31. Roxie
Thirty One
Roxie
E ver wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a Mack Truck towing about thirteen other Mack Trucks? No? Well, I can say with the utmost confidence ten out of ten do not recommend.
This fucking sucks. I remember some of what happened, but unfortunately, that only equates to pain. That pain now radiates through my body in ways I’ve never experienced before.
I try and open my eyes, but everything seems so bright. I don’t know if the windows are open or if every damn light is on, but it’s too much. My eyeballs shouldn’t hurt this much. Right? Or is it because of my injuries, I just think my eyeballs hurt? It doesn’t matter. Every nerve ending is on fire.
Hushed voices are all around me. I’m scared. Even if my eyes didn’t hurt as badly as they do, I don’t know if I should open them. I don’t know where I am or what happened. My head is throbbing too much to make out who is around me.
The voices become a little louder and a lot more clear. Maybe the soft sheet should have given it away that I’m not in danger, but I’m hurt. My lack of recognition is okay.
“Seriously. I know you love him, but if he bolts again cause of shit, I will rip his nuts off and feed them to him.” Ashlynn growls from close by.
Well, I am not in danger, but it sure sounds like Max is if he doesn’t show up here soon. I laugh at myself, but it comes out more like a grunt because of the sharp stab of pain radiating through my head.
“Hey, baby girl.” My mom’s voice is in my ear, and her soft, cool hand feels like a balm against my warm and angry skin.
“Did they get him?” I ask. My voice sounds like I have gargled glass and sand at the same time. I try to open my eyes again, ignoring the pain and seeing the beautiful faces of my mom, aunts, and Manda.
“They got the guy that did this to you,” Manda tells me as she reaches for my hand. “And if you ever put me through that kind of stress again, I will murder you three times over.”
“I am sorry I made you worry,” I mumble. I try to clear my throat and cough a few times before Mama Judy pushes her way through the throngs of women with a cool glass of water and a straw. I have never loved that woman more than I do right now. The frigged water is just what I needed.
“They should be back anytime. Well, most of them.” Bri tells me, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.
“I didn’t even know Mark past the times I tattooed him. I can’t believe he was obsessed with me. I just don’t understand any of this.” I tell them as I struggle to sit up in bed.
“Uhm, I am sorry?” Ashlynn starts.
“Who the fuck is Mark?” Mom finishes at the same time I hear Manda.
“Why the hell do you sound Canadian?”
It really is a shame that Mom and Ashlynn don’t hang around anymore. Those two are more alike than they think.
“And why are we just now hearing about his ass?” Auntie Bri adds her two cents.
“Mark,” I say his name slowly, looking at everyone’s confused faces. “The guy who’s been stalking me and trying to kill me?” I tell them, well more like ask them. There is no way they don’t know who the brothers have in their grasp right now.
“Baby, it was Duncan.” Mama Judy tells me.
I’m sure I look like a stupid goldfish with the way my mouth is opening and closing. I don’t have a single thought. I mean, yes, the man was a fucker, and I wanted to beat him more days than ignore him, but I could have never imagined that he was the one behind this.
“No, it should be Mark. I was talking to him in the alley behind the shop. I ended up getting upset with him and being a bit of a bitch, if I’m honest.”
“Dumbass,” Manda cuts me off, slapping my foot. “You thought he was trying to kill you, yet you stayed with him alone in the back alley of the shop? Then to top that off, you tell yourself that pissing him off is the way to go? Smart Roxanne, real smart.”
“Look, no one ever said I was smart.”
“I did, but I won’t be making that mistake again,” Mom stage whispers to the ladies.
“I get it. It was dumb, but that’s what I remember last. I remember speaking with Mark over…something. Then, when I went back into the shop, everything went black.” I finish.
I’m a little annoyed because I can’t remember what was going on, but more than anything, I feel worse for getting mad at them. They’re only telling me what they know, which is a helluva lot more than I know.
“There was a lot going on, and you know they’re not going to tell us anything,” Auntie Bri rolls her eyes, “but I did get a text that read like a six-year-old wrote it.”
They all laugh, and thankfully, I control my reaction and only smile. “What did it say?”
She pulls out her phone and reads what I imagine is word for word, “Knuckles did job. Finding her. Going. Be back. Safe stay. You I love. Love you I. Damnit. I love you. Be back soon. So yeah, there’s that.” She smiles as she puts her phone back in her pocket.
“Thankfully,” Ash chimes in, “Willie messaged me and said that Mimic saw the van from the night of the fire, and they were on their way to get you. They don’t have to say anything about Knuckles doing what he does. Whitley feels bad because he didn’t think anything of it when the van drove past the shop.”
“Whitley didn’t do anything wrong,” I begin to argue.
“He knows that sweetie. It’s just in their protective nature. They all feel bad even when they have zero control over the situation.” My mom’s words are the absolute truth. The men in our lives are fierce, and I think I may have been taking that for granted.
“Mimic brought you here, but he left to go handle everything. He’ll be back.” Auntie Bri tells me.
I smile, “I know he will. Um, can one of you tell me why I feel like I was run over by a semi? I remember getting knocked out. Then pain, but I don’t remember what caused the pain.”
“We don’t know what happened between Duncan knocking you out and the guys finding you. If I had to guess, Duncan took the coward’s revenge.” Ashlynn explains.
“Is she awake?” I hear Max at the doorway. Even sitting up, I can’t see him from the gaggle of females around me.
They part in time for me to see him rush to me. He gently wraps me in his arms. This, right here, is all I needed.
Emotions rush me, and tears well in my eyes. He came back to me. He didn’t run. He followed through with everything we talked about and promised each other. I can’t help the broken sob that barrels out of my chest.
The women around me made me feel better and loved, but being in Max’s arms made me feel whole. Like no matter what happened, I would be put back together by this man. No matter the cost. He pulls back and looks at me, assessing the damage done to my face. And I’m sure other parts of my body, going off the way I feel.
“He’s gone. You never have to worry about him again.” Max tells me. Before I can reply, I hear the door close. I look past him and see we’re now without an audience. I’m surprised Ashlynn and Manda left quietly, but I digress.
“They told me it was Duncan. That’s not who I was expecting at all.” I explained the events that led to me waking up here. Max watched me and listened while holding my face in his hands. It didn’t escape me how he kept brushing the few tears that refused to stop falling but didn’t bring attention to them either.
“If I could kill him again, I would,” Max tells me. I lean my forehead to his, closing my eyes and relishing in his tenderness. “I love you, Rox. Seeing you like that tonight—” His voice cracks as he cuts himself off.
“I’m here. I’m safe. You saved me, Max. You found me, and you brought me home.” My fingers grip the back of his head, pressing him closer to me. While I hate that this happened, it’s giving me a chance to see the truest form of love I’ll ever have. Max doesn’t hide his emotions. He’s not afraid to show me how scared he was or how thankful he is now that I’m here with him.
“Every time I close my eyes, I see you lying there, not moving. I never want to live through that again.”
It’s my turn to wipe the tears from his face.
“You won’t.”
“You can’t know that. Look at what happened to you. We had a plan. We were there, and it still happened,” his words are covered in tears. He never wanted to go through with this plan, and now I think that maybe, just maybe , I should have listened.
“I’ll make you a promise,” I start as I wipe his face, “should a problem arise like this again.” He starts to growl and is ready to interrupt me, but I push through. “Should a threat like this happen again, I’ll listen to you next time. I’m fully aware that my stubbornness is also the reason for the way today played out. But I felt I had something to prove. I realize now that that’s not the case, and letting you fight for me isn’t the worst thing to happen.”
“Sure, now you see reason,” he grumbles with a soft smile.
“Better late than never?” I phrase it as a question but smile back at him.
I pull him back with me, ignoring the twinged and sharp pulls of pain in my body. He follows me and crawls into the small twin bed with me. Wrapping me up in his arms, he drapes his leg over me while holding me close to his chest. He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and we stay there holding each other. I’m safe, and I’m whole. No matter what, nothing can touch me from this point on.
I feel the momentary spike of adrenaline start to fade, and I fall asleep in his comforting arms.
“Rest, love. I have you now.” Max murmurs against my forehead before pressing a kiss there. I sigh and let sleep take me under.
* * *
“Oh, Duck-Farts, I am going to miss you,” Ashlynn says as she tosses her napkin at him.
My head hurts from laughing so much during this meal. We’ve dubbed dinner as the last supper because God knows when they’re all going to be back. I wonder if Max would be willing to come with me back to Colorado? I could show him the small town of Wyman and all the spots around the farm that mean the most to me.
Everyone is laughing and joking as the heaviness of why they joined us is long forgotten. Right now, it’s about family and friendship. Jokes and friendly banter are tossed from both chapters.
“Does this mean I win the bet?” Duck asks, holding his hand out.
“I don’t recall it being a bet, my main sassy man. Believe it was a promise you made that we were going to be the best of friends before I left. And while it did take until the night before we left, I can say that you and I are the best of friends.” Ashlynn concedes, slapping his outstretched hand.
“Um, excuse me, bitch. I’m right here,” Auntie Bri says in mock outrage.
“Don’t worry. No one knows I’m lying to him.” Ashlynn stage whispers, and I catch her to look at Duck and give him a wink. Knowing her, she’s going to be messaging him every day for the rest of her life now.
I take in everyone. Whitley has his arm around the back of Knuckles’ chair. Auntie Bri is leaning into Uncle JJ. They’re both laughing at the banter between Ashlynn and Duck while Willie shakes his head at his wife’s antics. It’s obvious he’s accepted her new best friend.
On any other visit, dinner would have been closed to only family, but this is a celebration for the club. All the brothers and significant others are welcome. Not that there were any other than Mama Judy who would have tagged along.
“Speaking of significant others,” I say out loud, earning myself a few strange looks. Dumbass, no one was talking about that. “When are we going to meet this mystery person you’ve been seeing, Duck? You’ve been getting it steady. I think it’s time you bring them around.”
“Aha, like I would be crazy enough to bring anyone around this motley crew. Knowing my luck, you all would scare him away.” Duck snorts.
“I would never do such a thing,” Dad feigns offense as he looks over at Duck.
“Prez, you beat the shit out of Mimic more than once for dating your daughter. While that last time might have been warranted, I don’t want to subject him to this. He is still new and shiny. I’m not going to put him through whatever this initiation is around here,” Duck explains.
There is a look of confusion on a few people’s faces. Does he think they beat the significant others who join this family? Even for Duck, that’s a bit odd.
“Uhm, we don’t beat up the potential Ol’ Ladies and Ol’ Men in this MC,” Dad tells him slowly, trying to test if that’s what he meant.
“You literally strapped Mimic to the ring!” Duck slams his hands on the table as he stands up, making his chair fall backward. “Excuse me if I don’t fucking believe you!”
Before anyone can say anything, Duck turns and leaves the room. Holy hell, what did I just start? I’m looking around at everyone, and I’m not the only one in a state of shock.
“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“—No, it’s okay, Roxanne. I’ll go talk to him. He’s our goofy guy, but he’s passionate. I’ll bring him back.”
We all continue to talk and eat. While everyone’s moved on, I can’t help but feel guilty about causing Duck to become upset. But about twenty minutes later, Duck comes back all smiles, and whatever I was feeling is gone. The tension stayed for a short while as we navigated Duck and his very unlike him outbursts, but soon, he and Ashlynn were making it awkward for a whole mess of other reasons. Mainly when Duck asked about meatloaf. I was curious about it as a child and Willie and Ashlynn’s love of the comfort food. Now that I know the truth, I don’t think I will ever look at it the same way again.
“I want you to promise me something,” Max tells me as we drive home later that night.
“Anything,” I say, reaching across the cab and caressing his hair as he drives. I personally would have loved to be on the back of his bike tonight for a night like this, but he’s still worried about my injuries and insisted on the truck.
“Well, two things really. One, please never cook meatloaf again.” Max looks almost green with the request, and I can’t help the giggle that bursts from my lips as I promise. “And two, promise you will always look at me the same way your mom looks at your dad.” The softness and quake in his voice catches me off guard. My hand drops from his head so I can turn and watch his profile as he doesn’t break eye contact with the road.
“I promise to always look at you like you are my hero and my world. I can promise to love you like my mom loves my dad,” My heart is pounding in my chest with love for this man.
“I never had parents that were in love growing up. I didn’t think it was a thing until I came here. Seeing your parents together, seeing you and your siblings, and how much love is around here. How much respect there is in this family for those born and brought into it. I didn’t realize how much I wanted that. How much I needed that.” He clears his throat before looking at me momentarily and then cutting his gaze back to the road. “How quickly your mom accepted me, how my love for you was never in question. That is the one thing they never questioned about us being together. I have never had that blind faith put into me. From you or them.”
“Max, because you respected everything about me and my goals. You didn’t push Dad any more than was needed, and you made him see the light—for the love and betterment of mine and his relationship. Everything you did, every move you made, was out of love for me and this family. You respected and loved us, so we showed you the same back.” Emotions well up in my throat, making it hard to swallow as I speak. “Max Marsden, you are one of a kind. You are true to yourself no matter how many people you pretend to be. I love you, and I will love you until my last breath.” I reach over and take his hand in mine. “Now, please, pull the damn truck over so I can kiss you with all my soul.”
He doesn’t need to be told twice. He roughly pulls the truck over on the shoulder, ripping his seat belt off as fast as I do mine. In the blink of an eye, he’s pulling me into his lap. Our lips crash together with bruising force. This man makes me love him more every day. The honesty he has found in his heart brings me even closer.
I don’t know how long we sit here, but when he finally slows the kiss and looks deep into my eyes, I see everything I want in my future with him. I see the love and support of the perfect partner for me.
“If I could, if it were possible, I would love to marry you. Give you my last name. It’s all that I have to give besides my heart,” Max tells me as he pushes my mussed hair behind my ears.
“As far as I am concerned, you are my husband. As well as my present and my future. The rest is semantics, which we can figure out later. But it’s not that hard to legally change my name,” I wink at him. “I love you, Max Marsden. I would be honored to be your wife. In this life and the next.”