Rox (Nameless Order: Heart Chapter #1)

15. Mimic

Fifteen

Mimic

I planned on taking Rox back to her house and devouring her. Seeing her in public with my chain on did something to me. I could see it in Angel’s eyes the moment my hand rested on the key under my shirt. He didn’t even need to see the key to know the necklace was from me and what it symbolized.

His punch was expected, but it still hurt like a motherfucker. I didn’t react. Neither of us said anything, and I was ready to move on. When he answered Rox, I believed him. We were done with whatever this shit was.

I sat down with her so she could finish eating, my plans of eating her out and fucking her senseless still on my mind when the text came in.

“Shit.”

“What is it?”

I turn my phone toward her and let her see for herself.

Dizz: Get your ass to the clubhouse and bring my kid with you.

“Did Angel seriously go and tattle on us?” Rox seethes. “That mother fucker.” She shoves up from her seat and marches toward the door. I throw down a few bills and follow her. She marches right up to my bike and hops on the back. Fuck, that is a sight. I pull my phone up and take a quick picture of her.

“Did you seriously take a picture of me?”

“I won’t apologize for it.” She shakes her head and laughs at me as I get myself on my bike. Her arms immediately wrap around my middle, and she slides herself up so she’s as close as she can possibly be.

As much as I want to draw this out, I don’t. I head straight to the clubhouse from Mary’s. It’s not the shortest ride in the world, but I’d have loved it if it were longer. The feel of Rox on my bike makes something deep in me feel complete. Parking and heading in, we head straight for the room where we hold church. I’d make her wait outside if Dizz hadn’t included her in the text, too. I open the door and let her walk in before me. The room goes quiet, and when I come up behind her, everyone is here, looking right at us.

Duck and Mammoth are smiling like something amazing is happening. Angel and Dizz are fuming, and Omen looks like he doesn’t give a shit, which he most likely doesn’t. He’s always been a supporter of people finding their person. Even more so after he found Mama Judy. I can’t tell if the others care about what’s going to happen or if they’re just here because they have to be.

“You wanted to see me, Daddy?” Rox asks, taking me out of my perusal of my brothers. But the way she says it shocks all of us, and they all, including me, start to chuckle.

“Now is not the time to act like a shit, Roxanne. What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?” Dizz asks. He’s standing at the head of the table, leaning his weight on his hands. Angel is off to his side and closest to Rox and me.

“Oh, right,” she responds. “First, though…”

She walks up to Angel, and before he, or anyone else, can do a thing, she punches him in the face. The same way he did to me. I lunge forward and pull her back into me. “Rox. What the fuck?”

She turns at me so quickly I’m surprised she doesn’t get whiplash. “Don’t you fucking dare, Mimic.” Spinning, she faces Angel and her father once again. Angel hasn’t moved. His face hasn’t changed. And Prez? I think he’s the same amount of stunned as the rest of the guys. I’ve known they’ve all taught her to fight, but she’s never used it against any of them outside of learning.

“Rox?” I say her name quietly, hoping she can hear the pleading in my tone.

“You deserved it, Angel. You came to me. You wanted to put this shit behind us. In fact, you even said whatever shit was going on was done after you punched Mimic in the face. Then you have the audacity to come here and tattle-tale like a fucking child? What the fuck is wrong with you? With all of you?”

“Roxanne, if you think you can come in here and hit—”

“—Stop, Dad. All I did was the exact same thing you assholes do to each other when you don’t like something. Case in point: Angel punching Mimic in the face not even half an hour ago.”

“Because Mimic thinks he can—”

“—HE CAN!” she yells. She takes a deep breath before she continues, “He can. Despite what you think, you do not own me. I am not yours or the club’s property. I am my own fucking person. I chose who I give any part of myself to, not you. It was never, and will never, be up to any of you.”

“He should have asked me, Roxanne. It’s a respect thing.”

“Did you not listen to a single damn word I just said? You claim it’s a respect thing for you? What about for me? Do you think it’s a form of respect to claim you own the rights to my body? The right to my mind? They’re mine. He will not ask you for permission. You’re not selling me off. Or did you forget someone tried that already?”

Dizz rears his head back, and for the first time since I’ve known him, his eyes fill with tears. Surprisingly, it’s Omen who jumps up.

“That was a low fucking blow, Roxie.”

“Was it, though? You’re all sitting here, acting like I need your permission to do anything in my life because I’m a girl, and he’s my dad. Newsflash: I don’t care who you think y’all are; you don’t own me. I am not yours. I’m mine.”

“Rox, baby, maybe we should go,” I tell her as I try to pull her back.

“No. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Dad, but this is how I’m feeling. I’m feeling as if what I want for my life doesn’t matter to any of you. Especially you. And Angel, I truly can’t believe you. You’re my best friend, but you don’t get to decide what I do with my life either.

“If you want to voice your concerns, give me advice when I ask for it, and be there for me when things go wrong, that’s great. I want you there. You don’t get to be there to decide how I live. Not anymore. You lost that right the day I turned eighteen.”

The room goes quiet, and for once, I don’t know what to do. If this were another brother or someone going against the club, I would take care of it. I can’t, and won’t, do that to Rox. I would never do to her what I do to those who cross us.

Growing up the way I did, you learn to turn off your emotions and disassociate from everything. It’s only become easier to do the longer I’ve been stealing identities and working with the club. But when it comes to Rox, my heart is on my sleeve. Hell, half the time, it isn’t even with me but in her hand. My solution for problems can’t be fixed the way it normally would. What I can do, though, is support her. This may cause another rift between them and absolutely between them and me, but she’s my lady. I pull her harder and wrap my arms around her. She sinks back into me, and instant relief comes over me.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Dizz grumbles.

“Enough, Mike.”

We all turn around, and sure as shit, there’s the Queen of this club, Meg. She makes her way up to her husband, and when I look at him, all I see is defeat.

Dizz is the President of this club. We all hold him with a high level of respect. But all of us, including him, know the real one who runs this place. It’s his spitfire wife. She commands attention and respect when she’s in the room, and if she’s involved, what she says goes. Given this situation is because of her kid, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that she’s here.

“Meg.”

“Don’t. I’m tired of this way of thinking. It was the same in Wyman, and it’s continued here. I’m over it. I get it; it’s the lifestyle, but she’s a person, Mike. She deserves to make the choices when it comes to her life. Your club members are the only ones you have a say over.”

“Then Mimic—”

She holds up her hand to stop him. “Don’t even try it. If you sit there and try and say, “Then Mimic should have asked,” or “Mimic should’ve left her alone,” or even think, “Then I forbid Mimic,” I will divorce you. This isn’t about your club. This is about your daughter’s heart. If you sat back for even a moment, you would see how in love with each other they are. You would have seen it years ago.”

Meg looks back at us and smiles before turning back to her husband. “You don’t rule this part of life, Mike.”

“You wear the patch.”

“I wear the patch because I want others to know I’m yours and that you’re mine. I have never thought I was an actual piece of property and relinquished my control to you. I assume it’d be the same for Roxie and Mimic. It’s a patch to wear because it’s full of honor and love, that’s it.

“Think back to home, Mike. Do you honestly think someone like Elvira would allow the shit you’re trying to pull? Or Bri? No one has ever been able to contain Ashlynn. Hell, AJ is Butcher’s daughter, and he couldn’t even stop it. Butcher. Think about that.

“I understand your concern when it comes to your kids. It’s one of the reasons why I love you so much. You’ve been that way from the moment you met Roxie and me, and it’s never changed. But you really do need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Your daughter is grown. She’s found her person. It’s time to accept it or lose her.”

Dizz sighs, “What about the age difference, Meg?”

“What about it, Prez?” I ask. It’s about time I said something. And sure, I can see where his concern is coming from, but I met her as an adult. I’ve never known her as a child.

“You’re old as fuck, Mimic.”

“Thirteen years isn’t that much, honey,” Meg says with a smile on her face.

I hear Rox giggle, and it takes everything I have not to smack her ass for it. It’s fine. I’ll just do it later. “I’m really not, Prez. And as Rox and your wife have pointed out, she isn’t a child.”

“Daddy,” Rox cuts in, “If you truly can’t see how happy I am, then I’m gonna make this easier on all of us and leave.”

“How does leaving make this easier?”

“It probably doesn’t,” she shrugs, “but what do you want me to do? You’re not listening. You’re choosing to be mad at this. This room is full of men you trust. If you should trust any man with my heart, it should be one of them. And it is. Mimic holds it tight and keeps it safe. Would you rather I just fuck my way through town?”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” every man in the room yells. Well, at least we can all agree to that. Meg smiles, and I can only assume Rox is, too.

“Roxanne…”

The room gets so quiet, you can hear a pin drop. I’m not sure how this is going to go. Not that I was sure before, either.

“This is intense.”

We all turn our heads and stare at Duck.

“What? It is.”

“Where the fuck did you get a cupcake from?” Mammoth asks.

“It’s mine!” he yells before shoving it all in his mouth—which was all Rox needed. She loses her shit. She turns toward me and laughs. Full-blown belly laughs cause a chain reaction. I look at Duck, and he honestly looks confused.

“Wh ooo half-ling?” he asks around his cupcake.

“Nothing, man. Nothing.”

I look back to Prez, and he and Angel make their way to us. Meg is ready to step in, but something tells me she’s going to let this play out.

“Roxanne?” She stops laughing and turns toward them. “I only want you happy and safe. It was hell when you were a kid, and we had to deal with everything we did. I’m so protective over you because I never want that to happen again.”

“I understand that I do, but that’s never going to happen with Mimic.”

“No,” he looks me dead in the eye, “it fucking won’t.”

I give him a nod, and something passes over his face. For now, I’m no longer on the shit list. I can’t say the same for Angel, though.

“Roxie, I…”

“Not now. I don’t understand your motives, and for right now, I don’t think I want to. I’m gonna let this slide for now because I’m tired of fighting with my best friend, Angel. But no more. And I’m not saying sorry for punching you.” She holds her head up sternly.

“Nah, I deserved it. It’s…right, not right now. When you’re ready to listen, I’ll tell you, deal?”

“Deal.”

I let her go, and she hugged them both before heading off with her mom. “We good, Prez?”

“Is there a reason you went behind my back?”

“I never thought I did. Rox and I were seeing who we were. And your wife is right, Prez. I haven’t hid my feelings for her, ever.”

“How so?”

“Prez,” I pause as I let out a breath, “I’ve been in love with her from the moment I saw her. It’s only ever been her.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a fucking heart attack, Prez.”

“Alright, I don’t like it, but my wife and Roxanne are right. She’s her own person, and I need to accept that she’s going to do things I’m not okay with. But Roxanne also made a good point in her being with a man I already know and trust is better than someone who just walked into her life. But I fucking swear to God, Mimic. You better ask me to marry her. And uh, don’t tell her I said that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” I tell him as I wink and slap his shoulder.

“Wait. Hold up! I wasn’t serious. Mimic!” I let him stew as I walked out of the office to find my lady.