numb.
I’d had too much to drink. Five shots were too much for me. I hated tequila. But the guys looked so hopeful when I came back down. And then they offered me alcohol, and it felt rude to say no.
“Checking for what?” he asked, looking under the table as well.
“The orgies?” I said and slapped a hand over my mouth. That thought was supposed to stay in my head.
“Orgies? We don’t have orgies in the main room. And definitely not under the table. Not enough space,” Talon said and then broke out into roaring laughter.
I pushed him, his tall frame not moving an inch. “That’s not… I meant… it was just…”
“I think you’ve got bad reception. You’re cutting out,” Talon said, watching me with a twinkle in his eyes.
“You really thought we’d just all get down to business right here?” Gears asked, amusement evident on his face.
“I read books,” I said, blinking to clear my vision.
“Books of what? Orgies?”
“Bikers.”
Talon shook his head, his eyes still beaming with mirth. “You might see someone’s naked ass by the end of the night, but we keep the rest in our rooms. Sorry to disappoint.”
I’d come to realize that everyone was really easygoing. They all seemed to care about each other, liked to joke around, and welcomed me like I was their long-lost sister.
Being part of something meant a lot to me. Being part of a family, even if it wasn’t by blood, meant even more, especially since my own had discarded me so easily.
“I love you guys,” I declared, throwing my arms around Talon’s
