by Erin Osborne
“Nessa, where you at baby?” I call out, walking into the house at the compound.
“In the bedroom,” comes her muffled reply.
I walk in the bedroom and see her ass sticking straight up in the air as she bends over to reach something under the edge of the bed. My cock instantly goes hard at the sight before me. Discreetly as possible, I adjust myself in my jeans and walk up closer to her. I want to be able to run my hands over her ass, but we’re not there yet. So, I clench my hands into fists as I step up close to her.
“What are you doin’?” I ask.
“Trying to get Tyler’s bike from under the bed. What’s up?” she asks.
“I’ve got a surprise for the kids and you,” I tell her as she stands back up with the small toy in her hand.
“What’s that?” she asks me.
“You’ll have to come with me and find out,” I tell her, not giving her an inch.
“Okay,” she says. “When?”
“Right now,” I tell her.
We walk into the kids’ rooms and get them ready for the surprise of their lives. I’m excited to see how Vanessa’s going to react to the house and everything that’s in it. I’ve been working non-stop the last two days in order to get everything ready for us to move in. Renegade, Psycho, Smokey, Hadliegh, and Callie have been a big help. They’ve been at the house with me from sun-up to sun-down in order to accomplish my goal.
“Where are we going?” Vanessa asks when we start walking away from the compound.
“Not far. Toward the clubhouse,” I tell her.
The kids run in front of us and we watch them play and laugh as the grass tickles their ankles. We need to get the Prospects out here to mow soon. For now, I bask in the warmth of the sun and the happiness of two little children who have wrapped their hands around my heart and I know they’re never going to let go. I don’t want them to.
As we get closer to the house, Vanessa’s eyes widen. All the ol’ ladies are sitting on the porch as the guys stand around the yard. I didn’t want to overwhelm her with having everyone here, so just the men with ol’ ladies are here tonight. Along with the kids. Tyler and Kayla go running over to the kids as Vanessa begins to realize what’s going on.
“Is this your house?” she asks, turning to look at me as she stops walking.
“No. It’s our home,” I tell her, standing right next to her.
“What do you mean?” she questions.
“I mean, you’re ready to move away from the compound. You’ve been showin’ every day how strong you are. You’re my ol’ lady and Tyler and Kayla are my children. We’re still safe behind the walls of the clubhouse, but this is our home. Vanessa, I go where you go,” I tell her.
Vanessa has tears shinning in her eyes as she takes in the house again. The paint is a light brown color with black shutters on the windows. There’s a wraparound porch with rocking chairs and a small table for the kids already in place. A few steps lead up to the porch with a set of double doors leading the way inside.
“You ready to see our new home?” I ask her as we begin walking again.
She nods her head at me while looking at the house in awe. We head inside and everyone else stays outside to give us a moment alone as a family. I appreciate it more than I’ll ever be able to express to them. This is for us and we need it.
Walking through the front door, we stop in the downstairs. There’s an open floor plan with the exception of a set of stairs leading upstairs and downstairs to the finished basement. To the left is the kitchen with a dining room at the end of it. I put in a bay window so we could look out as we sit together at our meals. Directly in front of us is the living room. To the right is the laundry room and a smaller bathroom.
Hadliegh and Callie made sure to put up all the decorations and candles to make the place already feel like home. I lead my family upstairs and show them our bedrooms. There’s six rooms upstairs plus a large bathroom. We walk into Tyler’s room first.
Tyler’s room is painted a soft blue. Ink painted bikes and bears on the walls for him. Along with the same designs on the bed frame. He’s got a big boy bed and he runs straight to it. At the foot of the bed is a dresser with a small TV and DVD player for his movies when it’s nap time. There’s a toy box full of toys I bought him along with the rest of his toys we need to get from the house in the compound. The smile on his face lights up the room and I’m glad he loves the little room.
Next, we go to Kayla’s room. Her room is painted a soft purple. Ink put bears and butterflies on her walls and bed. She’s got the same set up in her room as Tyler’s she looks at everything and drags Vanessa over to the walls to show her the mural. I’ve also put a picture of Vanessa on each of their nightstands so they know their mom is never far from them. It’s one I took of her and love.
While the kids finish inspecting their rooms, I lead Vanessa into our room. There’s a King size bed sitting in the middle of the room. I’ve left the walls in here white so she can choose the color of our room. There’s a built-in bookcase at the end of the bed where our TV sits mounted on the wall. The shelves are mainly empty except for a few books the women bought her and a few other little things. To the left of the bed is our walk-in closet with my clothes already inside, and a few things I bought for Vanessa. On the right is our en suite bathroom.
The bathroom has a large shower you have to walk down two steps to get into. It’s large enough for six people to use comfortably and has multiple showerheads. There’s also a large soaking tub for Vanessa to sink down in and relax when she needs to. We have a double vanity and my things are already put away in here too.
Vanessa walks out of our room to see the remaining three bedrooms. They sit completely empty so she can put her magic touch on them.
“What’s going in the empty rooms?” she asks once she’s looked through them all.
“More kids. Or we have extra room if we go on lockdown,” I tell her.
“You want to have children with me?” she asks, her tears sliding down her face.
“Nessa, I want to have you in my bed, my arms, my ring on your finger, and as many babies as you’ll give me,” I answer honestly.
“Are you sure you know what you’re asking?” she questions, placing a hand on my arm.
“I love Tyler and Kayla as my own. They are my children. If you want me to adopt them, I have no problem doin’ that. If not, I agree with it too. The call is yours to make. I’m hopin’ you want to have more kids and that we can have them together,” I say, turning her to wrap my arms around her body as I lean in and kiss her neck gently.
I feel the tremor that runs through her body at my touch. It gives me hope that she’s more than ready for us to have sex. Still, I won’t push her, but the hope begins to burn inside me.
“One day at a time,” Vanessa suddenly says. “We’ll take it one day at a time and see where the road leads us.”
“Sounds good to me baby,” I answer, pulling away from her while we go in to check on the kids.
They’re playing in Tyler’s room, never wanting to be alone for long. Plus, they want to check out one another’s rooms and new things. It’s how they were when they got to the house at the new compound. I love watching them interact, but we have guests waiting to come inside and I’m sure the food is here by now.
I ordered us pizza and things for dinner tonight. Not the best start for our new home, but with the amount of people here, I thought it was the best option. Psycho and Smokey will eat it all if we’re not down there to hold them off. I know them all too well. Especially Smokey.
He’s here because he’s one of my best friends. If anyone knows me as much as Vanessa, it’s Smokey. We just don’t have to spend all our time together. He knows I’m here if he needs me and I know he’s got my back. It’s how we are. So, ol’ lady or not, he’s here and Vanessa will have to get used to him being around. Not that I think it’s going to be a problem.
“Let’s go get dinner,” I tell my family. “Ord
ered pizza, wings, bread, and fries for the kids.”
Vanessa nods her head and we all head back downstairs. Later on I’ll show her the basement, but not right now. It’s where the safe is and I don’t want anyone else knowing. Nothing is really even down there yet. We’re going to decide together what that room is. Other than an office I put in one corner for myself. Just in case the guys need to talk club business and we’re here.
“What do you think of the house?” Smokey asks as we get in the kitchen.
“I love it. I had no clue this was for us,” Vanessa answers him, tilting her head down slightly as a blush covers her face.
“That was the point, sweetheart,” he tells her. “You’ve had more than enough goin’ on and have stepped in to help Natasha out at the compound. You deserve this, and Grave, more than anyone I know.”
“Thank you,” she mumbles.
Vanessa doesn’t know how to take compliments. It’s something I’m going to make sure changes. I’ll compliment her every day if I have to and it won’t be a hardship to do. I can’t understand why anyone in her life ever treated her like shit. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I’ll treat her the best I can every second she allows me in her life.
The rest of the night, we spend talking and laughing. Vanessa opens up a little as we all sit around and watch the kids. Kayla is like a little mother hen around Bo and Tabby. She makes sure they’re okay and wants to help when they start fussing. Natasha indulges her and lets her hold the babies one at a time.
This is one of the best nights of my life. I’ve got my family surrounding me, my woman by my side, my kids are happy, and the club is doing good. What more could a man want out of life?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Vanessa
WE’VE BEEN IN the new house with Grave for a few days and I love it. We’re still getting used to living with one another in our own space, but it’s going pretty good. Especially for the kids. They love having two adults in the house to help them out when they need it. Tyler loves being around Grave so he tends to stick to him like glue.
I still go to counselling, but I’m not going quite as often. Instead of several days a week, I’m only going once a week. It’s really helped me realize and understand that I’ve been through some horrible shit in my life, but it doesn’t define who I am or what I want. The people who have hurt me, abused me, and made me feel less than are the ones who need help.
There are still things I’m not quite ready to face alone, but I feel stronger and more empowered than I ever have in my entire life. Grave is still right by my side when he knows I need it. He’s not pressuring me for sex or anything but what we share on a daily basis. It’s as if he’s waiting for cues from me as to what to do and where we’re going.
I’ve thought a lot about what I’m ready for with Grave and I think I’m ready to have sex with him. I’m scared to death about it, but I know he won’t hurt me. Or force me to do something I don’t want to do. He’s not Ray and won’t just take what he wants. If he were, he’d already be trying to force me into sleeping with him. Grave is a good man and I want to show him I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level. To give him what he’s already told me he wants.
With Grave, I know it won’t be all about him. He’ll make sure I’m having a good time and it’s something I want to do with him. There’s no pressure for us to have sex and I think that’s why I’ve been thinking about it so much. While I’m nervous, I know it’s something I want to experience and share with the man who’s come to mean so much to my children and me in such a short time.
Yesterday I met with Mr. Ripley. Everything that was in Ray’s name now belongs to me. There’s a small amount of debt that has to be paid off, but there’s more than enough money to cover that.
Ray owns two homes, has stocks in his company that can be cashed in, and with a little digging, Mr. Ripley found a few offshore accounts too. So, once I sell everything off, I won’t have to worry about money for a while. I’ll be able to put the money in accounts for the kids if they want to go to college or just have to start their life away from home with. I don’t want a dime of it, but that’s not to say I don’t want it for Tyler and Kayla. They deserve something from the man who fathered them even if he wouldn’t approve of it.
I don’t have to worry about any other relatives trying to claim the money either. His parents have passed away already and there’s no brothers or sisters. The only ones who can try to hold up me selling everything off is his flavor of the month. And that might be a real possibility because Mr. Ripley said she’s living in the house I was tortured in. But, because we were still married at the time of his death, there’s nothing she can really do about it.
Grave said he’ll make sure I don’t have any problems with selling everything off. Including the two new cars he has sitting at my old home. She’s been driving the sports cars all over the place and acting like they’re hers when they’re both in Ray’s name. She sure as hell is going to be pissed when I essentially take everything from her because my kids deserve what Ray never gave them financially.
I’m heading to the compound today to talk to Cassidy about doing something to help the women. At this point I’m not sure what I can do because the classes already have teachers in place and I’m not going to take anything away from anyone already working here. Maybe I can run a group therapy session or something where we all share our stories.
It’s one thing to be told you’re not alone in the situations you’ve been through, but it’s another thing to actually hear other women who have been in similar situations. Cassidy may not even like the suggestion, but it’s the only one I have right now.
Walking into the office building, I knock on Cassidy’s door and wait for her to tell me to come in. If the door’s shut and Hawk or Chains are anywhere near the compound, I’ve learned it’s best to wait for them to open the door. Not that I’ve walked in on them, but it’s kind of obvious what’s been going on based on the wrinkled clothes and messed up hair. A smile covers my face as I think of Cassidy turning her life around and wanting to get to the same point in my life.
“Come in,” I finally hear.
Walking inside, I see all three sitting around the desk. You can smell the sex in the room as I laugh a little. Cassidy’s face blushes a bright red as she further gives herself away.
“Having a good day?” I ask.
“Definitely a good day,” Chains answers with a wink in my direction.
“Cassidy, I wanted to talk to you for a second. When you have the time,” I add on hastily.
“We can talk right now. What’s going on?” she asks as her men make their way over to her and give her a kiss before leaving us alone in her office.
“Well, I was thinking about doing something at the compound. I don’t want to take over any classes or anything like that. But, what if I started a group session. We can talk about what we’ve been through and the steps we’ve been making since coming to the compound,” I rush out.
Cassidy thinks it over for a minute before turning her full attention toward me.
“I really like the idea. It’s not like we’d need the counsellors here for that because everyone in the room will have been through similar situations. You don’t need to assign them to do anything like a counselor would, it’s just a session once or twice a week where you all gather and talk things through. Maybe offer a little encouragement when it’s needed,” Cassidy says. “When do you want to start?”
“Whenever you want me to,” I tell her.
“Why not today? Natasha is coming back to her classes today so you won’t have to teach the cooking class. You can do it before class so you can still take dinner home to Grave,” she tells me.
“Great! Thank you so much. I’ll go see how many women want to come. Do you know where anyone is?” I ask her.
“Check the self-defense room. They should be finishing up with Tex right about now,” she tells me.
I go in
search of the women and find them leaving the room designated for working out and self-defense. Everyone except for a newer woman wants to come, so I go in search of an empty room we can use for an hour or so. Today is the day I finally open up to the rest of the women at the compound. I never have and I think it’s time. This is my idea and I’m going to get it all out. To show I don’t feel I’m better than them, as I’ve heard being stated before, or as if I went through something worse than they have. Abuse is abuse, no matter the form or how bad it is on the individual or family.
Once everyone is in the room and seated in the chairs, I stand up and wait for them to stop talking.
“Hello everyone, thank you for joining me. This isn’t going to be like a group therapy session a counselor would run, it’s just going to be a safe place we can talk, share, and offer encouragement,” I begin saying. “I know I haven’t really participated and I don’t talk about what happened to me. Well, that changes today. I’d like to start and share what I’ve been through in my life and why I came to the compound.”
Every woman looks at me with varying degrees of shock and awe on their faces. They know I don’t share with anyone except for a member or two of the club.
“Growing up I didn’t have a relationship with my parents. They were drug addicts and only worried about their next fix and the parties they’d throw for their friends. I was made to cook, clean, and do whatever else they wanted me to do. If I didn’t do it to their standards or fast enough, I was beaten, verbally assaulted, and threatened to be sold to someone who would teach me how to act or kill me in the process.
“I never knew if we were going to have power, running water, food for me to eat in the house. Yes, my parents ate, but I was barely allowed to eat the food I was forced to make for them. I was dirty, didn’t have clean clothes all the time, and bullied in school because of the way I looked. As I got older, I learned how to ensure I had clean clothes, to work odd jobs for scraps of money I had to hide from my parents, and to take showers at school on a daily basis.