Fuck.
Just when I thought I’d get a break for a while, now I need to go put some fuckin’ idiots in the ground for touchin’ my baby sister.
Chapter Twelve
You don’t need to know all of the answers, you just need to be courageous enough to take the first step and see where it leads.
~ Bronnie Ware
Natalie
I came home from work to a fully cooked meal from my mum. The scent of haddock fills the air and I’m hopeful she’s whipped up one of my favorite meals. “Tell me that’s Cullen skink,” I beg, trying not to sound too desperate, but dang, I haven’t had this in ages.
“It hasn’t been that long since you’ve had it, has it, love?” Mum asks, laughing a bit.
She very well knows the last time I ate it was when I was back in Scotland. Sadly, I can’t find many of the ingredients I like out here, so cooking authentic Scottish food doesn’t happen too often. “I’m afraid at the local grocery they don’t have much.”
“Which is exactly why I purchase my herbs and ingredients from Scotland. Just get them shipped here and I can fix up your father whatever it is he’s in the mood for.” Ugh, if only I had the ability to get some things shipped here too. My mum puts her hand on my arm and rubs in a soothing manner, “You know, love, if you want, I can get some of my stuff sent to you here. It’s no problem at all.”
Immediately I shake my head. I’m not fond of receiving anyone else’s charity. “No, Mum. It’s fine. I . . .” I try to think of a way I can explain this without sounding ungrateful, so I dive right into it. “I love you and Dad for everything you’re doing for me . . . but I don’t need you both to keep coming to my rescue, you know? I’m so thankful to have you both in my life, and for what you did helping me with the rent and giving me enough cash to get by . . . but, I, I just . . .” No matter how hard I try, I can’t come up with the words.
Mum pulls me into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around my waist and sets her chin on my shoulder. “Oh my dear, you need not thank either of us. You hear? It’s what parents do for their children, and grandchildren. Your father and I are so grateful you’re here in Montana with us. We missed you all dearly for so long and when we left, we were terrified of what David would do to you . . . thank God your senses came about and you decided to leave him.” Mum releases me and goes over to the stove, fixing me a bowl. “Now, you sit your butt down at the table and eat yourself some food. You look so thin, my love. It’ll give you and I a chance to chat a bit, especially about that lovely young man we met earlier today. What a catch he is! And so well-mannered on top of it all.”
I take a bite of soup and nod, “Yes, he’s quite lovely.”
“Has he met the children yet?”
I about choke on my second bite. “Mum, we’ve barely known each other a week.”
“But he knows you have three girls?” Well, she’s becoming quite nosy.
I nod. “Yes, I told him I had three girls. Honestly, I did it as a way to dissuade him, though he didn’t care. Told me he loves kids.”
“Good on him. He’s a man who sees what he wants and takes charge. I love that.”
“I’m glad you’re so approving.” I joke. It sounds like she’s the one who wants to date him.
“So, your father and I crashed your date today. Is that true?” She asks, and I nod again while I chew.
“Yes, but it’s fine. I think you both were an ice breaker.”
“Natalie Margaret. You cannot honestly convince me that you were grateful we crashed your date. It must’ve been mortifying.”
“It could’ve been much worse.” I mutter, knowing it could’ve. They have a plethora of embarrassing stories from my childhood that I’m sure would’ve sent Grim Braxton running for the hills.
She giggles lightly and smirks from across the table. “I have a splendid idea. You fix up a little care package with the Cullen skink, fresh bread and take him over some fresh whisky tablet I made yesterday before we came over. Obviously, I made the whisky bit for you and caramel for the girls . . . though I reckon your friend would appreciate the sweet bit.”
“No, Mum. It’s a school night and I don’t want to ruin the system we have going here.”
My mother breathes in deeply and shakes her head, “You can’t keep being afraid to live, dear. What David did to you was absolutely horrid and no one will ever say anything different. But you need to live your life. You’re in your mid-thirties, darling. Stop waiting until you shrivel up like me before you find a lovely man like your father. The second time is the charm you know.”
My mum and dad didn’t have the best luck when it came to love in their early twenties to thirties. They met one another in their mid-thirties and were married by the time they both hit thirty-seven. I came when Mum was thirty-eight and the rest is history.
“Go, stop second-guessing yourself and get going.” My mum waves her hand, urging me to get out the door.
“Mum . . .” I’m not convinced I should even be doing this right now. It feels like a bad idea.
“What? You need to take a night for yourself, and not just a few hours. What better time than right now? Herold did mention you had the day off tomorrow, too.”
“What?” I question. I never take days off.
“Yeah, he said something about observing Veteran’s Day tomorrow instead of this past Tuesday.”
I sigh and shake my head. Herold does do this from time to time. “Now I realize why he told me to not book any patients for tomorrow.”
“See, now fix up a care package and get out of here! You need some time to relax, away from the kids. Your father and I can handle the girls, you know.”
“Can you? Davina is a riot.”
“We raised you and somehow made it through. Now, get up, fix up the care package, and change into something cute. No man will want to see you in those sweaty scrubs.”
“Mum!” I berate her, rising from the chair I head back into my bedroom and can’t help but stifle a laugh. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m about to do this in the first place.
Chapter Thirteen
Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming
~ Unknown
Natalie
I threw on a light suede jacket with fringe going down the sides and my arms. I didn’t do much, but I made sure to freshen up and throw on a cream-colored shirt to pair with my jeans. A quick brush through my hair and thankfully I look somewhat decent, like I didn’t just walk out of work after the most stressful day ever.
Mum ended up sorting everything into reusable containers before I finished getting spruced up and had them in a bag for me. She told me to go on and enjoy myself, and that she’d see me in the morning. On my drive I’ve realized it must be embarrassing as can be that my mother’s trying to get me laid. She can’t blame me for keeping to myself though, not after everything David put me and the girls through.
I pull up to the same spot I parked in the other day and get out of my car. They have a gate at the beginning of the lane, but no one has ever been stationed there. I wonder if it’s just for show to keep trespassers at bay.
To my left there’s an older farmhouse, then about three other houses that look the same off in the distance. The lane goes back until all I see are woods, and off to the right there’s a giant two-story building that almost looks like a warehouse. If I turn my neck, I can see a smaller version of the warehouse, and then a ways behind it there’s another one. Though, that one looks like it’s still in the process of being built.
Unsure about where to go, I head toward the warehouse looking building with the double doors. They have a garage on the left-hand side with a couple of bays open, and I see bikes parked in there.
I put my hand up to the door when it swings open and I’m met face-to-face with a tall, shirtless man who’s only wearing his leather vest. On it is the name ‘Axel’. “Hi, um . . . I’m looking for Grim if he’s around.”
“What do you need wit
h my brother, sweetheart? I’m much more fun than he is.” He smirks, dragging his tongue out over his bottom lip.
Heat rushes through my cheeks at the vulgarity of this one. “Who’s at the door, brother?” Another man comes up. He’s tall, has tattoos going down the side of his face and has hair as dark as mine.
“Hmm, isn’t this Grim’s chick?” I’m still caught on the fact these three must be related. The man with the dark hair has the name ‘Zorro’ on his vest and I’m a little baffled at how they’re all blood. They must be half-siblings or something.
“Yo, who’s at the door, brothers?” Another man comes into view. He’s black with a buzz cut and smiles as soon as he sees my bag. “There food in there? You make some food for us, darlin’?”
I laugh lightly, “My mum made some food for Grim, actually, which is why I’m here in the first place. Is he home?”
“If you share some of that . . . I’ll tell you anything you wanna know.” The newest man declares. I peer past the other two and he gets closer, revealing his name ‘Hammer’.
“I have some tablet I can share with you.” I say.
“Tablet? Like an iPad?”
“No, it’s a Scottish fudge, dear. Or, almost like fudge but not quite. I have whisky and caramel flavor.”
He smiles widely, “Yep, can I try some?”
“Certainly,” I say, grabbing the container on the top and hand it to him. He opens it and takes a big piece out, shoving the entire thing in his mouth.
“Holy fuck. This is delicious!”
“Stop hoggin’ it all,” Zorro grumbles, grabbing a piece and then I see Axel do the same. They’re all chewing on the tablet, moaning as they do so.
“This shit is delicious,” Axel compliments me.
“You have food over there?!” A deep voice questions, walking up. This guy is bald with a super thick beard and the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Go ahead and grab a bite of tablet,” I tell him, offering a smile.
“Shit, this don’t look like an iPad to me.” He chortles, tossing a piece into his mouth. “Holy fuck!” He moans pawing at the container. I’m betting he grabbed a few pieces before he was able to run off.
“Java? Is that you?” Grim’s voice questions from behind, and I turn to face him.
“Hey, um, since my mum and dad are in town they told me to enjoy a night to myself . . . which doesn’t happen very often so I thought I’d come over here and pay you a visit, with some food, as an apology for my parents interrupting our coffee date this morning.”
“That’s so sweet, but you didn’t have to make a special trip out here to see me. I could’ve seen you on Tuesday morning.” Grim says, giving me the feeling, he wants to make our coffee date a habit every time he has an appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“I . . . I’d like that. How’s your back holding up?”
“Not too bad, that Biofreeze stuff really helps ease it. Not a fan of the TENS unit, but if you and Herold say it’s good, I’ll keep torturin’ myself.”
Unable to hold back my laugh, I let it come free. “Yeah, a lot of patients say that, but you’ll see it really starts to make a difference. You hungry by chance? I brought some home cooked Scottish food.”
Grim looks to the doorway, “That what my brothers are chomping down on?”
I glance back and see they’ve practically eaten the entire container. “Boys!” I chastise them, still laughing. “Man, your brothers can eat. Do you all have the same father?” I question, my curiosity getting the best of me.
The group of them crack up, though I’m not sure why.
“We have the same father,” Hammer says, but he’s smirking devilishly the entire time.
“Hammer, get fuckin’ lost.” Grim hisses, then looks back down to me. “So, a motorcycle club is like a brotherhood, therefore we’re all brothers, because we’re family. Make sense?”
“Uh, I guess so.” I confess.
Grim places his hand on my back and the guys move out of the doorway, allowing us entry into the building. He walks me by a couple couches and we turn right into a massive kitchen area. On the left is a decent sized kitchen, with two stoves, fridges, and everything else. However, on the right is a massive round table that can sit about twelve people comfortably.
I set the bag down on the table and pull out the containers while Grim goes over to grab some cutlery. By the time he takes a seat he’s already pawing at the container, shoving a spoon into the soup and eating it up. “You’re making me wonder if you even eat.”
“Only on Wednesdays. How else do you think I keep this girlish figure of mine?” Grim jokes, eating the entire tub in less than five minutes. He takes the bread, tearing himself off a large chunk and chews.
“Fuck, this is delicious. You make this?”
“Sadly, I can’t take credit for this. Mum made it while I was at work, but she’s the woman who taught me all the tricks of the trade.”
“Damn, I wish we ate like this here. Typically, us guys alternate cookin’ but when it comes to parties and whatnot, we have the ol’ ladies do it. They’ve had their hands full though, which means they’ve slacked off.”
“Ol’ ladies?” I ask, not really sure what that means.
“It’s a term for the women who are married or with the guys in the club, essentially means their wives, that they demand respect, all that stuff.”
“Oh, okay.” I say, not really sure how to respond to it.
“You gonna sit down, or watch me eat all night?” Grim teases, so I start to take a seat beside him, but the man snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me down onto his lap.
Well, I wasn’t expecting that to happen, but things aren’t going too badly. I’m forever thankful to Mum and Dad for stopping in unexpectedly. They’ve given me some much needed ‘me time’, even if that is spending some time with a handsome stranger who I’m a bit curious to learn more about.
Chapter Fourteen
What if . . . everything you are going through is preparing you for what you asked for
~ Unknown
Grim
“I’m kinda shocked you don’t have a girlfriend . . . with all these ladies around.” Natalie says lowly, looking into the main part of the club. We’re still sittin’ at the kitchen table. She’s snug on my lap, and it gives us a little privacy away from prying eyes and ears.
“You mean the Vixens?” I question, and she furrows her brows in confusion. Yep, she must be talkin’ about them. “They work for Zane’s ol’ lady, Octavia. She owns a website for pin-up alternative girls. Some of ‘em have tats, some of ‘em don’t. They take really sick photos.”
“You mean like Playboy?” There she goes, already makin’ an assumption.
I stifle a chuckle, “Eh, not exactly.” Pulling my phone from my back pocket I go to the home page of Octavia’s website. Right on the front page there’s a woman’s nude body behind frosted glass. I know it’s Bambi ‘cause she went around bragging about the shot, lovin’ it so damn much. “Octavia doesn’t shoot those typical nudie photos for the spank banks. She has this artistic element about it.”
“It’s a beautiful photo,” Natalie says, giving me a soft smile.
“Yeah, it’s one of the few ways the club brings in extra money. Zane bought a twenty percent stake in his wife’s company. She has another investor too. King Rhodes. He’s come around once or twice to check in on stuff, urging her to build a studio somewhere here on the property, but she hasn’t bit that bullet yet. Shit, don’t think you’ve met her yet, have you?”
Natalie shakes her head, “I’m afraid not. Is she a good friend of yours?” I know she must be thinkin’ I’m friends with all the ladies. Can’t help it, though. Been that way since I was a kid, always a ladies’ man.
“She went into labor a few hours ago. Zane’s at the hospital with her now.” Axel pipes in, walkin’ through the entryway.
“You eavesdroppin’ on me or somethin’?” I hiss, not ever bein’ fond of this.
“Not at all, I just realized I didn’t properly introduce myself to your girlfriend here. I’m Axel, Grim’s brother, his actual brother.” Axel smirks, flashing his pearly whites and extends a hand.
“Oh, it’s so lovely to meet ya.” Natalie immediately says, just like the sweet peach she is.
“Damn, that accent.” Axel puts his hand on his crotch and readjusts himself. “If you ever get sick of my brother over here, you can come over—”
Immediately I stand up, make sure Natalie’s standin’ up just fine and throttle my fist into Axel’s face. He flies back, knockin’ himself into the wall and rubs a hand against his jaw. “Jesus, Grim!”
“Get your sly smartass mouth outta here before I knock all your teeth out.” I threaten, keepin’ my eyes focused on him as he walks out, mutterin’ somethin’ about me bein’ a hothead while he leaves.
I turn back around to face Natalie, who has her arms wrapped around herself like she’s tryin’ to calm down. “I’m sorry, Java. I didn’t mean to upset you. You alright?”
She stares at me for a couple of moments before I see her gnawing on her bottom lip. “I . . . I think I should go.”
It’s like she’s shut down completely, all with one action. I don’t get it. I take a few steps toward her and she stumbles to the right knocking herself into the counter. “Java . . . I’m sorry. Look, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just won’t have anyone treatin’ you like that, disrespectin’ you like you’re nothin’ but a whore. I won’t tolerate it.”
Her face goes white as a sheet. “Grim, look, I really think I need to leave.” She’s becoming more adamant about wantin’ to get the fuck outta here. “I appreciate you defending my honor and all, but violence isn’t the answer.”
Ding ding. It’s the violence.
“Sometimes violence is the only answer, especially when fuckers should have common sense.” I grit, pissed that Axel had to come in here and fuck up somethin’ good. He knew not to push my buttons but did it anyway.
Mayhem: A Reapers MC Boxset Page 48