“Yeah, see when a brother wants to make a woman his old lady, it’s brought up in church—that’s where I go Wednesday nights. It’s like a meeting I guess—and we vote to decide if she should be part of the club. It’s like that because when a man takes an old lady, it’s also the clubs responsibility to take care of her if anything happens to him.”
When he put it like that, a vote did seem unreasonable. If you were going to be responsible for someone you should get a say. Her anger dissipated leaving her pensive. Just when she thought she understood their life, she learned something new about Gunner’s club. It made Margo wonder if she’d ever discover how close knit their life truly was.
“Will you wear it?” Gunner asked, looking a little pale as he asked the question making Margo realize that like any man, he was worried she’d say no to his proposal. It was sweet that he cared so much about her response.
“Yes,” Margo said, “But I want to meet your mother.”
“Done, I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” Gunner nodded and twirled her around snatching the patch from her hands to help her put it on. She laughed when her arm was caught somehow in the wrong arm hole making her smack his hands away.
“I can put it on myself, thanks.”
“That’s likely best.” Gunner grunted, allowing her to take it off and put it on again. Margo couldn’t help the grin that curled her lips, as she watched him nod with a look of possessiveness slipping over his face.
“You know if we don’t go to this party, your friends are likely to think we aren’t going to show up,” Margo teased earning a smile from Gunner, as his hand cupped her cheek.
“Trust me babe, no one would even notice. It’s not a mandatory thing, it’s just a way for the club to let loose. You’re right though, we should leave.” Gunner kissed her lips softly. Just a light brush of his lips on hers before he hooked her arm into his and led her towards the door.
It took them about thirty minutes to arrive at the bonfire and Margo was a little nervous as she climbed off the bike using Gunner’s shoulders. She glanced around seeing a large fire off to the right of a huge house that looked sort of like an old-style boarding house. Men and women were everywhere and she could hear a band or radio playing music somewhere in the yard. Margo felt Gunner’s arm slip around her waist and he led her towards the fire and music.
“Babe, we won’t stay here long because it gets a little too wild in a few hours.” Gunner’s voice was a little worried and she finally turned to look up at him seeing the almost pained expression on his face.
“Gunner, stop worrying. I know about the drugs and other things that likely go on around here after it gets late, it’s okay. I’ve been to frat parties in college and trust me when I say, nothing is going to surprise me.” Margo hugged him, kissing his hard lips, and feeling his arms tighten around her, a long sigh escaped him.
“I can tell you that this will be wilder than a frat party,” Gunner whispered, as he pressed his face into her hair, inhaling deeply.
“You mean wilder than orgies in the back room, drugs passed around like candy, drunken brawls, and naked chicks?” Margo questioned wondering how that was possible because frat parties got out of hand more often than not once everyone was drunk or high. She and Zoey had gone to a few of them in college and they had been very eye opening for a kid with a religious background. She’d never gotten drunk or taken anything, but she’d watched others go down that rabbit hole.
“Um, well—wait, that shit happens at frat parties?” Gunner asked with a surprise on his face as he stared down at her, followed by a frown. “How many of those were you at and why did you go?”
Margo smiled at his darkly handsome, scowling face as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his chin which was as far as she could reach on her tiptoes. He was so cute when he got all growly and concerned about something that had happened in the past.
“Yeah, that shit happens. Those parties are no less wild than this one I would bet. The only difference is that it’s more likely open here and not locked in a back room and people are less likely to have inhibitions about stripping or screwing right out in the open. Am I right?” Margo asked already prepared for seeing way more tits and ass than she’d ever wanted to see.
She could still remember being nineteen and walking into that room where the orgy was happening. Bodies in various sex positions all over the room with more skin than clothes and lots of moaning and groaning. It had been a shock. Carl—her boyfriend at the time, had tried to get her to join in and she’d refused. She’d already been pregnant at the time, but hadn’t known that yet. Her relationship was strained after her refusal to join the orgy with him and when she’d told him two weeks later about the baby he’d called her a lying whore and broken up with her.
“Pretty much, but we won’t be staying long enough for too much crazy shit to happen.” Gunner said firmly.
“I’m okay with anything two people of age want to do, but I won’t be joining any orgies or any threesomes for that matter,” Margo stated firmly, earning a glare from Gunner.
“You think I would share you babe? Have you fucking lost your damned mind? I just patched you, and you think I would be offering you up to other men? Fuck that, I’d cut off their dicks before they got anywhere near my pussy.” Gunner cupped said pussy as if protecting it. Margo blushed bright red and shoved his hand away from her crotch with a little smack on his shoulder.
“Remember that because the same goes for women, I won’t share you either. You sleep around and I won’t stay with you,” Margo warned, feeling the heat still burning her cheeks.
“I already know that would hurt you Margo, I wouldn’t do that to you, babe. You mean too much to me.” He was gazing down at her seriously, his eyes holding a promise that tugged at her heart because she knew the kind of man he was and if he said he wouldn’t hurt her like that then he wouldn’t.
She realized as he stared down at her with his gaze steady and piercing, that even if he hadn’t said it to her any more than she’d said it to him, he loved her. It was there in his eyes as he looked down at her. It was a silent promise that stole her breath and made her heart pound in her ears. Gunner was leaning down to kiss her when she was grabbed from behind by a hard male arm and pulled away.
“Hey, none of that mushy crap. Come on darlin’ the club wants to meet you.” A male voice said, as he let her go and grinned at Gunner who scowled at him.
“Buck, you’re an asshole.”
“Never said I wasn’t. Nice to meet you, I’m Buck.” The man had a rugged face and a scar across his left cheek, jet-black hair, and a hard jaw. He nodded to her and a small grin tugged at his lips. Buck wasn’t what she would call a typically handsome man, but he was sexy in a dark burn-your-panties-off with a look kind of way. Not that he had anything on Gunner who sent desire spiking through her with a single glance.
“Margo,” she said, still staring at him. Gunner growled and came up behind her jerking her back into his body possessively.
“Taken.” He growled at Buck who shrugged and chuckled.
“I know that brother, besides, she’s a good girl and you know they give me hives,” Buck retorted, winking at Margo.
Somehow that wink told her all she would ever need to know about Buck. He was a guy she’d never have to worry about her safety or her virtue when she was with him. He was the dark knight that rescued fair maidens and he had no idea. She would bet he wasn’t as dark and cold as he pretended he was. He likely had a gooey, sweet inner lining just like Gunner. She grinned knowing from that short interaction that she and Buck were going to get along just fine.
“Yeah, and it had better stay that way asshole, because she’s mine,” Gunner warned as his arm tightened around her. Margo wasn’t sure how she felt about his jealousy. He had no reason to be jealous and she shouldn’t be a little turned on about it but she was. Margo pulled away from him and glared at him just to be sure he knew that she wasn’t messing around.
“
I’m not a bone you have to protect, nor am I likely to run off the first handsome guy I see Gunner, so stop being a jerk.” With that, she walked over to Buck hooking her arm into his, ignoring the little growl from Gunner as she did so.
“Let’s go meet the club then,” Margo said, glancing over her shoulder to see a little smile on Gunner’s face, despite the vicious sounding growl he’d let out a second ago. She winked at him and allowed Buck to drag her to the fire with Gunner trailing behind them.
Chapter Seventeen
Margo felt her insides shake a little, her nerves made her uncomfortable as they pulled up outside Gunner’s mother’s house a week after the bonfire party. Things had been really good between them and she didn’t want that to change. She loved him and meeting his mother seemed to her, like the last hurdle they needed to jump over before they could settle into their life as a couple for good. She was wearing her cut over a white t-shirt and jean shorts despite the original boring blue dress her mother had bought her that she’d pulled from the closet and intended to wear. Gunner had seen it and sighed before he, as-polite-as-you-please, lifted it and carried it out of the bedroom. Margo had frowned and followed him to the kitchen where he’d literarily took a knife and cut the thing to bits.
Margo had shrieked and told him to stop but he’d ignored her. She’d demanded to know what she was going to wear to his mother’s and he’d looked at her with a raised brow. ‘Something more you,’ he’d replied before he’d gone into the living room and started flipping through channels. Margo had been at a loss for words but with no other choice she’d searched her wardrobe for something to wear and this was the best she could do. She just hoped her experience with his mother wouldn’t go anything like the experience with her mother had gone for him.
Gunner didn’t seem worried at all and he’d only frowned a little at her outfit, but apparently decided it would work because he hadn’t taken a knife to it while she was in the shower. As they walked up the little drive that was lined with poppies, Margo wrung her hands. As they neared the door, her throat felt tight and her shoulders were tense. Gunner brushed his hand along her spine trying to reassure her as he rang the doorbell.
Margo waited for the door to open with her nerves jangling and her palms sweating. When the door swung open, a dark haired, rather chunky woman stepped out onto the porch and gave a warm welcoming smile, Margo felt herself relax.
“Oh, aren’t you just a beauty.” Martha Jones said, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m Martha Jones, this rapscallion’s mother.”
Margo smiled suddenly feeling a lot less worried about this dinner. “Margo Dexter, it’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Jones. I’m surprised we haven’t met at any of the churches functions.”
“Yes, I remember you. We’ve never chatted, but you’re always helping with the events, which is so nice of you. And none of that Mrs. Jones stuff, call me Martha.” Margo felt a little shamed by the praise because most of the things she did with the church were things her mother guilted her into doing.
“You sly devil, you. Dating Helen Dexter’s daughter, while telling me you weren’t ever going to get married. Come in, come in, dinner’s almost ready,” Martha said over her shoulder to her son, before grabbing Margo’s arm and tugging her into the house. Margo entered behind Martha, looking around curiously at the house he’d grown up in. She saw pictures of him at various stages of his life lining the walls, some of them even had a few of the Grave Diggers in them. Margo realized that, despite her not approving of Gunner’s choices, Martha loved her son without conditions making her a little sad. She wondered what that was like, having a mother to support you no matter who you were, without any conditions on that love. How different would that have made Margo’s life?
As a warm hand slipped into hers and hard fingers curled around them, she realized it didn’t matter. Everything that had happened in her life had led her here to this house and this man, and that was what mattered. As Martha bustled into the kitchen, Gunner moved closer his arm curling around her waist. Their hands were still linked and he brought them up kissing her fingers as he smiled at her.
“Told you it would be okay, babe. You didn’t have to worry. She’s just glad I have a female in my life. She’s only grateful you’re not a classless hooker who is hooked on crack,” Gunner chuckled a little at his own joke earning a punch in the arm for his rudeness. The day flew by and before she knew it, she was sitting on the couch laughing at pictures his mother was showing her while Gunner grumbled and glared. Although, she could tell he wasn’t really upset that his mother was showing her all his embarrassing childhood adventures. Margo loved every second of this day and she was almost sure everything was going to be okay right up until Martha closed the photo album. Her smile was bright and kind as she spoke not realizing that what she said was going to rip the rug right out from under Margo stealing her happiness in seconds.
“When are you two going to start having children of your own? Gunner explained that you’re already married basically, so will I be seeing grandbabies soon?” Martha asked.
A cold sense of longing for something that would never be, filled Margo to the brim, as she realized she’d never told Gunner about her inability to have children. Margo felt her world shatter when she heard Gunner’s reply.
“Not anytime soon, Mom. We just got together and need time to be a couple before we worry about having any kids.”
Margo felt cold and her hands shook as she tucked them under her legs, a strained smile on her face that no one noticed as she realized she was going to have to let Gunner go. He was the type of man who’d want a family and kids of his own. Looking around this house, she knew he’d want to be a father and she—well, she could never offer him that chance. Tears began stinging her eyes and she needed to escape.
“I need to go use the bathroom,” Margo said, her voice steadier than she would have expected.
“Of course, dear go ahead,” Martha murmured, her back to Margo as she pushed the photo album back onto its’ shelf.
“We need to get home too, it’s getting late and I know you have church in the morning, Mom. We will come back soon, or maybe you can come to our place,” Gunner offered, as Margo stood and almost ran to the bathroom. Margo felt tears slipping down her cheeks as she stepped into the small room. Her world was imploding as she realized that she was never going to be back here in this house again and Gunner wasn’t going to be hers, she had to let him go. He was a good man who didn’t deserve a broken woman who couldn’t give him what he deserved. As she looked at her tear-stained face in the mirror she wondered how she’d manage to live without him now.
Gunner heard his mother talking about kids and realized he’d never talked to Margo about his vasectomy. Shit, well that was a conversation he wasn’t looking forward to. Telling her that he never wanted kids was going to be hard. He really hoped she wasn’t planning on having any because he didn’t want them. Gunner knew that even if she wanted him to have his vasectomy reversed, he wouldn’t do it. He didn’t want to expose children to life with the club. There were dozens of reasons that he didn’t want to have kids. He’d seen too many little ones hurt by things that happened on a day-to-day basis. He didn’t want Margo to end up a single mother, even if the club would help her. He didn’t want that life for her, nor did he want a child caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out between them and a rival club. He’d seen that happen with Rock’s son and the devastation it had left in its wake. He didn’t want any of that for his kid, which is exactly why he’d chosen to have vasectomy done in the first place.
He cared for Margo and he wanted her to be happy, but he didn’t want kids. His life was too difficult and he already stressed about Margo’s safety all the time and she was old enough to hold a gun—which was something else he was going to have to discuss with her. He wanted her trained to use one for when he wasn’t with her, but that wasn’t the issue he was having right now.
“Not anytime soon, Mom. We just got together and need time
to be a couple before we worry about having any kids,” he evaded, derailing that conversation before Margo got it into her head that was where they were headed.
Margo asked where the bathroom was and excused herself, while he continued to allow his thoughts to circle round and round. Adoption might happen one day, but he didn’t want kids of his own. A kid who was already here and needed a family he might one day be willing to do, but he wasn’t bringing a life into the world, only to watch it be broken by the world he lived in. Having Margo to worry about was more than enough.
He wondered what was taking Margo so long in the bathroom, because he wanted to get out of here. Not that he didn’t love his mother, but she wasn’t one to let things go. He was going to have to tell her he wasn’t ever having kids unless he adopted one years from now, but not anytime soon. He was happy with just him, Margo, and his brothers. His brothers would have kids and he and Margo could be Uncle Gunner and Aunt Margo, who would spoil them and send them home to mom and dad. Yep, that would work for him. He just hoped it would work for Margo too.
Gunner was beginning to wonder what was taking Margo so damned long in the bathroom after fifteen more minutes had passed. He helped his mom put away the dishes while he waited, glad when Margo finally exited the bathroom. He made their excuses to his mom, and twenty minutes later they were on his bike headed home.
He was glad when they arrived at their apartment a little while later and wondered if they should have this conversation tonight or if he should wait till morning. He entered the apartment behind Margo, realizing she had barely spoken after returning from the bathroom and now that he thought about it, she’d been rather pale and listless too. A worried frown pulled at the corners of his mouth as he moved into the living room behind her. She turned to face him, her hands clenched at her sides and she looked upset. Gunner was about to scoop her into his arms and demand to know what was wrong, when she spoke.
Caught (Grave Diggers MC Book 2) Page 14