Enjoy the Ride

Chapter 3

Venom's POV

That woman is infuriating. Ballsy too. She was short, and didn't look all that strong but that didn't seem to matter to her. "Cody and his family have only been here two weeks and they nearly die," Vanessa said with a shake of her head. "That's insane." "They're fine," I assured her. "Stella only got glass in her arm, nothing major." "So why did you decide we would be the ones to take her and her family to the mall," Vanessa asked next.

"Because that woman is fucking stubborn. I give her a couple grand and she damn near didn't accept it," I muttered. She reminded me of myself when Kimmy left me for some CEO, leaving me with Vanessa who was barely out of diapers and Jocelyn who was only a couple months old. I had the MC though. It's clear Stella hasn't had anyone but her sons.

Kimmy was a pathetic waste of space. We had been together in high school, then I got in Toxic Smoke, and she still stayed with me. We married and I declared her my old lady. Life was fucking beautiful. She then gave me my girls and I didn't think I could love her more. Then, after five years of marriage, nine years of being together in total, she finds someone else. The bitch can rot for all I care. I have my girls and that's all that matters.

When we got to their apartment I knocked on the door. Tyson opened it. "Mom they're here," Tyson called out as he let us in. They didn't have much. Just a couch and coffee table in the living room, both looking to have been from good will. Cody came out of one of the rooms. It was clear he was in the early stages of either going into an emo phase or skater phase. Tyson looked like that nerd kid you see in the library all the time.

Stella then came out of the room wearing ripped jeans that she didn't buy like that, a gray tank top, a zip up jacket, and worn combat boots. Her sandy blonde hair was in a messy bun, and there wasn't a trace of makeup on her face. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. I knew how she felt. Juggling the girls and the MC, I sometimes go a day or two without sleep.

I took them out to the SUV I had. "Mr. VP drives an SUV," Stella said with a laugh. "Vanessa does cheerleading and sometimes I get stuck transporting the girls around after the practice," I muttered as the kids got in. She nodded, "Uh huh." I opened the passenger door for her, "Just get in and shut up." She rolled her eyes and got in. I shut the door and went around to the driver side. 

We could hear the kids talking in the back easily, but neither of us joined in. Once at the mall, Vanessa and Jocelyn took Stella's hands and dragged her away, "We'll meet you at the food court." They took her straight to Victoria Secret. I stood with the boys and shook my head at them. "I guess it's just us," I said to Cody and Tyson. They just nodded. The first place I took them too was to get some shoes. "We're sorry about our mom for yesterday," Tyson said as he looked through the Vans. "She gets a little crazy when it comes to us." "I think that time she throat punched a guy in Walmart when he started yelling at us for no reason shows she gets more than a little crazy," Cody said as he grabbed a pair of Converse. Tyson rolled his eyes, "That was one time." 

"If you don't mind me asking," I said. "Where's your dad?" "He died," Cody said to me. "He was a Marine who died in combat. We were really young, so we don't remember him, but mom tells us about him." I nodded, "I see." Given her own young appearance she had to have had the boys when she was in high school. He must have joined after graduation then died not long after. She's a lot stronger than I am, that's for sure. 

We shopped around for a little longer before going to the food court. We waited for the girls to join us. When they did, I was happy to see Vanessa convinced Stella to actually purchase somethings for herself. Stella ruffled the boys hair, "Did you two behave?" "Yeah," Cody said while swatting her hand away while Tyson smiled. We then ordered food and sat at the table. 

"So where did you guys move from," I asked Stella. "From a couple of cities over," she said with a sigh. "I had lost my job because my boss liked trying to get handsy with me. We got into a verbal altercation over his work ethic, and he fired me. He kind of made it hard to get another job in that city because jobs had to call him and ask about me, so I had to start looking out of the city, and managed to get the diner job." "We're constantly moving 'cause it's always something," Cody muttered. Stella shot him a look that he shrugged off. 

As we ate we got to know each other more. When we finished, the kids decided to run off together, leaving the two of us. "You don't think leaving us alone together is by some design do you," Stella asked with a soft smile. I shook my head with a sigh, "Vanessa has been trying to convince me to start dating." She nodded, "Both of my boys have as well. I haven't been in a relationship in about ten years. I wouldn't know the first thing about being in one." "Going on seven for me," I said with a nod. We fell into silence again as we walked around the mall. 

"So where did Vanessa drag you too," I asked her. "To a few clothing stores, a makeup store, Victoria Secret as you first saw, and a shoe store," she answered. "A bunch of places and only a few bags," I asked her. She shrugged, "I don't know how to spend money on myself. I can do it on the boys in a heartbeat if I'm able too, but I haven't shopped for what I need outside of the necessities in a while." I understood that better than anyone else. I have plenty of money, but I still don't really spend it on myself. "You're going to learn," I said and began steering her into a store. "What's the point if I can't afford it," she said, resisting me. God this woman was so damn stubborn. 

"My daughter has seemed to be able to get you in my life at least, because something tells me, our kids will be hanging out as often as possible with the hopes it will get us together. So while you are here, we're going to help each other out. Now then, shop woman," I said once we were fully in the store. She gave me a glare and I held it. We had our staring contest for a few minutes before she caved and I took advantage of this victory. 

After a couple more hours of shopping, I texted Vanessa to meet us at the mall entrance. At their apartment, we helped them carry their things inside. I sat her things on the air mattress she was currently using as her bed. She then gave a sigh that sounded like it was in defeat. "Thanks Venom," she said, eyes on the floor. The defeat was because she swallowed her pride, which given her life, that's one of the few things she is trying to grip on too as tight as she can. 

I nodded, "You're welcome Stella. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything else." She looked at me then, eyebrow raised. She would hesitate, we both knew it, and I was going to give her hell for it when she does. 

After taking the girls home and making them dinner, I left Vanessa in charge while I went to the compound. Spark, the President, smirked when he saw me. 

"Smoker saw you at the mall with a woman, that true," he asked me. "She lost a lot of shit at the shoot out at the laundry mat yesterday. Her oldest son is a friend of Vanessa's so I did them a solid," I answered as I sat on the bar stool beside him. Claw handed me a beer and I nodded in thanks. "It's rare you do a woman a solid," Claw said. "She reminds me of myself when Kimmy left," I confessed to him. "She's a single mom with no support, trying to keep her two sons alive. She's fucking hard headed to the fucking core and has no problem standing up to me." He chuckled, "What's that like?" "Fucking infuriating," I muttered. "Is this the same woman who's car we have to replace," he asked me and I nodded. 

"I'd like to meet her," he said and I looked at him. I saw that little smirk on his lips. "Don't you fucking start," I said to him. "Start what," he asked with a soft chuckle. "Our kids are already trying to get us together, I don't need you sticking your nose in it," I told him. "I just want to make sure the woman is worth replacing her car," he said nonchalantly. He then smirked as I glared. He has been on my daughter's side for a while since Vanessa started this stupid movement to get me a girlfriend. At least Jocelyn isn't pushing it. It was only a matter of time though. 

"Now what's the next job you have for me," I muttered. He slid the file that was laying in front of him to me, "A simple in and out job." I took it and read it over before leaving to get it done.