Chapter 26

~TORIN~

Drawing my eyes away from Marlowe, I looked toward Jitter, my jaw tightening when I saw the woman walking a short distance behind him. Sobain? What was she doing here? Eyes swinging back to Marlowe, I murmured, "See you later?"

At her nod, I returned it, then turned my attention toward the other woman. Sobain had started her life as the daughter of a fully patched member of the Raven’s MC. The Ravens had been around a long time and had had many skirmishes with other well-known biker gangs. It was during one of them that Sobain lost her dad.

At seventeen, Sobain had found herself fatherless and having a mother that didn’t know a damn thing about her, nor apparently, did she want to, as she had not tried to see Sobain since she had walked out of her life when Sobain had been six. Sobain claimed it was no loss, for Allie Reynolds had been less than mommy-dearest when she had been around—which made Sobain’s dad and the Ravens MC the only family she had ever given a damn about. After losing her dad, Sobain had continued living within the clubhouse, and Ginger, though she held no like for Sobain, had felt bad about her loss, and had grudgingly allowed her to tend bar, or help ‌by running errands to keep her mind from dwelling on it. Then, at eighteen, and even though they had danced around each other for over a year, she and Jamieson had finally hooked up. Within just a few months, Sobain was pregnant but hadn’t wanted the baby. When she had made noises about getting rid of it, Jamieson had refused to even hear of it. So at eighteen, Sobain had found herself a mom of a baby boy they had named Reifer. She had hated everything about being a mom, and given the opportunity, she would pass Reifer off to anyone who would take him, then leave him with that person for hours at a time if she wasn’t called on it.

Jamieson, thinking that maybe having their own place would help the situation, had found them a small, two-bedroom rental, however, he and Sobain’s troubles had continued, and when their relationship hit an extra bad patch, Jamieson had moved out of their two-bedroom home and back into the clubhouse: eight-year-old Reifer had come with him. No one had been particularly surprised at seeing Sobain had turned out much the same as her mom; she had always been self-centered and needed to be the center of attention. However, Jamieson had continued paying the rent and utilities on the rental house, giving Sobain a place to live and somewhere Reifer could sleep on the odd occasion he even wanted to visit his mom.

After Jamieson had died, I'd begun covering Sobain’s bills once I’d recovered from the explosion, trying to help them. However, Sobain had played on my guilt and sympathy, saying she wanted to return to the clubhouse, stating Reifer needed her, and that she didn’t want to disrupt his life any more than what it already had been by jerking him away from the lifestyle he had become used to. Giving into her wants, I soon had her living within the clubhouse again, but it wasn’t long before she’d made it more than clear her motives had nothing to do with Reifer. She had wanted more from me than I'd had in mind or within me to give. Reifer, at the time, had been fourteen, smack dab in the awkward years of trying to figure out who the hell he was, and at losing his dad, the man he had looked toward to guide him into the beginning of the person he would become as an adult… he’d been devastated by the loss. I had done my best to guide Reifer where I could, but I wasn’t his dad, and I didn’t even pretend to be. But I had tried to be a mentor to him. It had only taken a few weeks for Reifer to burrow into what little of my heart I'd had left: he was a good kid, but when I’d looked at him, I’d seen a replica of myself at his age; fatherless, lost, and broken.

Within a few months of Sobain being back at the clubhouse, as well as a few hot nights rolling around in the sheets between us, I’d sent her packing when she'd tried pulling the pregnant card, claiming the baby was mine. I’d known it was bullshit for I couldn’t have kids after the explosion. I’d never even considered the possibility of her taking Reifer with her when she’d left, and watching him being driven away from the compound had punched my heart, but I hadn’t backed down.

Now, at seeing her, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of shit she was going to try shoveling at me this time, so, when I came to a stop before her, I snapped, “What do you want, Sobain?” However, before she could answer, I found myself distracted by Reifer walking in our direction.

I could see was angry. Very fucking angry as he stomped toward us.

When he finally stood before us, he shot Sobain a look of dislike, then turning his attention to me, he stated, “Appears, my mother doesn’t want me, as I’m in her way. Her words,” he declared, before peering at me, he continued sarcastically, “Surprise, surprise, huh?” Afterward, and without another look at his mom, he picked up the duffel he’d dropped on the ground and turned, making his way toward the clubhouse.

After a few minutes of stunned shock, I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it when Sobain turned and began walking away, headed toward the gate leading out of the compound. Over her shoulder, she tossed, “He’s all yours. I’m outta here. Got a new ol’ man that refuses to raise another man’s kid.”

As I stared after her retreating figure, I shook my head. What the hell was I supposed to do with a pissed-off fifteen, almost sixteen-year-old?