Chapter 32

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 the fuck 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 hadn't known a damn thing about her. Nor apparently, had she wanted to, as she'd never even tried to see Sobain after she had walked out, leaving the then six-year-old Sobain with Carl, Sobain's dad.

Sobain had claimed it was no loss, for Allie Reynolds had been less than mommy-dearest when she had been around—which made Carl, and the Ravens MC, the only family Sobain had ever known.

After losing her dad, Sobain had continued living within the clubhouse, and Ginger, though she held no love for Sobain, had felt bad about her loss. Grudgingly, Ginger had allowed Sobain to tend bar. Or help around the place ‌by running errands.

Then, at eighteen, and even though they had danced around each other for over a year, Sobain 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.

Sobain had hated everything about being a Mom, and given the opportunity, she would pass Reifer off to anyone who would take him, for hours.

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 that 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.

Then, 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. She'd stated that she didn't want to disrupt Reifer's 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 just turned fourteen, and was smack dab in the awkward years of trying to figure out who the hell he was. At the loss of his dad—the man he had looked toward to guide him into the beginning of the man he would become, Reifer had been devastated.

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, upon seeing her, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of shit she was going to try shoveling at me this time. And 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 he was angry. Damn 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. I'm in her way. Her words," he declared. Then, peering at me, he continued sarcastically, "Surprise, surprise, huh?"

As his words hung in the air, he picked up the duffel he'd dropped on the ground and without another look at Sobain, he turned and began 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 teenager?