Page 84 of Chaos

“What competition is that?”

Winter grins, “It’s a sniper challenge. Longest distance on a target, and you have to hit within a certain radius, or you will be eliminated. I just missed this year, but yeah, it’ll be something to look forward to.”

“Why don’t you put everyone you’ve been training in for it? Could be fun for everyone?” I suggest watching Winter mull over the idea.

“I’ll ask everyone I’ve been teaching. I’ll not put them forward without permission. But you are right it could be fun.”

****

Watching Corey try to find out why there is a party happening is amusing. He’s doing his best to get someone to tell him, but everyone is playing it close to their chests.

Victoria is making sure she is too busy to talk to him, and is buzzing around doing nothing, really.

Axel gives me a nod, and that is the signal it is time. I take the box that PT holds out to me and hold my arm out for Victoriato come and stand with me. Everyone stops what they are doing, which gives me the moment to get this thing done.

“Corey, come here,” I say, keeping my voice firm enough that he knows to do it now and not mess me about.

Corey walks over to both myself and Victoria. It’s obvious he’s a little nervous. Victoria holds her hand out to him, which he takes and steps up beside her.

“Corey, you know I already adopted you, so you are my son. There is nothing anyone can do to change that. But we are here now, so you know you are officially Victoria’s son too. The adoption is complete, and you've got yourself a bona fidé mother.” I grin from ear-to-ear and Corey surprisingly doesn’t cry, which is what I expected. What he does is whoop, hug the shit out of Victoria and then me.

I hold out the box, and Corey takes it, frowning as he looks at it. But once opened he takes out the leather vest I had made, not a kutte, but it’s as near as I could get. Turning it around, it states around the club logo, Property of Mom and Dad. Under that, in smaller text, is Chaos and Victoria, just so everyone knows it’s me who is his father and not to mess with him.

Shucking on the vest, Corey does a twirl for everyone to see, and he gets the usual applause, whistles, and foot stomps of approval. But then he does the unexpected and runs out of the common room. Everyone is shocked that he’s run out, but we follow to see what he’s doing.

Spotting him climbing into Meat’s treehouse has everyone side-eyeing each other, because hey, this looks suspicious.

Meat is standing on the walkaround in his normal biker gear. Not what you would expect when he’s up there.

Corey steps out to stand next to Meat, and what none of us had seen was the hose he was holding. Not until he points the fuckin’ thing at us and we are all drenched in cold water.

“What the everlovin’ fuck!” I bellow in shock.

“Take that, Dad!” Corey shouts and laughs his ass off.

I take off running toward the treehouse. Now I’m going to get up there one way or another. Corey is laughing and Meat is standing watching as though this is an everyday occurrence.

As I climb the tree next to the treehouse I watch as Corey flies down the zipline, laughing all the time. Dropping to the ground I land in a squat before springing forward and catching the little shit.

I haul his laughing ass to the rain barrel where I dump him feet first. But when he shouts, “SAVE ME, MOMMA!” I pause. “I already saved your ass once in the river. This time you can save yourself,” Victoria is standing laughing at the situation, but she’s dripping from where Corey got us with the hose.

“I can do that, Momma,” Corey responds, and is out of the barrel in a second. He runs right to her and slams into her. She wraps him in her arms and kisses the top of his head.

When Meat shouts to catch, I look up and am hit in the face with Corey’s vest. Now, I’m thankful he took it off, and it wasn’t ruined. “Come on, Corey. Let’s find somewhere to dry off. Then we can go eat. Meat made smoked sausages and ribs...”

Before I can say more Corey grabs his vest and heads into the clubhouse and I wrap my arm around Victoria as we follow him.

“You know he’s turning into a biker’s son, don’t you?” Victoria asks with more than a little amusement.

“Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” I say with so much pride I feel like bursting. I got myself a family and I’m going to hang on to them...Now, I don’t get time to think more because I’m grabbed from the back and hauled away.

Wings and Meat have hold of me and I’m heading to the barrel. Goddamn it, here we go again!