Helpless (Steel Demons MC #5) - Crystal Ash Page 0,29

night fell, it seemed like we barely made any distance at all.

So much for our once-nomadic lifestyle. When the Steel Demons were just six to ten single guys—plus Noelle—making the open road our home was like second nature. Now, we’d gotten used to staying in one place, and it showed. It didn’t bother me like I thought it would. Sure I felt nostalgic about the old times, but I wouldn’t trade what I had now for anything.

By day two, most people had gotten into the swing of being on the road again. With the vehicles getting tuned up as needed the day before, we didn’t have to stop as frequently. But just the fact that we were a grouping of roughly fifteen vehicles felt like we went at a snail’s pace.

“How many members did the Sons have before?” I asked T-Bone during a pit stop.

“Oh, about twelve I’d say.” He stroked his beard, the loss still clear in his eyes. “We were a small club, but mighty.”

“Sometimes that’s better. A small, tight-knit circle.”

“You’re pretty lucky though, Pres.” He looked out over the span of people eating, talking, and children and animals chasing each other. “You’ve got a lot of people who will follow you anywhere. Not because you force them or they’re scared of you, but you’re just a natural leader.”

“I get that a lot,” I sighed. “Sometimes I see it, sometimes I don’t.”

“They trust you.” He looked at me, the raven on his shoulder eyeing me as well. “The Sons cycled through a few presidents in our time, so I’ve seen all kinds. Bash was a rare breed.” He went silent for a moment, staring out at nothing. “I see a lot of similarities in your leadership styles. He wasn’t a perfect president, but he was a good one. As are you.”

“We’ll see.”

Hades growled, his nose pointing behind us. A woman’s shriek and some kind of commotion spurred us into turning around, hands on our holsters.

“The fuck is your big man doing?” T-Bone said.

“Fuck me with a fucking rusty spoon,” I muttered under my breath “Not this shit again…”

With Hades at my side, I stormed over, aiming to head off Big G who was walking away from a screaming, distraught Tessa, who was following and yelling after him. He held an infant car seat in one hand, swinging it at his side as he walked. The baby was clearly distressed, if the wailing coming from inside the carrier was any indication.

Mari was quickly at Tessa’s side, supporting the distraught mother as she stared venomously at Big G’s back.

“G, stop!” Tessa sobbed. “Please give her back.”

“I’m fucking tired of this shit!” Big G spun around, the baby carrier swinging dangerously fast in his hand. “You don’t wanna be with me anymore, fine! But you can’t have our fucking kids all to yourself!”

“You fucking Neanderthal, she’s an infant!” Mari yelled. “She needs to stay with her mother!”

He jabbed a finger in my woman’s face, looking seconds away from exploding. “And I’m tired of you sticking your nose where it don’t belong, medic.”

“Say another word to my wife, G,” I kept my hand over my gun, “And you’ll lose that finger, plus whatever else I feel like shooting off.”

He glanced over, noticing me for the first time. By that point, all the commotion had drawn the whole club’s attention. Gunner and Shadow pushed their way through the crowd to back me up, while Jandro stepped between the women and Big G’s outstretched finger.

“Let’s all just calm the hell down.” My VP stretched his hands out to his sides to put distance between the two parents. “Everyone,” he made a shooing motion with his fingers, “mind your business. This doesn’t concern you all.”

Once people quit rubbernecking, I let my hand fall from my weapon. “G, you want to tell us what’s going on?”

He turned to me with a huff. “Vivian is my daughter too. I’ve barely seen her since she was born. The boys are one thing, they can come and see me as they please. But it’s not fair for my…ex,” he spat the word out, “to keep my newborn away from me just because she decided to move out.”

“Vivian is three weeks old,” Mari shot back. “She needs to eat every two hours. This isn’t about fairness, but your baby’s survival!”

“I can feed her!”

“She’s breastfed, you idiot!”

“Don’t call me—”

He lunged forward but Jandro’s palm collided with his chest.

“Stay back,” the VP warned. I wasn’t concerned. G was bigger than him in