Chapter Twenty-Three
King
brYNN’S FAMILY ARE still in town.
They’re staying at the clubhouse with us while the rest of the club went back to Brighton Hills.
None of them are ready to leave her yet and I can’t blame them.
My dad, mom, sisters, uncle, aunt, and cousin have also remained in Pine View.
Last night we all had dinner in the city together so we could get away from the clubhouse and we could spend time with our family as we get to know one another.
It was relaxed and fun as our parents shared stories about us growing up.
I never once saw the teasing from Zoey and Maddox Brynn told me about before.
If anything, both of them go out of their way to help her and make sure she’s okay.
Between her going off when she went home after learning about the bet and then being taken by Jerome, they’ve realized how precious life is and how much damage words can do to a person.
Even if they’re trying to have fun and tease someone.
Brynn took those words to heart and it ruined the relationship between the siblings as they were growing up.
She had no trust in them and kept the fact she was being bullied to herself.
Our dinner was two days ago.
Since then I’ve been spending time with the men of our families while Brynn has been spending time with the women.
At night for dinner, we’re all together with everyone else here at the clubhouse.
Yesterday we all went out and bought furniture for our home that will be delivered in the next few days.
Blood and Scathe also bought Brynn an entire new wardrobe, everything she needs to work, and a new cell phone.
I tried to pay for things and they told me to put my card away.
Not only did they buy my girl everything she needed but they bought us a million things for the house to make it a home.
Including a photo shoot when Brynn gets farther along in her pregnancy.
Alana, Cage and Joker’s daughter, went to school for photography and has been posting all over social media about the work she’s been doing.
Skylar is also posting her daughter’s work and sharing her accomplishments with the world.
I’m glad she’s the one Tonya ended up reaching out to because she’s familiar and I know she’ll do an amazing job for us.
Plus, it gives her a reason to come to Pine View to see us all.
It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen her.
I’ve started physical therapy again.
For the first time my family got to see how bad I am when I get back from a session.
Blood and Scathe took me and watched me work before helping me up to our room and staying with me.
I was so angry that day because I didn’t want to appear weak in front of them.
Blood is the one who pulled me out of my head.
“Why are you so angry, Kingston?”
Blood asks me as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and ignoring him and his son.
“I hate anyone seein’ me this fuckin’ weak.
If somethin’ were to happen to Brynn right now, I wouldn’t be able to do a fuckin’ thing to help her,”
I grind out, keeping my eyes on the ceiling instead of looking at the men in the room with me.
“You’re not weak, King.
You’ve been through a crash that almost took your fuckin’ life.
You pushed all the pain down when you were searchin’ for my granddaughter and not a single fuckin’ person saw you limp or weak.
I know you were exhausted and hurt every fuckin’ second we were walkin’ or doin’ anythin’.
Still, you didn’t let it show as you carried Brynn and held her in your arms because that’s what she needed.
Now, you need help and everyone in this clubhouse is willin’ to be there to help you.
Yet, you only let Brynn, Hope, and Jinx see you this way.
You’re the only one who sees this as you bein’ weak.
The rest of us see this as a testament to how strong you truly are.
You fight every fuckin’ day and have surpassed what any of the doctors saw happenin’ after that crash.
I heard that straight from your mom,”
Blood says, making me look over at him as he mentions the doctor’s horrible prognosis about me when the crash first happened and then when I went to rehab once I was discharged.
“You might not be able to walk today, but I have a feelin’ you’ll be out of this bed tomorrow and doin’ whatever you gotta do for Brynn and every other member of this club.
You haven’t even taken your pain medicine this time.
Hope made sure we knew where it was when we brought you up here,”
Scathe adds as he stands next to his dad.
“Seems pretty fuckin’ strong and determined to me.
You don’t want my daughter lost in her head about what she just went through.
You’re not allowed to get lost in your head and believe this negative bullshit about yourself.”
“I wish I had never started racin’ bikes when I was younger,”
I growl, leaning back against the pillows even more.
“We’ve watched every single race you’ve ever been in, Kingston.
You were the best we’ve ever seen.
You followed your heart and did somethin’ you love to do.
If you hadn’t started racin’, who’s to say you wouldn’t have crashed when you were out on a ride with the club? Or if you had a girl on the back of your bike? How would you feel then?”
Blood asks me, making me think about those possibilities.
“Your dad told us about you bein’ afraid to ride again and that Killer and him helped you through it.
Now you have all of us to help you through this shit too.
We’re not gonna let you lose yourself in your head, King.
Brynn deserves better than that shit.”
“You’re right.
I’ll do better.
I’m gonna take a nap and then call for someone to help me down to the common room for dinner,”
I tell them as I let my eyes slide closed without taking a pain pill or anything for muscle spasms.
For the first time since starting physical therapy, I’m not confined to my bed for days.
After a nap and a few hours resting, I can get out of bed.
I have to rely heavily on my cane for the first two days, but it’s definitely progress.
Brynn is the happiest for me out of the three I ever allowed to see me when I was at my lowest.
The first time I walked into the common room with my dad and hers at my side to ensure my legs didn’t give out on me, she jumped out of her seat and rushed to my side.
Just before getting to me, she stopped and carefully walked up to me before wrapping her arms around my torso and held me tight with happy tears sliding down her face as she looked up at me.
Today, I had to leave her in bed, wrapped up in our blankets and sleeping peacefully.
Thankfully, her nightmares have almost disappeared completely.
With the threat of Jerome gone completely, she knows there’s nothing more to fear.
Now, she has nothing but sweet dreams of our future.
After showering and getting dressed for the day, I went to the common room to grab a quick breakfast and cup of coffee while waiting for Valor to come get me.
I’m going out on a job with him today for a new client.
Blood and Scathe are already up, sitting at a table and talking quietly about something.
Not wanting to disturb them, I took a seat at a different table and left them to their discussion.
T he job today was a complete installation that was more complicated than anything we’ve done up to this point at P.B.
Security.
Our new client is a reclusive millionaire who not only values his privacy but has had someone messing with his property and trying to break into his mansion.
Valor and I installed so many cameras around his place and inside the mansion that we had a van filled to capacity with all the equipment we’d need.
It was insane and I’m glad it’s done now.
Walking into the clubhouse, I find the common room packed with everyone eating dinner.
Yes, it took all day long to complete the job.
Brynn is sitting at a table with my parents, her mom, grandma, sister, and cousin.
Hope is sitting at the next table with Jinx and her parents.
Blood, Scathe, Ace, and Maddox are at the bar and I change direction so I’m heading for them instead of my girl.
“You’ve been gone all day,”
Blood says when he sees me walking up to them.
“Big job?”
“Yeah.
Bigger than anythin’ we’ve done so far,”
I answer, accepting the beer Kian hands to me.
“Need to talk to you guys about somethin’.”
“Here or somewhere private?”
Scathe asks me, concern filling his voice.
“We can go in the kitchen.
It looks as if everyone is already eatin’ and if anyone’s in there they can leave,”
I tell them, taking my beer and heading for the room.
A few of the Phantom girls are hanging out, eating dinner when we walk in.
Without me having to say a word, they all grab their plates and leave the kitchen.
We all sit around a table and I take a few minutes to gather my thoughts before looking at each man surrounding me.
“I know I’ve said it before, but now I have to talk to you all seriously.
You are the men who have loved my girl her entire life.
She loves you, looks up to you, and respects all of you no matter what’s goin’ on between you.
Brynn would not only want me to do this, but she needs me to do this.
So, I’m gonna give her what she needs and wants because she deserves nothin’ less than that from me,”
I begin looking around the table to see understanding flashing in the men’s eyes along with respect.
“I’m gonna lay everythin’ on the line here and hope you all understand my truth and know how much I truly love Brynn.
“When I first met her, I had gone to Turn the Page because I lost a bet.
The stipulation was I had to go find a book girl and take her on a date.
It only had to be one, but that was what I had to do.
So, I went to the store and walked through the first floor seein’ older women and girls who I could tell wouldn’t leave things at one date.
That’s when I made my way to the second floor.
Immediately I saw Brynn sittin’ in her own world as she read a book with the most serene smile on her face I’d ever seen in my life.
She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen before.
Takin’ a chance, I sat down with her and tried to ask her on a date.
She turned me down flat.
No hesitation.
That’s when I started to fall in love with her and knew I’d do whatever it took to get her to agree to a date.
“I finally managed to get her to agree to go out with me and I had the best time.
We got dinner from the diner and then I took her to a lookout point I found and spend a lot of time at.
Our night was spent talkin’, laughin’, watchin’ the stars, and dancin’ to slow songs.
Every piece of information I learned about her only made me want her more.
I fucked up and didn’t contact her for a while because of the bullshit with physical therapy.
It was so much worse than what you’ve seen.
I had no choice but to take pain medicine and it knocks me out.
I almost fucked everythin’ up with her right then.
Instead, she overheard a conversation between my cousin and Savannah when they were at the bookstore.
That’s when she went back to Brighton Hills.
I was out of my mind not seein’ her.
That’s also when I found out she rode a sport bike. I had seen her out one night but she lost me in minutes.
“Once she came back here, I saw her bike in the parkin’ lot of the store and made Jinx pull in.
I was just at a therapy session and could hardly move on my own.
Still, I walked up to the second floor with my cane and sat down to talk to her.
The bet was never a factor when it came to Brynn.
I was plannin’ on tellin’ her about it so we didn’t have any secrets between us, but the girls beat me to it inadvertently.
She came back here with Jinx and me and didn’t leave even when I was passed out from the pain medicine.
That’s when I knew without a doubt she was the girl for me.
“Her rag just came in and is sittin’ in Vault’s office.
Today, I ask you all for your blessin’ to not only make her my ol’ lady but to ask her to be my wife.
I want to spend the rest of my days with Brynn and build a family of our own.
She’s the other half of my soul and the light that brightens up a room when I’m lost in the dark.
I’ve fallen in love with her and will always treat her like the queen she is,”
I say, giving the most important men in Brynn’s life everything because they need to make their decision knowing the full truth of what’s happened between us.
“When you first saw her on her bike, you didn’t know it was Brynn?”
Maddox asks me, a smirk on his face.
“No.
Honestly, I became obsessed with findin’ out who the female rider was.
One of my closest friends is a rider and I’ve been out with her so many times.
It’s not easy for her to ride around a lot of people because it brings her unwanted attention.
She not only got harassed by the guys who ride, but she actually had a cop stalkin’ her and harrassin’ her whenever she was out on her bike.
I witnessed it myself.
Her dad, Playboy, also saw it happen,”
I answer him honestly, not taking my eyes off of him.
“I didn’t want her to go through the same shit my friend did.
So, in a way, I wanted to get close to her if only to protect her.
At least that’s what I told myself.
No, Brynn doesn’t know anythin’ about it either.
I didn’t have the chance to tell her with everythin’ goin’ on.”
The guys all start laughing their asses off because of what I’ve just told them.
Maddox is laughing so hard he almost falls out of his seat.
I don’t see what’s so funny about the situation, but I keep my mouth shut.
“Brynn knows, King.
She saw your bike here and put it all together.
My daughter is a smart girl and doesn’t care about it.
She told us last night when you were finalizin’ the plans for today’s job with Valor.
Brynn laughed her ass off about it,”
Scathe informs me, laughter still lacing his voice as they all start to calm down.
“Well, shit,”
I say, smiling because I should’ve known my girl would figure this shit out on her own without me saying a word about it to her.
“I’m not gonna make you wait and put you through all sorts of tests and shit like I always planned to do with the man who wanted to make Brynn his,”
Scathe says as the rest of the guys surrounding me nod in agreement.
“You’ve gone above and beyond to prove not only your love for our girl but your loyalty.
You stepped up when it came to this entire situation she was in, took the initiative to come talk to us about it when she couldn’t, and did everythin’ in your power to protect her.
Instead of keepin’ all the information you discovered about Jerome and his sick obsession with her, you told Brynn about everythin’ so she could better protect herself and understand why she couldn’t leave this clubhouse.
You gave that to her when we would’ve kept her in the dark to protect her.
You have my blessin’, Kingston, without a doubt.”
“You’ve got mine as well,”
Ace says, a smile on his face as he turns to his nephew.
“If it weren’t for you, I don’t believe Brynn would have ever told us the things she went through and how she felt after findin’ out about the bet.
You were honest with her when she came back and didn’t just write her off when she disappeared.
And, you put your own body on the line when you weren’t physically able to do as much as you did to make sure she could live the rest of her life without lookin’ over her shoulder.
You’ve always had my blessin’, King,”
Maddox says, a small smile on his face as he finishes his beer and sets the bottle on the table in front of him as I turn to face Blood.
“You protected Brynn when she didn’t trust us enough to take care of her.
She’s determined, strong, and tends to hold things in so she doesn’t hurt another person.
By doin’ that for so long, she was the only one hurt.
We’ll all spend the rest of our days tryin’ to make everythin’ up to her.
You looked into Jerome and got your dad’s help to ensure nothin’ was missed.
As Scathe said, you didn’t hold back when it came to givin’ her the information as you found out about it.
“You also didn’t hesitate to contact us when Jerome took her.
King, you could’ve gone to get her with nothin’ more than your club and told us about it after the fact.
Instead, you chose to involve us because we’re her family.
No one would accept us but you.
You’re strong, lovin’, and the perfect guy for Brynn.
You came into her life when she needed you the most and aren’t holdin’ anythin’ back in comin’ to us.
Yes, you have my blessin’ to make her your ol’ lady and marry her when you’re both ready.
You’re both goin’ to make the best parents to your little one and I can’t wait to welcome them to the world and our family,”
Blood says, standing from his seat and pulling me up from mine to pull me into a man hug as the rest of the men stand and do the same once he releases me.
“Thank you,”
I say, looking at the men in the kitchen with me.
“Your blessin’ means more to me than anythin’ else.
I look forward to becomin’ a member of your family.”
We all make our way back into the common room and I head straight for my girl.
She leans up to give me a kiss, not caring who sees us.
I take a seat next to her and my mom pushes a plate of food in front of me.
They continue to talk around me as I eat my dinner.
Brynn is so happy and completely at ease as she talks and laughs with the women surrounding us.
For the first time, I’m getting to see her truly free.
It’s an amazing sight and one I don’t plan on giving up for any reason.