Page 88 of Vandal Unbound

My brothers.

Their women.

The club girls.

People who could be sleeping in, or nursing hangovers, or literally doing anything else with their morning. But they’rehere, at my house. With coffee, power tools, cleaning supplies, plants, and food.

My club showed up for me.

That’s the only thing I can think of while I try to choke down the tears.

Havoc’s grin softens as he steps up to me and just hugs me tight, my hands trapped down by my side. “Don’t make it weird,” he says. But his tone is filled with everything that makes him one of the most special human beings on the planet.

“I’m not getting weird, you asshole. I’m trying not to cry.”

Havoc laughs. “We’ll tell ‘em it’s because you hate the way Sunny is butchering your border.”

“I heard that,” Sunny says.

“Morning, sweetie.” Rainbow’s old lady, Katie, steps up onto the porch and pats my cheek like I’m a six-year-old, not a grown man with a criminal record. “We can whip your house into shape real fast if you’re happy to let us in.”

Before I can process any of this, Knox steps up onto the porch behind her. He’s got work gloves tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. “Let ‘em in, Vandal,” he says. “Unless Daisy and you would rather do it yourself. But Havoc said that right now, that little girl doesn’t have a bed of her own, so we brought one.”

“Let me do what?” Daisy says, slipping beneath my arm, placing her palm on my chest. She’s still warm from sleep, and her eyes are soft. Makes me want to pick her up and take her back to my room and…

…wait. Knox is right. Life would be easier if Elsie had her own room.

“Oh my God,” she says when she realizes how many other people are here.

“Club’s come to clean up and help you guys get settled,” Maren says, appearing behind Knox. “We know it’s a lot.”

Daisy looks up to me, her eyes showing she’s as overwhelmed as I feel. “That’s one word for it,” she says quietly. “I don’t mind. But why would they all do this?”

“Because we’re family,” Knox says.

Three months ago, I might have said that family was the people willing to bleed beside you. The people who rode when you called and stood shoulder to shoulder with you against trouble.

But I realize it’s much bigger than that.

I nudge Daisy onto the porch. “Thank you. We’re grateful for the help.”

Havoc claps his hands once. “Great. Emotional moment over. Everybody back to work before he gets inspired to hug us all.”

“I’m not hugging people. You’re the one who pinned me.”

“What’s the noise, Momma?” Elsie says. I turn and look at her in her pink pajamas. Her hair is sticking up on one side. Sir Bearington Boo Boo Bear is in one hand; the other hand rubs her eye. She looks smaller than usual as sleep clings to her.

I let go of Daisy and pick Elsie up. “They know my house is a bit of a mess, so they came to help.”

She looks at Havoc. “Even him?”

I chuckle. “Yeah. Even him.”

“Els-bells,” Havoc groans. “I thought we were friends.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Are we?”

Havoc winks at me like a child. “Absolutely.”