by Vera Quinn
“This is the best news that I could get. I have been lost and I didn't know how lost until you just told me those words. I want you to meet Charity and I want us to form a bond like any daughter and dad, but I need to get back there and help Charity. This is going be one heck of a wedding because Brody is in for one heck of a surprise.” Cooper smiles at me.
“I can see that if your dress is any sign of what is to come, it’s not what I would expect at a wedding, sweetness.” Cooper tells me.
“I will catch you after the wedding. I need to get back to Charity.” He kisses the top of my head and I walk away. I see the longing in Sean’s eye. My sister will meet her dad today. This is turning out to be a wonderful day. I make my way back to the room where Charity is waiting, and I want to share this news with her, but first I want her to have her day with Brody. I make it to the door and I open it and there sits Charity in a chair reading on her phone. She does not seem the least bit nervous, she’s not apprehensive and she's nothing like Brody is. He’s pacing the floors. Are you just not nervous?” she looks at me and she smiles.
“What do I have to be nervous about? I am marrying the man that I want. I'm going to have his child and today I'm going to share his last name. I just want to get this show on the road.” I look at her and I know she's telling the truth.
“Are you sure you want me giving you away today? I mean I'm sure somebody else would stand in. It doesn't have to be me.” Charity looks at me as if I have grown a second head.
“Of course, it does. I belong to you and you belong to me and only we can give each other away. We are sisters to the end and I want you there on my big day and I want you to give me to Brody.” That brings tears to my eyes. I can't believe how happy she is. I pat my cheeks dry and try to clear the tears away. I walk out the door and run up the hall. I wave to Brody, so he will know to start the music. I run back to the room when the music starts playing I can’t help laughing out loud as “Queen of Denial” plays. I go into the room and grab hold of Charity’s arm. I kick off my shoes and we go up the hallway, so I can give her to her husband, to the man she will always love. It doesn't take us long to make it up the aisle, Brody has a smile on his face but everyone else looks confused. When I see that smile on Brody’s face I know that Charity has found her soulmate and I will never need to worry about Charity’s heart again. There's a man standing in front of Brody that I don’t know. This isn’t the man that Charity said was marrying them. I notice Con is walking up behind me and he’s dropped down to one knee. I don't get it, what's he doing? Then it clicks in my head, Con is giving me the peace of mind to know my sister is safe on her wedding day.
“We haven’t been together very long, and I know you have doubts about my feelings for you, but I promise you, if you will agree to be my wife today, if we have a double wedding with Brody and Charity this very minute, I will cherish you until the end of my days.” I'm in shock I don't know what to think. How can Con ask me to marry him when we don't even know each other very well. He’s talking about moving too fast and he wants to respect me but he’s asking me to marry him, now. That's when I get it, he’s trying to protect me too. I don't know what will happen after today, and I don't know if I will regret this tomorrow, but today I've discovered that I love Con and he will never make me not love him again. He puts my needs above his own and he tries to watch out for my feelings. He’s trying to respect me, and I should have realized a long time ago this is Con’s way to love. I look closely, and I see he may be fighting it, but I see it there, and I am ready to take a chance.
“Con I'll be your wife, I will walk through this world at your back. I will respect you and I will respect your club, I will love you and I will love the Demented Revengers MC and if there ever comes a day that we must part ways, always know that I will carry you in my soul forever. You have touched my life and you've made me love you and I don't want to ever lose that.” I don't even remember taking my vows after that. I kept looking at Charity and she looks so happy with Brody. He looks so happy with her. Con smiles at me and my heart is full as we turn and are introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Billy “Con” Lee. I am in a haze, but life is just beginning, and I want this man to know that I love and cherish him the way he said he would cherish me. The reception is long as we talk to friends and the day is wearing on. Charity met Sean and she cried. I think they were tears of joy and relief. We met and talked with more friends, but I keep glancing at Charity to make sure she's taking it easy, but I see that the tiredness is moving in. Instead of going to Charity and her arguing with me about not leaving before the guests leave, I catch the eye of my husband and motion for him to meet me in the hall. We both make it about the same time but instead of stopping Con pulls me up the hall and to our room. He opens the door and pulls me inside. He puts a scorching kiss on me. I pull back before I get pulled into a haze of lust.
“What is that all about?” I ask Con and he smiles down at me.
“Can’t I kiss my wife?” Con is teasing me, but I like this playful side of him.
“Anytime, handsome.” I play back.
“Did you mean the words that you said to me when I proposed? Do you love me, and can you accept the club?” I know Con is watching to see if I lie and this one is easy.
“I meant every word I said. I swore before everyone.” That brings a smile to Con’s face.
“I want this marriage to work, and I want you to be my ol’ lady. Those words you said to me, you accept me, and the club, as we are, with all our flaws that goes to the bone. Every biker in that room wanted to be where I stood tonight, and I realized that I need to quit fighting the attraction I have for you, but more than that, I need to quit ignoring how I feel about you. We can do this if we are honest with each other and we keep communications open. We need to have a long talk tonight and then I want to hold you close to me the rest of the night. I am not saying we are waiting to have sex until you are eighteen, because we are married now, but I want you to be sure before you give me your virginity, because you can never get that back.” Con stops and before I can give him the answers he wants then I need to know one thing,
“Night before last when you came to bed you smelled like cheap perfume, did you cheat on me?” Con starts laughing.
“Is that why you were so pissed? Babe, I was helping Lil move boxes of decorations, so she could help with the wedding decorations. She had a bottle of that perfume that you women pour in the heated things to make the rooms smell better. The whole damn bottle poured down my t-shirt. Did you not smell it in the laundry basket?” I want to laugh but I can’t, I feel relieved.
“I’ve been too busy with the wedding to wash any clothes. I’m sorry I didn’t have enough trust in you.” I feel a soft rush move through me.
“When you walked into that shower, showing me all your beauty and telling me that you wanted me, I had to get you out of there before I threw caution out the window and took you right there. I sent you back in here, locked the door and jacked myself off to the memory of your luscious body and still I couldn’t come to bed and guarantee I could control myself. That is how little control I have when I am around you. I am hanging on by a thread here.” I feel my face blushing. Con wants me. He wants this to work between us.
“Sarge said he was hunting tonight and I want to make sure what he was talking about. I need to get back out there before he leaves.” I smack the side of my head.
“You distracted me with all your sweet talk. I was wondering if we could wind this down. Charity is not going to leave until everyone is gone and she’s looking tired. I don’t want her back in the hospital.” Con is shaking his head.
“I will start sending the stragglers to their rooms or send them home. I think Cooper and Sean are staying at a motel in town. I need to go to talk to Sarge.” I stand on my toes and kiss Con. He wraps my legs around him and backs me up against a wall. Yes, more please. He lets my legs fall to the floor too soon. I see his half-lidded eyes and I know he is as turned on as I am. “You fin
d Charity and I will meet you back here later.” I get myself together and he takes my hand and he leads me back to where the others are. I go one way and Con goes the other. It looks like people have started leaving. I look for Charity. I see Brody talking to Rebel and Gracie. I see Katie with Lil, Cap, and Shine. I guess I need to find her. She might be in the kitchen. I should have paid more attention, but I didn’t. I was happy for once in my life, and I felt safe, but I wasn’t.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sarge
Shine and Rebel seem to think that the only way to get to Alice Connors is to get information from a government agency. I call bullshit. People are creatures of habit and everyone has that one thing that they can’t do without or in this case, can’t live without. Alice Connors was diagnosed with diabetes a few years back and she must have had a stockpile of insulin but today her luck ran out. Another thing that Alice loves is Italian food. We knew that Alice was in the proximity, so we set up markers on all her aliases. Anytime one is used an alert is sent to Shield, Stealth, and me. I pulled cover duty since weddings aren’t my thing and I just had a feeling. This restaurant is less than five miles to the armory and has an all-night pharmacy across the road. What a better fuck you than to be running around in a town that was in Demented Revengers MC territory. I know it sounds like something I would do.
I am anxious to get this thing settled. The Demented Revengers can wait on the slow way of doing things, but I have a woman on the loose and I need to go remind her who she belongs to. Micah has gotten herself in trouble again and I need to go and bail her out. She needs some cooling off time, I think twenty-four to seventy-two hours in county lock-up is a good place for Micah to spend some time. That woman makes me laugh and pisses me off at the same time. I should have fucked her and never looked back, but something keeps dragging me back to her.
I have acquired my target. Clear view, should I toy with her first or clean shot and leave. I look through my sights at the woman. She acts like she doesn’t have a care in the world while her daughters live in fear. She’s alone, something her daughters have not had in a while. Decision made. I wait until she comes back out of the pharmacy. Sights set, and I hear the whistle of one ping, not even loud enough to draw anyone’s attention. Alice goes down and only a few people stop to see what the problem is but when they see the blood dripping down her face the screaming begins. If they scream at that little blood what will they do when they see the back of her head. No time to wonder. I send a text to let Stealth know it is time for us to hit the road and then I send a text to Shine. One more target down. How many people’s blood do I have on my hands, too many? But Alice Connors will never terrorize her daughters again and I know I will not lose one minute of sleep over it. I stroll back to my bike and put my rifle away and then ride out of town.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Con
I have been looking for Faith all over. I see Brody in the kitchen, so I go that way. Maybe Charity and Faith are helping put things away in the refrigerator. I see Cooper and Sean talking to Shine and then Shine looks at his phone and he doesn’t look happy. I just want to get my woman and get this talk over with and grab a few hours of sleep.
“Hey, Brody, have you seen our wives? Faith had come to make sure Charity wasn’t overdoing it.” Brody looks at me.
“I thought they were in your room again. I just walked Mom, Dad, and Ms. Audie out the front door. The prospects are taking them home.” I take my phone out and punch in the numbers for Faith’s phone. Brody is doing the same thing. I hear a phone ringing behind the door, so I walk over, and Lil is lying on the floor and looks like someone hit her on the side of the head. She is out cold and there is blood on the floor.
“Shine, Cap, get your asses in here. Lil is hurt.” I hear the two running and sounds like there are people following them. I look up and the room is full. Cap comes around and takes Lil in his arms. “Search for Faith and Charity. We can’t find them.” Then I see the phone that had been ringing. It’s the cheap prepaid that Faith had.
“Someone check the security feed.” I look for Red Cap, but he is not in here. I see Cooper and Sean both on their phones. “Get Sarge’s guy on the security.”
“No can do, brother, they left out for home. They took care of the old lady and left.” What old lady.? I see Shine’s eyes and I know that means that Alice Connors is dead. That means this is the work of Samson or the Hell Keeperz MC either way, Cooper should know where they are. I stand up.
“Times up old man. What’s their location? We are going to get my woman back tonight and we aren’t waiting on anyone.” I look right at Cooper and he is listening on his phone and then he slams it shut.
“The Hell Keeperz MC is in the same location and there has been no movement for two days. No one in and no one out. It’s Samson and he had to have help getting those two sisters out of here.” Brody has been quiet. Zig Zag comes running in with a laptop in his hand. The security feed is running on it and I see two men carrying Charity out first. It’s Trick and Boozer. Charity is fighting like a hellcat and then someone hits her with a bar from behind. I look, and it is Samson. Brody steps up and watches as his woman is out cold. They get her in the van and the back door opens and Faith walks out and then Red Cap walks behind her with a gun on her. When Faith sees Samson, she panics and takes Red Cap out with her foot to the side of his kneecap. I see the way he goes down and I hope Faith broke the damn thing. Samson steps out of Faith’s way so she can see Charity unconscious in the van. Faith freezes and runs to Charity. Samson grabs Faith, and grabs hold of her face and squeezes it hard. Faith pulls back and she slips out of his hold and spits on him and then knees him in the nuts. That’s my girl. No one says a thing when Samson punches Faith in the face, but she doesn’t go down. Charity is coming to and Samson grabs her by the hair and Faith stops and gets in the van with Charity and the men shut the doors.
“I swear, I get that woman home and I am locking her down in our house and wrapping her in bubble wrap.” Brody says with disgust in his voice.
“I’m right there with you.” I tell Brody and then I look at Cap and Lil is sitting up. “Is Lil alright?”
“Takes a little more than pistol whipping to keep me down. Red Cap lured us in here and that is all I remember. Pain in the side of my head and darkness.” Lil tells us. “Find my girls and bring them home.”
“Woman stay put until the doc gets here. You are having your head looked at. You might have a concussion.” Cap is being short, but I know he is just concerned for Lil.
“Then move your ass and find my girls before I get up and do it myself.” Lil is demanding.
“Faith stood her ground with those men. She’s been trained well.” Sean says.
“You should see Charity take down a man twice her size and then look for explosives. She had a gun to her face and unloaded the damn thing, and then took it away from the man. Those sisters were trained very well.” Brody tells Sean about his daughter. Cooper finally joins the conversation again.
“Zig Zag did you get the tag number turned in?” Cooper asks.
“Yes, but nothing has shown up yet. I put a tracker in Red Caps jacket and the signal is leading out of town.” Cooper shakes his head yes, I need to do something besides sit here with my thumb up my ass. Shine comes back in the room.
“Sarge said now that Alice is gone Samson will take over. Cooper you told us you knew where the community had relocated around here, we need that location. Samson is going to know we are coming for him, so he is not going to drag this out. We need to get there now.” Cooper knows we are not taking no for an answer.
“Zig Zag you and some of your brothers take the C-4 that was left in the Tyler clubhouse and go and take care of the Hell Keeperz MC. You make sure you get them all. Take Lachlan and Ewan with you. They are explosive experts. Do not let one person come out of there alive those are orders straight from the top.” Cooper orders.
“Cue Ball and Hawk go.” Rebel orders.
; “Flash and Zed go too.” Shine orders.
“Cap are you good staying here?” We hear the door open and everyone’s guns are aimed at the person walking in.
“Is that any way to say hi to an old friend?” Kaden is smiling but you can see his hesitancy.
“Kaden, can you stay with Cap to keep the women safe? Our prospects will ride the perimeter.” Rebel asks. “Cap will explain.”
“Sure thing. The cops in town are busy with a shooting over by the all-night pharmacy. It should be easy going around town.” Kaden informs us.
“I just sent coordinates to yours and Rebel’s phone, Shine. Be careful and try to stay undetected. We are going to bring these women home. There are no other options.” Cooper looks at the men he brought with him. “We’re bringing your sisters home, move out.”
“Shine, I want point on this, Faith is my woman. I love her, and we haven’t even begun our lives together yet. I haven’t even told her that I love her. I need this.” Shine looks at me.
“You love her?” I know everyone has their doubts, but I don’t, and I will spend the rest of my life proving it.
“Yeah, I do. I knew I had feelings for Faith, but I couldn’t admit it, even to myself. Then tonight when she said she accepted me and the club it was like she broke down a wall of ice, but I wasn’t sure, or I was afraid to be sure. Then when I saw her helpless, but she was still fighting for her family, I knew. I love that damn woman and I don’t care how many damn jokes I fucking hear.” Shine is trying not to laugh.