Dex ARe

by Jayne Blue

  We had nothing but time. Because I meant every word of what I’d said. I would walk away from everything but Ava ... for the rest of my life.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Two weeks later

  “Let me do it.” Ava smiled. She held the needle and thread in her hands. I leaned down and kissed her.

  “Agh,” Charlie bellowed from his bar stool next to us. “You two are worse than a couple of teenagers.”

  I swatted Ava on the ass and she squealed. “Careful,” she said. “I’m trained to use anything as a weapon!” She brandished her needle and shot a withering look to Charlie.

  I slid my cut and patch over to her. She took the seat next to Charlie and started to sew. I wanted to kiss the spot at the center of her furrowed blonde brow as she concentrated on her work. Her skilled fingers flew around the fabric. Then she leaned down and bit the last frayed ends of the thread and held the jacket up.

  Sly came next to me and patted me on the back. “Put it on,” he said. “We’ve all been waiting.”

  Ava slipped off her bar stool. She came behind me. She went up on her tiptoes to slide my jacket over my shoulders then she swatted me on the ass for good measure. My cock stirred at the plan I had to give her the same treatment as soon as we were alone again.

  I smoothed two fingers over my new Vice President patch. Charlie growled again and the next thing I knew, I was doused with a shower of whatever we had on tap. Ava’s bright laughter filled my soul as she got drenched as well. Sly picked her up and twirled her. She leaned down and kissed the top of Tiny’s head. He sat beside her, already half in the bag. Ava adjusted the sling around his shoulder where it began to sag.

  We drank and ate and told a dozen war stories. Well, at least the ones safe for mixed company ... hell, we told a few that weren’t. But it was good and right and I was home. Later, I leaned back in my chair in the corner of the bar and watched as my girl wiped the floor with Colt and Sawyer at darts. Her eyes traveled to mine now and again and I knew she was happy.

  Two weeks ago, I’d offered to leave the club for her if I couldn’t have both of them. In the end, I didn’t think it was much of a choice. But Ava did. She told me she never wanted to mold me into something I wasn’t. She wanted me, all of me. And the club was part of me too. We were more alike than I realized all those years ago when we were in the blush of our twenties. We both lived on the edge of danger and thrived there. And we both knew what it was like to lose everything and survive it. Instead of making me choose her over the club, she chose me instead, and everything that I was.

  The club was safe. Londo had kept his word and Pagano’s crew had moved out of their businesses in Green Bluff. If the club kept its word not to ever inform on them, we would go our separate ways. The Great Wolves were one hundred percent legitimate and we’d done it in less than a decade.

  So here, with my brothers around me, my new patch on my chest, I knew the time was right. I reached into my jeans pocket and pulled out the ring I’d picked just for her. Simple. Strong. Clean. A two karat round stone set on a wide, gold band.

  A few of the guys gave me knowing glances as I walked up to Ava. I touched her arm lightly and she turned. She was a little drunk, we all were, but her eyes were clear and bright as they widened when I held the ring before her.

  “Dex,” she whispered.

  “Baby,” I said. “I love you. Be my wife. Finally.”

  Ava smiled and tears formed at the corner of her eyes. I had more to say. A whole speech prepared. She stopped me with a kiss and closed her fingers around the ring.

  “You said you’d walk away from everything but me,” she said, her voice clear and strong. Everyone in the club had grown quiet and they formed a circle around us. “That’s never what I wanted so I’ll make you a promise instead.”

  “Aggh,” Charlie bellowed again. Sawyer and Colt slapped him in the shoulders to quiet him. Ava turned back to me.

  “Dex, I promise that wherever you go, you’ll have me right beside you.”

  Then I slipped the ring on her finger and pulled my Ava close. A cheer rose in the crowd as I picked her up and kissed her.

  The End

  ###

  Exclusive Sneak Peak of SLY by Jayne Blue

  Sly

  Dex and Ava said their vows under a bright harvest moon at the top of Green Bluff. She looked beautiful and strong wearing a simple white dress that had belonged to Dex’s mother. It was fitting that she did. Mary McLain would have loved Ava and I swear I felt her presence smiling down at us. Dex towered over her as he leaned down to kiss her and we gave them a Great Wolves howl to seal the deal.

  I stood at Dex’s right shoulder, his best man. He turned and clasped my hand; I leaned forward and smacked him on the back.

  “Take care of her,” I said, and I knew he would. So would I. Things were quiet now. Peaceful. I knew someday things might flare up again, legitimate businesses or no. We were who we were. If it wasn’t Pagano’s crew trying to lean on us, it would be someone else. Probably soon. I knew as long as I was club president, I’d always have to fight to keep what we had. That’s the way it had always been and always would be. So, I’d keep fighting. For now though, we’d earned our patch of peace.

  Later, back at the Den, the tap flowed and somehow it was just Dex and me sitting in one corner of the bar watching all of our friends and brothers. Ava sat on the bar in the middle of them all, leading them in a chorus of Proud Mary.

  “You better not let Mo give Ava any more shots of that homemade apple shit she’s carrying around. She’ll sleep through your wedding night.”

  Dex laughed beside me. “I was just thinking the same thing. My girl’s kind of a lightweight.”

  I took another swig of my beer and Dex and I clinked our mugs together. “I’m so happy for you guys. I think I’m happier than if this were my own wedding day.”

  “You’re drunk,” Dex said as he downed the last of his beer. “And Ava says you need to start thinking about that. As soon as we get back I think she’s going to join forces with Mo to make a project out of finding you a woman.”

  I cringed. “Hell, I’m not the marrying kind, Dex. You know that. Plus, I don’t need help finding women.” To prove my point, I winked across the bar at one of Ava’s bridesmaids. She was a pretty, ginger-haired nurse I’d seen around town a few times. She blushed and winked back. Oh yeah. Long legs. Nice tits. What kind of wedding reception would this be if the best man didn’t get a little lovin’ from a bridesmaid? Much as I liked hanging out with Dex, I was going to need to go over there and close the deal with her pretty soon. I wasn’t the marrying kind, but I also wasn’t in the mood to sleep alone tonight.

  “How long do you think you’ll be gone?” I said, deftly veering the subject away from my love life.

  Dex set his beer mug down and looped his hands behind his head. “Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about that. Ava’s got a bunch of vacation saved up. A couple of months’ worth, actually. Since things are kind of calm around here, at least for the moment, how would you feel about me taking her on a cross-country trip? I can scout out a few of those venues we were thinking about for the next couple of gyms we want to open.”

  I nodded and slapped Dex on the shoulder. “You deserve it, man. You both do. Take as much time as you need. If I need you, I know how to get a hold of you.”

  Dex turned and looked at me. Relief washed over his face and it occurred to me he might really have worried about my reaction to his extended honeymoon plan. Not a chance. I meant what I said. I loved Dex like my brother and now Ava was truly my sister. I couldn’t be happier. And I also couldn’t be hornier. Ava’s bridesmaid had quit waiting for me to make a move and was on her way over with two beers in her hands.

  “Dex!” Ava called to him from the bar. She swayed a little as she waved Dex over.

  “Yeah.” I backhanded Dex on the shoulder as my little bridesmaid came toward me. “Get the fuck outta here. Cock
blocking your best man is very bad luck.”

  Dex laughed, got up, and held his chair out for Ava’s friend. But this little red-haired vixen was bolder than that. She set the beer mugs down and straddled my lap. God. She smelled like honey and spice. “I’m Misty,” she purred as she slid her hands under the lapels of my tux. “And you’re gorgeous.”

  I threaded my fingers through Misty’s up-do. I couldn’t wait to see all that red hair spill out of that tight bun. Her ample breasts strained against the bodice of her green satin bridesmaid’s dress and I couldn’t wait to watch those spill out either. She had a dusting of cinnamon-colored freckles across her shoulders that led down into her cleavage.

  “You look delicious,” I said. She leaned down and kissed me. Mmmm, she tasted just like cinnamon too. Then I took Misty upstairs and our own private wedding party lasted well into the morning.

  ***

  One Week Later

  “You sure you’re ready?” I asked Tiny. He looked healthy, but dark lines shadowed his eyes. He’d lost about thirty pounds since being shot in the shoulder. Sure, he needed to, but it wasn’t a good weight loss.

  Tiny snapped his helmet and climbed on his Harley. His speedy recovery shocked even the doctors. In the beginning, they only gave him about a ten percent chance of having enough strength in his left hand to work the clutch. He was about to prove them all wrong. But he didn’t want an audience. So this morning, it was just going to be Tiny and me riding up to the bluff and back.

  “I’m ready, Sly,” he said. He cranked the throttle and I waited.

  “Hard part’s over!” Tiny bellowed, then he released the clutch and tore off.

  “Slow down, you crazy bastard!” I yelled. I zoomed off after him.

  I heard the roar of Tiny’s laughter as he hurtled down the main road out of town, heading for the bluff.

  “Shit,” I muttered. He had to be doing about ninety already. Tiny didn’t want an easy trial, the idiot wanted to drag race. “Fuck.”

  I sped after him. Thank God it was still early morning. It was just the two of us on the road. At least he wouldn’t be able to take out any civilians if this went wrong. About a mile away from the Den, I started laughing myself.

  God. This did feel good. Nothing but open road, bright sunlight and the first bit of peace we’d had in more years than I could count. I could still hear Tiny’s deep laughter over the roar of our engines and I said a prayer of thanks that he was okay. We were okay.

  Finally, Green Bluff rose above us and Tiny took the turn straight out to the cliff. He stole a look behind him to make sure I was still following. Still trailing more like. He reached the edge before me and raised his fists in the air Rocky-style. After taking two rounds in the shoulder just a month ago, even being able to do that was a miracle.

  I eased up on the throttle to cruise in next to him. He was still laughing. I flipped him off and pressed my rear brake. Nothing happened. I heard a pop but the bike didn’t slow. It accelerated. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  What the fuck?

  I pressed the brake again but the thing was dead. The edge of the cliff and the two-hundred-foot drop to Great Wolf Lake were only a few yards ahead of me. And I was headed straight for it at eighty miles an hour.

  I hear some people see their lives flashing before their eyes before they die. For me, I only saw Tiny’s face drop just before I went airborne and knew I was totally fucked.

  ###

  To Be Continued in

  SLY

  (Book 2 of the Great Wolves M.C. Series)

  By Jayne Blue

  Coming July 2015, read on to find out more!

  A Message from Jayne Blue

  Thank you so much for letting me share Dex and Ava’s story with you. There are many more adventures in store for the hunky men of the Great Wolves M.C. Don’t miss Sly’s story coming in July 2015. Visit my website for my details.

  What to know more about Dex’s daughter Tora?

  If you’d like to know the shocking steps Dex’s daughter Tora had to take to save him, check out Torrid: Book One today. The first book in the Torrid Trilogy is available absolutely free!

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  Jayne Blue

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