“What the fuck for? A few punches to the gut and a knee in the nuts? What the fuck was it?”
“Somebody broke his limbs.”
“Say what?” I didn’t let my eyes search out my boys as they went about the ranch making sure that everything was as it should be, but I knew. That’s what the looks and the whispers were about.
I was more upset that they got to do what I’d wanted to than that they’d done whatever the fuck they’d done.”
“I wonder who else he pissed off. Don’t look at me Drake, when I left the asshole was in one piece lying on the sidewalk.”
“The way I hear it he doesn’t know who got him. Something about being awakened in his bed and knocked around by men in masks.”
“You don’t say, well, I can’t say as I give a fuck one way or the other. Thanks for looking after the place for me.”
“No thanks necessary, now, how long before my wife is off your shit list?”
“Don’t ask me that now bro, I’, nowhere near ready to deal with that shit the way you need me to. If it was me she’d fucked with I might see my way clear to forgiving her, but she’s not getting away with fucking with Amanda, no one is.” I looked at him then so he could read the seriousness in my eyes.
“I just wanna know that this isn’t gonna cause a rift in the family, that we can get past this.”
“That’s something you’re gonna have to take up with your wife. She crossed the fucking line bro. You’re my blood and I love you, but that woman in there is my whole fucking heart, and the shit that was done to her isn’t easily brushed aside.
If I were you, I’d be more worried about what the fuck I’m sleeping next to at night than rifts in the family. Think about what she set in motion bro and then ask yourself what you would’ve done if you were in my shoes.”
I walked away because he wasn’t going to get any satisfaction from me today and I wasn’t looking to hurt him. The situation was fucked anyway you looked at it, but I wasn’t about to give in.
I heard him pull out and leave as I approached the barn where the fucks were hard at work already.
“Okay, who was in on it?”
“In on what boss?”
“You know damn good and well what I’m talking about Alex, just tell me, did you leave anything behind?”
“Do we ever?” this is true. I’m surprised the brothers actually left him breathing with their murdering asses.
“We done now, you got it all out of your systems?”
“Yep.” Simon, who I’m sure was the ringleader, didn’t even miss a beat as he moved bales of hay from one place to the next.
“Somebody wanna tell me how it went down?” I folded my arms and waited. I knew they’d tell me eventually I just had to wait them out. And besides, if they didn’t want to share they would’ve already muzzled Mikey and no one was moving towards him yet.
“It was simple, when we looked up the place we looked for his house.”
“So you had this planned before we left?”
“Actually we were planning to bury his putrid ass somewhere but we figured it might come back on you after the whole town saw you beat him to shit.”
“Hmm, and?”
“And nothing, he knows who beat the shit out of him, but unless he wants some more of the same or for his daddy to catch one to the temple he’d keep his mouth shut and stay the fuck put.”
“Thanks boys.”
“No thanks needed.”
“Yeah well I’m doing it all the same, though I wish you’d let me in on it.”
“Nah boss, that would’ve defeated the purpose, you would’ve killed the fuck. We barely restrained ourselves.”
“So what exactly did you do to that fool anyway?”
“Nothing much, we just broke his arms and legs in a couple places, he’ll be good in about a year maybe. Dumb fuck.”
What the fuck could I say to that? I was about to ask something else when my phone went off on my hip.
“Dad?”
“Boy what’s going on with your mother?”
“What, I don’t know what you’re talking about, what’s wrong with mom?”
“I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you. She has that look she gets when something’s going on with one of her kids and I can’t get shit out of her.”
“Did something happen?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Shit I have to go, that Cecily girl just pulled up, and your mother’s loaded for bear, shit.” He hung up the damn phone as I ran towards the barn door and my truck.
I called out to the boys that I’d be back and made a side trip into the house.
She was already busy in the kitchen when I walked up to her and took her in my arms.
“I’ll be right back baby, I have to go see about mom right quick.” I kissed her hard and released her with a slap on her ass.
“Wait, what’s going on?” she dried her hands on a tea towel as she followed me to the door.
“I’m not sure yet, she’s not hurt or anything so stop worrying. I’ll call you when I know okay.”
I kissed her forehead, gave her tummy a little rub and ran back out to my truck.
I hadn’t had time to tell mom about the baby, but if she’d got wind of what had gone down with Cecily and the asshole ex, Cecily was in a shit load of trouble.
She beat me to the fucking truck. I just saw a shadow go by and heard my truck door slam. It was so sudden that at first I thought it was my imagination, but when I got to the truck and ducked my head in, sure enough my little peach blossom was siting in the passenger side looking determined.
“Amanda what’re you doing?”
“I’m coming with you.”
“No you’re not.”
“Am too.” She folded her arms and looked straight ahead.
“Who the fuck...?” I lifted my brow at her as I climbed in beside her. I should really be scolding her for disobeying me, but my lips were twitching instead.
She had gumption. “I don’t have time to fight with you because the other crazy female in my life seems to be on the warpath but you watch yourself you hear me?”
“What does that mean, watch myself?” she gave me the ‘don’t be a male asshole’ look. Damn, already?
“It means do what I say or else.” She actually sniffed and looked out her window.
“Caleb you need to drive this truck and go where you’re going, the faster you do that, the sooner we’ll be there to see about your mom.”
Well shit, it didn’t take her long. I never saw this stubbornness before; it looked good on her, let’s hope I was flexible enough to let her keep it though. I’m one of those do as I say types.
She looked good and pissed as I flew through the streets and I had to wonder if she knew what was going on, though I didn’t see how.
By the time we pulled up to my parents’ home seven minutes later, it looked like we were too late.
I jumped out the truck in time to hear mom lighting into Cecily, not a regular occurrence to be sure, unless someone fucked with one of her kids.
They were standing outside and dad had his arm around mom’s middle, while Cecily was holding the side of her face with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Dad rolled his eyes at me when he saw us coming as he tried to hold onto his little warrior.
“Mama what the hell is going on?” The words were barely out of my mouth, before Amanda moved past me and knocked Cecily on her ass.
“What the fuck? Dad, take these two in the house.” I pushed her towards my dad who was struggling to hold onto mom.
“You fucked with my son and my grandkid, let me go Avery let me at this little bed hopping who...” Dad covered her mouth before she could go any farther.
I’ve never heard my mother swear before that I can recall. She’s said things like shit and damn before, but never anything like this. I had the fleeting though that maybe I should call and warn Drake to protect his idiot wife, when mom gets like this no
one is safe, except her kids of course.
“I’m not leaving.”
“Shit! Amanda, baby I’m proud as fuck that you found your voice, but not now okay, let me take care of this. Just go on in the house and I’ll be right there.”
She seemed like she wanted to argue but one stern look was all it took to get her ass moving. Too much!
I turned to the idiot that was still trying to pick herself up off the ground. If I didn’t hate her so much I would feel sorry for her, but fuck that.
“I really don’t care what happens to you, but I’ll give you a piece of advice. The first kid to hit me in kindergarten still crosses the street when he sees my mama, and his parents aren’t any better.
If I were you I would go home and pack whatever I need and light the fuck out because she’s not going to stop. I was planning to destroy your social life in these parts and leave it at that, lesson learned. That one will eat you alive. Now get the hell outta here before she comes back.”
She limped her way to her car and I wondered what the hell mom had done to her before we got here.
Mom was still going strong by the time I made it inside and dad was still vainly trying to calm her down.
“And you, why didn’t you tell me what was going on? I had to find out like this?”
“Who told you and what were you told?”
“Diane came running to me with her stupid self. She’s lucky she did it over the phone or Drake would be looking for a new wife.”
“Okay mama bear calm down before you make yourself ill.”
“The next time you tell me to calm down Avery Dunbar somebody’s gonna get hurt. Is that little bitch gone? What are you doing here anyway Caleb?” She gave dad the stink eye and I stayed out of the line of fire.
I had to cover my mouth to hide the grin because she’d probably brain my ass, but she was too cute.
Her five foot four frame was all but trembling with righteous indignation, and her designer wear and well coiffed hair just didn’t go with the Annie Oakley attitude.
“She’s gone now.”
“Good, now Amanda you come with me we have lots to talk about.” And just like that the two of them left the room with their heads together giggling about babies. Fucking women are a trip no man would ever understand.
“Son do you know what any of this is about?”
“Yeah, uh, Amanda’s pregnant. To make a long story short Diane saw us coming out of docs’.
We tried heading her off because I wasn’t ready to share the news yet, but she wasn’t fooled apparently and she got pissed or something equally stupid and told Cecily, who then hunted down Amanda’s ex who went to prison for trying to kill her.
Don’t you start now too.” His face had gone that shade of red that usually meant an explosion.
“Dad what’re you doing?” He hadn’t said a word, just walked over to the antiquated phone and picked it up.
“Drake when’s your break? You need to get out here as soon as.”
Shit, what now? I just wanted shit to settle down and go back to normal, all this upheaval was fucking with my program.
“Dad Drake already feels bad.”
“This isn’t about your brother feeling bad, this is about him reeling his wife in once and for all. We’re a family here and we’re only as strong as our weakest link. I won’t have discord in my family among my children you weren’t raised like that, and more importantly I won’t see your mother upset one more time by this girl and her selfish bullshit.” He stormed out of the room leaving me mumbling behind him.
“What the fuck did I do?”
Needless to say the day turned into chaos. Mom was on a tear because I didn’t call her the second the doctor said the words you’re pregnant and was threatening all manner of mayhem on my life for that little faux pas.
Drake was pissed because he felt we were being too hard on his wife who wasn’t invited because my mother who had lost her mind sometime in the last twenty-four hours threatened to snatch her bald.
I wasn’t sure where any of this shit with her was coming from, granted I was pissed the fuck off at the idiot myself, but what was mom’s deal?
Turns out she’d dragged the whole story out of Diane and she knew what had been done to Amanda before she came here. It was still a mystery how they’d found out because Drake swore her hadn’t told her, but after Amanda went back over that day that Diane had paid her a visit I think she went snooping or some shit and put the pieces together.
Whatever the case, she’d bitten off more than she could chew, because apparently mom’s breaking point was when her future daughter in law’s life was threatened, not to mention the grandchild she was carrying.
I was hurting for my brother, he seemed lost as fuck, but the truth is, he needed to put her ass in check a long time ago. If Amanda had done some shit like that I would put her little ass on lock.
Nothing was resolved by the time the sun was going down and it was time to go. Mom wasn’t budging from her position and dad was backing her one hundred percent.
I took my woman home and left them to sort their shit out, I’d done what I needed to do.
“How’re you feeling baby? You had a long two days, the baby okay?”
“Yeah we’re good. Caleb your mom’s nuts, please remind me, to never get on her bad side.”
“You won’t, she likes you.” I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed it and we rode the rest of the way in silence.
“I’ll make dinner tonight you sit and relax.”
“Oh but.”
“Amanda, are you still afraid of being hurt?” She gave me a look of confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think I will ever take my fists to you, or shoot you?”
“Of course not, why do you ask?”
“Because I need you to understand something babe. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. Now just because I won’t take my fists to you, that don’t mean there aren’t other ways for me to deal with your ass if you get out of line. Are you getting where I’m going with this?”
She didn’t look too pleased but I didn’t expect her to be. “Now sit, I’ll get you some juice and you can keep me company while I cook.”
She parked her ass at the table in a snit but whatever. “Now.” I got the ingredients for a quick stew out of the fridge and started chopping the vegetables. “How do you feel about yesterday, feel good?”
That perked her little bloodthirsty heart right up. “Yes it did, it’s so strange though, he didn’t seem the same at all.” She squinted her eyes as she looked up at me.
“In what way baby?”
“Well, always before he seemed so big you know, larger than life. I don’t know, maybe it was because no one in town would stand up to him, and I knew I was trapped. I don’t know, I just know that before he always seemed like this big tough person, someone to be feared. But yesterday he seemed like nothing.”
Fucking excellent. “So you’re no longer afraid?”
“No I’m not afraid, I know you won’t let him hurt me anyway.”
“Damn straight baby.”
Epilogue
She’s here. My baby girl came into the world kicking and screaming a little over three years ago. I wasn’t sure which of them she was more like, the mother or the grandmother.
Can I tell you a story? The shy quiet reserved girl that showed up on my ranch a little over four years ago is no more, that shit was a con.
In her place is the most vibrant, self-confident, fiery beauty, that keeps my heart soft and my dick hard.
It’s a thing of great joy to watch her grow day by day. And my kid! Fuck if the two of them don’t have me tied up in knots. She opened her eyes in that delivery room and I was gone all the way gone.
“Come on daddy.”
“I’m coming princess.” I had to wash my hands because I’d just come in from the range. I’ve been delegating a lot lately I still do my thing but daddy’s always on hand for tea pa
rties and nail painting sessions. I wasn’t sure what she had in store for me today and I didn’t much care.
The first time I’d knocked Alex on his ass the rest of those fucks had stopped laughing. A man ought to be able to spend quality time with his kid without having to deal with fuckery.
Now the joke was on them because she’s reeled them into her mess. You’ve not seen anything until you’ve seen nine grown ass men bending over backward to please a little half pint sized termagant.
Mikey the fuck is her favorite because she can get him to do anything, after me of course, I’m here go to guy. It makes her mother and mine nuts, but my little girl doesn’t run to anyone but her daddy.
Amanda is hoping that the boy she’s carrying this time around will help balance things out, be all hers as she puts it, we’ll see. One thing’s for sure I make some beautiful babies.
She has mother’s coloring, but everything else is all me, but that temper of hers whew, that’s pure Amanda.
For a while there I thought she was making up for the years the asshole had stifled her, but I soon realized it was her nature. It’s a wonder she hadn’t killed that fuck.
It was also a testament to how free and happy she was in our life together that she gave me as much shit as she did, only she tries covering that shit up with her bullshit, but I know when I’m being snowed, and nine times out of ten my own mother is behind her, egging her on with her shit.
At least I know life will never be boring with the amount of shit she finds to get into.
Everyone in town has adopted her in some way or another. No one knows anything about her past of course, but her own natural sweetness has won them over and now I can’t walk down main street with my woman and kid without being stopped every five feet.
We’ve had quite a few barbecues and lawn parties as well as mom has started passing the torch so to speak, something that I wasn’t quite ready for but Amanda jumped into with both feet.
We haven’t heard or seen Cecily since she took my advice and left the state that day, but last I heard through the grapevine she hadn’t changed much, just found a new playground.
Diane, what can I say about Diane? She’s changed significantly. I don’t know if it was something my brother said or the fact that mom cut her out of that year’s holiday celebrations with the family, which was always one of the biggest things in our little town, but something woke her the hell up.
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