Jaxson & Ralynn: Rebel Guardians Next Generation

by Liberty Parker

  Ralynn

  Not knowing where he was taking me, I get lost in thoughts of today’s events. It’s been magical and everything I ever thought I’d want. Noticing the bike slowing, I tune back into my surroundings and see we’re pulling down a long, tree-lined driveway. Who the fuck lives here and why would we be visiting at this late hour? When no additional lights join the one I can see glowing from the inside, I get really confused. Is this one of his job sites? Why would he bring me out here at night when I can’t see anything?

  As the bike pulls closer, motion detector lights go on and I can see nicely-landscaped areas around the front porch. The house itself has a stone exterior, something I’ve always loved because it reminds me of a cottage. He stops the bike and helps me off but before I can say anything, he scoops me up bridal style and walks toward the front door.

  “Jaxson!” I hiss, “we can’t just barge into someone else’s house!” He doesn’t speak, just keys in a code and the door opens. Once inside, he closes the door before letting me slide down his body.

  “Welcome home, Rae,” he affirms.

  “What? How? Is this...ours?” I whisper, looking around. It’s like everything I ever dreamed about in a house is right here. The foyer is open and leads into a huge living room that has a comfortable looking sectional couch with a stone fireplace and a television mounted above it. I grin when I see how big the tv is because the men in my life have always felt bigger was better when it came to their entertainment and watching games.

  “It is, yes,” he answers, taking me by the hand. I figure he’s giving me a tour but no, he’s heading down a hallway off to the left where a set of double doors are. Opening them in what I can only describe as a flourish, he stands back with his arm extended so I walk through the entrance.

  A gasp leaves my mouth when I see the room. I can tell he was the one who built the platform that our bed is on because I recognize his handiwork and have to wonder how long he’s been working on it in order to get it done. The finish is whitewash and there is a matching triple dresser and wardrobe, as well as two nightstands. One side of the room is a wall of windows with a door leading into a separate room and on the adjacent wall there is a secondary door. The room by the windows is one I find myself hoping contains the powder room because it looks like it’ll be a stunning view.

  “Closet,” he says, pointing to the other side of the room, “bathroom,” pointing to the door I was hoping would contain the facilities. I don’t get a chance to explore them because he picks me up and tosses me onto the bed, then gets up and walks out the door and down the hallway. What the fuck? I’m wondering what in the world he’s doing when he comes back in with my backpack. I can see my notebook sticking out and realize there’s something I can give him tonight, if I’m brave enough. Gathering my courage, I know that I can do this. He bared his soul to me, it’s only right I do the same for him. “Figured you might need something out of here,” he states, handing me the backpack. I grab the notebook and sit up with my back against the headboard, patting the spot next to me for him to come sit.

  He takes off his cut and motions to me for mine, but I shake my head no. I want him on me while I do this. After a raised brow, he nods and then settles into the bed next to me after removing my shoes and his boots.

  “Right before we left the cabin, Marie gave me another homework assignment. She said there was no timeline on it, like the others, but that I had to do it and then share it with someone I trusted. Jaxson, I trust you with every fiber of my being, but need to know you can handle hearing the words I’m about to say.”

  I watch as he closes his eyes for a minute then he nods and discloses, “I’ll do my best, Rae, that’s all I can promise you, especially if it deals with that fucker.”

  “It does and I’m gonna hold you to it, okay?” At his nod, I continue. “She wanted me to write a letter to him and pour it all out. How he made me feel, what he stole from me, every last little thing. I finished it earlier today before you got to the clubhouse. Since you’re my old man and I don’t want any secrets, I wanna share it with you.”

  “Give me that burden, Rae. My shoulders are yours to lean on.” Gah, when he says shit like that, I just wanna jump him but first things first.

  Taking a deep breath, I begin.

  “Marcus,

  You were never dear to me, you never gave me a chance, or yourself for that matter, to become that. The fact that you hid such a vile part of yourself not only from me but from my family is very telling. You’re a fucking prick, you know that? How dare you drug me so you could have sex with me? How fucking dare you? That was my choice as to whether or not I slept with anyone, let alone you, and you took that option out of my hands. Another thing, who the fuck told you it was okay to lay your hands on anyone, especially a female? I’m no shrinking violet, but I’m definitely not a match against a man who is taller and weighs more than me. Do you know how badly you physically hurt me? You marked my body unlike anyone else in my life, counting my father, ever did. You want me to tell you how much you hurt me? How much I hate you? I’ll tell you, you motherfucker. Four broken bones. Four! Black eyes, ruptured blood vessels in my eyes, bruises of every size all over. You bastard! Bruised and cracked ribs and a scar from where you slashed me that one time. Remember that one? You didn’t like how I prepared the fucking roast and you slashed at me with the damn knife. Thank God I moved or you would’ve stabbed me. Guess what, fucker? You lost. You tried to break me and for a little while, you succeeded, but you forgot one important thing. I’m the daughter of the enforcer to a motherfucking motorcycle club and they didn’t stop until they found out what was going on with me. You tried to separate me from them, wouldn’t let me reach out and talk to them or tell them what was going on. You failed to realize that they raised a bunch of strong-assed women and one of them came and found me. But she wasn’t alone, my family already had men in place and when she called home to inform them I’d been abused by your hands, they were here and took me home. It hasn’t been easy to heal from your abuse, not by a long shot. And if I have anything to be grateful for, it’s that it finally brought me and Jaxson together. And guess what? You sucked as a bed partner. You were a selfish, lousy lay, quite frankly, and I guess I should get acting credits or something, because you never knew how much I faked those orgasms just to get you to crawl off of me. I was glad when you took other women, to be honest, because the sight of you made me wanna puke all over you. Only the thought of the expensive orthodontic work my folks paid for kept my mouth shut. I hope you rot in hell, you asshole. No one deserves it more than you. As for me, I’m gonna live my life now, free and easy, knowing that my man and uncles put a hurting on you that last time I saw you. One that I pray to all that is holy you didn’t recover from without any permanent and lasting damage.”

  The relief I feel after finishing is palpable. Jaxson had pulled me into his lap when I first started reading and I become aware that he’s rubbing his hands up and down my arms and back in a soothing manner. “I’m okay, Jaxson. I’m really okay,” I tell him, turning to kiss the underside of his jaw. “He can never hurt me anymore and you’re here to chase away any of the ghosts that try to invade my dreams.”

  “I’ll always chase your demons and nightmares away, Rae. You have no idea what I’d do to keep you happy and safe. I love you more than life itself. I have one more surprise for you, hang on and let me go get it.”

  “Another one! Jaxson, you’ve given me enough!” I shout at his retreating back. Deciding I need to go splash some cold water on my face and wipe away the tears I head into the bathroom and longingly look at the clawfoot tub. Soon, I promise it and the bubble bath I see setting on a shelf. I find the washcloths under the double-sinked vanity and wet it. After washing the tears away, I throw it in the hamper and walk out the door. I stumble in my steps when I walk in and see him on bended knee with a black velvet box opened and displaying a beautiful platinum band with a princess cut diamond on prominent display. “Jaxson,
” I whisper in astonishment.

  “Rae, you’re the love of my life. I can’t imagine a single day without you by my side. Everything I said at the cut ceremony was true, and still holds merit. But what I didn’t share was that before you, before you grabbed my heart in your beautiful clutches, I didn’t want to live a long, healthy life. I was on a dangerous path of finding ways to go out with honor and dignity. Then, you said yes at being my girl and old lady. Now, I’m asking you to say yes at being my wife.”

  “Yes!” I scream, throwing myself at him. He falls back on the floor with me on top of him. I don’t want to think about what he just admitted, all I wanna think about is the future he’s promising me.

  “Yes?” he queries.

  “Yes, I’ll not sit here and say I’ll never say no to you. But this is one time that word won’t be leaving my lips. I love you so much.”

  “God, woman, you slay me. I love you too,” he bends down, and our lips attach to one another.

  We celebrate the rest of the night and christen every surface and room of our new home. The beginning of our future. The ending to our fears. We can, and have conquered everything as long as we have each other.

  Epilogue

  Luca

  As I’m traveling home from my last tour of service, I am close to the clubhouse and my family, but my gas tank won’t hold off for longer without being topped off with fuel. Pulling into a truck stop, I fill up and then pull forward so I can grab a drink. I notice a car sitting there, a woman sitting in the driver’s seat unmoving with a little weenie dog barking its head off. Concern washes over me and I knock on her window.

  Startled blue eyes stare back at me and I motion for her to roll her window down a bit. “You okay?” I ask once she’s cracked the window. I hide my smile because it’s barely down two inches, but it’s obvious that she’s being cautious, especially since I’m wearing my cut denoting me as a member of the Rebel Guardians. Since leaving my last post, I haven’t shaved, and the delays and layovers have given me about four days’ of beard growth. I know I look rougher than hell, but there’s no way I can leave here not knowing that she’ll be okay.

  “Uh yeah, just taking a little break is all.” Her husky voice captivates me, but I’m concerned because standing next to her car, I notice a burning smell. Crouching lower, I can see something leaking from the front and realize it’s her radiator.

  “Not sure how to tell you this, but your car is leaking coolant,” I tell her.

  “Dammit, I should have trusted my gut when that mechanic told me nothing was wrong. I keep having to add water because it wants to overheat. This trip has nearly wiped me out.”

  She looks a bit pale and I glance around the interior of the car. I see a nearly empty bottle of water in the cupholder, a partial bag of dog food on the passenger floor board, but I don’t see anything else indicative of a road trip. My sister always has to have what she calls road trip food. Chips, beef jerky, candy, you name it and if it’s bad for you, she buys it and it’s all consumed before she arrives at her destination. I hear her stomach grumble from the other side of her door and know I’ll never be able to leave her hungry and stranded on the side of the road. It’s not in my makeup to do so.

  “Let me go grab a few things inside and I’ll see if I can do a quick fix of some sort. Do you need to walk your dog?” She nods, and I move away from the door as she opens it, cradling the little dog in her arms. “What’s its name?”

  “Her name is Lucy,” she says. Her voice has my body wanting things it has no business wanting right now.

  “Be right back,” I tell her. I’m glad I stopped at one of the bigger truck stops because I know they’ll have the stuff I need to get her back on the road again. I grab the coolant and some new shit that probably works as good as that fix-a-flat does but it claims it’ll fill any holes in a radiator and if it’ll help get her where she’s going, I’m all for it. Seeing a roll of duct tape, I grab it, remembering my dad telling me that it’ll fix just about anything. Putting it on the counter, I let the clerk know I’ll be right back before I start gathering road trip food based on Lily’s preferences, as well as a ready-made sandwich and several bottles of water. Finally satisfied, I pay for my purchases and head back out to the woman’s car.

  “What...what’s your name?” she requests as I approach.

  “Luca Callahan. What’s yours?”

  “Gypsy Fields.” My brain rolls her name over and I find I’d like to be able to call it out. Man, it’s been too long or something because I’m never like this with someone I’ve just met.

  “Nice to meet you, Gypsy. This is for you. Can you pop the hood?”

  She takes the bag and does what I ask before saying, “I appreciate this, Luca, but I don’t have the money to repay you, so you take it.”

  “My mother would never forgive me if I didn’t help a woman stranded. Please, take it so I don’t have to deal with the wrath of my mom.” The most easy-going woman on the planet, but Gypsy doesn’t know that and I’m not gonna tell her differently.

  She sighs and takes the bag back. “Thank you.” As I’m working under the hood, I watch as she carefully pours some of the water into the bowl for the little dog, talking to her the whole time. When I’m as confident as possible that what I’ve done should hold her at least until she gets where she’s going, I close the hood, then use the rag in my saddlebag to clean my hands.

  “Where are you heading?” There’s something about her that makes me wanna get to know her better. There’s some kind of invisible string that’s pulling me towards her and I don’t want to question it. I just want to find out what it is and explore if this means there’s something brewing between the two of us.

  “A town called Corinth.” I feel like I should pump my fist in triumph. This gives me the excuse to follow her to town and make sure she doesn’t have any further problems with leaking.

  “I live there, I’ll follow you to make sure you don’t have any more problems.”

  “How much further is it? I’ve got maybe a quarter of a tank of gas left and this thing,” she smacks the car, “has cost a helluva lot more than I anticipated when I left.”

  “Pull over to the pumps, Gypsy, I’ll top you off.” She could probably make it, but this way, I can make sure she’s not left totally stranded when she gets to town.

  “Luca, I can’t pay you until I find a job.” She’s protesting but I refuse to listen. My instincts are hollering not to let her go.

  “My family owns a lot of businesses, I’m sure you’ll get a job pretty quickly then you can pay me back.” Like I’ll take her money.

  “Are you sure? Most people aren’t like you, y’know.” I hope she isn’t questioning my integrity and thinking I want something from her in return. It’s nothing like that and I hope I don’t give off those types of vibes.

  “Pull over to the pumps,” I repeat. “Not gonna leave you stranded. Mom wrath, remember?” I figure if she ever meets my mom, she’ll realize I was talking outta my ass because that’s not Cara Callahan, not by a longshot.

  I see her shoulders slump a bit before she straightens up and replies, “Okay, thank you again. How much longer will we be driving?”

  “How long you been on the road, Gypsy?”

  “Three days.” I bet she’s been sleeping in the car and that sends fear running through me because of all the shit that could’ve happened to her. I had noticed a pillow and blanket in the back but didn’t want to presume anything.

  “Well, it’s about another thirty or forty-five minutes, give or take.”

  “Okay. I gotta find someplace to stay when I get there.”

  My mind is whirling. I know she can’t stay at the clubhouse, but maybe my mom will let her stay at their house? “Give me a few minutes, let me make a call. Why don’t you go in and get cooled down a bit while I’m tied up? I’ll watch Lucy.”

  She nods and heads inside and I scoop the little dog up and walk with her over to a grassy area, being sure th
at her leash is snug because I don’t want her escaping. As the phone rings, I think about the little bit I’ve learned so far. She’s curvy, quite a bit shorter than me, and has beautiful curly hair that makes me wanna wrap my hands around it as I’m pounding into her from behind. “Mom? Got a question for you,” I start.

  “Luca? Tell me you’re almost home.”

  “Yeah, maybe another hour tops. Listen, I ran into someone while filling up gas who is headed towards Corinth. They need a place to stay.”

  “I’m sure your dad will be okay if they stay at the clubhouse.”

  “She can’t stay at the clubhouse, Mom.” No way in fucking hell am I letting her be seen by my single brothers. I’ve managed to stay on the right side of the law all these years and don’t intend to change that now.

  “A woman? Why am I not surprised by this?” she muses, laughter thick in her tone.

  “Mom, c’mon now.”

  “Luca, you’ve always brought strays home, whether they had four legs or two. Don’t see why you’d change now. She can stay with us at the house, okay?”

  My heartbeat slows at her words. I was ready to maim and kill my brothers over a baseless threat. “Thanks, Mom. Y’all at the clubhouse now?”

  “Just waiting on you to get here so we can celebrate.” Fuck. Well, I shouldn’t expect any less because we party over the craziest things. Me being gone for a few years is a good reason to them. I hated that I couldn’t take leave very often when I was in Japan because I missed the hell outta my family.

  “We’ll be there shortly.”

  “What’s the young woman’s name, Luca?” Mom inquires.

  “Gypsy. Gypsy Fields.”

  Gypsy

  The day my mother informed me of who my biological father was I thought I’d be elated. Instead, she taunted and tormented me with the fact that he wouldn’t want me. Apparently, she’s kept tabs on him over the years and has found out that he’s married and that they don’t have any kids after being together for several long years. According to my mother, he never wanted children and it shows in his marriage.