Burn: Outlaw Romance (Hotter Than Hell Book 3) (29 page)

Our doctor has a sense of humor. I take my eyes from the monitor and turn to Sofia. She’s crying. “My mother told me there were two. I thought she was talking about my sister and brother.”

My wife has gone a little loco, but she’s pregnant with twins, so I guess I better get used to it.

“The babies are healthy. Good heartbeats and good size. We’ll be monitoring you closely and I’m afraid I have a different opinion about the motorcycle rides now. Twins can come into this world without any complications, but we need to help that along.”

“I love you, Dr. Andreas,” I tell her.

“Of course you do,” my wife says. “She’s giving you your way.”

The doctor laughs and Sofia grumbles.

“Do you want a picture?” the doctor asks. “It will be at least another month before we can distinguish the sex of the babies.”

“Please,” Sofia says quietly.

We leave the doctor’s office with two pictures. Because we were coming to the city, I insisted on bringing the car. Before I open her door, I pull her into my arms. “I don’t know if I can handle twins.” I thread my fingers into her hair and kiss her.

“You will be a wonderful father.” She puts her lips against mine again and then leans away. “I need a favor.”

“Anything, princess.”

We find the building that suits her needs and I follow her inside. The interior is shadowed. I feel uncomfortable, but Sofia keeps a tight hold on my hands and pulls me forward with her. We’re in a small Catholic church so my wife can light candles for her mother, siblings, Savannah, and our babies.

She explained in the car about her mother talking to her before she lost consciousness. I have no doubt Sofia believes she did. I won’t argue. I sink to my knees beside her when she tugs my hand. She closes her eyes and prays.

A Justice of the Peace in Phoenix married us two weeks ago. I never thought about a church wedding. Sofia never said anything about it either. The harmony of the church settles over me and I understand the draw Sofia feels. I swear I smell the faint scent of Savannah’s perfume when I close my eyes and add my own prayer for Sofia and the babies.

We stay for about twenty minutes. Sofia lights her candles and I leave a donation. I’m glad we came.

Seven months later…

Our son and daughter were born at full term. They’re healthy and perfect. I walk out to the waiting room. Every member of the club and their women are here. Sofia was in labor for almost twenty-four hours and it’s been an incredibly long night.

I can’t stop the grin that splits my face when Skull stands up and walks over to me. “Boy and girl. Both healthy and Sofia is exhausted but doing well.”

He throws his arms around me and pounds his ham hocks into my back. “Fuck, Dagger. Congratulations.”

Cheers go up.

“I need to get back. Love you, brother,” I say with my own slap on his back.

The Desert Crows just increased by two.

I walk back into Sofia’s room. The babies are resting in her arms and I slip my hands beneath our daughter and bring her to my chest. I know who I’m holding by the color of her head cap. This is Masey Savannah Montgomery. Sofia is holding our son, Jonathan Dax Montgomery. We’ve visited Savanah’s and Mason’s grave several times in the past few months. I’ll make a special trip and tell Mason all about his new sister and brother. I need him and Savannah watching over them.

Sofia’s smile is beautiful but tired.

“I’ll hold them both while you sleep. You did a good job, momma,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry I cussed at you,” she says with another sleepy smile.

“Like every other day,” I tease.

Her brown eyes stare into mine. “I love you, Dax.”

I hold the baby closer and lean over to kiss her sweet lips. “Thank you, princess. I love you too.”

Sofia

Strange that it’s motherhood that changes me the most. Do I still have anger issues? Yes. Am I learning to control myself? Yes. Dax, Masey and Jonathan are my lifeline and the Crows put me in my place when needed. The men and women of the club take my shit with a smile that has me feeling foolish. They’ve learned to kill me with kindness. It works. I pull the rage in and try to leave the room before smiling back. Bottom line—this is what family is all about.

I love my children in a way that’s impossible to describe. I see this fierce love in Dax’s eyes when he looks at the three of us. We live in a dangerous world and it will take us both to keep our children safe. Dax has done so much to lead the Crows out of illegal activity. He’s also pulled the club into legal medical marijuana and teamed with Moon’s organization to do it. This conversation took place before the babies were born. I about screamed the clubhouse down because I resisted the idea. Now Red and I have two dispensaries in our names. Dax couldn’t move forward without our clean criminal histories. He spent an entire morning with his face between my thighs to convince me this was the right move for us.

What can I say? The man has a way without words.

Dax

The babies are growing like weeds and our lives weren’t complete without them. The store and repair shop opened a few months ago. We have more business than we can handle. The clubhouse is undergoing major repairs right now. Sofia is getting a brand-new kitchen that’s essential for all the mouths she feeds. Tramp hooked up with one of the brothers and she’s an old lady now. She’s also Sofia’s chief assistant when it comes to meals. All the ladies take turns with the babies with Red watching closely. She insists the babies will call her grandma.

My son and daughter have their mother’s dark eyes and hair. They’re perfect.

This morning is the first time Sofia is willing to leave the babies and join the club for a ride. Curly Sue and Red stay behind to watch the kids. Everyone else is with us. Sofia has her own cut now declaring she’s a Desert Crow. I’m so proud to have her arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

She’s changed and though she worried about becoming a mother, she’s incredible. I never had a doubt. Sofia is the mother of the entire club. She fills these shoes with an iron fist, vocal cords that bring the roof down, and more love then most of the club has ever experienced.

Before Savannah died, I was having artwork tattooed on my back to show my love for my wife and son. It remained unfinished and I had the tat put on my chest to honor my wife and son when I got out of prison. After Sofia married me, I had the club’s emblem tattooed over the work on my back. Sofia, my babies, and the Crows are my family.

It’s a beautiful morning. The wind is at our backs and sun on our faces.

Desert Crows forever, forever Desert Crows.

Dear reader
,

Before anyone yells at me for knocking foster parents, I want you to know I have worked with incredible foster parents and also ones on the other end of the spectrum. For the purposes of this story, Sofia’s interactions were not the best. If you are a foster parent please know I admire you greatly!

I knew when I typed “The End” that not everyone would love Sofia as much as me. She’s hard to love. Her character is based on a case I had as a detective with a young Latina woman. I can’t go into a lot of detail but I gave her a break due to her childhood history and yes, she spent a lot of time in the foster care system. A few years later, she came into the police department and asked me for a reference to become a nurse. I gave her the reference and she’s never looked back. She treated my mother in the emergency room once and I couldn’t believe her compassion. Hers is not Sofia’s story but the anger of our first interaction was quite similar. Sofia fought with me throughout the book and I had to rewriter her three times to get it right. Several characters in this book represent a woman who pulled herself out of hell and made a life for herself and her children. I hope I did her justice.

What can I say? Dax is part fantasy and I’ll leave it at that.

Using the “N” word was extremely difficult for me. I backed myself into a corner writing about a skinhead motorcycle club and I couldn’t see how to keep it real and not cross my own personal line. Thank you Sherma for reading the scene and offering reassurance.

Thank you to Bobbi for walking me through Meth addiction withdrawals. You are always an inspiration.

For anyone skeptical that prison inmate/white supremacists can’t change, you’re wrong. I saw it with my own eyes and it gives me hope. ANYONE can change!

Fact check 1: Bestiality is profiled as a white crime and so are serial killers. I worked both cases as a detective. Yep, white.

Fact check 2: The Lady of Guadeloupe Mission Sofia stops at in New Mexico is actually the description of the San Rafael Catholic Mission in Concho, Arizona. It’s a beautiful small historical landmark and worth stopping to see.

Fact check 3: All Bikes in Rye, Arizona with over 9000 bikes burned in 2013.

Fact check 4: Arizona Red Bottom Chili is my husband’s specialty and I had to add it to the book. It’s damn HOT!

Fact check 5: The Tzeltal Maya people were removed from their homes in the rainforest in 1971 by the Mexican government. It’s an incredibly sad history of an amazing culture.

Peace, love & hope,

Holly

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