“True.”
“Look at us following our dreams.” Emily beams. “If this doesn’t call for cake, I don’t know what does.” She rushes off, leaving Ellen and me smiling in agreement.
I stay long enough to have some cake, then take Gage’s hand and lead him to our room. It’s a bit of a mess, but the reason is evident—he put the crib together. I stand there for a moment, admiring it. I still can’t believe I’m a mother.
“It’s beautiful, Gage.”
“Sorry, Krueger interrupted me and I didn’t get to clean up.”
“It’s okay.” I climb into bed, watching him pick up the trash. “Speaking of Krueger, what’s going on with him?”
He sighs, tossing some plastic bags into the bin. “I offered him Mission.”
“Mission’s a good guy.”
“He is, but Krueger wants me. He’s not happy, but at least he’s hearing me out. I invited Mission up, and he should be here soon. I’m hoping the two will hit it off. At first, I wanted to give him Chopper, but I think all he wants to do now is be a grandfather.”
“I agree. What does Mission think of all this?”
“He’s all in. Let’s hope he can convince Krueger he’s the best candidate. I just didn’t know what else to do. I feel so fuckin’ helpless. I wish I could just tell Krueger to fuck off.”
“You can.” I shrug.
“No, babe. I can’t tell my national president to fuck off.”
“Sure you can.” I sit up, meeting his eyes. This is not the confident man I know and love, and I’m not about to let some fucker break his spirit.
“Raven—”
“You’re Gage motherfuckin’ Hunter. The Reaper. You can do anything.” His back straightens, eyes focusing on me. “You’re the tiger in the jungle, the lion among beasts. You. Are. El jefe. Krueger is nobody next to you. Without his title, he’s nothing.” His chest heaves, eyes burning with the fire my words are lighting inside him. This is my Gage. “You are the king, the emperor, the….” I pause, racking my brain for another word. “Supreme Overlord. You can do this.”
In a burst of motion, he’s next to me, pressing his lips to mine. His kiss is urgent, invasive… desperate. When he breaks away, I’m left reeling.
“If I’m all those things, it’s because of you, Raven. And you’re right. We’ve all been tiptoeing around the issue when all I need to do is face it head-on. Thank you.”
“That’s why I wear the ring.” I smirk.
“Definitely.” His eyes meet mine. “You make it easy to forget I’m so much older than you. You’re wise beyond your years, Mrs. Hunter.”
“You said it yourself, Mr. Hunter; I was made for you. Had to make up for my age somehow.”
“Trust me, doll, you more than make up for it.”
“Good.”
He takes a deep breath. “Now, what are we going to do about the other stuff?”
“Where are they?”
“In—” He’s interrupted by a knock on the door. “In one of the empty rooms,” he continues as he heads to the door. “The prospect is keeping an eye on them.”
Dr. E is on the other side of the door, and he hands Gage an envelope. “Chad dropped this off for you. He said you’d want to see it right away.”
Some kind of silent communication passes between them before Gage takes it.
“Thanks, E.”
He closes the door, walking back to the bed and offering the envelope to me.
“Is that…?”
“The test results. Open it.”
I stare down at it, wondering if I need to know what’s inside. I believe Gage when he says there’s no way he could be the father of Britney’s child. Do I need proof of that?
“I don’t need to see it.” I meet his eyes as I say the words. “I believe you. I trust you.”
He nods but motions for me to take it anyway. I oblige, removing the paper inside and reading the results.
“Well, it’s her kid, but probability of paternity zero percent.” A part of me heaves a sigh of relief. “What are you going to do with her?”
“I don’t know.” He perches on the edge of the bed. “The kid is a problem.”
“I know.” I look over to the crib in the corner, thinking of Chaos and Hailey growing up without me. It’s not something I’d wish on any child. “I think you should just let her go.”
“What?” He turns to me, disbelief creasing his brows. “After putting you and my kids in danger? Fuck that.”
“Not without a little scare, but… I can’t be responsible for taking a mother from her child. I won’t have that on my conscience.”
“And Lonnie?”
“Lonnie and I will never be real sisters. I accepted that a long time ago. She wasn’t involved in Deena’s scheme, and even though I can never forgive her for what she did to me, she has Daddy’s blood running through her veins.”
“So you want to let her go, too? Have you forgotten the bruises? I certainly haven’t forgotten finding you struggling against that fucker with his hand down your pants.”
“I haven’t. It’s just… I’ve had more time with this than you. I’ve come to terms with it all.”
“I’m not going to come to terms with any of it, Raven. She hurt you. Why didn’t you tell me it was her?” He closes his eyes, slowly shaking his head. “You saw me accuse Chris. What if I’d done something to him?”
I swallow hard. “You mean…?”
“Yes, Raven.” He meets my eyes, holding my stare so I know he’s serious.
“But I was nothing to you then.”
“I may not have known it then, but since the day I met you, you were everything to me, doll.”
“Gage….”
He takes my hand, raising it to his lips and kissing the back. I’ve always known he has this sweet and sensitive side, but it never ceases to amaze me. This is the side of him I need to appeal to if I want him to see things my way.
“You could banish her.”
“Yeah.” He scoffs. “Look how well that worked with Britney.”
“If I tell her not to come back, she won’t. Besides, I think she’s still in love with you. It hurts her to see us together, and that’s why she’s stayed away this long. And you… you said you want to leave that life behind. This is the perfect time to start.”
“It’s not right, Raven… letting them get away with everything.”
“I have what they want. I don’t think they’re getting anything.”
“What’s that?” He raises a brow.
“You.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Now that I think of it, I’m a little scared for my sanity.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Lonnie, Deena, Cassidy, Britney… I think your monster dick drives women crazy.”
He cracks a reluctant smile, then stops fighting it, throwing his head back as laughter erupts from him.
“You laugh but it’s true.”
“Nah, they were always crazy. I just never bothered or cared to find out. I think you’re safe.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Because I cared to find out—and did—before I put my dick in you.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that one.”
“Good.” He stands, kissing my forehead and snatching up the test results. “Now I’m gonna deal with the crazies.”
“Wait. I’m coming with you.”
He helps me out of bed and to the room where the women are. The moment we walk in, the one who came with Britney charges at us.
“You know this is illegal, right? You can’t keep us locked up—”
Gage silences her with the paper in his hand. She reads it, eyes going wide in shock before she turns them to Britney.
“Brit?”
Britney avoids her gaze, staring at the floor. Gage calls Tyler into the room, telling him to take the little boy away. Standing back, we watch the drama unfold. It’s obvious the woman wasn’t privy to Britney’s plan,
whatever it was.
“You lied to me?” she continues. “Why?”
“Leanne….” Britney shakes her head, throwing me an evil glance. “This is all your fault. You stole him from me!”
Gage steps in front of me, crossing his arms over his chest. “I told you not to address her.”
“Why, Britney?” the other woman demands again. “Was any of it true? Or was it to get me to feel sorry for you? I took you in, looked after you and your son, all because you said his father kicked you out when you told him you were pregnant. I came here with you, disrupted these people’s lives… for what?”
“I just wanted to hurt her… and it almost worked. She got me banned from the club, and broke my fucking nose! I couldn’t think of another way to get to her.”
“Oh my God.” Leanne throws her hands in the air. “And the rest? Obviously, that was a lie, too, because you’re still hung up on him. I can’t believe I fell for you and your lies… that I helped you put this woman’s children at risk.”
I find the woman’s choice of words strange. She also seems to be taking this way too hard. Something else is going on here. Gage speaks first, beating me to the question.
“Wait.” He motions between the two women. “Are you two… together?”
Leanne picks up her things, standing before Gage.
“Not anymore.”
***Gage***
Holy shit.
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Looks like when Britney left here, she started batting for the other team.
“I apologize,” the woman says. “I came here, judging you without knowing the facts. I had no reason to doubt her.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Can I go? I don’t want to be around her.”
“Leanne, wait,” Britney begs, desperation taking over.
“Forget it. I’m gonna miss that little boy, but I don’t want to see you again.”
Without looking back, she leaves the room, slamming the door behind her. Lonnie emerges from the bathroom, a clueless glance sweeping the room.
“What’s going on?” she asks.
I push the lesbian drama out of my head and get down to business.
“What’s going on is I’m going to deal with this shit once and for all. Let it be known that I wanted to bury the two of you, but my wife is feeling benevolent.”
“Raven….”
Lonnie steps forward, but Raven raises a hand to stop her.
“Don’t. I want you to leave before I change my mind. If you ever return to Stony View, I won’t ask my husband to show mercy. Got it?”
“Yes.” Her head bobs up and down.
“Good. Now get out of here.”
Raven says something else in Spanish that shakes Lonnie to her core. Her face blanches and she jumps into action, hurrying from the room. Raven turns her attention to Britney, narrowing her eyes. The other woman returns a defiant stare.
“Babe, can I borrow your gun?”
After all her talk of conscience, I raise a skeptical brow but hand it to her anyway. Britney’s eyes widen, gaze flicking between me and my wife.
“You,” Raven says, pointing the barrel of my Glock at Britney’s forehead. “If it wasn’t for that child, I’d put a bullet in you right now, bitch.”
“Please, I’m all he has,” she pleads, all bravado gone.
Raven drops the gun to her side. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you… today. If you ever show your face around here again, I’ll blow your brains out with no hesitation and gladly find your son a better home.”
“But—”
“No buts. I suggest you try to make up with Leanne or go find the kid’s real father. Whatever you do, don’t come near me or my family again.”
I’m somewhat in awe of my wife—again. She’s so strong. I saw it in her a long time ago, saw that I’d be able to draw from her strength. She’s proven me right over and over.
“I have nowhere to go! I can’t stay here, and I can’t go back to Leanne. What am I supposed to do?”
“You should have thought of that before you came here and fucked with us.” I step forward.
“Gage, please.” Britney turns to me. “You and me, we were good together. You loved me until she showed up and made you feel sorry for her.”
“Get this straight, there was no ‘you and me.’ We fucked. Raven is the only woman I’ve ever loved and ever will. Now grab your shit and get the fuck out of my clubhouse and my life.”
A part of me wonders if it wouldn’t be better to get rid of her. If she has nowhere to go, what kind of life are we sending her child to? Then again, Britney got a woman to take care of her before, so I think she’ll manage.
Before I can stop her, she charges at Raven but gets a gun butt to the head for her troubles.
“Ow! Bitch!” she screams from the floor, rubbing at the injured spot.
Raven tries to mask it, but I can see that took a lot out of her physically. She’s having difficulty breathing and staying on her feet. I lead her to the bed and make her sit, then grab Britney’s arm and pull her to her feet. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.
“I’ll be right back, babe,” I tell Raven as I head for the door.
Once out of earshot, I force Britney against the wall. I know Raven thinks a warning is enough to fix this situation, but if I banished her and she came back, I doubt my wife’s threat will be enough. I hate everything about this situation. For her son’s sake, I hope I can get through to her this time.
“Listen to me, and pay close attention.” I lean in close. “There are two reasons you’re not buried somewhere no one will find you: my wife and kids are okay, and your kid. I even hear a rumor that you’re back in Stony View, I won’t hesitate to put you down. You got it?”
She nods, the kind of fear I want to see finally in her eyes.
“Words.”
“I got it, I got it,” she rushes the words out, nodding again to back them up.
“Good. For the sake of your kid, you got forty-eight hours to get your shit together, and then I want you gone. I’ll even send someone to escort you out.”
“Thank you. I promise—”
“Shut up.” Dragging her to the bar, I find Razor and hand her off to him. “Get her out of here. She shows up at the gate again, shoot her on sight,” I add, hoping it drives even more fear into her.
I still think it would have been better to get rid of her and deal with the kid after. Growing up with this bitch for a mother has to be worse than any home we could put him in.
As Razor and Tyler hustle that problem out the door, a scream comes from across the room. I turn just in time to see Krueger slap Lonnie on one cheek, then backhand her on the other, sending her into a heap on the floor.
“Bitch! You don’t talk to me like that.”
“I told you, I don’t do that anymore,” Lonnie cries.
When he drags her up by her hair, I make my way over.
“Krueger.”
He turns to me with a sneer. “You need to keep your bitches in line, Reaper. They need to know their mouths ain’t for talking.”
“Let her go,” I order. God knows why; she deserves everything Krueger wants to do to her.
The tone of my voice brings Krueger’s men to his back, which in turn brings my men forward.
“What did you say to me?”
“I said let her go. She’s not a Hound anymore, and even if she was, we don’t treat our women like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is.”
He releases her but holds my stare. For a few tense moments, I watch him, knowing I’m screwed if shit pops off. Raven still has my gun.
Then Krueger does something that surprises me—he smiles.
“See? That’s why I want you! No one else would have the balls to stand up to me like that. I definitely made the right choice. The club needs a leader like you.”
Shit.
“Get outta here,” I tell Lonnie, backing away
from Krueger.
Eyes downcast, she runs out of the clubhouse sobbing. The cries of one of my babies come through the door when she opens it. I forget Krueger for the moment, turning toward the building’s entrance to see Chopper walking in with a fussing Chaos.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I think he’s just hungry but he won’t take the bottle. I’m going to find Raven.”
Despite the stress and problems I’m facing today, I smile. That’s my boy. He wants the real thing. Can’t say I blame him; his mom has some amazing tits.
“Where’s Hailey?”
“With her grandmother. Don’t worry about them, handle your business.” He throws a pointed look in Krueger’s direction, then heads for the rooms.
He’s right. I need to get this settled and start enjoying my new family. I don’t intend to miss a moment of those kids’ lives.
Taking a deep breath, I face Krueger once more. “Let’s go into the chapel.”
With perfect timing, Mission walks in, three of his guys following. I wave him over, shaking his hand and thanking him for showing up. He and Krueger share a tense handshake.
Shit. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.
“Gentlemen.” I jerk my head toward the chapel doors, then lead the way.
I take my seat at the head of the table, watching the two men sit opposite each other, one on my left, the other on my right.
“Krueger, I know you have your sights set on me being your successor. Even though I appreciate the vote of confidence, the fact of the matter is I’m not ready for that level of responsibility. Right now, I just want to spend time with my newborn babies. I hope you can understand and accept that.”
“I get it. Trust me, I do.” He leans back in the chair. “Your commitment to your family is part of the reason I chose you. I need someone with your level of intelligence, honesty, and loyalty to take my seat. You’re the future of this organization, Hunter.”
“Maybe… and I’m not ruling out the possibility. It’s just not my time. I’ve been working with Mission for years, and he’s come to my aid whenever I needed him.” Krueger settles his stare on the man across from him. “He has all the qualities you’re looking for, and I’m always close by if he needs help.”
“I also have no wife, and my kids are all grown,” Mission says.
Paradox: A Death Dealers MC Novella (Book 5.5) Page 8