SWNOVELS Chapter Marcus: Epilogue
I was only back in Myrtle Beach for a few hours when my mom first started trying to call me. I let her go straight to voicemail the first couple of days. I wasn’t going to let her ruin this experience for me. Prospecting was going to be grueling, dirty, and all around unpleasant. And I wanted to savor every moment of it.
I also didn’t spend much time thinking about my mother those first few weeks, as Marcus and his extremely persistent cock kept chasing rational thoughts right out of my mind. In fact, he was draped over my back by the kitchen sink on Saturday morning, still buried inside me and twitching in the throes of our climax when I heard a motorcycle roar into the driveway outside.
“You’ve got some visitors,” I smile over my shoulder at him, before reaching around to slap his bare ass and begin to straighten up. “Put that thing away and let me go clean up. I’ll be right back,” I add as I hurry into the bathroom and grab my robe.
It only takes me a moment; but by the time I step back out into the hall, I hear a familiar voice.
“Hey, Marcus,” a voice I recognize as Kent’s says from just outside the front door. “Sorry to drop in on you like this, but Jenny wants to speak with Teagan. She talked me into riding down here and spending the night last night, then woke me up first thing to insist I bring her over here. Manipulative little minxes are what they are,” he adds in a whisper I think I’m not supposed to hear.
“Ah, hell, Kent, we were having a good morning too, just finishing up…breakfast,” Marcus hedges. “I’ll ask Teagan if she wants to talk to her; but if she says no, I trust there won’t be any problems between us?” I hear him clarify.
“Nah, man. It ain’t like that.” I hear Kent laugh. “I’m not her daddy. I’m just helping out a friend…”
“I’ll go out and talk to her,” I interrupt, before Kent says anything else cringeworthy without realizing I’m around the corner.
“Hey, Teagan,” Kent greets me as I try to get past Marcus, who is blocking the entire doorway. Did he get the damn frame measured to his exact figure so he could do shit like this?
“Marcus, let me get past you, please,” I request as I tap at his side.
He stiffens under my touch but refuses to move. “You don’t have to deal with her right now, on her schedule. Don’t let her dictate the terms of…well, anything, even this conversation.”
“It’s not like that,” I reassure him with a kiss on his upper arm over his dragon tat. “Let me go talk to her alone while you two catch up in here. If I need you, you’ll hear us, trust me.”
“I’m glad she cares so much about you, even if it makes her do stupid shit,” Marcus grumbles as he finally steps aside.
“Yeah,” Kent agrees as I trot down the front stairs. “Get ready for a cat fight.”
“I don’t think it will come to that,” Marcus says behind me before I’m out of earshot.
My mom has hung her helmet on the sissy bar at the back of Kent’s bike and is looking at me anxiously in her tight jeans and leather jacket as I approach.
“You look good,” she blurts out as I get closer, keeping my eyes down while pretending to examine Kent’s motorcycle. “I’m glad to see he’s feeding you, at least,” she has to add.
“So, you and…Kent, was his name? From the Savage King’s down in Charlotte?” I inquire.
She lets out a heavy sigh and then approaches me with her arms spread wide, almost smothering me in a hug. “The heart wants what it wants,” she says by way of explanation. “I’ve been lonely, and Kent…oh Teagan, he’s so much like your father was, except he actually pays attention to me, chases me…makes me feel wanted again. I’m so sorry about keeping Roy away from you. I knew it was to protect my own feelings, but I managed to convince myself I was protecting you. Hell, I even convinced Roy he was no good for a little girl. I could never separate his infidelities from the rest of his character. I hope that makes sense, Teagan. He hurt me so bad that it tainted how I saw him as a father, as a biker, as everything!”
“I get it,” I reply as I return her hug. “I know he hurt you, but I don’t want you letting your past issues decide how you feel about me and Marcus. From what I can see, though, I don’t think I have to worry so much about your approval, do I?”
“I can still disapprove!” she huffs at me. “I can be a concerned mother for you and a bit of a slut for my man, which I admit,” she raises a hand to forestall me, “could be seen by some as hypocritical. For now, let’s just call it a truce, and agree that if we’re going to do something wild, at least let’s do it together.”
“Mom, wait, what? Are you talking about prospecting?” I ask her in shock.
“Oh my god, no. I just heard what I said out loud and realized you could take it all kinds of ways,” she replies in horror. “I’m so glad the boys didn’t hear that!”
With her practically giggling on my arm, I turn to guide her into the house. “You were just talking about both of us dating a certain type of man?”
“Yes! God, being around him makes me so giddy. I’ve held a lot of myself back, Teagan. I’ve told myself in the past it was to save you from being exposed to bad boys, but the truth is I just couldn’t let my walls down after all that happened with your father. I want to be better. Not just for you, but for myself.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, now. We already finished our breakfast, but I seem to have worked up quite an appetite while, um, cleaning. Come on in and hang out a bit while I get a shower, and then let’s have the boys take us for a ride and get some lunch.”
“If you want, I can tell you some stories about your father, and about the clubs’ early days,” my mom offers.
“I’d really like that,” I reply with a smile. “None of the freaky stuff, though.”
“Oh, don’t worry, honey. I’m fairly certain that there isn’t much I could say that would shock you or Marcus.”
“After all I’ve discovered recently, Mom, I’m pretty sure you’re still hiding a few things that would surprise us,” I tell her. “I just hope I never find out about them.”