Ignite

by Bliss, Chelle

  I glare at Lily, ready to crawl across the floor and jam some of the scraps into her mouth just to shut her up.

  “What?” Jessica screeches as her body goes rigid.

  “He’s out of the club,” I assure Jessica. “When you showed up at the compound, it was his last night there. He left because of me and is setting up his own business over here. We’re going to start a new life away from the danger and bullshit that comes from being in an MC like the Disciples. Don’t worry about him anymore. They’re not an issue.”

  The guys walk back into the house at that very moment, Mammoth scratching his stomach and Jett checking his phone.

  Mammoth’s gaze swings from me to his mother, noticing the freaking crazy-high amount of tension in the room. “What happened?”

  Jessica crosses her arms, dropping a shoulder, throwing tons of attitude before she even opens her mouth. “You have something to tell me?”

  His eyes come to me, and I cringe, tipping my head toward Lily because we all know she can’t keep a secret worth shit. “Um,” Mammoth mutters. “No.”

  “Nothing at all?” Jessica asks again, lips twisted so tightly her entire face is distorted.

  He shrugs. “I mean, we were just talking to James, and things are almost done.”

  Jessica climbs to her feet and stalks toward her son. She lifts her hand like she’s about to punch him square in the shoulder, but he moves to the side.

  “What the hell, Ma?” he asks her, eyebrows furrowed.

  “Me, what the hell?” she repeats, hand still in the air, head tipped back, glaring up at her son. “How about someone has a hole in his body, but no one bothered to tell me about the fact that my son was lying in a hospital bed somewhere, fighting for his life.”

  “Oh fuck,” Jett whispers, eyes moving from his phone to Lily. “What did you do?” he mouths.

  She covers her face, shaking her head, hiding out because she knows she fucked up. “Pregnancy brain,” she whispers, using it as a great excuse because who can be mad at the pregnant lady?

  Mammoth reaches out and grabs Jessica’s hand that she still looks like she’s about to strike him with. “It wasn’t that bad, Ma. My shoulder is almost healed and like its old shit self. Wasn’t the first time I’ve been shot, but hopefully it’ll be the last.”

  I slap myself on the forehead. A man’s ability to explain shit never seems to make a woman feel any better about the situation. Reminding his mother that he’s been shot before probably wasn’t the best course of action, but he said it anyway.

  “Hopefully?” Her voice is high-pitched and squeaky. “I’ve never been shot. People don’t usually get shot. It’s not a thing most people do or get, Josiah. Lily—” Jessica turns toward my cousin “—have you been shot?”

  I close my eyes, muttering a few curse words as Lily says, “No.”

  “Jett?” Jessica asks, moving her eyes to him.

  “A few times,” he says, like it’s not a big deal because he’s a man filled with testosterone and lunacy. “Military, ma’am.”

  “And outside the military?” she asks a second later, tapping her foot.

  “No, and I’m hoping to keep it that way, but in my line of work, anything’s possible.”

  “You need a new job,” Lily says quietly at my side.

  “Tamara, have you been shot?” she asks me next, and I can’t lie.

  “No, Ma. I’ve never been shot.”

  “Most people have never been shot or shot at, Josiah. And when they do get a bullet in their body, they usually call their mother because it’s the right thing to do. I would’ve come down here sooner. I would’ve been at your side, making sure you were healing right. It’s my job as your mother to make sure my baby is taken care of.”

  Mammoth lifts both arms, placing his big hands on her shoulders, and doesn’t grimace with the motion. “Tamara nursed me back to health. She took good care of me, Ma, and I didn’t want you to worry. I know how you get.”

  He pauses for a second and I think he’s almost done, but then he keeps rolling just as his mom was about to open her mouth.

  “You didn’t tell me about Boyd hitting you. It’s just as bad, if not worse. Looks like we’ve both been keeping secrets, but it stops today. Total transparency from now on. Understand?”

  “A fresh start,” she whispers, gazing up at her son, who’s no longer a little boy, but a grown man. “No more secrets. No more lies.”

  “No more, Ma, but this has to be a two-way street. Okay?”

  She nods. “Total transparency. No bullshit.”

  “No bullshit,” he repeats. “From here on out, we’re nothing but honest.”

  “Good.” She smiles and lifts her hand to his face, cradling his cheek. “I hate the beard.”

  “What?” he asks.

  “While we’re being honest, I’m telling you, I hate the beard.”

  I gasp. “Oh my God,” I whisper. “Do not shave it off. Please. Please. Please do not shave it off.”

  “Beard’s staying, Ma. My woman loves it.”

  Jessica shrugs and laughs softly. “I was just starting the total honesty thing with something simple.”

  I exhale, feeling relieved. “Thank God,” I mutter under my breath, clutching my chest.

  “Maybe we don’t have to be honest and transparent about everything.”

  She laughs louder. “No. I suppose we don’t, but the important things, the life-and-death things, can’t be hidden any longer.”

  He nods, wrapping his arms around her as she moves in to embrace him. “I love you, Josiah.”

  “Love you too, Ma,” he whispers in her hair like he does to me.

  I smile, staring at the two of them like a lovestruck idiot. I love this rough and tough man, and I love the way he loves his mother.

  You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats and respects the woman who gave him life. I’m not saying every mother is worthy of love and kindness, because I know there’re a lot of shit parents out there. But Jessica is good people, and Mammoth loves her, respects her, and would do anything to protect her. That’s all I need to know about him to understand he will do the same for me and our someday babies.

  My belly flips at the thought.

  Damn.

  I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to be a mom, but I have a feeling it is going to happen sooner rather than later if Jessica has her way.

  17

  Mammoth

  Jett hands me a beer and sits down at the table across from me. “James and Thomas are on their way here.”

  I stare out across the Gulf of Mexico, watching the waves rise and fall, lapping at the shore. “Good. I hope the shit’s settled.”

  “They didn’t sound like anything went wrong, but you know they like to deliver family news in person and not over the phone.” Jett takes a sip of his beer, relaxing back into his chair. “We’re damn lucky to have them in our lives. Hell, to have the entire family.”

  “That’s no lie,” I tell him, tipping my beer in his direction and looking his way. “I can’t thank you enough for taking my mother in last night.”

  “Are you kidding me? She’s kept Lily busy. I should be the one thanking you for giving me a mental baby break.”

  “You doin’ okay?” I ask, genuinely curious because he’s said very little about their pregnancy.

  I don’t think the reality has really sunk in yet. He found out, spilled the news to her parents, and then came to my rescue, watching me get shot. Who could process all that in such a short amount of time? I know I couldn’t.

  “I think I am. I mean—” he rubs the back of his neck “—it’s not like I have a choice, but I know I’m happy. I’m excited, actually, but I know it’s not going to be as fun as my imagination is allowing me to believe.”

  I laugh. “At least you’ll have a lot of babysitters. There will be no shortage of people who will be more than willing to take the baby off your hands for several hours.”

  “I figure they’ll fi
ght over the baby. It’ll be a win-win for everybody. We’ll get some alone time and maybe a few nights’ sleep here and there, and they’ll get baby time.”

  “First grandchild. Never thought Lily would be the one to do it. Figured Gigi would get knocked up before anybody else.”

  “I don’t think Gigi’s ready to be a mother.”

  “I know Tamara isn’t either.”

  “Lily will make a great mom,” he says, staring off into the distance like I had been.

  “She will be the best mom,” I tell him.

  Tamara pops her head out of the sliding glass door. “The guys are here.”

  Jett stands and I follow, moving into the house to hear whatever they have to say about the Boyd situation. Hopefully, they’ve found a way to clear my mother so she can get back to living instead of being under the thumb of an abusive asshole for defending herself.

  Thomas is standing in the living room, holding my mother’s hands, greeting her. James is behind him, hugging Lily.

  “Hey,” Thomas says, tipping his chin my way when he finally moves his gaze away from my mother.

  “Hey,” I reply.

  “Why don’t we sit?” James says, letting go of Lily and motioning toward the sitting area. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  I sit down next to my mother, and Tamara sits on the other side of me. Jett moves into the recliner, pulling Lily into his lap and wrapping his arms around her middle. James and Thomas stay standing, never willing to relax even for a minute. It’s like they’re ready to run out the door or expect bad shit to happen every second of every day.

  “We dug up everything we could about Boyd Weaver, and let me tell you, there was a lot,” Thomas says, speaking first. “Decades’ worth of information, and barely any of it was him doing good.”

  I curl my hand into a fist, and my mother places her palm over my fingers, always watchful of every movement I make, even when it has to do with her life.

  James rubs his hands together as he spread his legs, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart. “He had connections, but we were finally able to get around all the bullshit. We spoke to the sheriff in the town where there was a warrant out for you.”

  James said “was,” and with those words, I exhale, knowing everything is settled.

  “You aren’t the first woman Boyd has laid hands on, Jessica. He’s done it before, but you were the first one who fought back,” James tells my mom, staring down at her with nothing but kindness in his green eyes.

  “Anyway,” Thomas says, interrupting James. “Long story short, the charges have been completely dropped, and you’ll never have to worry about Boyd again.”

  “What do you mean, I don’t have to worry about him again?” Ma whispers, squeezing my hand. “Is he dead?”

  I almost laugh because she’s probably thinking we killed him at the compound, but we didn’t. He walked away with his other arm broken, but he was breathing.

  “There was an old Florida warrant out for him from the eighties. By him coming here and going to the authorities about what transpired at the Disciples’ compound, he left himself open for arrest. He’s currently in lockup with no bail. Based on his crimes and his running forty years ago, I’m thinking he’s going away for a very long time.”

  “Oh, dear God,” Ma whispers again. “What did he do?”

  “Assault and battery, trespassing, property damage, and attempted murder.”

  Ma squeezes my hand harder. “Jesus. I never would’ve thought he was a bad guy.”

  “Until he hit you the first time,” I mutter, earning me a stern look telling me to zip my lips.

  “He really was sweet to me,” she explains. “Nothing but a true gentleman…until he wasn’t, and by then, it was too late.”

  “He was nothing but a liar,” I reply. “The people who seem the sweetest are sometimes the most evil, Ma. No one is who they appear to be, but only who they allow you to see.”

  James shifts and digs a tiny slip of paper out of his pocket, handing it to my mother. “Here’s the sheriff’s name and number. If you have any issues, you call me or Thomas, and if we’re busy, call him immediately.”

  “Thank you,” Ma says with relief in her voice. “I owe you so much.”

  Thomas shakes his head. “You’re Mammoth’s mom, and since he’s now family, so are you. We take care of our family. We protect our family. And we’d do anything for one another. There’s no thanks necessary, and you don’t owe us a thing, ma’am.”

  Ma stands, releasing my hand, and walks toward Thomas and James. “May I?” she asks, opening her arms. “I know you don’t want a payment, but I’d love a hug.”

  “I’m sure she does,” Tamara whispers, elbowing me in the ribs.

  “Stop,” I grumble, watching as my mother hugs Thomas, taking her sweet-ass time doing it too. “She’s my mother.”

  “She’s hot, though,” Tamara continues to tell me. “Some man is going to snap her up and make her his.”

  I turn, staring at my girl, who’s grinning like a crazy person as she watches my mother move on to James. “You’re talking about my mom, princess.”

  Tamara nods. “I know, but you’re going to have to get over that fact. She’s still young and a looker. Men are going to be tripping over their tongues to get a piece of her.”

  I close my eyes, controlling my breathing. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  Tamara laughs, slapping my leg. “I’m sure she dated when you were a kid.”

  “Nope,” I clip, opening my eyes again to look at Tamara. “She never dated, at least not that I knew, until I moved out and joined the military.”

  “All those years wasted,” Tamara whispers and sits up a little straighter as my ma walks back toward us. “She has lost time to make up for. So, buckle up, sparky. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

  I lift my gaze upward toward the ceiling and groan. “What a fucking nightmare.”

  “What’s wrong, honey?” Ma asks, touching my shoulder as she sits back down next to me. “You don’t look happy.”

  “Nothing,” I snap.

  “He gets cranky sometimes,” Tamara tells her, patting my leg. “I’m sure you know how he is.”

  “I could tell you some stories that would make your head spin.” Ma smiles.

  “Later, I’ll open a bottle of wine, and maybe you can share some of them with me,” Tamara says, leaning her head on my shoulder, laughing quietly. “I’ve only known him as this grumpy guy, and I want to know more about the little, cranky boy.”

  “We’re going to take off,” James says, pitching his thumb toward the door. “If you don’t need anything else.”

  “We’re good,” I say, standing up, needing a minute away from Tamara and my ma. “I’ll walk you two out.”

  Thomas nods and hugs Lily before moving toward the door with James and me behind him.

  “I can’t thank you two enough. Really, whatever you need, I’m there,” I tell them, offering my hand to Thomas when he stops near his car.

  He shakes with one hand and grabs my good shoulder with his other. “We meant what we said in there. We’re family. This is what we do. For good or bad, you’re one of us now.”

  “There’s only good,” I reply as he releases my hand.

  James lifts his hand, slapping me on the back, not giving a single fuck how much pain it causes me. “Take care of our niece and treat her well. That’s payment enough.”

  “I’ll do that,” I grit out as the pain from my shoulder starts to wane quicker than it has in days.

  James lifts his hand from my shoulder and backs up, moving toward the car. “See you tomorrow,” he says, smiling. “Bring your mom. I know the family would love to meet her.”

  “I will,” I tell him, giving him a chin lift as they open the car doors, ready to climb inside.

  “Everything okay, honey?” Ma asks, sneaking up on me.

  “Everything is fine, Ma.” I glance down at her in her sundress as she covers her eyes, sha
ding them from the sun. “Is the entire family this good-looking?”

  I laugh and nod. “Pretty much.”

  “Are they all that kind?”

  “Completely.”

  She wraps an arm around my center, placing her hand on my waist and resting her head against my bicep. “You did well, baby. Real well.”

  “I don’t know if I deserve her or this entire family.”

  Ma places her other hand on my chest, over my heart. “You deserve every bit of this,” she tells me, sounding sweet and sure. “I always wanted a big family for you. One that cared about you as much as I do, and I think you found it.”

  “Just dumb fucking luck.”

  She pulls her head away, peering up at me. “Doesn’t matter how they came into your life. All that matters is that you hold on tight and never let go.”

  “Wise words, Ma.”

  She gives me a pat. “Just reality, honey. Now, let’s go back in there. I have my vision board to finish while I figure out where to go next and what to do with my newfound freedom.”

  “You can stay with me,” I offer.

  “With those men and all the scantily clad women?”

  I laugh, throwing my arm around my mom’s shoulder and guiding her back to Lily and Jett’s house. “No. I left the club. Today’s my first official day of freedom too.”

  She stops walking, giving me her eyes again. “You really left the club for good?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Like forever forever?” she asks in disbelief.

  “Yeah.”

  “You sure it’s gonna stick?”

  “Yeah, Ma. This time was the right time. I met the woman of my dreams, Ma, and she isn’t about that life. I’ve been planning my exit since the day Tamara walked into my life, and that day finally arrived.”

  She curls into me, squeezing my waist tightly. “You’ve made me so happy. Some nights I couldn’t sleep when I thought about you doing…”

  “They’re not all bad people,” I correct her. I’m not going to win the argument. She’s seen one too many television shows about motorcycle clubs, and no matter what I say, she isn’t going to change her mind. “It’s in the past now.”