I couldn’t help the manic smile that overtook my face in that instant. It was really good to have that man on my side. ‘Cause working against a man of his caliber really wouldn’t be good.
“So do we walk in?” Silas asked once we got the logistics of what the plan was. “I think that’s best. Although, I think walking along the outer tree line that lines the lake would be best.” Sam rumbled.
We all nodded in confirmation.
“Now, I want to be sure that we all understand that this is going to be a police operation. Loki, Trance and Radar need to be the only ones that fire anything or offer any deadly force. It’s going to be the only clean way any of this can be done without pulling strings.” Silas noted from his position at Sam’s side.
Although he said it to all of us, his eyes were pinned on me, making sure he got the point across.
I gave him an assuring nod, and we set out down the tree line.
The walk was less than a mile and a half walking distance through the woods, since we were able to cut off nearly half the distance that it took to drive there.
Everything that happened once we reached the property line was just this side of anticlimactic.
Viddy was sitting at the kitchen table with her hands and feet bound to the chair.
Gustavo was pacing and yelling into his phone, nearly the entire kitchen’s length away from Viddy.
Warily, Trance and Loki advanced on the door while the rest of us fanned out around the property.
I took the side door that led out from the dining room while Trance and Loki both took the sliding glass door that led into the kitchen.
Even better, the glass door was open, allowing the cool night breeze in through the screen door.
Allowing us to hear every bit of the conversation. Which was how we knew that Gustavo was alone, weaponless, as well as pissed way the hell off that he’d grabbed the wrong sister, risking everything to kidnap this woman which wouldn’t even get him anywhere.
I was inside the house and rounding the edge of the hallway, just barely able to see into the kitchen as Loki stepped inside, when Gustavo turned away in his pacing. He had his back to the door allowing Loki to step entirely into the kitchen before he turned and even saw that anyone was there.
Then he tried to run. Directly towards me.
Ignoring the earlier warning from Silas, I reared back my arm and punched the smaller man with every bit of fury that had built up in the past sixteen years. Releasing every single bit of it on the man, and then some.
The punch took him on the cheekbone.
I clearly heard the crunch of a bone shattering, and then he went down. Hard.
His head hit the tiled floor first, followed shortly after by the rest of him.
It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep from rearing my leg back and kicking him, beating the ever loving shit out of him until his face no longer resembled anything human.
But then Sebastian’s hand curled around my shoulder and hauled me back from temptation, practically dragging me backwards until I was back outside and standing in the cool winter air.
“You’re okay.” Sebastian said to me, and it was only then that I realized just how quickly I was breathing.
My lungs were billowing like a freight train, and each puff of my breath filled the cold night air like a cloud, surrounding me.
“You piece of shit. You stupid, goddamn piece of shit. I should fucking kill you. You’ve taken nearly everything from my sister. You don’t deserve to live.” Viddy screeched, making the tension in my shoulders ease slightly.
“Who are you calling?” Sebastian asked as I walked to where I could see the show unfold in the kitchen.
“My soon to be wife.”
***
9:37 P.M.
“Cameras are off, but I don’t know for how long. Keep it under control though. The captain won’t like this if you beat the shit out of him. Try to keep a lid on it, eh?” Loki confirmed as he showed me to the interrogation room Gustavo was in.
I walked into the room without saying a word of affirmation to Loki, and immediately clenched my hands into tight fists as not to pummel the little weasel’s face.
Gustavo grinned at me, instantly knowing who I was as soon as I stepped through the door.
I walked sedately into the room, trying with all of my ability to keep the fury I was feeling back.
“So you finally came to find out what my motives were, yes cazzo?” Gustavo asked.
Cazzo. Dick. Glad he could be original.
My father had said that often when I was growing up
“Yes, cameras are off,” I said staring at the man. “Tell me why.”
“You got a letter. I would’ve left you alone if it wasn’t for the letter.” He shrugged.
“You wasted your time. I never even read the letter.” I growled in frustration.
“It doesn’t matter, cazzo. I’ve been meaning to find you and say thank you for years now. I would’ve never known if you hadn’t sent that package from Iraq. I never intended to hurt your bastardo that bad, but once it happened, well, it just happened. Rosalie was kind enough to keep it quiet, although I did have to threaten her a wee bit.” He said holding up my fingers a short distance from the other.
“Anyway, I thought for sure when your papa delivered that letter to you, that you would read it, but you didn’t. Only that girl of yours did. Of course, then I had to kill her. I used her brother. Those stupid little twit kids. Nobody could follow through, so I had to do it myself. Sorry about your sister, though. That’s too bad.” He grinned and bared his teeth.
Hearing what I needed to hear, I started to leave the room, but stopped when I reached the doorway.
“Just remember this, cazzo. Don’t drop the soap. I hope you enjoy playing the bitch.” I hissed before crashing out of the room.
***
10:18 P.M.
I watched as Adeline and Viddy reunited, keeping my mouth shut and letting them have their moment.
“So she was kicking him?” Adeline giggled. “Did Trance toss her over his shoulder before or after she kicked him in the face?”
“After. Trance had her nearly outside before she squirmed her way loose, heading for the downed man. Then, she reared back and kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and spraying blood absolutely everywhere.”
“Yeah, I think it got in my hair.” Viddy groaned from the couch beside Adeline.
Adeline giggled even more as she pulled her sister towards her, and buried her nose in Viddy’s hair.
“I can’t believe you did that. Thank you.” Adeline whispered.
“I guess you should really thank yourself. You’re the one who bought me that dog tracker thing. Worked out well, too. I had it around my neck.” She said as she pulled the object that was on a chain around her neck from beneath her shirt.
It was a circular medallion type thing that was the size of a quarter.
“No, that was you keeping it charged. Without that, it would’ve been useless.”
Viddy waved the comment away with a flick of her hand. “Whatever.”
“Squeeze you to pieces, Viddy.” Adeline said as she curled a little more into her sister.
“Squeeze you back together.” Viddy replied.
Epilogue
Ride with me forever.
-A note from Kettle to Adeline on their wedding day.
Adeline
“Alright, I’ll be back momentarily. I want you to start reading the lab manual, and then we can get started on the lab. Rebecca, can you...”
Beeeeeeep.Beeeeeeep.Beeeeeeep.
The fire alarms started ringing, making my heart lurch up into my throat. Although I’d known we were doing a fire drill today, it still scared the crap out of me. The fucking thing was louder than hell, and on the verge of giving me a seizure.
“Alright ladies and gentlemen, line up at the door. Leave your things. Cell phon
es too.” I said to the class before heading to the door.
As they filed out, one by one, and started heading for the nearest exit, I counted my class until I was sure I had them all, and then followed behind them. “Head to the football field. We’re at the thirteen yard line, remember?” I called up ahead.
They all grumbled their acknowledgements as we made our way down the hall and outside into the cool spring air.
It’d been two months since that horrible night my sister was abducted, and I still woke up in night sweats just thinking about how she’d been taken right in front of me.
Viddy, on the other hand, had seemed to come out of her shell. She’d started coming to more of The Dixie Wardens’ Barbeques, as well as any party that they threw. I was enjoying each and every minute of having her back, too.
“Gentlemen, stop holding up the line. Please continue to follow the crowd to the field. Jackson Freeman, what did I say...oh, my God.” I gasped.
The boys I’d been yelling at moved all at once, and there in front of me, down on one knee, was the love of my life. Decked out in his bunker bottoms and helmet.
It took me a while to get past the fact that my man was down on one knee in the middle of a fire drill, but then I happened to look down in front of him to see ‘Will You Marry Me’ written out in fire hose.
I looked at the man, staggered for a few stunned seconds before I took off running, tackling him to the ground and giving him kisses on the face, nose, and mouth. Practically any part of his body I could reach without it being indecent.
“So I take that as a yes?” He asked happily.
“A thousand times. Yes.” I squealed back, just as happily.
“Ms. Sheffield, I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” Mrs. Threadgill said from beside me.
I looked up at the prim woman’s face and grinned at the pleasure I saw emanating there.
“Oh yes, he’s the halligan to my axe. How could I say no?” I teased.
“I’m not sure I like those types of words used in front of my students.”
And the lady dragon was back.
***
Four and half months later
I looked around at the finished project of Kettle’s house. No, scratch that. Our house.
Kettle and his friends from both the Dixie Wardens and firehouse slaved day and night to make this place presentable for today.
I couldn’t help the surge of excitement that coursed through my veins as I looked out our kitchen window at Kettle, my fiancé and soon to be husband, standing on the newly remodeled dock.
In less than an hour, we’d be married.
“Sis?” Jefferson called from behind me.
I turned to find my brother in the doorway. He was looking so much better lately. But that had a lot to do with the woman he had his arm currently around. Detective Annalise Hernandez.
She was fairly glowing, and that wasn’t surprising since she was nearly four months pregnant.
Jefferson’s hair was cut into a sharp cut that showed off his features perfectly. His royal blue polo and khaki pants looked great on him. His muscles were starting to thicken and spread, and my heart started to weep. He was looking so much like my dad that it made my heart hurt.
A good kind of hurt.
My dad would’ve been proud of him.
Turns out that when he realized what kind of trouble he was in when it came to Gustavo, Jefferson did the smart thing and went to the ATF instead of the stupid thing and bending to Gustavo’s will.
He was working with ATF to bring Gustavo down, all the while The Dixie Wardens and the Benton Police Department were doing the same thing. They didn’t realize they were all working on the same team until the night Kettle got my sister back for me.
Annalise met Jefferson during the huge explanation that took part between both the police and the ATF.
From there, their relationship grew, despite the huge differences between the two.
Which only went to show that love’s blind. You don’t choose who you love, you just try to ride the wave.
And Annalise and Jefferson definitely rode that wave if Annalise’s pregnant belly was anything to show for it.
“Jefferson!” I squealed happily. “I’m glad you came. How are you?”
Jefferson’s eyes bulged when he got a load of the front of my dress, and I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my throat. Annalise was smiling widely as she saw it though. She knew the score.
“Wow your wedding dress is very...red. And where’s the rest of it?” He asked in surprise.
I snickered as I answered. “You know I don’t do traditional. That’s not my style at all. But this...this is me. Kettle might have a small heart attack, but I think he’ll like it.”
The dress was red on top with a plunging neckline that slowly bled to white. It was a corset style with black satin ribbon crisscrossing at my back. Swarovski Crystals lined the top, accentuating my voluptuous breasts perfectly.
Oh, who was I kidding? Kettle was going to have a cow, but I planned to tell him something later, and I wanted him thoroughly distracted until I did so. It would be picture-perfect! I just hoped the photographer was able to get his face like she assured me she could when I told him.
“Yeah, I can see you’re definitely not traditional. Nor did you offer your bridesmaids traditional.” Jefferson trailed off as Viddy and Baylee entered the room.
Baylee was a bridesmaid, while Viddy was, of course, my maid of honor.
Both of their strapless dresses were made out of black lace that came to a stop at just above the knees, fitted tightly to their bodies. There was a deep scarlet ribbon high across their waists that tied their colors in with mine, and I absolutely adored them. I couldn’t wait to see the looks on Sebastian and Trance’s faces when they saw my beautiful ladies, just as I couldn’t wait to see the look on Kettle’s.
“So how do I look, ‘cause I can’t see?” Viddy teased as she twirled around.
Jefferson, Annalise and Baylee all laughed as Viddy had intended, but I just stared. She really did look stunning. Which also made me mad because her body looked better than mine did, although my boobs could totally kick her boobs’ ass.
She was wearing flats, but they worked well for her. The dress was exquisite with her lean hourglass shape.
“Adeline?” She asked when she didn’t hear my laugh.
How she knew that, I would never know. She just did.
“Yeah, Vid?” I asked, walking up close to her.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing. You look beautiful.” I whispered, really wishing she could see herself.
“I know. I feel beautiful, therefore I look beautiful.” She teased.
“Alright, who’s ready to get this show on the road?” Jefferson exclaimed.
“Yes, I’m ready. Is everyone else?” I asked the group.
“Wait! You forgot your garter! Here, lift your dress and let me get it on.” Baylee ordered as she squatted down at my feet.
I bunched my dress in my hands and lifted it, watching as Baylee slipped the little slip of frilly lace and fabric over my boots and up my thigh. Once done, she gave my outer thigh a pat and stood with a nod. “Let’s get this done. I can’t wait to see Kettle’s face when he sees you!”
***
Kettle
“Holy Shit,” Sebastian growled from beside me.
My heart was slow and steady as I watched Baylee come down the dock towards us.
Then came Viddy and I tensed.
She walked sure and steady, cane-less. Once she reached the edge of the dock, she stepped up lightly and walked smooth and steady down the dock towards us.
Trance, who was also at my side, visibly relaxed, as did I, once she made it to Baylee’s side.
“Jesus Christ,” Trance hissed.
Trance had it bad. Although, I was just as worried as he was, despite Viddy having practiced it no less
than a hundred times.
We decided against having any ring bearers or flower girls because of having the wedding on the dock itself. We didn’t want to have to go fish little children out of the lake, so the next one out was Adeline.
And what a fucking sight she was.
She was walking out on the arms of Silas and Dixie. She’d bonded with them both over time, and told us she couldn’t decide who to ask, so she asked them both, and they had both readily agreed.
Then, as she got close enough, I could see the plunging neckline, and about fell off the goddamn dock.
“Goddamn.” I said shaking my head. Then a smile overtook my mouth as she walked down the dock towards me. She was so fucking beautiful it made my heart hurt.
Once she got to the designated spot, Reverend Spano began.
“Who gives this woman’s hand in marriage?” He asked.
“I do.” Dixie and Silas said at the same time.
They both let her go with kisses on her cheek, releasing her to my waiting hand.
Once she was close to me, I whispered to her, “You look beautiful.”
Although I might have said it to her boobs and not her face, but who could blame a man? They were just right there for the world to see.
She giggled and smacked my chest before we both turned to Reverend Spano.
It was when we’d said our vows and Reverend Spano was wrapping up the ceremony that Adeline stole my heart for the second time.
“Tiago?” She whispered quietly, trying not to interrupt Reverend Spano’s words of wisdom.
I turned to her, looking deep into her eyes. “Yeah, baby?”
“I wanted to tell you something.” She whispered.
“Now?”
“Yeah, now.” She said nodding.
I raised my eyebrows and waited for her to explain. “Well?”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” She asked.
It took a few moments for my brain to catch up to her question, but when it did, I all but burst with excitement.
Totally ignoring everything Reverend Spano was saying, I hauled Adeline into my arms and started to spin her. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Halligan To My Axe (The Heroes of The Dixie Wardens MC Book 2) Page 21