The Restart and the Remedy (Aces High MC - Dakotas Book 3)

by Christine Michelle

  “Too bad, or you could have proof that she was there,” Myra mumbled out loud.

  “Don’t need it,” Spinner told her as he held up the DNA test. “There’s a baby out there that proves what she did.” My brother groaned before dropping the papers back down as if they had burned him. “I was prepared to love that little girl as my niece, no matter what. I wasn’t prepared to find out she was my daughter this whole time.” What a goddamn mind fuck. If I could get my hands on Chastity, she wouldn’t be long for this world. Two people on this fucking planet who didn’t

  Cherry was in tears beside Spinner as he acknowledged, for the first time, that the baby had to be his. “She’s done some horrible things over the years, dragged me into her troubles, but I never would have thought she’d stoop to this level,” Cherry cried. Then she looked at my brother and lost it. “My identical twin sister raped you and now she’s run off somewhere with your child. How can you even stand to look at me?”

  I’d read the term ‘ugly cry’ in plenty of books since I picked up the habit of reading romance novels, but never had I seen it in action until now. Cherry was literally falling apart right in front of us.

  “Come on,” Myra whispered to me. “Let’s give them some space to come to terms with what they just learned and to be able to work through it together.”

  Spinner turned his eyes on Myra. “Thank you,” he mouthed to her while pulling his reluctant wife into his arms. I made eye contact with him and tried to convey the message, ‘We’ll find them’. He seemed to understand. My brother nodded at me and then really took hold of his wife, pulling her onto his lap and holding her so tightly, it almost looked as though it should hurt. The thing was, it couldn’t hurt, because he was holding her together, and in the process, trying to do the same for himself. The last thing I saw before we left the room was my brother’s shoulders shaking with the force of his own emotion.

  “What a fucking mess!” Once the door was shut, I leaned against the wall while attempting to absorb everything we had just found out. I’d been envious of my brother before. He had Cherry and they had been perfect for one another from the start. Hell, it was the reason I tried so hard to make it work with Chastity. I wanted to recreate what they had.

  “I feel like this is partially my fault for hoping it wasn’t mine,” I admitted.

  “That bitch raped your brother. Nothing about that is your fault.”

  “I was still with her when that happened.”

  “Yep. You were with her, but what you need to remember is that she wasn’t with you. She only pretended long enough to lay her trap and fuck things up for her sister again.” Myra moved so that she was directly in front of me. Then, her hands slid up to frame my face and force me to look at her. “That bitch has been out to make sure her sister was just as miserable as her their whole lives. Do not take her bullshit on your shoulders. You were a pawn in her game. If you think that she didn’t play her hand from the first time she turned you down, you’re wrong.”

  We stood there for a long time, just like that, and I watched as the determination and firm belief in her words took hold in her eyes, and then transferred that belief to me. She was right. I’d made a bad choice, thinking I could tame the evil twin and have the cookie cutter relationship my brother and his woman had. That was where my fault lie. It didn’t expand to include all the shit that Chastity pulled or her shit intentions through everything.

  “Come on,” Myra finally demanded after it was clear I had accepted what she had to say. “I think you require some Charlie time. Your BFF has new books she was telling me about. If you’re a really good boy, maybe we’ll try some of the steamy scenes out. At least, the ones that are comfy enough for me to do right now. We’ll just set the others aside until this bunny is born.” She patted her belly, and it was the most beautiful moment of my life, because by calling her future son a bunny, she was acknowledging that while he might not be mine biologically, he was mine in all the other ways that counted. I’ll admit to finding myself misty-eyed over the proclamation.

  I also respected the fuck out of the fact that my woman acknowledged that I had a female best friend, and not only did she not have a problem with it, but she was encouraging it. Chastity always hated my friendships with Charlie, Liza, and Cherry. It just highlighted how right Myra was for me and how terribly wrong I’d been to try to force things with Chastity.

  “I love you, gorgeous little momma.” Her only response was to pull my face closer and kiss me stupid.

  “I love you too, my silly Rabbit.” I smiled as she spoke the words into my lips. “Let’s go check on progress, get some Charlie time, and give Spinner and Cherry their space.

  “Do you want a big family, Myra?” I asked as we headed up the stairs. She turned to look at me so I could see the question in her eyes but she answered me anyway.

  “I was an only child. I would have loved to have siblings so I guess three at the least.”

  “But maybe more?” I asked the question hopefully.

  “If that’s what I’m blessed with,” she answered.

  “That’s good,” I told her.

  “Why? How many do you want?”

  “My name is Rabbit, baby momma. I need to live up to it.”

  Myra’s laughter was a balm to my soul as it carried us into the main room we used as our clubhouse bar. The mood was far too subdued for my woman’s laughter, but I didn’t care. Her genuine response fed my soul, and it was in serious need of sustenance.

  Chapter 29 - Myra

  My brain was on overload and buzzing, and my heart wasn’t helping the matter. Rabbit told me that he loved me, but more than just the words, I felt it in the way he held me and looked straight into my soul as he said it. Sure, it sounds silly and sappy, but coming from someone who thought she had been loved before, there was a world of difference.

  I couldn’t jump for joy or shout my love for him from the rooftops though because the clubhouse was a somber space. Spinner and Cherry were dealing with the devastating news that he fathered a child with her twin sister. It was the stuff of a bad soap opera, only it was really happening to people I cared about.

  I left Rabbit with Charlie and begged off to the restroom to pee. I wasn’t lying. I really had to go. I just didn’t come back right away. Instead, I went to go find either Shameless or Rage. I ended up finding both of them together.

  “Myra?” Rage questioned.

  “Something we can do for you, sweetheart?” Shameless tacked on, trying to sound a little nicer than his younger counterpart.

  I shook my head. “There might be something I can do for you though.”

  “What’s that?” Shameless asked as he glanced to Rage. They seemed to be communicating something silently, but I didn’t have time to figure out exactly what the message being passed between the two was.

  “There are only so many places Chastity would go with a baby in tow,” I explained. They both waited me out as I shifted my weight from foot to foot in a dance of nerves that was beyond my control. “She would either hide out locally or go home again.”

  “We figured as much already.”

  “Home is where my family is,” I reminded them what I’m pretty sure they already knew.

  “What are you suggesting?” Rage asked.

  “If it will help find her, I will reach out to my family for you.”

  “Didn’t you cut them out of your life for a reason?” Shameless asked in a gentle tone.

  “I did, but finding that baby is more important than my issues with my family. They can’t harm me anymore, especially now that my ex is dead. But Spinner and Cherry will drive themselves insane wondering and worrying the longer that baby remains out of sight. It hurts Rabbit and the rest of the club too. My little bit of discomfort is worth it to alleviate that strain on all of you.”

  “You’re one lucky son of a bitch,” Spinner stated from somewhere behind me. I turned on my heels to find both he and Rabbit had walked up and apparently heard what I
had to say.

  “Always spreading that beautiful heart of yours around, huh?” Rabbit asked me as he walked over and pulled me tight to his body. “I’d rather not use my old lady as she doesn’t need the added stress while she’s pregnant, but if Chastity isn’t found in the next 48 hours, we’ll revisit Myra’s offer,” he told all of them. “It’ll take her at least that long to get back home anyway, unless she flew.”

  “We’d know if she took a flight,” Shameless confirmed the answer to the question Rabbit hadn’t actually asked.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Rage responded at the same time, before dipping his head to look at something on the monitor that was facing away from me.

  “Find us if you need us,” Rabbit called out before turning me around and walking me back to the main room.

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “I could never be mad at you for caring about our family and wanting to do whatever is necessary to make it better. I was a little concerned that you may have fallen in and clogged the toilet with your ass, and backwards drowned in there.” I swatted him on the arm for the comment. “What? You were gone a long time and last thing you said was that you needed to pee. It sounded logical to me.”

  “Please,” Charlie started as she massaged her own forehead. “Tell me he didn’t actually tell you the ‘clogged the toilet’ theory for why you were gone so long?”

  “Oh, he absolutely did!” I informed her.

  “That’s it! You’re banned from book club for a month, Rabbit!”

  “What? Why?” He seemed truly panicked by the threat.

  “You can’t tell a pregnant woman her ass is so fat that it would clog a toilet. That breaks girl-code, even if it is true.”

  I turned to gape at Charlie as Tango and Liza snickered from nearby. Then I flipped them both off before slyly glancing at my own rear end, which they obviously caught because it only made them laugh harder.

  “I’m growing a baby, things get wider!” My insistence just led to more laughter from the peanut gallery.

  “Of course they do, honey,” Charlie placated me as she patted my hand, like she hadn’t just called my ass fat. She also threw a wink my way. I knew she was using me as a punchline to lighten the mood in the place. Suddenly, I was trying to think of ‘your momma’ jokes to help out, but I kept drawing a blank. Turns out, I’m not that funny, even in my own head. Maybe that was why I fell so hard for Rabbit. His antics were irresistible and I needed more laughter in my life. The next 48-hours were about to prove just how much that was true.

  Chapter 30 - Rabbit

  It had been more than 48 hours and every single one of my club brothers was sitting in church eyeballing me. “Does my hair have that fresh-fucked look or what?”

  I decided to break the tension with a little humor. I already knew what they wanted, and while I agreed it was time, I was loath to make things happen the way they needed to be done.

  “We gave it all the time we could. She’s had a good head start on us, but we need to worry what she’ll do with that baby if she gets desperate,” Iceman stated in his no-nonsense way. I was actually surprised to see him sober, but I guess a missing kid would make most good men snap out of their shit.

  “I know. I’m going to ask that you let me try one more thing. Rather than involve Myra and her family.”

  “What thing?” Spinner asked.

  “Do you give a shit what happens to Chastity?” I asked him.

  “I could care less. It’s my daughter I’m worried about.”

  “What about Cherry? Will she care?”

  “After what her sister did? I’d like to say, ‘no’ but they are twins. I don’t know how that will affect her.”

  “If we try this thing, chances are Chastity is dead.”

  “What the fuck is it that you want to try, Rabbit?” Rage asked, voice steady, but hands clenched like he was waiting for a fight.

  I pulled Phoenix’s number out and tossed it on the table.

  “You want us to sic a psychopathic killer on her? What if he just kills the baby too?”

  “He’s a tracker. Before shit went sideways with him and the Stoneridge Raiders, he never failed to track down a mark for them.”

  “He failed with your girl,” Rage pointed out.

  “On purpose. He came to see me once, before he showed up the last time he chased Chastity here.”

  “He has a thing for Myra, doesn’t he?” My brother asked.

  “I won’t use her in this, in any way, if I can help it. We can pay for his services though. I’m sure he could use all the money he can get his hands on since he’s on the run now.”

  “Make it happen. I’ll pay,” Spinner agreed without hearing anyone else’s arguments. “I don’t want to use Myra either. She’s a good girl. She shouldn’t be played as a pawn because of Chastity’s bullshit. There’s been enough of that to go around already.” Spinner’s eyes met mine and I nodded. We were all that bitch’s pawn at some point and like me, the others had all grown sick of it.

  “If this doesn’t pan out, she won’t take no for an answer. Myra will reach out to her family, whether we ask it of her or not,” I explained.

  “Call him,” Spinner demanded.

  “I wondered when you might call,” the voice on the other end of the line stated as soon as he picked up.

  “How did you know?”

  “I’m that good. Besides, I saw her with the baby.”

  “We need to find them, specifically the baby,” I told him.

  “So she is yours?” Phoenix asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

  “No, but she’s family,” I admitted.

  “She pulled a sister swap on your brother then, didn’t she?” When I refused to answer, he tsked. “It’s okay, you don’t have to confirm. The baby will be brought to you in two days. I can’t make it happen any sooner. The evil twin will suffer though. That’s our payment. We exact vengeance, the baby gets returned unharmed.”

  “You already have them, don’t you?” I asked, causing my brother to stiffen. The whole atmosphere of the room changed as everyone in there was suddenly on high alert and paying close attention to the phone call.

  “I’ve had eyes on her the whole time. We followed when she ran,” he confirmed.

  “Who is ‘we’?”

  “Not your concern. Two days,” he offered once more and then hung up.

  “What the fuck?” Spinner shouted. “He knew where she was all along? Why didn’t we call him sooner?”

  “I found the number in my pocket last night. It was the first time the idea to use him occurred to me.”

  “He better hope like hell that little girl is unharmed.” Spinner spat out angrily. “What about Chastity?”

  “Vengeance is his payment,” I told my brother. Spinner nodded his acceptance and left church before it was dismissed. I turned a worried glance to Iceman. He waved me off though.

  “His head is somewhere else and we can’t blame him for that. Keep us up to date on any details or changes.” Iceman glanced around at everyone. “That it?” He asked. When no one spoke up, he banged a gavel down one hard time. “Dismissed. We all still have a job to do. We aren’t done until that baby is home. Don’t care who is supposedly on it and bringing the kid back. Let’s find out what we can, just in case.”

  Everyone else rushed out of the room to go do their parts, but I stayed behind, lost in thought. “What’s eating you?” Iceman asked me.

  “Could be me,” I told him honestly. “That baby could have been mine. Hell, for all intents and purposes, it should have been mine. I was the one fucking her on the regular. Sometimes, I think I should have just lied and said it was. Would have saved Spin a whole world of hurt, Cherry too.”

  “Yeah, but then they wouldn’t have known what a devious, treacherous bitch that woman really is. Plus, Spinner would have hated you for keeping his kid as your own, no matter who her mother is, if it ever came out.” He narrowed his gaze on me. “As long as that cunt was
out there to tell the truth, you know it would have come out eventually. You did the right thing, even if it hurts them in the short term.”

  “Doing right doesn’t feel so fucking good. What’s this going to do to Cherry when they have that baby to raise?”

  “We don’t have all the answers, but something tells me she’ll be just fine. So will that baby. Despite her cunt of a sister having an evil penchant, Cherry is one of the good ones. Have a little faith, Rabbit.”

  “I fucking hope so.”

  “Come on, let’s get out there. Where’s your new woman right now?”

  “Work. They called her in to fill someone else’s shift.”

  “We have a man on her, just in case?”

  “I sent one of the prospects, but I’m not sure how I feel about trusting that job to someone untested.”

  “Can’t test ‘em if they never pull important duty,” Iceman reminded me.

  “My woman is pregnant and a possible target of Phoenix because of the baby she’s carrying and the association to the Stoneridge Raiders.”

  “You think Phoenix walking away before was bullshit until he could get to both women?”

  “He kept saying, ‘we’ like he was working with someone else. That’s the part I don’t trust.”

  “Think it’s her old man from the Raiders?”

  “Nah. We verified that Phoenix killed Blaze and all of his blood relatives, supposedly. We have yet to find out why though. The Raiders are keeping quiet, waiting for the heat to blow over from everything that went down.” I knocked my knuckles to the table twice in a nervous gesture. “We might want to be prepared in case that club finds out where their princess ended up, or that their public enemy number one has been seen in these parts. There might be a reckoning coming our way.”

  “Fuck!” Iceman hissed. “I need to get my ass in gear. Fucking President of the mother fuckin’ chapter should know this shit and already be planning without his Road Captain telling him to.”