“Hungy, Lah,” Emma says. I look down and this time, Luca is pushing her wheelchair.
“Okay, love bug, let’s get you fed,” I reply. “Luca, can you take her over to the table? I’ll get her a plate.”
“Yes, sir.”
I grin because Luca is so fucking protective of all the girls. As I make her plate, I watch him get her settled at the table, making sure the wheelchair is locked. He’s gonna make a good brother and a productive member of the RGMC someday.
Cassarah
I have no clue why I’m a nervous wreck, I know I’m coming back with Elijah, but something in my gut says this is going to be a trip that I won’t soon forget. The men are all riding, stating they needed ‘wind therapy’ or some such shit and we’re settled into several SUVs, with the prospects driving the older kids. I’ve got Trinity, Emma and Shelby with me. “I hope she behaves,” Trinity says.
“Who?” I ask. I’m still learning the dynamics of everything and it’s obvious there’s a story here.
“Claree.”
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“Because she’s in major like with Talon. And they’re riding together.”
“So? Why’s that a big deal?”
“Because they’ve already been caught kissing.” Well, alrighty then.
“What did y’all do?” I can’t imagine Chief or Hatchet allowing that to stand.
“We have an agreement, of sorts. They have to wait until she’s older to date. But they’re thick as thieves otherwise.”
“Well, friends isn’t a bad thing.”
“It’s not, I just hope they try being kids before they jump into anything they aren’t ready for,” she says, and I let it go because what is there to say? I’m with her, they need to live and be kids before they have any type of serious relationship develop between the two of them.
“I’m glad those two get along,” I state, nodding to the backseat where Emma and Shelby are jabbering away.
“Oh, I know! I suspect once Emma is able to walk around, she’s gonna be hell on wheels,” Trinity says.
“Hell on wheels!” Emma shrieks. I glance at Trinity to see a grin.
“She tends to repeat stuff,” I state. “We’ve really had to watch what we say and Elijah has two swear jars going right now. At the rate I’m adding to it, we’re gonna be able to send her to an ivy league school. For her Master’s Degree.” My statement causes Trinity to burst into laughter.
“Oh, that’s priceless,” she finally gasps out. “Shelby does the same thing so I think I need to have Turk set up one of those jars at home as well. He can fund her education now instead of later.”
We get lost in conversation about our hopes and dreams for our children's futures and before I know it we’ve stopped for gas, had lunch and are close to our destination. You know how they say time flies when you're having fun? That’s a true statement and I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent with Trinity and the girls. I can see us becoming really good friends along with the two in the back. I can’t wait to find out what the future has in store for all of us.
When we pull up in front of my old home, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something isn’t right, I can’t quite figure out what it is...yet, but I know that it's the truth. I look up and my eyes connect with Elijah, he points his finger at me indicating that I’m not to move from my spot. Not wanting to take any chances with my safety or that of the girls I agree with him and watch as he and the men all take charge and enter the house, guess it was a good thing that he had my keys before we even left, otherwise he’d be able to see the terror on my face before he went inside and I want his concentration on whatever it is on the other side of that door instead of worried about me.
“Everything's going to be alright,” Trinity says, grasping my hand in hers. Both of our eyes are glued to the door, waiting to see the guys come back out.
“Yeah,” I reply. Nothing can be said between us at a time like this. We’re both worried about our men and what it is exactly that they’re going to be walking in on. The silence between us is nearly deafening, but I have nothing to say, and apparently, neither does she.
Law
Walking into Cassarah’s house, I’m immediately glad that I’ve got my brothers at my back. Absolute chaos. There are no other words to describe what we’re looking at right now and I know my woman, she wouldn’t have left the house looking like this. And she sure as hell wouldn’t have cut up her couch cushions, smashed her decorations or shattered her pictures! “Brother, we’re gonna need to call the cops,” Chief says, standing at my shoulder. “Maybe the douchebag who did this left fingerprints and evidence behind.”
“Fuck, Chief, I don’t know if there’s anything salvageable at this point. And I know her hair shit’s in here and she was planning to see the folks she used to do while she was here, too.”
“First things first, let’s get them here, get a report made and then we’ll all help clean up. Worst case scenario, they come out to your cabin and she takes care of them there.”
“I know you’re right, fuck, but this is going to gut her,” I tell him. The look of sympathy in their eyes is almost my undoing, how is she going to take this? “She’s a simple girl who doesn't require much, but what she does have she cherishes and holds near and dear to herself. She’s not prideful by any stretch of the imagination, but she takes a great deal of pride in what she’s managed to accomplish and it was reflected in her home.”
“We get that, brother, and we’ll all help her rebuild and get through this. We’re a family and we stick together and help each other out through thick and thin,” Axe states, clamping his hand on my shoulder in silent support. “Chet, Maxum, go find a hardware store or something like that and get boxes and some of those giant black bags so we can get this place cleaned up once the cops are done. Chief, you make the call, and Law, you go get your woman in here. We won’t go in further until the cops get here so we don’t screw anything up, but she needs to see this and we need to know what we’re looking for with respect to her hair stuff.”
“Yeah, give me a minute to speak with her alone and let her know what’s happened in here,” I tell him, walking out the door. Taking a deep breath I look up and see Cassarah’s eyes on mine, I motion with my head for her to get out and come over to me.
“What’s happening, Elijah?” she asks me cautiously.
“No easy way to say this, buttercup, so I’ll just say it straight out...someone broke in and completely ransacked your place.”
“What? Oh my God, I need...let me go see,” she cries out as she pushes past me.
I grab her, barely, and pull her in close, saying, “Can’t go in yet, sweetheart. Chief’s calling the cops, we’re hoping that the idiot or idiots left fingerprints. Once they’re done, we’re gonna go through it all.”
“What about my hair stuff? I’m supposed to see people while we’re here, remember?”
“We’ll get whatever’s salvageable and if I need to, I’ll run you wherever you need to go to replace anything that’s damaged.”
“Elijah, I can’t let you do that! My shears...scissors to you...holy shit, they were nearly five hundred dollars! What if...what if I need those?”
“I’ve got you,” I remind her. She never remembers the words I’ve spoken to her in the past when she becomes upset. I need her to feel it deep in her bones that I’ll never leave her to stray, I will always have her back no matter what life throws in our faces.
“No, we’ve got her,” Axe states, coming up next to us. “She’s part of the family now, Law, and you know we take care of our family.” I nod my head to him in appreciation, because I know that, but she needs to feel it, know it, and believe it.
“Well, maybe they’re okay,” she mutters. I highly doubt it, the crook probably used them to tear shit up inside, but I’m keeping my mouth shut. She needs to find things out for herself and keep strong with her head held up high.
“What the hell’s going on?�
�� DJ asks. If it weren’t a juvenile, teenage girl thing to do, I would so roll my eyes. She’s standing there, hands on her hips with one leg cocked out. Glad she’s not my woman, even though I like her, because there’s no way I could deal with some of the shit she says or pulls!
“My place was broken into,” Cassarah replies. “They won’t let me see until the cops have come.”
“Well, fuck, that sucks. Law? Thinking we need to maybe go out to your cabin then? The kids are already a bit antsy and I know it’ll take a while for the cops to do whatever they need to do.”
“I need Cassarah to stay here and go through things, she’s the only one who will know if anything’s missing and not just destroyed. Here,” I say pulling out my keys, “let yourselves in and make yourself at home. I’ll text you the address, stay there, lock the doors. I’ll have a prospect follow you ladies out...for protection, use him if you find you need something that’s not already there.”
“Destroyed?” DJ asks, taking the keys. “Who in the hell would do that to you, honey?”
“I...I don’t know,” Cassarah mumbles. “I get along with everyone, for the most part. And I had some friends keeping an eye on things while I was gone, too. Oh no! Law, do you think it could be my brother-in-law? He hasn’t been caught yet, could he be after information on finding Emma? Oh no, he can’t get his hands on her!” She hollers out in a panic, I begin to worry about her and the baby, she needs to stay focused and not get worked up.
“Buttercup, call Sandy and find out when the last time she stopped by. That could help narrow things down. And if it turns out it was him, we’ll deal with it, okay?” The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the senator has his grubby hands in this mess, whether it’s indirectly or not. I’m about to say something else when I see two squad cars pull up. Good, they’re here so we can move forward with getting this part of her life done and dusted.
“DJ, go ahead and get the kids out of here, I don’t want the law being here to scare them in any way.” She nods her head in my direction and takes off for the car. I take my phone out and text her the address then look over and see Axe hasn’t moved far away from us while we were talking. “Prospect?”
“I already have one ready to follow the women and children to your place,” he informs me. I love the brotherhood, they’re always one step ahead of me when I’m feeling overwhelmed and need someone to be my backbone.
“Come on, babe. Let’s speak with the officers and let them know what’s going on, the sooner we can get you inside to see what’s missing and what’s been destroyed, the sooner we can get your stuff packed up and the place cleaned out. I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to be.”
Cassarah
I can’t believe someone had the audacity to come into my home uninvited and destroy the things I’ve worked so hard to build over time. I climbed my way from having nothing, to working my fingers to the bone to get the things that I did have. It may not have been much in the eyes of others, but these things were mine, my possessions and apparently my downfall. Emotionally speaking that is. I lean into Elijah, feeling his strength and I know he’ll get me through this, however and whatever that entails. “I’ve got you,” he whispers in my ear, giving me the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
“I know you do, you always have,” I respond.
Thankfully, Chief is here with us because I feel almost numb right now and I know my answers probably aren’t making a lot of sense. I go through everything, room by room while they follow behind me interrogating me the entire time, I mean I am the victim here...right? They’ve asked how long I was gone, who was watching over the place, and whether or not anyone has a beef with me. I answer everything as honestly as I can, and I draw patience and understanding from my man and his brothers. “Look, man, ease the fuck up, would ya? She’s pregnant, for crying out loud, and this is hard for her,” Chief states to the officer. The cop looks up at him and sees his imposing stance and nods.
“My apologies. It’s just...we don’t usually have break-ins, maybe a little bit of vandalism to cars and buildings, but something like this? It’s that something of this magnitude doesn’t happen in these parts. We’ll do the best we can to bring you justice.” Chief walks over to him and pulls him away, I can tell he’s inserting his dominance and experience in this situation. He walks them around and points out places they should be checking for prints. An officer brings out some rubber gloves, Chief puts them on and helps them with their investigation.
“He’s a good brother to have,” I say to Elijah.
“The best, they all are, let’s go to your room and see if we can find something to salvage.”
“Wait up, Brother!” Chief calls out, “we haven't cleared that room yet.” Dammit, that’s the room my hair stuff is in and now, my gut is churning.
I stand there wrapped in Elijah’s arms as the cops and Chief go into that room. When I hear a string of curses, I break away and approach the door. Oh my fucking word, I can’t even...I can’t believe what my eyes are seeing. I take my fists and rub my eyes, hoping that this is all just a bad dream. I take my hands away and notice that it’s not. It’s reality and I want to throw a temper tantrum, throw some things, yell out curses and scream at how the world is not fair! I can see empty tubes of hair color laying everywhere, the contents of the tubes smeared across the walls and the floor. The giant mirror I put up so people could see the finished product is shattered and being held in place by the frame. I don’t hold my composure well, I keep it all in and the stress becomes too overwhelming and I pass out in Elijah’s strong arms...thank goodness they were there to catch me when it became too much for my mind to process.
When I come to, I find myself in his lap. We’re sitting on the floor and he’s holding me close whispering words of love and encouragement in my ear. “It’s gonna be okay, baby,” he says when he notices I’m awake. “Chief’s helping them get the fingerprints and shit, but I think it was your brother-in-law that pulled this shit.”
“What makes you think that?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“We uh...well, one of those heads you use to try stuff out on, it had a note attached.”
“How on earth could someone attach a note to a mannequin head?” I question. Yeah, I sound intelligent right now...between the shock of seeing my life destroyed and being pregnant, I think my brain cells are disappearing by the second.
“With your shears,” he states. My shears? The ones I saved for all through school, using the decent pair they gave us in our starter kits but knowing I needed the best? Those two words are my breaking point, I ate fucking ramen noodles for six months and drank water just to be able to squeeze the money together, and I burst into tears. “I’ve gotcha, babe, let it all out. We’ll replace them, I promise you we’ll take care of everything. I want to get you out of here and with the other old ladies and kids. I’m going to drive you over there now, and I’ll come back and I swear to you nothing will be thrown out that I believe can be saved. Come on, let me up.”
“Can you take me tomorrow so I can replace it? I can call everyone and set them up for later tomorrow or even the next day.” He nods at my words, “I love you, Elijah, thank you for always being there when I need you the most.”
“That’s something you’ll never have to thank me for, and eventually you’ll realize it without me having to say so.” I nod my head, because what else can I say to a statement like that. “Hey, Axe? Gonna take her out to the cabin for some rest. I’ll be back shortly and we’ll see what we can salvage.”
“Yeah, Maxum should be back by then. I’ve already texted to tell him to pick up paint and cleaner and shit. No way we’re leaving this for her landlord to deal with, especially since they’re gonna have to get another tenant pretty quickly.”
“If I’ve got to, I’ll give them a month’s rent to help.”
“Elijah!” I don’t need him to take over here, I just need to talk things out with him.
> “Don’t ‘Elijah’ me, Cassarah, it’s the right thing to do. The guys and I’ll get all this shit sorted and cleaned up. Tomorrow, I’ll run you wherever you need to go to replace the tools that were damaged, then you can take care of your people while we get this place fixed up.”
God, this man of mine! Infuriating. “Is this under your ‘I’ll spoil my girls if I want to?’ clause of our relationship?”
“This is under the ‘I do what the fuck I want to do for my woman’ clause, woman,” he growls out before capturing my lips in a heated kiss. What was I supposed to be doing again? He kisses me like this and I forget who I am let alone what I was thinking before his lips attached themselves to mine.
Chapter Thirteen
Law
Four weeks later…
We got the house cleaned up, got the walls painted and Cassarah’s things salvaged, and while we were taking care of her place, Cassarah got her new shears, got her clients’ taken care of, and we made our way home. Axe gave the landlord three months’ worth of rent in case she couldn’t get the place rented right away. We went to the doctor and the baby was being stubborn so we still don’t know what we’re having, which is driving the women crazy because they want to shop. Especially Nan. Not to mention they want to get a head start on getting furniture purchased and the baby’s room painted and put together. As the days go by, Cassarah’s little pooch is no longer small, it’s beginning to take form and I can’t seem to keep my hands off of her. I smile thinking of last night and the way I explored her body while I was washing her in the shower.
“What has that smile on your face?” she asks, walking into my office I have here at the house. I’ve been working with the police department and Chief trying to clean up their office and help gather the needed information so Chief is able to clean his house and get rid of the bad seeds. We’re expecting the results from the fingerprints in later today, and I’m trying to keep my mind in the here and now and stay with her in the moment.
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