“You may leave now Sniper, and we’ll let you know what we decide,” Wasp tells him.
Chapter 27
Justice
The fuck did he just say? Marry her off to a single officer in the club. Wait a damn minute, I’m the only single officer left…oh fuck no! I’m not marrying some bitch I don’t know so that there can be a truce. There has got to be another way. Right? Fuck me! I just got out of motherfuckin’ rehab, I haven’t even had my fill of what club babes are left for my amusement. I don’t want to tie the knot and settle down with one bitch. I’m not ready, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to be tied down to just one woman for the rest of my life!
“Hold on now brothers,” I say as Sniper leaves the room. “Who else is single other than me?” Everyone looks at me with amusement in their eyes…yeah, that’s what I thought…if we take this deal, it boils down to me and if I’m willing to sacrifice my future to save Bristol. You have got to be shitting me. This is barbaric and unrealistic. Surely, they can see that. What am I talking about, it’s our blood oath. Sacrifice one for the good of the club. And in this situation the sacrificial lamb is me. Fuck those Columbian bastards, they really know how to shove a stick up someone’s ass and keep it there…this is for motherfuckin’ life!
Our bylaws don’t allow us to stray once we’re settled down. We know what can happen when cheating on an Ol’ lady happens, one took her own life and we lost a brother mentally that day. He’s never been the same and doesn’t participate in anything club-related anymore. He’s been a loose cannon since then and can’t be trusted to keep his sanity or mind in a situation. His cheating ways is what lost him his woman and his unborn child. She couldn’t take the cheating and blew her brains out here in the clubhouse. She was a good woman too, what a waste.
“Justice, brother…” Wasp begins.
“Oh no, don’t you Justice brother me here Wasp! I mean what the fuck,” I yell out my frustration. I mean this is un-fuckin-believable.
“I agree with Justice,” I pipe in. “He shouldn’t be forced to be with one woman, that he doesn’t even know, for the rest of his life. There has to be another way to handle this.”
“Then let’s discuss all of our options and come up with the best solution,” Tic says to us.
Three hours later, a bunch of broken furniture and a lot of liquor passed my way, we still have nothing. There is no other way around this mess, and it looks like I’m getting a new bride. Lucky fuckin’ me. I just hope I don’t have to put a brown paper bag over her head while I’m banging this bitch. I just pray that we get along, and don’t spend our lives with someone we hate. That sounds like a life of misery to me. I had enough misery growing up at the hands of my father, I don’t need another daily reminder of how fucked up my life really is.
That’s a story for another day.
Lizzie
My father ended up with three girls and no boys. I’m the youngest, my older sisters have already been married off. Arranged marriages, I’m expecting mine to be happening soon since I’m almost twenty-one. I’ve made it longer than any of my sisters did…Genny was married off at nineteen and Rosa was married off at the ripe old age of seventeen. My sisters are both submissive, I however am not. I won’t make the perfect housewife and eye candy for one of my father’s officers as my sisters did. It is going to take one special kind of man to be able to deal with my independence and ability to cut you in half with my tongue.
My father hasn’t found a colleague either in his organization or outside of it willing to marry me. I guess my reputation precedes me. Oh well, I couldn’t care less, I’d rather be able to come and go as I please and have no man to answer to. I love my shopping and spa days, lunch out with the girls, and clubbing at night as my heart desires. Tonight however, I have been summoned to dinner with my father for a family announcement. I wonder if one of my sisters are expecting another baby. I love being an Auntie!
Knowing family dinner is in less than an hour I hurry up and shower and dress. We dress up for family dinners, I don’t know why, it’s not like we take family photos while eating or before or after for that matter. Lord forbid that we do show up not dressed appropriately, we’d be punished for days afterwards, and the dungeon, which is what I call our basement, is not a fun place to be banished to. Nothing to do there except twiddle your thumbs until your punishment has been met.
In other words, until father feels like we’ve paid our penance and he’s no longer annoyed with us. I’ve spent some of the longest days of my life down there, not always because I don’t dress up for dinner, but because I’m mouthy, according to father. I call it voicing my opinion, which is absolutely not allowed in our household.
Once we’re all seated at our assigned seats my father makes his announcement. And what he has to tell me floors me…he’s found the man I am to marry, worse yet, he’s a biker! A biker, really, father? Aren’t they all criminals and disgusting, no showers and all of that. Damnit, this is punishment for pushing all of his buttons and him not being able to find me a husband that can control me on his behalf. Well, I have news for him, I won’t be controlled by any man, not even a filthy biker. I’ll show him, I’ll show them all!
Chapter 28
Ghost
Once we made our decision and told Sniper he was on the phone with his informant. Plans are made for a meeting with this douche canoe who is willing to sell his daughter. I mean he is basically selling her, he’s giving her away for a damn truce, so he can get his way and move up the ladder once we take care of his problem for him. I feel like we’re no better than the sex traffickers that we’re trying to shut down, here we are taking a woman as a trade for services. I feel sick to my stomach even thinking this way.
What kind of monsters are we becoming? I look over at Justice who’s sitting down the bar from me and he looks so fuckin’ lost and upset that even I don’t know what to say to him right now. How do we help him deal with this? He has basically given up his freedom for the club, for me, for Bristol. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay him for the sacrifice he’s making. I really hope he and his future bride hit it off and it’s not a life sentence of hell for him. I’d never be able to forgive myself.
It’s been decided that they won’t meet and marry until all of this is behind us. In the next year or two my brother will be in an arranged marriage…how fucked up is that? It’s like we’ve been transported back in time to when arranged marriages were the way fathers married their daughters off to the highest bidder. I can’t believe this informant is willing to give his daughter to a man he doesn’t even know.
It makes me wonder if this could’ve been Bristol’s fate. Married to a man she didn’t know, didn’t have a chance to fall in love with. I’m just grateful all the dominoes fell in line for her. I mean shit, if we hadn’t had to go after Lil’ bit, I may never have had a chance to know her. She would’ve been someone else’s.
I gurandamntee, no one else would’ve loved her the way I do. She is my everything, my world, my love, my soul, and the reason I feel my heart beat every damn day. I feel someone sit beside me at the bar. I look over and see Justice there.
“Hey man, got a minute?” he asks me.
“Any time, any place brother. Always, what’s up?”
“I’m freakin’ the fuck out here man. I never had any intention of settling down, that’s not me. I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it. I mean my old man wasn’t any type of role model. He hated his life, hates his family, hated being tied down. What if I’m like him, what if I don’t treat her like I should? Fuck, I don’t even know her, what if we can’t even be friends?”
“I wish I knew what to say here man,” I tell him, “What you’re sacrificing for the club and for my girl…I don’t even have words.” I pick up my beer bottle that I’d been babying and down it in one gulp. How can you say to your best friend, that him sacrificing his future happiness for yours is the best gift anyone’s ever given you? That him possibly being miserable is
making a way for my future happiness?
“All I can sit here and think about is, how can a father use his daughter as a bargaining chip? A way for him to climb up in the ranks of his organization? What about her happiness? I mean, doesn’t he love his daughter?”
“I know how you’re feeling, when we rescued Bristol, her father was ready to swap her to Cordozo for Lil’ bit. He was trading her for a younger daughter, one he could break in. One who wasn’t grown and able to have her own thoughts and opinions. Lord only knows what his plans for Lil’ bit were. And I ask myself all the time, what were Cordozo’s plans for my sweet cheeks?”
“Jeez man, I didn’t even think. Maybe Bristol can help this girl out? Fuck, you realize I don’t know this girl’s name, her father’s name or anything about this family? This has my mind all kinds of fucked up,” he says on a sigh.
“You don’t have to do this man. It’s not too late to back out ya know. We can put our minds together and figure out another way. A way to where you’re not putting yourself on the line so much. I don’t think I could stomach seeing you miserable forever like that, it’d eat me alive to watch it.”
“I think I’m gonna play this one by ear and see what comes of it. We can always be married in name only. I could let her have her life and I have mine. Separately, then always make appearances where we need to. I don’t know, I’m thinking out loud here. I know the club doesn’t stand for cheating on Ol’ ladies, but what if I don’t make her my Ol’ lady, just marry her and keep her as a citizen wife. She’ll still do her thing and not have to worry about me interfering too much.”
“If that’s what you really want, I’ll stand by you when you bring it to the table. I got your back however I can. I give you my word.”
“When I actually do get to meet her, I’ll talk with her and see where she stands. For all I know, she wants a real marriage. Who knows? I’ll do whatever it takes for this club and you, brother.”
Carson brings us both another beer and we sit in silence, both lost in our thoughts.
Chapter 29
Bristol
I finish up my weeks’ worth of lessons this morning and decide to join the rest of the world. I can hear everyone in the main room so I hop in the shower, dress and run out to spend some time with everyone else. I’m feeling more like me since I had a full day with Brady. He always makes things better and I’m looking forward to our life’s path. I know he and the boys will protect me no matter what, so I’m letting go of Johnny, and letting them handle it however they see fit.
Walking out to the common room I see everyone looking down in the dumps. I walk up to where I see Brady and Justice looking lost, drowning themselves in their beer. The look on Justice’s face makes me uneasy. I want to know what’s going on, but I’m scared to ask. I hope whatever it is, it’s fixable. Not being able to help myself I ask them.
“What’s up guys, why do you two look so upset?”
“Just some club shit, sweet cheeks. We’ll get it figured out, don’t want you worrying about it. Alright?”
“If you’re sure, anything I can do to help I will. What you guys are doing for me, because of me…I have no words to convey my gratitude.”
“Bristol, you’re family, this is what we do for family,” Justice tells me, but I have a feeling there is a lot going on…and it involves me.
“We’ve got this, sweet cheeks, but I’ll make you a promise. If there’s anything you can do, anyway for you to help. I’ll come to you.”
“If you promise, then I’ll drop it. For now.” I can’t help but think that there has to be a way for me to do something. Everyone looks so down. I don’t want anyone sad, especially if there’s something I can do. This new family I have made has done so much for me, if I can help pay it forward somehow, I’d like to opportunity to do so.
Ghost
A part of me feels guilty that I’m not telling her everything, but the more logical me knows that if she was aware of the deal made, she’d try to fix it. That’s not something I can allow to happen, her fixing it would mean giving herself over to Valdez. I know my girl, she’d do it if it meant saving Justice from the fate coming his way, she’d feel guilty and want to save us all from the deal that’s been made. I can’t let her do that, there’s no telling what that fucker has planned for her. I can’t let him get his hands on her. She may not survive it. Hell, what am I saying, I wouldn’t survive not having her.
When I think of what my life would be like without her, I can feel my chest constricting and I lose all ability to inhale oxygen into my lungs. My friend may be paying the price for her freedom and I will make sure to do everything within my power to help him make it through this ordeal. My fingers are crossed that they may have a love story that I have heard my girl talking about from the books she reads. Just because they didn’t choose each other, doesn’t mean things may not work out for them. I can only hope and pray it does. He deserves happiness after the childhood he endured at the hands of his father.
Fate is a bitch, I only hope Justice grabs her by the throat and makes his own destiny out of what that bitch has delivered to his doorstep. I pull Bristol into my lap and breathe in her scent, for some reason I need to memorize every scent she carries. I need to breath it in deep and make sure it never leaves my senses. I close my eyes and think about every sound she makes, the way her smile lights up my days, and how she makes me want to be a better man.
For her.
For me.
For our future family, one I plan on starting as soon as she’ll let me.
I can’t wait to plant my baby inside of her and watching her grow round with my child. Something I’ve longed for since the day I saw her, the day I claimed her, that day I made her mine in all ways. I’ve imagined it and dreamed about it.
“So, I’ve made a decision, Brady.”
“Yah? What’s that, sweet cheeks?”
“I’ve decided to stick with my original plan, I’m going to go to real estate school. I do, however, want to get my basics out of the way with my online courses first. I think it’s important that I have those even though they don’t pertain to real estate. What do you think?” she asks me as she bites her cheek in anticipation of my reply.
Smiling at her I tell her, “I think that’s a great idea. No one can ever have too much schoolin’.”
“Schoolin’, oh lord Brady, I think we need to get you some basic English classes.” I know she’s teasing me so I go in for the kill, I use both hands and start tickling her in front of everyone. She starts giggling and squeaking for me to stop. But by the smile on her face, I can tell she’s enjoying this as much as I am. I finally relent when I hear the words ‘I’m going to pee my pants’. Not wantin’ to be covered in piss I let go.
“I’m just teasing you baby, I love the way you speak.”
“I know, sweet cheeks, I know.” And I do know. She would go above and beyond to keep from hurting my feelings in any way, shape or form. It’s one of the qualities I love about her. Not being able to hold back any longer I let her know how I’m feeling.
“I love you, sweet cheeks.”
“I love you, too, Brady.”
And then we see beer spray across the bar, I look over at Justice and he has an ‘are you for real, I’m sitting right here’ look. I can’t help but laugh at his expression and Bristol joins me. Our laughs must be contagious because Justice joins us. The next thing you know we’re all laughing so hard we can hardly catch our breath. Just like that, the tension Justice and I have been holding in is released. I can’t help the pride I feel in my girl that she was able to do that for us.
Chapter 30
Bristol
Three more weeks have passed since Brady, Justice and I had a couple of beers together as we sat in the common room. Tensions have been at an all-time high with all of the guys. Sometimes it feels as if I’m walking on eggshells to not make matters worse. The guilt I’m carrying knowing that their temperaments are due to what’s come to them because of
me is eating me alive. Justice has been keeping to himself more than usual, I can’t help but miss the friendship he and I were building. They’ve been having daily meetings, which is in of itself something out of the ordinary. It’s never happened until recently, since all of my bullshit followed me here.
If there was something I could do to help, besides turning myself over to Johnny, I would do it. The thought of never seeing Brady again, holding him and loving him isn’t something I’m willing to give up just yet—if ever. I know myself though, and if it’s the only way to keep a shit storm from hurting my friends, I’ll do it. I’ll sacrifice myself for the safety and good of my new-found family. First, I’m going to let this play out and see where it goes before I even consider giving myself over. Biding time isn’t easy, but I think if given enough time, things may come to a resolution. These guys know what they’re doing.
Taken by Temptation: Rage Ryders MC Page 10