Chapter Fifteen
Chef
Idon’t know how the fuck we did it, but we did. We managed to ride out without having two DRMC chapters follow us and that in itself is a damned miracle. Mainly because everyone is so fucking nosy.
Sage tightens her arms around me a little, snuggling in deeper as the Louisiana air wraps its warm arms around us. It’s not nearly as fucking sweaty in the evening, so it’s perfect riding weather.
“Did you tell Dex we’re riding?” Sage asks over my shoulder.
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply, giving her calf a gentle squeeze.
I may not want all my brothers tagging along on mine and Sage’s first ride as husband and wife, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll head out without letting Prez know.
“Don’t call me ma’am. That’s what people call my mom.
Ugh.” She shudders against me and for some reason that little movement makes my cock spring to life.
Again. It damn near took us an hour to get out of the shower cos we were too busy fooling around.
It’s like as soon as I tied Sage to me all the doubts just melted away.
Yeah I may not deserve her, but I’ll fucking work hard to keep her.
“I cannot imagine Blanche taking that well.”
“She just hits them with a ‘oh, bless your heart’ and a stink eye.” A laugh bursts out of me because everyone knows a “bless your heart” from Blanche is the same thing as a blatant death threat.
Sage twists in her seat a little before turning back and squeezing tighter. I place my hand over hers, marvelling at how fucking right this feels. The wind against my face, Sage at my back, and the road rolling beneath us.
Sage fidgets again, this time taking longer to settle against me. “You alright, babe?” I ask over my shoulder, down shifting my gears ready to pull over.
“Don’t,” Sage says, the tone of her voice making me stiffen, “I need you to move faster, Takoda.”
“Babe?”
“Just, go.” The tone of Sage’s voice has me kicking the bike up a gear, going full throttle down the long, straight road we’re on.
Sage’s fists tighten around my waist as my bike flies down the road, but then she’s at it again, wriggling behind me.
Twisting slightly I check over my shoulder, and my gaze hits on the reason why Sage has us hurtling down the road.
There’s a blacked out SUV following behind.
I clocked it a few blocks back, but that was when there were a few more vehicles on the road, and it was travelling the speed limit.
Out here? It’s keeping up with us and I just know it’ll be that fucker who wants Sage.
“Keep her steady, I got this,” Sage says through gritted teeth. She shouldn’t have to. She’s my woman, mine to keep safe.
“Sage -”
Keeping one arm wrapped around my waist, her hand gripping the front of my cut, the other slips between us and her hand wraps around the grip of my Glock.
“I got this.” Sage’s breath ghosts the back of my neck before her lips press the exposed skin.
Taking a deep breath I hunker down, holding the bike steady as we hurtle down the road.
There’s an abandoned farm just up ahead, if I can make it there I can hide Sage and draw these fuckers away.
But I’ll need backup. And I don’t have my fucking helmet on because this was meant to be a lazy fucking evening ride with my woman.
“I’ve called the club. They’re on their way.”
I twist abruptly, causing the bike at this speed to sway a little so I have to calm the fuck down and steady her before I grit out, “How the fuck did you call them? Safety, Sage!”
“I used my watch Chef and it’s not really safety when I’m hanging on with one hand trying to get a shot off at these guys, is it?” she sasses, and I really want to spank her ass but now is not the time to pop a chubby. Or argue with a woman with a gun.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “There’s a farm up ahead, the drive hooks to the right. Do whatever you need but I need you holding tight in about 60 seconds.”
“Got it.”
As soon as the words leave her mouth popping fills the air and Sage’s body flinches against mine.
I know she’s fine, and it’s my gun making that sound, but it still causes my heart to jump into my throat.
I don’t like that she’s in the firing line, but there’s nothing I can do about this until we’re somewhere safer.
“Fuck yeah!” Sage squeals and I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know that her shots have landed. The sound of metal screeching and a bang lets me know that whoever was following us is now in a ditch somewhere.
Slowly I speed right down, I hit a u-turn, turning back the way we came. I need to neutralise the threat and I need Sage back home safe.
“What are you doing?” Sage asks, her hands wrapped around me, her front plastered to my back.
“Gotta take care of this. Can’t have them out here calling in numbers,” I murmur.
Pulling to a stop a safe distance from the SUV, I kick down the stand, then lift Sage in my arms, pulling her tight.
I maneuver our bodies until she’s sitting in front of me, her ass on the gas tank.
Gipping her dark hair in my fist I pull her to me, my teeth clashing with hers as I kiss her, hard before pulling back.
No time for softness, not when a job needs to be done.
“You remember how to ride her?”
Sage’s brows pull in, her gaze searching mine. “Takoda -”
“You remember?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Good. I need you to head home, back the way we came. The club is coming but I need you out of here, you hear me?”
“Babe-”
“No, Sage. I’ll worry if you’re here. I need to shut this down, maybe get some information. Please, I’ve only just got you, I can’t have anything happen to you,” I plead.
She looks like she’s going to argue. I can tell she’s pissed but she doesn't say a word. She swallows it down and jerks her chin.
“OK, thank you baby.”
I throw my leg over my bike, lift Sage once more in my arms and place her back on the seat, gently taking each hand and wrapping it around my handles. My palm drifts down her back to where she’s tucked my weapon, just above that heart shaped ass of hers, and I slide it out.
“I fired twice. You have sixteen left. Make it count.” With that Sage cracks the throttle and takes off the way we came, looking like a fucking valkyrie.
I watch her, almost breathless at the strength in her, then a groan to my left reminds me why I’m here. Nothing touches my fucking ol lady. Nothing.
Light catches my eye over my shoulder, my head snapping around. Headlights flash through the trees. It's too dark for me to make out who they belong to, but they're definitely too close for comfort.
Fuck.
Sage
“Fucking Chef stupid fucking stubborn douche canoe. Like what the actual fuck, dude? Such a stupid, manly asshole thing to do, staying behind, sacrificing himself because I’m just a widdle, helpless woman.
I should turn this bike around and shoot his ass.
” I mutter to myself as I ride his baby girl a little rougher than he would like.
You know what? That’s on his ass, sending me to rally the troops.
Speaking of, by the sound of their pipes rumbling through the evening air, it looks like they’re on their way.
Turning a gentle bend I’m met with a wall of my people, all of them looking varying levels of pissed.
Dex pulls over first, The Keep following his lead, Marx and the Originals pulling in behind.
I slow down and park in front of my Prez.
Dex’s eyes roam over me, assessing. “I’m good. Whoever they are had no weapons aimed at us.”
“But?” Dex asks, raising a brow.
“But they were gaining on us, fucking fast.”
Dex’s lips twitch and I notice a few of the Originals all ducking their faces, hiding their smiles. Even though they’re my family, my uncles, I never really cursed around them. To them I’m still a kid, I guess.
“Fucking fast, you say?” Sniper echoes, his stoic face not hiding the laughter in his eyes.
A little huff escapes me, because after what Chef pulled I’m not in the mood for men. “They were gaining on us, fucking fast, so I used Chef’s gun to neutralize the problem.”
“That’s my girl,” Tav beams, getting off his bike, rushing forward and wrapping me up in his arms.
I squeeze him back, thankful that my mom let him in. Not only does Tav complete my mom in a way I could never imagine, but he’s the father figure all us kids dreamed of. Fair, fun, loves us to bits, and just a little bit crazy.
“Niko!” Tav yells over his shoulder, “Take your sister back to the Keep.” Niko tips his chin at Tav, revving his engine a little.
“Sage, follow your brother. The Ol Ladies are getting the accommodation sorted, you could probably help them.” Tav winks at me and I can’t help the way my lips twist at the thought of the accommodation my mom and aunts are preparing.
"Sage," Dex calls out my name, gaining my attention, "did you see anything or anyone else along the road?"
I think back. I don't remember seeing anyone else, but I was focused on the SUV behind us. "Um, Takoda was trying to get to a farmhouse on the road somewhere?"
"OK, we'll take a look." Dex nods once, then signals to TumTum.
“Road’s open!” TumTum calls out all professional and stuff.
“I’ll never get used to him being Road Cap,” Niko says and I pull up next to him, waiting for the DRMC to roll out before we ride the road back home.
I huff to myself, I never thought coming here that I would call The Keep “home” but that's what it is. I have family, friends, and Takoda here. How long that lasts remains to be seen. After the shit he pulled tonight I’m not sure whether I want to kiss him or throttle him.
I guess I’ll figure that out when he gets home.
I’ll either want to kiss him senseless or hit him in the balls.
“Yo, you good?” Niko asks as we slow and pull into the Keep.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” We pull to a stop and my brother sits there, eying me. “I wasn’t scared, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“What were you then?”
“Pissed. How dare they follow me on my wedding day. How dare they even be in my life right now, like what the fuck, dude? Then Chef, Takoda, whatever, then he sends me away because he can’t concentrate on what he’s doing because he’ll worry about me, well, what about me?
What about my worry? What if something happens to him, Niko! What if-”
My words are cut off as my brother launches himself from his pretty bike and wraps me in his arms, dragging me from Chef’s ride. “He’s a tough motherfucker, Sage. He’s got this. And I got you.”
“We all got you.” Flack says from just inside the doorway, Elio standing beside him.
I give my little brother a tight smile, not wanting to worry him.
He doesn’t like to see people upset. He stares at me for a long while, before his little shoulders rise and fall, and he steps forward, wrapping my hand in his smaller, somewhat sticky one.
He doesn't say a word, just pulls me toward the gator rescue barn. I fall in step beside him, Niko bringing up the rear. Looking over my shoulder, I can’t find Flack.
“Flack’s watching the kids. With Miss Nancy.” Niko gives me a smirk and for some reason that image of Flack with Nancy helps my adrenaline to calm, just a little.
Elio waves at Niko to pull open the heavy barn door, my jaw dropping at what’s waiting inside.
“Holy fucking shitballs.”
Loyal
“Right, so we need a place with easy clean up, sterile and soundproofed walls, that's what you’re saying?” I ask, looking around at the Girl Gang.
“Exactly! The Keep is it’s own place with it’s own rules -”
“And it’s own badass bitches.” Vi adds, cutting off Lovely.
“Yes, that. You need to find your own ways of supporting your men and your club. For us it’s -”
“Maiming, torturing, bleeding, all the sort of stuff that gets people talking.” Chewy says, waggling her brows. It’s somewhat terrifying, but I’ve seen her at work and I know it’s effective. Whether or not it’s something I can do is a different story.
“Ah, what if we’re not quite at that level?” Joe asks, fingering her necklace, eyeing Chewy’s plans.
“You’ll get there. Just give it time.” Mira winks encouragingly.
Joe and I share a glance, because I don’t know if we’ll get there. Making that Hitchens guy lose his mind before the club got rid of him is about the extent of our torture powers. The roller door behind me sounds out and we all turn at Sage’s exclamation of “Holy fucking shitballs.”
“What the hell happened here?” Sage asks, eyes round as saucers.
“The girl gang.” Joe answers with a flourish at the wall now covered in all sorts of weapons. Like a murdery shadowboard.
“It’s your wedding present,” Kaia grins.
“It was my idea, but everyone chipped in,” Chewy answers, looking proud of herself.
I mean, it’s kinda beautiful. In a disturbing way.
“And the uncles are happy with this?” Sage asks, looking around Vex, Saint and Omen’s gator hospital.
“Welllll-”
“They’ll love it,” Blanche says with a nod.
A snort flies out of me because I know that Vex may not love it but I’ll be there to soothe his moods. It doesn't take much to make my man happy. All I gotta do is ask Aunt Joe to babysit.
“Hey, show her the best part!” Pops yells and I brace myself for Sage’s reaction.
Mira, Kaia, Jazz and Joy all disappear into the little office, and with a little grunting and giggling they wheel out the St Andrew’s cross, with Pops attached to the front.
My jaw drops open, because even though I learned all about St Andrew’s crosses about half an hour ago, seeing Pops trussed up in his underwear is something else.
“Ho. Ly. Shit. Balls,” Sage whispers, her eyes huge as her mouth opens and closes.
“Taadaaa! Happy wedding day, kiddo.” Pops’ grin turns to a frown. “Where are the guys with our special guests?”
Sage looks up at Niko whose mouth has been hanging open since Pops entered the room. When he doesn't say anything Sage jabs him roughly in the ribs with her elbow.
“Ow! Fuck, Sage!”
“Pops asked you a question, dick bag.”
“Oh, ah, the guys should be here soon. I mean, how long does it take to get rid of an SUV full of God botherers?”
“Longer than you think. I had to get rid of a pedo pastor once. He was very sinewy. Messed up my wood chipper.” We all turn to stare at Chewy who has a faraway look on her face as she rubs her belly.
“Well, on that note,” Pops breaks the silence, “who wants to check out this mole on the inside of my thigh?”