Thumper (Cerberus MC)

I knew things back in El Salvador weren’t what they seemed, but I never once let myself imagine that Javier was a good guy, not after what I saw that first night there.

That video though. It changes everything, and I try to shove down every other negative thing I felt about him, and that confuses me. I don’t know what to think right now.

“Cara?”

“I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

I give Delilah a weak smile, hoping it’ll be enough to cover my rudeness.

“It’s usually not this crowded. Most of us have our own places.”

“So today is like a special event or something?” I ask, willing my mind to stay on this conversation and stop wandering.

“No. There’s something going on.”

“But you can’t tell me?”

“I just don’t know.”

“But you said your husband—”

“Lawson,” she supplies.

“Yes, that Lawson works for Cerberus.”

“Griffin, Ivy’s husband also works for Cerberus. My dads are original members, but we don’t discuss their business.”

I raise an eyebrow and she just shrugs.

“You don’t feel trapped not knowing what’s going on around you?”

A crease forms between her eyes. “Not even a little.”

I think back to something that Jinx guy said in the conference room. He was complaining about them being on top of each other, and it makes me realize that Javier or Thumper, whatever they know him by, is somehow linked to the current situation they’re in right now.

“You live across the street?”

“Yes, and so does Gigi and Hound and their kids. My husband’s brother, Drew, and his girl, Izzy, live in town with their little boy, and right next to them are Callum—the guys call him Rocker—and Simone and their kids. On the other side of Callum and Simone’s house is Jinx, Reagan and their two kids.”

“That’s a lot to keep up with,” I mutter, already feeling bad that I mixed two of the guys up already.

She chuckles. “That’s not even half of the people.”

Another smiling woman walks in from the hallway carrying two pillows.

“What are you doing?” Delilah asks, her hands rubbing her rounded belly.

“Going home. Hi, I’m Izzy.”

“Hi,” I tell her. “Cara.”

“I’m Hound’s daughter. I mean Jameson. He’s in the conference room with the guys. I’m dating Lawson’s brother, Drew.”

“Lawson is my husband,” Delilah says as if I need the reminder because she told me once already and I still forgot.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Going home?” Delilah asks. “You know what we were told.”

“Dad just texted and said everything was okay and we could leave.”

“Really?” Delilah asks.

Izzy chuckles. “You act like you haven’t been sleeping in your bed every night for the last couple of weeks.”

“I miss my husband.”

“And he’s been right there beside you.”

“I miss my husband.”

My cheeks heat when I understand her meaning, and Izzy laughs even harder. “I completely understand, but still, it’s not like you’ve had a toddler between the two of you.”

“Mommy!” I roll my teeth between my lips to hide my smile when a little boy runs up to our little group carrying his own little pillow. “Can we go home now?”

“This is Andy,” Izzy explains. “Yes, big guy. We can go home. Daddy is going to meet us there. I’ll see you later. It was nice meeting you, Cara.”

“You, too,” I say as she walks away, the cutest little boy running after her.

“I have to admit, I had a bunch of biker stereotypes in my head when we first pulled up to this place.”

Delilah grins, her hands still making circles on her belly. “Yeah. A lot of people do. My dads and the other original guys have been here for like nearly thirty years and there are still people in town that give them nasty looks at the grocery store.”

“So, they have a bad reputation?” If they do, there’s a reason for that.

“No. Cerberus isn’t like the clubs portrayed in movies and television shows. We’re just like a big family.”

Yeah, and Knight Salvation is a big family, too.

“I can read that look on your face,” Delilah says, her smile fading away. “How about you stick around for a while and give us a chance?”

“I’m not staying. I’m just here with Lo-Lauren,” I explain.

“Well, be suspicious, but I promise you’re not going to find anything wrong with the men or the women. Well, Ivy’s twin sister, Gigi, is a lot to handle, but she’ll grow on you. I better get back across the street and help Reagan get packed up. I know she’s going to be just as excited to go home tonight as Izzy was.”

I give her a weak smile as she waddles away, her belly much bigger when she stands than it seemed while she was sitting down.

Although there’s a flurry of activity around me, I feel alone. Women are in and out along with a couple of guys who aren’t wearing one of those leather cuts, but none of them stop to chat, or flirt or leer at me like I’m a snack they want to take a bite out of. It doesn’t take long for me to start believing exactly what Delilah had insisted. The people around here aren’t evil. They aren’t predators on the hunt.