Redeeming Ace's Heart

by M. T. Ossler

  I hope Brook can accept their relationship and support Blaze as he gives Gigi his time. Gigi may have her brothers back, but when he’s in the room, she gravitates to him.

  “Hey, brother, did you ever decide where you’re goin’ on your honeymoon?” Shadow asks my man, interrupting my reverie. We have all been discussing the wedding for the last half an hour. Hunter and I have talked about the honeymoon and decided just to stay home, where it’s safer for me right now.

  “We’re going to wait till after the baby comes and all the shit is settled,” Hunter answers him.

  “Well...” Shadow answers and takes a deep breath. “I was thinkin’ maybe y’all could take one after all. Like Beast and Bella did. You see, my friend owns a resort in Palm Coast, sister to the one Beast went to in Orlando. It safe and I can go with you two as extra protection. Throttle is gonna join us too if you want. You know my friend Xavier, he has it all set up, all you have to do is say the word. It’s on the beach and it’s private. He will accommodate you, and anyone you want to join us.”

  I look over at Hunter with hope in my eyes. I want a normal honeymoon like Bella and Gio had. I want to have a few days away from the Clubhouse before the baby comes and life changes for good.

  “How many rooms can he spare for us?” my man asks. What’s he got up his sleeve?

  “How many are ya thinkin’? Whatever you want, brother, I’ll get it,” Shadow inquires, and I know my man is scheming. His wheels are turning at an alarming speed in his brainy head, I can see it all too clear in his eyes.

  “Let me talk to Gator when we get back, maybe we can get a group together. I’m sure Taz and Ryder would love to have a honeymoon that’s not interrupted, and Bella will want to be with her girl. I would like to keep Brookie close too...” he trails off, thinking about who he wants to join us.

  “I love this idea and would love to have all our family with us. As long as we have our own space, I’ll be fine with it.

  “Talk to Prez and let me know by tomorrow so I can have Xavier set it all up. He and Jenny will probably join us too.

  “You two deserve this, especially before the baby comes. We’ll protect you and watch over your sister for you. This way you two can spend some quality time alone.” I like that, I like that a lot. Hunter and I will need that time to reconnect before the baby comes. And having our family around will make it even more special.

  Thinking about family reminds me of what I was contemplating before Shadow interrupted my thoughts.

  I think I need to say something before we get home, which will thankfully be in less than an hour. Two days in this SUV and all I want is my bed and some home cooking.

  “Blaze,” I say turning around to face him, and he looks over at me. He sees what’s on my mind in my eyes. He knows I’m about to have a serious conversation with him.

  “Juuules...” he says drawing out my name. “Whatcha thinkin’?” Ok, so he’s giving me the go-ahead to speak freely, that’s good, really good, because I’m about to hit deep. Hunter and Gio are staring at me and Shadow has his eyes on me in the rear-view mirror. He’s driving the last stretch to get us home. They can all see, I’m about to hit him with some heavy family shit.

  “What pray tell do you plan on doing about Gigi? She’s going to be crushed when she sees you with Brook. I don’t know if Bells has had a chance to talk to her,” I say sadly and see the look on his face as he diverts his gaze to Gio. He would never intentionally hurt Gigi, he loves her like a little sister, but he never considered this might happen. The look of jealousy on Brook’s face tells me I need to clarify who my sister is to him before I start a fight between the two of them.

  I look straight into Brook’s eyes and speak to just her while Blaze stews for a few minutes. He needs a minute to think about what he needs to do.

  “Gigi is our little sister. She’s fourteen and lives with Beast and his wife, my best friend, Bella. Gigi and Bella lost their parents last year and well, it’s a long story. Hunter or Blaze can fill you in on it another time. We lived up in New York and when their parents were killed, I called Beast to come get us. When we came to the Clubhouse, Gigi and I were on our own. Beast had to take care of a sick Bella, so Hunter and Blaze took care of us, took us under their wing so to speak. Well, Gigi being the baby of our family, is also an attention seeker. She loves to show affection and receive it. She lost our brothers for a while and she developed an attachment to Blaze. Nothing sexual or anything, her heart belongs to another. You’ll meet, um...” I look to Hunter for his name. Pregnancy brain is a real thing, I forget the simplest things most days.

  “Knuckles, he’s a patched member and not allowed to be alone with Shorty, at all,” Hunter grunts.

  “Don’t worry, moms got a handle on those two these days since Bella and I have been preoccupied with the twins,” Gio says with another grunt. He’s right, Aunt Cindy runs a tight ship with the kids and soon with the whores. After the shit with Chrissy, she decided to set some rules and handle them herself. Those bitches have to answer to her now. I’d be scared of her if I were them, she doesn’t take any shit from anyone.

  “Shorty is the guy’s nickname for Gigi,” I tell her. “Except for Beast and our brothers, they still call her mini princess, her nickname from a baby after Bella. Anyway, she latched on to Blaze as a brother figure. I’m afraid she’ll be crushed when we get home and she sees you two together.” I finish dejectedly and Blaze nods to me in understanding.

  “I’ll talk to her after I get Brook settled. She’s my girl and that’s not gonna change. I have enough love in my heart for all you girls. Shorty will understand and learn to share me. She’ll be fine, Jules. I’ll make it right, promise,” Blaze says, and I know he will. I just wanted to prepare him.

  “Beast, do you know if Bella mentioned anything about Brook and the baby to Shorty? Give me some clue of what I’m walking into with her,” Blaze asks Gio.

  “Honestly, brother, Bells was on the same page as Jules. The thing is, she like Jules thought it would be best for you to speak to her. She only knows what she heard at the restaurant. Sorry, brother, you’re on your own with this one. She needs to hear it from you,” Gio says miserably, hating that his baby sister may be hurt from all this. I hear Blaze grunt behind me.

  “If she truly loves you like a brother, she’ll be happy for you. But it’s probably going to take her time to get to know me first before she’s good with everything. I’ll step back and let you handle your business with her. I kinda get how she might feel,” Brook says the last part gloomily in a whisper. Hunter whips his head back and stares at her.

  “Baby girl, what do you mean? You don’t like my girl?” Hunter asks on the defensive. That’s not what she’s saying at all. I know what she’s trying to express, and I’m not offended. I take Hunter’s hand and place it on my belly to calm him. It helps, a little.

  “That’s not it at all, dad,” she says and moves towards Hunter, taking his free hand in hers.

  “Look, when I called you, I never expected you to tell me you had an ol’ lady. While a part of me was happy you found happiness and a good woman, the other part of me felt a little jealous. Like, how am I supposed to fit into your life when you have a woman? How are we supposed to have our own relationship?” She stops as a sob erupts from her throat, I turn and see she’s crying.

  “When I met Jules, I instantly liked her. I can see us being sisters, but I still wonder how this is all gonna work.” She waves her free hand between the three of us. “Where is my place in your life? Jules and your baby are your priority, I get that, but what about me?” Her tears are pouring out of her and Blaze takes her in his arms to comfort her.

  Hunter waits a minute, taking in her words and for her to compose herself before he speaks. I can see it in his eyes, his heart is breaking. He doesn’t want her to feel like she’s second best.

  “Brookie, I may have Jules and the baby coming, but you are my sister. I will always have time for you. You, baby girl are a prio
rity to me,” Hunter says and now it’s my turn to speak.

  “Brook, you are our family and one thing you will learn about me, with all of us, we make time for family. You have a place in Hunter’s heart, which means you have a place in mine, all of ours. I will never stand in the way of you spending time with him and you’ll be living with us, so that will give you plenty of time to reconnect,” I say smiling at her. She gives me a small smile.

  “About that...” Blaze starts and Shadow cuts him off as we get to the gates. “We’re here.” He speaks to one of the new prospects, then we go through the gates and he takes us to the back of the Compound to our house.

  I turn around to Blaze because I know what he was about to say. Well, I have an idea what it is about.

  “Blaze, we set her up in the downstairs guest room and you are welcome to stay with her,” I pause and put my hand up to stop him from speaking for a minute, so I can finish. “If she wants you to stay. It’s safer at our house with Beast’s place next door if anything happens.” I finish and instead of talking to me, he turns his attention to Brook.

  He sees the bigger picture, if the Clubhouse gets hit in an attack, we have to get to Gio’s house. He built a safe room for all of us. Not many people know about it, for our safety.

  “Ace, brother, are ya all right if I stay at yours. Jules is right, and I would like to stay close to my girl, if that’s cool with ya,” Blaze asks out of respect, because it is Hunter’s home too.

  Hunter grunts and then says, “Whatever my sister wants is fine with me. But, I better not hear shit comin’ from that room or anywhere in my house. She’s still my baby sister and I need time to wrap my head around this shit first.” Hunter finishes as we pull up to our house. It’s still light out, around six in the evening.

  I see Bells first, then Gigi and all the guys running over from next door behind them to greet us.

  We get out and Bells runs straight into Gio’s open arms, they embrace, and she holds onto him so tight to her. Gigi goes straight to Blaze, leaping into his arms. I see Brook smile at the two of them and that makes my heart leap with joy.

  Dusty is nearby and watching his girl. He gets the relationship between Blaze and Gigi. He’s not jealous of them in any way. He knows he owns her heart.

  Hunter introduces his sister to everyone and they give her a warm welcome. He leads the way to our house, shows Brook around and to her new room. For now, I have a feeling Benny will be building another house next door to ours soon.

  After we get settled, Maddox, Val, Lorenzo, Aunt Cindy, Ces, and Ryder bring over a shit ton of food for us all. It’s close to seven now and I’m famished. We haven’t eaten since this afternoon and my baby and I are hungry.

  Once everyone has their plates in hand they settle down. I head into the kitchen for a glass of water. Looking out my window over the sink at the lake, I see Blaze and Gigi out there talking. I observe them for a few minutes, until Hunter comes up behind me, wrapping me in his warm, loving embrace.

  “Whatcha lookin’ at, kitten?” he asks whispering and placing a kiss on my neck under my ear. I ignore the shiver running through my body and point to the log by the lake, where Blaze and Gigi are talking. He sees them and then my heart breaks. Gigi starts crying and beating her little fist against Blaze’s chest. She’s clearly upset by the news. He holds her in his arms and talks to her some more to calm her down. At that point, Hunter drags me away to join our company and give them some privacy.

  A little while later, Blaze and Gigi join us. She has red swollen eyes, but they seem to be good, even with her staying close to him. I know how much he loves her and doesn’t want to see her hurt. Keeping her close for now. Eventually, he’ll find a way to balance the love he shares for both his girls and keep them happy.

  We spend the rest of the evening in the family room. Everyone getting to know Brook better and just bullshitting like families do.

  ****

  I can’t believe today is finally here. I’ve dreamt of this day for so long and never imagined it truly happening. Even though my parents aren’t here to share this day with us, I feel them around. They are here in spirit for support.

  Ces surprised me with a spectacular new dress last night that he made for me. I have been waiting weeks to see it and was blown away. It’s strapless, sweetheart neckline, empire waist with lace applique. All white with the finest silk slip under the lace that feels fabulous against my skin. At 22 weeks pregnant, the high waist hides my stomach under the dress.

  Since it’s the beginning of May, and we’re getting married outside at noon, with the sun beating down on us. I’ve decided to wear my hair up. Bella got Candace - the hair stylist that I found to do our hair for her wedding - to come out for mine. We’re all getting ready at her house and the guys are with Hunter at ours. I’m having her braid it on one side on the top and pull the rest in a loose bun at the base of the back of my neck. I have some wispy strands of hair hanging around my face. My makeup is simple and perfect. Bella, Gigi, Sam, Brook, and Aunt Cindy are here with me now and will be getting their hair and makeup done too. Ces will be here later after he gets ready.

  I had to make a few last-minute adjustments to my line up today. Since Brook is with us now and she’s family, I wanted her to be a part of this day with us. Hunter couldn’t have been happier when I asked her. He had to make an adjustment to his line up, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

  Bella is my matron of honor. Ces is my man of honor. Gigi, Sam, and Brook are my bridesmaids. The girls are all wearing short lavender strapless dresses, Bella found for them. Ces has a lavender tie to match their dresses. Lavender is my favorite color.

  Originally, Hunter planned on having Gio and Blaze as his best men, since I have Bella and Ces standing up for me. He had Gator and Ryder as his groomsmen. When I asked Brook, he needed another man. He had a hard time choosing between all of his brothers. In the end, he decided to ask Shadow. Hunter and Shadow have gotten closer lately, so it was only fitting.

  Things have been crazy here since we returned, Blaze has basically moved in with us. He spends most nights on the couch, though. I know things have been hard for her, but I don’t understand why she’s pushing him away. She keeps him at arm’s length. I hope she lets him in soon. I watch the way he is with her and can see how much he loves her in such a short time. Gigi and Brook have been getting along splendidly, which is a great thing. Brook fits in with us girls and I couldn’t be happier for that.

  I slip my shoes on as Lorenzo enters the room. I snuck away from the girls to have a minute to myself.

  “You ready Jul?” he asks. Out of my four brothers, Lorenzo and I have always been the closest, besides Rom. He didn’t want me walking down the aisle to Hunter alone and offered to give me away. I was grateful for him asking, because I was uncertain about walking alone. It’s nice to have a large family.

  “I’m ready,” I say and take his waiting hand. He leads me out back just in time for my song to play. Hunter wanted to pick the music out for today and I’ve been dying to know what he chose.

  Tim McGraw’s My Best Friend plays for me and I have to hold back the waterworks. This is the most perfect song for him to dedicate to me. Walking down the aisle to my man, the love of my life, with Lorenzo holding my hand, joy fills my heart.

  Hunter and I have been through so much in our lives and we found each other. We let one another into our hearts no matter how much we tried to fight it. Love won out, love always wins in the end. We didn’t have an easy road to get here, and God knows how much we fought it, but in the end, we made it. We have the love of a lifetime and a baby on the way.

  If you asked me last year this time, around Memorial Day, where I would be, I never thought I would be getting married to my love or pregnant. Life has a funny way of changing lanes on us. Forcing us onto a different road. A better road to a bigger, more loving family. A different life.

  I make it to the front and Reverend John asks Lorenzo who gives me to Hunter and then Hun
ter takes me. I stand there unable to take my eyes off Hunter, in an absolute daze,

  I haven’t heard a word the reverend as said, until Hunter nudges me to hear him say his vows.

  “Jules, the day I heard your voice, I knew there was something special about you. Then I met you and my life was turned upside down. I didn’t think I ever deserved to be loved or happy with anyone. I resolved to never have more in my life than my Club, my brothers. But I was wrong, I do deserve your love.

  “It took almost losing you for me to realize you were meant to be mine and I loved you, was in love with you. I have fought all my entire life to survive, but the fight for you, our future, was the most important fight of my life. A worth every agonizing moment fight.

  “Today, I stand here in front of God and our family and I pledge my love to you. I promise to cherish and love you, to stand by your side, protect you and respect you. To be faithful to only you for all the days of my life.

  “I love you, kitten with every breath I take, from now until my last,” Hunter says and the emotions swirl inside me, causing the butterflies in my stomach to summersault. His words are nothing new to me, but here with witnesses, they warm my heart.

  Then reverend cues me to speak. I take a few deep breaths to control my emotions and compose myself enough to speak.

  “Hunter, I always dreamed of finding my one true love like every little girl does. I never thought I would until you came along. I fought you every step of the way, but you fought me even harder. I almost let my fear of losing another person I loved consume me. You wouldn’t let me go down that rabbit’s hole, your love washed away the fear I had.

  “It almost took losing one another to shake me up and I never want to feel that suffocated again.

  “Today, I stand here in front of God and our family and I promise my love to you and to cherish you, to stand by your side and respect you. To be faithful to you for all the days of my life.