by Bijou Hunter
“Sent it to the crew. You’re welcome.”
“Jackass,” Vaughn said, wiping his tongue with a napkin.
Calming my laughter, I stroked his ponytail. “Poor baby. I’ll make it up to you later.”
Vaughn’s horrified expression immediately shifted into a smirk. “Yeah, you will.”
A fish dinner later, we ended up at a honky-tonk outside of Ellsberg with a mechanical bull. Continuing our desire for non-preggo approved activities, Tawny and I took turns riding between our whiskey shots. Mostly, we fell then laughed our asses off.
The nearly empty honky-tonk had only a few regulars around and those guys loved the show. At first, they did anyway. Judd and Vaughn joined the hooting guys at the bar. When I glanced at them, I saw nothing aggressive about their behavior. After turning away to watch Tawny get bucked off, I glanced back and found the other guys leaving. Suddenly, we had the place to ourselves.
“Meow,” I teased Vaughn who flexed his muscles then kissed his guns.
Judd stopped looking ready to kill someone and laughed at his friend. They were comparing their guns when Tawny and I hurried over.
“Let’s compare asses next,” Tawny announced. “Turn around and shake those fuckers!”
Without missing a beat, Judd told Tawny, “Don’t look at Vaughn’s ass.”
Sliding up next to him, she caressed his stubbled jaw. “His wouldn’t win. No ass is as perfect as yours.”
Vaughn glanced at me. “They’re going to have bathroom sex now. Let’s order wings and wait them out.”
Grinning, I took his hand and pulled him towards the empty dance floor. Josh Turner sang overhead about love. It was the kind of mushy tune that normally made me puke. Tonight, while dancing with an unbearably handsome man who wanted to make a life with me, the romantic song felt right.
“Are they really going to have sex in the bathroom?” I asked, realizing Judd and Tawny were gone.
“No, they brought the SUV. I guess, they knew the night would be too sexy to avoid a quickie.”
“Why aren’t we having a quickie?”
Vaughn gave me a sly grin. “Self control, cookie. We have it and they don’t.”
“Because they’re hotter for each other than we are?” I asked, swaying my hips against his.
“Screw you. I’ll whip my cock out and fuck you this second. I’m game if you are.”
Laughing at his serious expression, I wrapped him tighter in my arms. “Let’s save all the heat for your apartment.”
“Our apartment, cheeky. We should talk about finding new digs. Something big for when I’ve created a basketball team in your womb.”
“Not all at once, right?”
“Lark’s having a litter. Why not us too?”
Spinning around, I leaned back against him. “Where do you want to live?”
“A house. There are some big ones in Cooper’s neighborhood. If we moved there, you and Farah could talk babies or vaginas or whatever chicks talk about when they’re alone.”
“Cocks and chocolate. That’s the gist of our conversation choices.”
“Nice,” he murmured, running his hands up and down my hips. “Do you want a house? Like suburbia crap? I’ll give my woman whatever she wants.”
“Growing up, I always wanted to live in a pretty house and stay there for a long time. I’d love for my kids to grow up in the same house with the same friends. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy house or that big. Sharing rooms won’t kill kids. It’ll teach them patience and sharing. I usually shared rooms with Lark. Sometimes with Phoenix too.”
Saying my brother’s name made me a little sad. Lark and I had found such happiness, but Phoenix never even had a chance to grow up.
“I miss him,” I said, resting against Vaughn. “Even after all these years, I miss him. I know Lark does too. She cries more lately because of the hormones. Anything that reminds her of Phoenix gets her going.”
“That’s what the blue butterfly is, right?” Vaughn said, grazing my bare back with his warm fingers. “That’s Phoenix and the pink one at Tinker’s shoulder is Lark.” When I smiled, Vaughn kissed my forehead. “My sweet Tinker.”
“I always liked her spunk and understood her obsessive jealous nature when it came to boys. I have that sickness too.”
“Will you get a tattoo in honor of me?” he asked with complete seriousness. “Me on a Harley with my hair blowing in the wind. Just throwing ideas out.”
“Can you be Peter Pan on the Harley?”
Likely remembering all the teasing he got from the guys about green tights, Vaughn’s smile faded. “Forget it. Just stick my name across your ass and call it a day.”
Laughing, I climbed Vaughn who wrapped me in his arms. “I’m getting a butterfly for every kid we have,” I whispered in his ear as Vaughn walked us out to the Harley and past Tawny and Judd’s a-rocking SUV. “I’ll also do that ass tat like you suggested.”
“Oh, yeah,” Vaughn said, resting me on the Harley. “I’m getting a tattoo on my ass dedicated to you. Tinker and Peter in a very explicit love scene. Tasteful, but explicit.”
The thought of that tattoo had me giggling on and off all night. Even the next day when I met the girls at the salon, I found myself laughing at the image of Tinker and Peter fucking on Vaughn’s ass.
While I smiled to myself, Tawny fed Farah Pico de Gallo. Maddy studied my shoulders and sighed.
“I burn then tan, but get all freckled. Not attractive, but my man loves me anyway.”
Grinning at her, I took one of the fashion magazines nearby and fanned Lark who was sweating like she’d just run a marathon.
“Baby cooking is tricky shit, huh?” I teased her.
“Yeah, but I’m tired mostly because Aaron kept me up last night playing Uno. It’s official though. I am the Uno champion of our household. Beat his sexy ass something fierce.”
“What did you win?”
When Lark gave me a naughty grin, I got the worst giggles. Jodi watched us goofing off and rolled her eyes.
“I need to spend more time with women my age, but they’re always whining about how their men can’t get it up and aren’t sexy anymore. I just can’t relate.”
We all laughed and settled in for our pedicures.
“What’s taking Bailey so long?” Sawyer asked, sitting in the booth next to her mom.
“She’s at Hampton, choosing her classes for next semester. She’ll be here soon.”
After deciding I wanted pink nails with little stars, I thought about Vaughn who was off doing whatever his job entailed when he wasn’t hanging with the guys. I was still daydreaming when Jodi’s cell rang followed by Tawny’s. Farah’s was next then Maddy’s. Before I had a chance to worry, Jodi bolted from her chair and locked the front doors. I heard Maddy gasp while Tawny pulled out a gun.
“We’re locking things down until someone comes,” Jodi explained to the freaked out manicurists.
“What’s happening?” I asked Farah.
“Cooper wants us to go to his parents’ house. Someone attacked Bailey and the club is shutting the town down until they find the guy.”
“What should I do?” Lark asked, looking so young that I immediately hugged her.
“Everyone is going to my house where we’ll be safe,” Jodi said, examining the quiet street outside. “You’re family and the Johanssons stick together against their enemies.”
For the next ten minutes, Jodi and Tawny guarded the front while I hugged Lark and caressed her head. Farah moved to a couch where she played Internet games with Sawyer and Maddy.
Once a few guys from the club showed up, they escorted us to the Johansson property. Only then, did we learn Bailey was already at the house. Even wanting answers about who attacked her and whether Vaughn was safe, we could only wait.
Chapter Twenty Six – Vaughn
Raven planned to spend the morning with the girls, so I looked for houses in a few recently built neighborhoods. Big plans awaited us and I wanted to sta
rt our new life as soon as possible. Unfortunately, my enemies chose to derail my dreams again.
The call from Cooper was short and angry. Assholes attacked us in Ellsberg. We needed to meet up at Whiskey Kirk’s. The women were safe. The last part of his message was what kept me from blowing off his orders and looking for Raven.
Instead of checking on my woman, I arrived at a packed Whiskey Kirk’s. Inside, I found the guys armed up and restless.
“What the hell happened?” I asked Judd who was wearing his enforcer face.
“Looks like the Devils are in town. I don’t know the details because Cooper’s keeping shit close to the vest. He’s talking with Tucker and Kirk now.”
Glancing around at the angry club guys, I knew something big went down. The specifics didn’t matter. Someone came into Reaper territory to stir up shit.
“Is Tawny okay?” I asked in a barely veiled attempt to find out about Raven.
“They moved all the girls to the Johansson house especially after what happened to Bailey.”
“Shit, man. Tell me what you know.”
Judd glanced around. “Bailey was on her way to the salon to meet the girls when some fucker ran her off the road. He tried to move on her car, but she took a shot at him. He shot back. Then, that asshole deputy with the stupid name showed up with his lights and sirens. The asshole shooting at Bailey ran for it. I don’t know who the guy was, but the Devils tried to grab Kirk’s kid. It goes without saying the streets will bleed red soon.”
Once the door to the backroom opened, Tucker gestured for me and Judd along with Kirk’s top guys. The rest of the club wanted answers, but they would have to wait.
Cooper’s face was a mask of rage. His pop looked calm enough, but the guy had years of practice at hiding his feelings. When Cooper was too angry to speak, Tucker explained.
“Saint called from Tucson and said the clean up couldn’t be completed because Caleb wasn’t in town. The other guys were dealt with including Lloyd, but Caleb’s neighbors claimed he’d gone hunting a few days earlier. The Devils are in a fucking rage, but they’ve got no leader. Saint said the rumor is a Mexican gang is looking to take over the Devils’ territory. Vaughn’s old crew has got bigger shit to worry about than us.”
“Who tried to grab Bailey?” Judd asked.
The muscles in Kirk’s jaw twitched then he shrugged. “Wasn’t Caleb. Probably one of his guys. Saint said the fucker took a few buddies hunting with him.”
Realizing the timeline, I sighed. “Once their shitty hitman got killed, they sent Caleb to do me. Now, he’s heard about his dad and lost his fucking mind.”
“Bailey’s okay though?” asked one of Kirk’s guys.
Nodding, Kirk suddenly looked directly at me and every muscle in my body tensed.
“Raven?” I asked.
“No, she was with Jodi and the girls. They’re fine, but while the fucker tried to grab Bailey, his buddies were over at Cooper’s future office. They grabbed Harlow, her sister, and shot Raven’s brother.”
“Is Dylan dead?”
“No, but only because Tad pulled a gun. Caleb didn’t have time to finish the job. He did get the girls though and sent us a message saying he’d kill them if we didn’t hand you over.”
“Motherfucker!” I yelled, heading for the door without a damn clue where I was going.
“Hold up,” Cooper said, grabbing me. “You can’t just run off. We need to figure shit out first.”
“Figure what out? I’m why they came here and shot up your town. Shot at your sister, man. Let’s end this.”
“How? By handing you over, so everything we’ve done was for shit? Don’t be a fucking idiot.”
“They’re going to kill Harlow. The kid finally had a chance at a life and they’ve got her,” I said then lowered my voice. “They’re pissed and scared and they’ve got those two girls. The longer they have them, the worse it’ll be. Just call the asshole and tell him we’ll end it now.”
“What about Raven? You gonna ditch your woman because you’re having a panic attack.”
“I’m not panicking.”
“You’re acting like an idiot. If you’re not panicking, what the fuck is your problem?”
“I need to make this right,” I said, reaching for the door.
“Damn it, Vaughn,” Cooper said, shoving me against the wall. “You said I was your president and you would follow me. Well, I’m telling you to stand the fuck down.”
“He’s going to kill those girls.”
“Maybe, but handing your ass over to him doesn’t mean they’ll live either. Let us figure things out first, so we can save everyone. Caleb doesn’t want to die, so he’ll be willing to negotiate. We have the cards here. If he kills those girls, we kill him. If he kills you, we kill him. He has a contract on his head and you know how that feels. If Caleb is looking to go back to Tucson and lead the Devils, he’ll give us the girls in exchange for a truce.”
“He might not be thinking straight. His dad is dead. His club was attacked and Caleb has a temper. His only loyalty is to the club and he’ll want revenge.”
“Then, we’ll find and kill him. You running off like a fuckwad won’t save Harlow and her sister. You need to settle down and let me figure things out.”
Even wanting to mention how long it took for him to figure shit out before, I kept my big mouth shut. Cooper was in charge and I was his guy. If I didn’t behave, maybe I wasn’t his guy anymore and I’d have more to worry about than the Devils.
“Do what you can, Cooper. Those girls don’t deserve this shit after what they had growing up.”
“Understood. Now, make sure our women are safe at the house. Lock shit down, so we don’t have more trouble. I’ve got feelers out to all of our contacts and they’ll find Caleb and his fucking friends. No way can they hide long in our territory. Once we know where they are, we’ll figure out how to go in and get the girls.”
I felt like an outsider all these years with the Reapers. If I wanted to call myself their brother, I needed to stop thinking I was in this fight alone. Kirk and his boys treated me better than the Devils ever did. Even as Ted’s stepson, I was the loner who cleaned messes. Never trusted with decisions, I was just called to hide their dirty secrets. In Ellsberg with these men, I could be really part of a club.
The entire ride to the Johansson property was torture as I remembered Harlow wearing face paint at the fair. For years, I never believed she’d recover from the ugliness of that night or the suffering Playboy put her through. I imagined her ruined, but she’d grown up to be a woman capable of laughter and light. If Caleb stole that from her, I would spend the rest of my fucking life hunting his ass down. No truce would stop me. No loyalty to the club. Even Raven’s love might not be enough for me to give up on revenge.
Once I saw her running down to meet me, I accepted I wasn’t strong enough to give her up to find my vengeance. She owned my heart and I was relieved Cooper stopped me from breaking hers.
“They’ll save her,” Raven said immediately, knowing not only what I was thinking, but what I needed to hear.
Taking her into my arms, I could breathe again. “You give me hope, cookie,” I whispered before kissing her.
Raven held me so tightly I suspected she would have broken a weaker man. Fear radiated from my woman, but she gave me a wonderful fake smile.
“The Devils want to destroy you because you’re special and they’re nothing. They can’t have you though. You belong with me here in Ellsberg and I refuse to let you go.”
“You’re going to be my wife. Nothing is interfering with that plan.”
Nodding a little too vigorously, Raven glanced up at the deck where Lark waited.
“How’s Dylan?” I asked as we walked towards the stairs.
“In surgery. The Reapers guy at the hospital called Jodi and said Dylan will be okay,” Raven said, shivering. “I can’t believe he tried to stop those bastards. I mean, it makes sense that he’d try, but he was unarmed.”
Her eyes red from earlier crying, Lark waited for us with a nervous smile. “I heard he used a hammer on the guys. Got one of them in the eye too.”
“You okay?” I asked as she and Raven sat on a bench.
“Scared for Dylan and those girls. Ellsberg felt so safe and now it doesn’t. I’m just scared someone will die.”
“They will, but it won’t be our people,” I assured her.
Bailey appeared outside with two Rottweilers. She was armed with a gun in her hand and one strapped to her side.
“Any trouble out here?” she asked, waving her gun around.
“Naw,” I said, hugging her to me. “You scared the bastards away.”
“Yeah, I kick ass pretty spectacularly. Want me to teach you some moves?”
We all laughed, but Bailey was more than a little freaked out. The bravado masked none of her fear. Her question definitely distracted though.
“Do you think that Deputy Darling guy is hot?”
Lark gasped. “Don’t make me puke! Please, I just settled my stomach.”
“He’s kinda manly and stuff, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Lawmen don’t do it for me.”
“You’re fucking Raven. You don’t need to get hot for him. I’m looking for man meat and he’s got a respectable job.”
“Just ew,” Lark said, leaning back and rubbing her bump. “Stop before I upchuck on you.”
A smiling Bailey sat next to Lark. “Okay, but only because I’m feeling very giving since I kicked ass today. Oh, and Maddy asked me to be her maid of honor. She said I was so nice to her when she was preggers that she’s picking me over her real sisters. I’m that fucking good.”
The next hour, I kept Raven close to reassure her. We were even talking about sneaking off to the apartment when I got a call from Cooper.
“Get your ass back here. We got a lead on the fuckers.”
Leaving Raven was painful, but I forced myself to go. The club needed me and my president wasn’t asking. When I got to Kirk’s bar, the parking lot was as full as when I left. The mood had shifted inside the bar, seeming more jovial.