by Erin Osborne
“She is. She loves Colt like he’s her hero and Tonya and Blood too. Now, she has you and will love you the same way,” my girl says before turning to my parents. “Thank you for this. Those words mean absolutely nothing for what you’ve given me, but I don’t have anything else.”
“You might want to thank your man, too,” my dad informs her. “He made this happen for you.”
Emersyn turns to me with tears still falling down her face. She’s never looked more beautiful to me because this is her in her purest form. My woman is happy, in love, and proud to have her dad back in her life.
“Thank you, babe. I’ll never be able to repay you for this,” she tells me finally.
“You already have and do every day you let me be in your life,” I respond.
Wrapping my arms around her, I lead her to a table so she can sit down. Her dad follows us and sits down next to her. They have a lot of catching up to do and I’m going to let them have some time alone to do that.
“Thank you, son,” her dad tells me. “Not only for taking care of our girl, but for bringing me home to her.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad we could make this happen,” I respond, getting choked up on my own emotion. “You two visit while I help out around here. I love you, angel.”
“I love you, too,” she says, handing Zoey over to her dad.
My mom takes a picture of the three of them. Zoey is holding onto Mr. Wilkes’ face with both of her hands and staring at him. Emersyn is leaning into her dad with her head on his shoulder. It’s the perfect picture and I’m glad my mom caught it for us. After telling her to send it to me, I make my way into the kitchen to help wherever I’m needed.
During dinner, we all sat together. The tables in the common room had been pushed together to create one large table for us. Mr. Wilkes talked to everyone and spent time with all of us. Yes, he’s here for his daughter, but he wants to get to know everyone in her life. He didn’t even bat an eye at her when she told him she stripped. He broke down after dinner and disappeared with my dad. I know he’ll explain everything and get the man calmed down.
We’re getting ready to open gifts when my dad and Emersyn’s walk back in the room from the office. Instead of sitting down at the table, my dad stands in the middle of the room and calls for attention.
“As many of you know, my boys started followin’ in my footsteps later than I’d have liked. They went out and followed their own paths in life, but they’re back and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Tonight is a special night for me. Colt, can you come up here son?”
Standing up, I walk toward my dad. I’m confused as hell because I have no clue what’s going on right now. Stopping in front of him, I wait for him to continue.
“Colt, you have been a Prospect in Kings Vengeance for a year now. You have proven your loyalty to the club, the family, and your girls. When others would’ve given up, you pushed on to the point we had to make you stop and rest or eat. If someone needs help, you’re the first one to step up and lend a hand. Even with everythin’ goin’ on with your own family. Tonight, you become a full patch member of the club. You become Scathe for what you did to avenge the love of your life. I’m proud of you boy,” my dad says, pulling his hands from behind his back to give me the patches I’ll now proudly display on my cut.
“Thank you,” I say, still stunned. “I have no words right now. You’re all my family and I couldn’t be happier than to become a full member of the club who has had my back and lent me strength and support when I needed it.”
“Son, there’s somethin’ else for you to hand out now. You can make things official with our girl,” my dad says as Mom brings over a box.
My mom is crying tears of happiness as she pulls me in for a hug and doesn’t let go for several minutes. Logan comes over to congratulate me too. He lets me know he’s proud of me and can’t wait until it’s his turn. Looking at him, I know he’s thinking about the past and things that were said about him at school. Lies someone said in an attempt to ruin not only his life, but the club. That’s his story to tell though.
“Emersyn, you know I love you more than anythin’. Zoey, you, and our baby are the most important people in my life and the reason I get up every single day. You brighten up my world and make things fun and remind me to stop and appreciate the little things in life,” I say, walking toward my woman as she sits next to her father with our daughter in her arms. “You have been to hell and back more than once and proven how strong you truly are. You’re the other half of my heart and my entire soul. Will you do me the honor of bein’ my wife and lettin’ me love you for the rest of our days?”
“Yes!” she yells with no hesitation. “I love you Colt ‘Scathe’ Johns.”
Placing the ring I pulled out of my pocket on her finger, I lean in to kiss her soft, full lips. The room erupts in cheers and clapping. Breaking apart, I raise my hand for silence.
“You’ve said yes to bein’ my wife, but will you also be my ol’ lady? In the eyes of the club we’ll be husband and wife, but I want the entire world to know too,” I ask her, holding out the gift for her.
“Yes, I would be honored to be your ol’ lady. You’re my strength when I don’t have any, my support, and above all the other half to my heart,” she responds, opening the box and pulling her rag out.
I help her place it over her shoulders and everyone claps and cheers again.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say, meaning every word. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she responds.
“Okay. Now, let’s open the gifts so we can have this amazin’ dessert. Maddox, you’ll be happy to know, Emersyn is keepin’ your wife’s memory alive with the spread she helped put on,” my dad says.
“I don’t have any doubt about that. Thank you, Emersyn. I love you and now that I’m not lost anymore, I’ll make up for lost time. Thank you for letting me back in your life,” Mr. Wilkes tells her, pulling his daughter in for another hug.
Logan, Levi, and I walk over to the tree and begin to separate the gifts out for everyone. Once we’re done, we hand them out to everyone. I sit down with my girls who have moved to one of the couches. Sitting on one side of Emersyn, her dad is on the other one. Zoey is on the floor looking at the pile of gifts surrounding us. Mr. Wilkes even has things to open. Emersyn bought him things in case he was home around Christmas time.
“What’s this?” he asks, looking at the small stack of gifts before him.
“It’s your Christmas gifts, Dad,” she answers. “I knew you’d be back and wanted to make sure you could celebrate with us. We love you.”
“I didn’t get you anything,” he responds, looking down.
“You being here is all I need. All any of us need,” Emersyn responds because that’s how she truly feels.
“I love you, sweetheart,” he says, kissing the side of her head.
“I love you too, Daddy,” she answers, hugging him to her.
For the next little while, we spend our time opening gifts and oohing and aahing over what we all got. Wrapping paper, boxes, and other debris litter the common room as Zoey and Briar crawl all over the place to get into the mess we’ve left behind.
I’m sitting next to Emersyn, ready to get her last present of the night when Needa walks up to us. She’s got tears in her eyes as she holds a bundle of gifts to her chest. These are happy tears because I know my girl went above and beyond for her new friend. I helped her do it.
“Emersyn and Colt, this is all too much,” she says, trying to hand the stack of gifts back to us.
“No, it’s not nearly enough,” Emersyn answers. “You’re going to use that laptop to put yourself through school just like me. We’ve talked about this, Needa. The rest is so you know you can always do whatever it is you want and aren’t just a piece of ass for these guys.”
“Needa, what is it you want to do?” Vanish asks her. “Do you want to live here and go to school online to make somethin’ of yourself? To stop havin’ sex
with us because it’s what you think is expected of you?”
“I don’t mind it. It’s what I have to do for a roof over my head. But I’d like to go to school,” she answers meekly.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to do anythin’,” my dad informs her. “You’re a great help to the ol’ ladies of the club, you cook, clean, and do whatever else is asked of you. If you don’t want to be a sweet butt anymore, then you don’t have to and you can still stay here.”
Needa completely breaks down. My girl gets up and pulls her in for a hug. They talk softly amongst themselves and I know it’s time to go get Emersyn’s last gift for the night.
Walking to my dad’s office, I grab the large box. I almost drop it when the box shifts in my arms and I’m not fast enough. Thankfully, I get the box under control and walk back to the common room. Emersyn and Needa are sitting on the couch together with our parents sitting next to them.
“Angel, you have one more gift,” I tell her, setting the box in front of her.
“What is it?” she asks, looking at the box as it moves around.
“Open it and find out,” I say, laughing as everyone crowds in.
Emersyn opens the box and gasps before looking up at me. She reaches in and pulls out a blue Neapolitan Mastiff puppy. It’s a male and one that she picked out from a website she found. Emersyn cuddles him to her chest and looks up to me again.
“Did you name him?” she asks me as Zoey comes crawling over to inspect the newest addition to our family.
“Nope. That’s up to you, angel,” I inform her.
“Then I want to call him Beast because he’s going to be big as hell and will protect our family,” she says.
“I love it,” I tell her, sitting down next to her and petting Beast on his head.
Zoey stands in front of us and slowly reaches out to touch him. Beast turns his head and sniffs our daughter’s hand for a second. Then, he licks her hand as her little laugh fills the common room. Zoey’s excited and starts to bounce up and down on her feet while I put my hand behind her so she doesn’t fall and get hurt.
Emersyn puts Beast down and he immediately goes to Zoey. Our daughter sits on the floor and Beast lays his head in her lap. She’ll be entertained for a while now. My ol’ lady starts snapping pictures and I show her the one my mom sent me of her, Zoey, and her dad earlier. She tears up at it and leans in to kiss me.
“Are you happy?” I ask her, pulling back and wrapping my arm around her.
“You don’t even know how happy I am. What more could I want in life?” she asks me.
“I don’t know. Anythin’ you want, I’ll make happen,” I vow to her.
Looking around the clubhouse, I take in my family. This is how I want to be every day for the rest of my life. My family together and happy, our family growing, and the love of my life by my side. Nothing will ever make me happier than I am in this moment because this is what life’s about.
Epilogue
Colt ‘Scathe’ Johns
IT’S BEEN MONTHS, and things are still crazy with the Kings Vengeance family. Sydney and Bounce welcomed a new baby boy into our family three days ago. Cash Weston is his name and he’s built just like his dad already. They just got home from the hospital and are at the clubhouse to spend time with the family.
Mr. Wilkes hasn’t left and he’s still sober. He goes to counselling, meetings, and spends time with our family. Maddox just moved out of our house into an apartment of his own. Zoey is the apple of his eye and he dotes on her. He’s also working for the club at Legacies. Since I’m not there tending bar as much, he took over my spot. We worried the temptation would be too much for him, but it’s not. He’s got his daughter and granddaughter in his life again and won’t jeopardize it for anything in the world.
Mom is getting ready to hire more girls at the strip club. Emersyn won’t be going back there after she gives birth. She’s going to focus on our family and school. Needa and her are both taking classes online. Their degrees go hand in hand with one another. My woman is going for business management while Needa is going for accounting. They want to open their own business together. I couldn’t be prouder of either one of them.
Needa is living in the apartment above my parent’s garage. She didn’t feel right staying at the clubhouse if she stopped sleeping with the men, so they offered it to her. Every day is a day she grows and learns to believe in herself even more. She’s blossoming into an amazing young woman and I know one man who already has his eye on her. Levi is head over heels in love with the girl and I hope it works out for them.
Today is the day I’ve been waiting for though. Emersyn’s doctor told us she could go into labor any day now, so she’s agreed to let me do the gender reveal. I’m happy because now it means she can see the nursery we put together and decorated. It took my mom, dad, Logan, and Emersyn’s dad to make it perfect and I know she’ll fall in love with it.
Zoey is growing like a weed. She turned one a few weeks ago and is walking around now. She’s saying ‘Dada’ and ‘Mama’ with a few other words mixed in there. My Princess is so smart and learns something new every day. Beast is her best friend. They’re always together and getting into trouble with Emersyn. He even sleeps in her room and won’t let anyone near her if he doesn’t want them to. He’s a good dog and I’m happy we added him to our family.
Two months ago, Emersyn and I got married at the clubhouse. It was a simple wedding with a huge party afterward. She wore a dress emphasizing where our baby rests in her belly and shined the day we exchanged our vows. I didn’t think I could love her any more than I already did, but I discovered that’s a lie. She surprised me with a new bike I’ve been dreaming about. Come to find out, she inherited a great deal of money from her mother. Her dad took care of it and signed all the necessary paperwork shortly after her mom died but then forgot about it. So, she paid for the wedding and wouldn’t let me help, bought my bike, and put money up for Zoey’s future and any other kids we may have.
We’ve had a cookout with our family and are now relaxing and enjoying the day. Zoey and Beast are moving all over the yard with Briar going along for the ride. Beast is protective of both little girls. And, he keeps wandering over to check on Cash too. He’s a good dog and makes sure his family members are okay at all times. I’d hate to see someone try to get these kids; Beast would kill them without hesitation.
“You ready, angel?” I ask Emersyn, standing up and helping her from the chair.
“I am,” she responds.
“Let’s do this then.”
I get everyone’s attention and stand before them. My new bike is standing next to us and I straddle it before turning the key and starting it up.
“Let’s have a count down,” I yell out over the engine.
“Three. Two. One,” everyone yells over the rumble of my engine.
I twist the throttle and blue mist fills the air. Yes, my woman is giving me a son. Emersyn holds her hands over her mouth as Zoey toddles over laughing. She’s always happy and laughing.
The women surround my woman as I shut the bike down and get off to pull her in my arms.
“Are you glad you’re gettin’ a son?” she asks as tears streak down her cheek.
“I am. But you know I’d be happy with either,” I assure her. “I want a little girl who looks just like you and Zoey with my attitude and a soul like yours.”
“Let’s just get through this one first,” she says, laughing as I lean down for a kiss.
Emersyn ‘Sky’ Wilkes
The cookout is wrapping up. We’re having a little boy and I’m happy. Secretly, I wanted a son who looks just like his dad with his attitude and behavior. Colt is a kind, caring, and loving man who will move Heaven and Earth for those he loves. That’s what I want from our son who will no doubt grow up to become a member of Kings Vengeance like his father, grandfather, and uncle.
I go to stand up from the table and feel a sudden gush of wetness. Looking down, I see the bench of the pi
cnic table soaked. Needa looks over and her mouth drops open. Before I can say anything a contraction rips through my body and I catch myself on the edge of the table. I try to breathe through the pain as I look up and search for Colt. He’s standing on the opposite side of the yard with Zoey in his arms and Beast at his feet.
“Are you okay, darlin’?” Blood asks, walking up to the table.
“She’s in labor,” Needa answers for me as the contraction begins to fade.
“Are you sure?” he asks, looking at me.
“My water just broke,” I answer him.
“Colt! Time to go,” Blood yells out, grabbing everyone’s attention.
Colt begins to run over to me with our daughter in his arms and Beast right on his heels. His eyes look wild as he searches my body looking for an injury.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. “Where are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt. I’m about to have our son.”
Colt stops dead in his tracks and stares at me for a minute as another contraction takes hold. They’re coming fast and hard. This labor isn’t going to be as slow and long as when I had Zoey apparently.
“Son, get your head out of your ass and hand me my Princess. Take your wife to the hospital so my grandson can be delivered safely by her doctor,” Blood tells him as I bend over again with pain.
I feel arms wrap around me and I know it’s my husband. His smell fills my senses and instantly I’m calm as the contraction begins to subside. Everyone surrounds us as Colt leads me from the picnic table toward the SUV we’ll be taking to the hospital.
“Colt get in back with Emersyn. I’ll drive,” my father-in-law says.
“I’ll call the doctor and let them know you’re on your way. We’ll all be there soon,” Tonya tells us as they close the doors and Blood takes off.
My dad is in the front with Blood. He’s looking back at me with a worried look on his face. He missed this the first time and doesn’t realize I’ll be fine. Yeah, there’s risk with every labor and delivery, but I’m not high risk. The only thing I’m concerned about is that I’m progressing really fast. I hope I don’t deliver the baby in the SUV.