Chapter Ten
Rebel
I ’M ABSOLUTELY DREADING today and all it entails. Today is the day I say goodbye to my grandma for the final time. We’re burying her in a cemetery close by and I’m not ready for it. It’s only been three days since I met with Mr. Jacobson and went over everything in Grandma’s will and shocked the hell out of me. I had no clue she had as much money as she did and that she planned to leave everything to me. Grandma might not have had any more relatives, but she sure as fuck loved her charities. I didn’t know she was on the board of several of them. My grandma was full of secrets it seems and I’m only going to learn more about them as I go through the house and start to pack everything of hers away. That’s not a task I’m looking forward to if I’m being honest. Cash and Eagle have already told me they’ll be at my side and will help me. Even if it’s just them carrying boxes or bags from the house out to one of the trucks to be donated for others to use.
“Doll, can I come in?” Cash questions me through his bathroom door.
The three of us haven’t left the clubhouse in the last three days. Honestly, we haven’t left Cash’s room unless it was to get something to eat or drink. We’ve stayed in bed for the most part and the guys have been trying to distract me. Cash has been on the phone with Hawk as he sits at his desk to work on figuring out my money situation. The two of them are single-minded when it comes to helping me out with this. I’ve never seen Cash be so completely serious as he has been lately. Eagle has been lighter than normal. It’s like they’ve switched roles for some reason and I kind of like it if I’m being honest.
“Of course,” I answer him as the door opens and Cash steps in and up behind me in front of the mirror.
“Are you okay, Doll?” he questions me, his voice soft as he leans down and presses his lips to the top of my head.
“No, I’m not,” I respond, my voice breaking already as tears form in my eyes and I try to blink them back so they don’t fall. I’m so sick of crying and feeling my heart break for the millionth time.
“That’s okay, Rebel. We’ve got you and aren’t goin’ anywhere. You lean on Eagle and me and we’ll handle everythin’,” he promises me as I look at our differences in the mirror. “I need to talk to you and Eagle about somethin’.”
“Okay. What’s goin’ on?” I ask him as he leads me into the bedroom where my dress is waiting for me to put it on.
I’m currently standing in nothing more than a black lace bra and matching thong. My hair is curled and left to hang loose down my back and I’ve got absolutely no make-up on. There’s no point in wearing any when it’s just going to be washed off with my tears. Today I know I won’t be able to stop them from falling. This is my final goodbye to such an amazing woman and I know this has to happen. Just like I knew it had to happen when we did this with my parents. Though we didn’t have a funeral at the cemetery or anything like that. We still had a celebration of their life.
“You look sexy as fuck, Sweet Girl. Though, I’m not sure this is what you should be wearin’ to your grandma’s funeral,” Eagle says, a lightness to his tone I’ve never heard before.
“I’m not planning on wearing this. My dress is on the end of the bed,” I answer him as Cash stands in front of me and Eagle comes up behind me. They’re always sandwiching me in between the two of them.
“Personally, I like this look,” Cash says, running his fingers down my chest causing goosebumps to break out on my skin. “Maybe you can show this off when we get back and you need us to take your mind off shit.”
“We’ll see. What did you need to talk to us about?” I question him as he stands in front of us.
“I know we’re all still learnin’ about your ex, Chad. This is the last thing I want to bring up, but why do you think he’s comin’ at you now after leavin’ you alone for so long?” Cash questions me as Eagle hands me the dress and helps me slide it over my head before pulling my hair out of the material covering my body.
“I honestly don’t have a clue. Other than the fact that he sees me as a piece of property and nothing more than that. I didn’t see the signs before now. If I look at everything objectively, I can see that’s all I was to him and I don’t like it. I left him when I caught him cheating on me and that’s why Pound found him beating the fuck out of me that day and brought me back here,” I answer him, letting the negative thoughts regarding Chad fill my mind on the last day that’s what I need to be thinking about.
“What if it truly has nothin’ to do with that, Doll?” Cash asks me, his voice soft as he steps up to me and rests a hand on my hip. “What if he’s gotten word of the money you have access to? Millions of dollars is more than enough to bring anyone with horrible intentions out of the shadows and circulatin’ your world because they want to take advantage of you.”
I let Cash’s words sink in my mind and think about them for a while. When it comes to Chad, I really wouldn’t put it past him to figure out how much money I’m truly worth and come back to get his hands on it. Honestly, I thought it was just my grandma and me at the will reading of my parents. It’s possible he was there with us though considering I really wasn’t in my right mind and have no clue if I was truly alone with my grandma in the room.
“It’s possible. It would make sense if that’s what’s going on right now. I just don’t know how he would know about the money. I’m pretty sure when my parents died, it was just my grandma in the office with me. And I know it was just the two of you in Mr. Jacobson’s office with me. However, it doesn’t mean Chad didn’t figure everything out somehow. I mean, we don’t know if he’s managed to get into the house I lived in or if the nurse was going through things when I wasn’t at the house and she was ignoring my grandma. We truly can’t figure out anything unless we talk to Chad and figure out what’s really going on,” I say, my voice as strong as I can make it right now as we figure out what the hell is going on with my ex.
“Not fuckin’ happenin’, Sweet Girl. You will not put yourself in any kind of danger just because you want to figure out what’s goin’ on with that vile piece of shit who can’t seem to pull his head out of his ass and simply leave you the fuck alone,” Eagle states, his voice hard and cold as he looks at me and I can see the fear and rage in his eyes at my unspoken words.
“But . . .,” I begin before Cash stops me from talking and looks down at me.
“No, Doll. You’re our woman and it’s our job to protect you and not let you put yourself in harm’s way simply because you want to find out what an ex is doin’ and why he’s comin’ after you right now,” Cash says, his fingers digging into my hip through my dress as it bunches under his touch and my body alights with fire.
“This is my mess, guys. You don’t understand that. I don’t want to touch a dime of the money I’ve inherited from my parents or grandma. That’s why I want it invested and kept in one account to collect interest. The only good thing I can do is use a portion of it for charity because at the end of the day, that’s what my family would want me to do. To continue their legacy and help those in need. It’s only a small portion of what I’ve been given when you truly think about it. Chad has no right to that money because we never got married. Instead of wanting that money and everything I could do with it, I’d rather have my parents and grandma back with me.
“I want one more hug, a kiss, for them to witness me get married and have my first child. Things that I will never get again because they’re gone. They’ve been taken from me. If I weren’t here with you and the club, I’d be completely alone in this world. What the fuck am I supposed to do when Chad won’t stop until he gets his hands on me? You don’t know who he is and the lengths he’s willing to go to get what he wants. I do. I spent years with him and know he’s a piece of shit who only truly loves himself,” I tell them as tears fall from my eyes and I try to hide the pain from the knowledge that I invited that monster into my life and now I have to face the consequences of those actions.
“Sweet Girl, no. You were young and he fuckin’ played you because that’s the kind of asshole he is. At the end of the day, you’re the one who left him and he’s about to figure out exactly who you have at your back because we’re not gonna let you fight this shit alone. I’m ready to claim you as my ol’ lady right this fuckin’ second, Rebel. Are you ready for that because I know Cash is just as ready as I am?” Eagle asks me and I smile for the first time because I’ve been ready for these men to claim me as their ol’ lady.
Yes, it’s scary as fuck and something I told myself I never truly wanted. I understand what it means to be claimed as an ol’ lady and the significance it means for the club. Pound talked to me about it when he first brought me to the clubhouse and I thought it was archaic and bullshit. However, as I started to witness the members claim their ol’ ladies, I saw it for what it truly is—the truest commitment and form of loyalty between a couple who are deeply in love and want the world to see it. The men and women who are in these relationships know it’s so much different from simply getting married. Married couples get divorced every single day and that’s the end of the relationship. When a man in this club claims an ol’ lady, it’s for life. There is no getting divorced when things get hard or when you have some bad days in your relationship.
Right now, standing surrounding me with their protection and love, are two men I have come to love in such a short time. They consume me and that’s what scares me more than anything else in this world.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I’m ready for you to claim me.”
There are no words shared between the three of us. Cash leans down and presses his lips to mine. He slides his tongue along the seam of my lips and I open for him immediately. Our kiss is deep and full of passion as my body presses against his while Eagle presses his body into mine and rests his hands on my shoulders. When Cash breaks the kiss, I don’t have a chance to catch my breath as Eagle turns me to face him and doesn’t hesitate to kiss me deeply. His kiss is slow and soft compared to the hard, rough kiss I just shared with Cash. Two different men who make my heart whole and my soul feel complete.
S itting in front of my grandma’s coffin in the cemetery has hammered home the reality of the fact that she’s no longer here with me. I’ll never hear her words of wisdom or laugh again. She’ll never hold me close when I need her the most and give me space if that’s what I need. I’ll never taste her amazing food or anything else for the rest of my life. At the end of the day, I have no family left with me. Cash and Eagle are my family now, but they aren’t blood. As far as blood relatives, I’m alone in the world and will have to depend on the two men who have captured my heart. For the first time since Chad, I’m putting my heart on the line and trusting someone else with it. It’s fucking scary as hell!
Everyone from the club is here to show their love for Grandma. The men are all dressed in their standard jeans while they wear black button-down shirts under their cuts. All the women are wearing black dresses with their rags covering them on top. Everyone else is dressed in their normal Sunday best. The women are all sitting in chairs under a canopy while the men stand around protectively. Even the men who do not belong to the club have taken up protective stances around the area where my grandma will be buried. A cascade of flowers cover the top of the coffin and have been placed around her final resting place. My grandma loved all kinds of flowers and would be so happy with the display that’s been delivered for her today. A small smile fills my face as I think of her and how she’d feel right now. Of the words she’d say to me and how she’d hold me close as I cried silently so as not to interrupt everyone else as they mourn.
“Sweet Girl, it’s time,” Eagle says, leaning down from his spot behind me as I startle out of my head and look up at him. “Are you ready to give the eulogy?”
“Not at all,” I say, standing from my seat on wobbling legs as I make my way up to where the minister is standing waiting for me.
“Thank you all for coming here today. My grandma would be so excited to see you all and know you’re here for her,” I begin looking out at the sea of various people my grandma has met and kept in her life over the years. “She wasn’t an egotistical woman and she sure as hell didn’t ever make someone feel less than her because she was better off than them. She would include everyone because she truly believed in equality among her peers and valued giving back to those around her.
“I started living with my grandma when I was five years old. My parents traveled for work and didn’t want me growing up being homeschooled or only seeing tutors. They wanted me to have a normal life and knew my grandma could give me that. It didn’t take us long at all to get in a routine and come to love one another more than we had previously. My grandma became my entire world and we spent all of our time together. She was there for every single event that’s taken place in my life up to this point. However, she won’t be able to take part in the most important parts of my life moving forward.”
Pausing as sobs fill me, I look out over everyone here until my eyes land on the one person I’d hoped to never see again. Chad is here. He’s standing far from everyone else as I whimper and my eyes dart to where Cash and Eagle are standing. They rush to my side as I look back at Chad and find him smirking at me.
“Get him!” I yell out, startling everyone here. “Chad is behind you all!”
Cash and Eagle grab me and hold me between them while rushing me to the closest SUV from the clubhouse. The men of the club race toward where Chad was standing as I’m locked in between my men while Crow jumps in the driver’s seat and races from the cemetery. I don’t want to leave here right now, but the guys are worried about my safety and don’t want me anywhere near where Chad is. I can’t blame them, but it’s time for me to take a stance. Maybe not right this second considering I can’t see with the tears blurring my vision as my entire body shakes and is freezing cold as I feel a panic attack take hold of me and sink it’s talons deep into my soul. This is a day I should be celebrating my grandma. Instead, I’m being rushed away from her final resting place and back to the clubhouse where a few Prospects have been putting the final touches on the wake that will be held in her honor.
“I’m sorry, Doll. None of us truly believed he’d show up at your grandma’s funeral. It’s the first time we’ve underestimated him and we won’t make that mistake again. What do you want to do when we get back to the clubhouse?” Cash asks me, his voice muffled as I try to slow my breathing and heart down to normal.
“I want to go to your room and just be with the two of you for a while. This really threw me off and I can’t be around everyone right now,” I answer him honestly as Eagle laces our fingers together and presses a kiss to the back of my neck.
Crow doesn’t say a word as he races through the streets and doesn’t stop until we’re behind the gates of the compound. Eagle helps me out of the SUV and leads me inside. We don’t pause as they lead me upstairs into Cash’s room and close the door behind us. I hear the click of the lock engaging and know these men will give me what I want and need in this moment. In fact, I’m counting on it.