Cassarah
When we finish our business, we wash our hands and look up at the mirror at the same time, and for some reason we both find this hysterical and begin laughing. “You’re good for Law, y’know?” DJ states. “Are you ready to go and get your things and get settled in at your new house?”
“Yeah I am. This feels right.”
“That’s because it is, we all knew when he came back home that he’d left something important behind. We just had no idea that something was a someone. I’m happy for you both, he lights up whenever you’re near him.”
“Lights up, huh? I guess I’ve never noticed that. He’s my best friend and I’m happy that he wants more like I do. I’ve never been so happy in my life. Tell me about Ava?”
“I can’t help you out with information about her. She never came around and we only saw her in passing throughout town. We only knew who she was because we’d rarely see Law by her side. And he never seemed happy when we would see them together.”
“Really? How is that possible? I love spending time with him, no matter what it is we’re doing.”
“Because she wasn’t the one for him, Cassarah. You obviously are and that’s evident by how he is whenever you’re in the vicinity.”
“I hope I make him as happy as he makes me.”
“You do, don’t ever doubt that.”
“In the beginning, I thought I was a rebound for him, a way to move on and get over her. Now, now he has made it so clear to me that what he thought was love with her wasn’t.”
“I can understand being cautious then. No woman wants to think she’s just a rebound girl, but I’m telling you, that’s not how these men are at all. Hell, I met Hatch because I came down to check on Cara and Luca and never left. They consume us, but in the best possible way,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me. The gesture has me giggling and then when Emma, totally clueless about what we said, starts giggling, my giggles turn to full-out laughter.
Once I’ve calmed myself a bit, I say, “We better get back out there.”
As we leave the restaurant, DJ and I make plans to have a girls day with the other old ladies. While I’m not officially one of them, yet, I know in my heart that I will be. We get home and I feel like I could sleep for days, pregnancy really messes with the body. There have been all kinds of changes in me, but the tiredness is one I’m having the hardest time dealing with. I need to be alert, not wanting Law and Nan or even Trinity being the ones to consistently take care of my niece. I feel like she’s my responsibility and I should be the one taking care of her everyday needs. I love them all dearly for what they’ve done for her before I arrived, but now that I’m here, and know my sister will never be here to be her mother, I want to fill those shoes to the best of my ability. I’ll never be able to replace Cissy, but I can tell her daughter all about her and how much she meant to her. Once Emma was born, she became her entire world. Everything she did from the moment Emma took her first breath, was for her and her alone. My sister was an amazing mother, my wish is to be just like her.
“C’mon, buttercup,” Elijah says. “You and Emma both need a nap. Nan’s coming over to keep an eye on things while I run to the clubhouse. We’ve got a meeting.”
“Another one, didn’t you just have one earlier today? And a nap is music to my ears, but Nan doesn’t need to come. I’m quite capable of taking care of Emma on my own.” I huff in annoyance. I mean does he not trust me with her on my own?
“We did, yes, but I wanna get the ball rolling on that location for the salon for you and that requires a meeting. And as for you not being able to handle Emma, I know better than that, buttercup. But you’re tired and need the rest. If your body calls you to sleep longer, you won’t have to worry about her, okay? And trust me, Nan doesn’t mind.”
“No, not okay, did you ever think that maybe I’d like some time alone with her? I’ve missed her and would like some quality one-on-one time with her. Not trying to be a bitch here, Elijah, but could you think about how she and I are feeling and give us what we need?”
“That’s what I thought I was doing by giving you more time to sleep and recuperate from your long drive. I’m sorry if you view it in a different way.”
“You have to trust me to take care of her without one of you always looming over us. This isn’t anything against Nan, she’s wonderful, this is about me and Emma. I’d love to cuddle with her during a nap and wake up with her beautiful eyes looking into mine. Please, give this one to me.”
“Okay, buttercup. Why don’t y’all climb into our bed and nap for a bit, then,” he says. I know I sounded like the biggest bitch and now guilt is wracking my body at how I spoke to him. I’m glad I ‘won’ and can stay with her by myself, but maybe there was a better way to get my point across. “I’m sorry if I offended you in any way, but this is important to me. Thank you for giving me this, it’s something I’m needing right now.”
“I’ll always do whatever I can to give you what you need, and if this is one of those things, it’s yours.”
I lean up and pull his face down so I can kiss him. It’s not a ‘come to bed, let’s fuck kiss’, it’s more a ‘thank you, I love you’ kiss. He doesn’t take it further, instead, he leads me over to the bed where he lays Emma down in the middle before leaning in and kissing us both. Then, he takes the throw at the end of the bed and carefully covers both of us up. “I’ll be back shortly. How about I grab a pizza on the way home?”
“That sounds good to me. Can you get some of that crazy bread?” I ask.
He starts to laugh and I know my expression must be one of lust...for food.
“That look is supposed to be mine and mine alone,” he says on a chuckle.
“I know, but the thought of crazy bread is making my mouth water,” I tell him, because even though we’ve just eaten I suddenly find myself ravenous. His eyes smolder when he looks at me and I know that he’s thinking of eating something other than actual food. “Later,” I mutter at him, throwing his words from the past back at him.
“Bet your sweet ass,” he says, gathering his things to walk out of the room. I see him grab the keys to his bike, and if I wasn’t so utterly exhausted, I’d walk him out just to see him ride away on his bike, this time knowing he’ll be coming back to me.
Chapter Nine
Law
I’m sitting in church with my brothers and have just given them my thoughts on opening a salon and letting my woman manage it for us. “She’s really good,” I tell them, “she had a houseful most days after she finished at the diner, and always on the weekends at her place. Word of mouth got out and she was in big demand. We’d really make a profit of this business once word begins to get out about her talents.”
“Good, because I’m needing a haircut,” Twisted states.
“Let’s talk figures,” Axe breaks in.
“Family just wants to sell it, apparently they’re selling it as-is with contents included, and based on the little I know right now, their asking price is well within the price range for that area,” I state. I’ve got my tablet in front of me and have pulled up the real estate site and continue to read off what we’d get if we buy it. “Says here there’s an apartment over the salon, and it looks like it’s furnished with the basics at least. Plus, the contents of the salon itself. Now, I think other than a new washer and dryer, and probably the products themselves, all it’s gonna need is a little bit of updating. Told her about Hannah and her art, think she might be interested in doing a mural or painting some pictures to hang?” I ask, looking at Smokey and Bandit.
“Think she’d jump on that one,” Smokey replies. “She’s good, too.”
“What are you gonna do with the apartment?” Capone asks. I look at him and remember how he’s been shadowing Bridget since she moved in. “Bridget’s starting school to do that shit, think she could live in the apartment? I...that is, her therapist thinks she needs to experience the things she should have but couldn’t. One of those is living on her
own.” That makes sense. She’s been staying at the clubhouse, declining Hannah’s offer to stay with them, but it doesn’t give her the privacy she likely needs to work through all the hell she’s undoubtedly got swirling in her brain.
“I can talk to Cassarah,” I tell him. “Think it’s a good idea, what her therapist said. Can’t be easy to rebuild your life when you were in hell.”
“If her brother wasn’t already eating dirt, I’d be mighty happy to help him get there,” Capone says, and I look at him because he’s one of the most laid-back brothers out of all of us.
“I think we’d all like our shots at him. No one should treat a woman like a possession,” Bandit growls out. Since Hannah came into their lives, both have gotten a bit more...alpha? Shit, now I’m using fucking chick words.
“What’s the price?” Axe asks. Once again, we’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent and I feel for him. But this shit’s important too, helps us all keep our hands on the pulse of the club.
“Real estate agent is asking one hundred thousand, but it’s been sitting for quite some time with no nibbles. What if we go in at seventy-five?” I ask. Hell, if the club doesn’t want to do it, I have that with plenty left to spare.
“What if we go in at a solid eighty grand and pay all closing costs? See if that’s something they’re willing to do, Law,” Axe tells me, and I know that this is just our starting point on negotiations.
“What does she have to do to get her license switched to Texas?” Chief asks.
“Contact the state board of cosmetology, fill out some paperwork and pay a one-hundred-dollar fee,” I reply. “She’s already got the paperwork printed out, I just have to get her to the bank so she can open up a checking account. Not like I won’t take care of my woman, but she’s independent, so I know how important it is for her to have one.”
“Sounds about right, considering all of our old ladies are on that page. We have a joint account for the household bills, but she has a separate account for things she wants or needs for either herself or the kids. Lord forbid if I try to hand her over any cash,” Axe huffs out. I can tell this has been a bone of contention he’s been dealing with from the beginning of their relationship.
“They wouldn’t be our old ladies if they weren’t a bit...feisty,” Hatch states. “DJ is the same fucking way. The only reason I got her to agree to a cleaning woman was by telling her I didn’t want her worn out taking care of four kids and a house. Even then, she still had conditions.” He shakes his head as if remembering what they were and I grin. All of us are a bit whipped, but in the best possible way.
“Any news on the senator?” I ask Chief.
“No, he’s still underground, but he’ll be running out of funds shortly I’m sure. I have an internal investigation going on in my precinct. It’s all hush-hush right now, but I’m going to take those fuckers down who think they can work for me and still take money for bribes. Fuck that shit!”
He will too, he’ll make them all regret the day their dads decided against wearing a condom while with their mothers. These guys are fucked and just don’t realize the severity of their actions yet. I can’t wait to see how this one plays out.
“I know the sooner we find him and get him behind bars, the better my woman will sleep at night,” I advise. “Speaking of, Twisted, gonna need you to get me a cut for her.”
“Gonna need one for Emma too?” he asks me, while having his notebook and pen, in front of him ready to mark the order.
“Absofuckinglutely! They’re both mine.”
“Truth,” Bandit says, and I look at him and recognize the changes in him since Hannah entered his life. He’s more serious than he ever was, and Smokey is coming around to his way of thinking as well. They sure are easier to get along with these days, and I thank Hannah for molding them into better men than they were before. Although they’re still funny as hell most of the time.
“Alright, now for another order of business. Mom’s birthday is next weekend, let’s have the Barn House cater it in and do it up right.”
“Think Gino will wanna cater it seeing as it’s for Nan?” Bandit asks.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Axe states. “What about Gino?”
“Thinking he has himself a little crush going on with Nan,” Bandit informs him, and I can’t believe he’s the only one who hasn’t picked this up. It’s so blatantly obvious to the rest of us sitting here at the table. He’s usually the most observant, so it’s odd that he hasn't picked this up.
“Since when?” Axe asks. “And how the fuck did I miss something like this?”
“Since always, brother, how the hell have you not noticed?” I ask him.
“How do you figure?” I kinda feel for him right now, he’s looking a bit...lost. His mom has been single for a long time.
“Let’s see...forgetting the fact that when I took Hannah out on our date he asked me if she was there,” Bandit starts, “he always does special things for her when she is with us.”
“What kind of special things?” Axe asks. Now I see he’s clenching his fists and if looks could kill, we’d all be vapor right about now.
“Brother, chill the fuck out. He makes sure she has her drinks. Gives her a special dessert that she just has to try. You’ve been there, for fuck’s sake.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think it was because he was sweet on my mother!” Axe roars out.
“Do you really care so little about your mother’s happiness?” Smokey pipes in, “she’s been alone for so long without a partner, taking care of you and your kids. Doesn’t she deserve some joy in her life too?”
“And it’s not like she’s old, Axe,” Bandit says. “Hell, she had you when she was barely outta her teens, so she’s still young enough to have a second chance.”
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Capone states. We all look at him, and know that he is talking about more than just Nan here.
“Fuck! I just don’t want to see her getting hurt,” Axe hollers.
“Brother, if you could see how he watches her when we’re there, don’t think that’d be an issue at all. He’s been widowed a long time too, raising his two kids. I think his son is the only one left at home. Stephan, right?” Bandit asks the room at large.
“Seen her watching him out of the corner of her eye as well. Thinking this attraction is two-sided,” Twisted states, and we all look at him because even I missed that one.
“She does?”
“Yeah, man, she does. It’s sad because there’s longing in her eyes. Like she wants to take a chance but is afraid of how we’d all take it. She may have given birth to you, Axe, but she’s all of our mom,” Bandit says.
“She deserves a chance, Axe. Hell, we’ve all got families started, well, most of us, that is, and while I know she loves the kids and all, she needs to feel like a woman again,” Hatch states.
“What do you know about feeling like a woman?” Smokey asks, and the guys crack up.
Hatch flips Smokey off and now fingers are flying. I’m glad my little parrot isn’t in here. Otherwise, that swear jar would have enough money in it to pay for college.
“I don’t want to discuss my mother feeling like a woman again, for fuck’s sake.”
“Let’s let him cater the event, hell, we can invite him and his son. You’ll see,” I say. I kinda want to wrap this up so I can reach out to the real estate place.
“Fine, Twisted, you make the call on that one. Can one of you get the women on planning the rest? She’ll suspect me, otherwise,” Axe replies.
“DJ was saying the other day that she thought Nan had a crush on someone, thinking the girls may try and play matchmaker, pay her back a little,” Hatch informs us.
“I’m gonna talk to Cara about this nonsense,” Axe huffs out.
“One more thing,” I say, “we need to be aware of the words we’re saying around the littler kids. Emma has become a parrot, apparently, and Cassarah is fit to be tied.”
“Well fuck me, I d
on’t know if I’ll be able to watch what comes out of my mouth,” Smokey says.
“Then we’re putting a swear jug on the bar, asshole. Figure at the rate we’re going, I’ll be able to afford her college tuition up to a master’s degree, at least.” At my statement, the room breaks out in laughter. Because hell, we’re bikers and cursing is as natural to most of us as breathing. Even most of our women let the words fly.
“Looks like Smokey and I will be the ones who end up paying for your girl to go to whatever college she chooses,” Bandit says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Not fair, I don’t have kids, why are we forced to suffer?” Smokey asks.
“Our kids will come out and their first words will be motherfucker,” Bandit says.
“Somehow, I think if that’s the case, y’all will be on Hannah’s shit list,” Twisted replies. Grinning, I nod, remembering how Cassarah was when Emma started spouting words left and right.
“Back to the topic at hand,” Axe says, “get the offer in on the salon. Now, is there anything else the circus needs to bring to the table?”
“Yeah, got word on the final disposition of Cara’s in-laws,” I state.
“And?” Axe asks.
“They’re never seeing the light of day again, brother. Your woman and kid are safe. They found enough evidence of what they were up to and what their plans were regarding Luca and Cara, it wasn’t all good, but we’ll discuss that later.” This is something that needs to be privately discussed and he can bring what he wants to the brothers at a later time. He nods his head at me.
“We’ll meet up later in the week,” Axe states and I let him know with my expression that I’ll make it happen.
“Fucking finally,” Smokey says. “Your...no, make that all of our women, deserve to live easy and free. None of them have had an easy road, have they?”
“No, they haven’t,” Capone replies. Guess he’s putting his hat in the ring for Bridget. That’s gonna be a tough row to hoe, but if anyone can do it, it’ll be him.
Law_Rebel Guardians MC Page 10