Soothing His Madness Read Online Free PDF Page A

to her momma leaving, and continued to snuggle against Taylor's shoulder.
She walked slowing around the room, swaying side to side, and patting Lilly's
warm back. Tori's contentment and security in her life came out in everything
she did.
    To have a baby girl
to hold and hug whenever she wanted would make anyone feel like they won the
lottery. Her friend loved Rain to an unhealthy level, and yet it worked for
them. A pang of loneliness hit her again. She was being silly.
    At twenty-nine
years old, Taylor was at the age when she had to think about her future and
decide if children were a possibility. She'd love to have her own child, but
she also knew that she wanted the baby's father in her life too.
    Slade had mentioned
before that he never regretted having his kids, but he'd never again put a
child in the middle of a custody battle. He was bitter, and at a different
stage in life than her. He'd had his family. She gazed at the wall of pictures
of Bantorus members beside the pool table. The recordings of happy times were a
new addition Tori put up for everyone to look at and reminisce.
    Slade stood in
almost all of the photos, proud, wearing his leather cut, and acting all badass.
She sighed and held Lilly a little closer. She'd be thrilled to be part of his
life, whether or not he wanted more children. She loved him that much and to
think of life without him, she simply hurt because he'd become the biggest
thing in her life.
    "Your Uncle
Slade is a hard man to figure out, Lilly," she whispered. "Someday,
you'll grow up and probably fall in love with a biker. If you're lucky enough
to capture him, remember to hold on tight."
    Male voices grew
louder. Taylor pivoted and spotted the men walking into the bar. The usual
rowdiness that came after a club meeting was missing.
    Slade walked
straight to her and lifted his chin toward Lilly. "Where's Tori?"
    "Around. I'll
go find her and give this little girl back to her mom," she said.
    "I'll be
outside." Slade walked away.
    It seemed like
she'd spent most of the week watching Slade run away from her. She kissed
Lilly's shoulder without waking her. "Let's go find your momma. Then your
Aunt Taylor needs to go knock some sense into your big, bad biker uncle."

 
    Chapter Five
    The news of
Lagsturns Motorcycle Club and Los Li, a gang linked to the Mexican Mafia,
heading toward Pitnam further complicated Slade's life. He leaned against the
outside brick wall of Cactus Cove, waiting for Taylor, and peered into the
distance. This was his town.
    Born and raised in
Pitnam, he worked hard alongside the Bantorus men to keep trouble away from
their families and community. He closed his eyes. Maybe the judge was right and
he wasn't a fit father.
    He'd done everything
he thought possible. He gave Lee and Kurt a safe place to grow up, a community that
cared about everyone living in the small town and looked out for each other,
and enough rules to keep the boys real without stifling them. What they lacked
was a mother.
    For all Jodie's
good intentions and promises, she still ran around wild the way she did back
when she was twenty and newly married to Slade. Her lack of self-esteem drove
her to seek attention anywhere she could find it, which caused her to put the
boys second in her life, maybe third.
    The judge's
decision to give his kids to his ex-wife supported some bullshit study that
children under the age of twelve were better off with their mothers, but Jodie
wasn't the typical mom. He opened his eyes and spit on the ground. He wasn't a
normal father with a nine to five job and golf on the weekends either.
    He was a biker.
Plain and simple.
    He supported his
freedom, his country, and believed only in black and white, never gray.
    His chest tightened
and he blew out his cheeks, letting the air out slowly to help calm him down.
Most of all, he believed in justice, and he wasn't afraid of taking that
responsibility on himself.
    Jodie and Ray did
not deserve to be active participants in his