Chapter 29
Dirty – A Week Later
I gently bite my bottom lip as the brothers discuss the next run—two vans full of ammo and weapons, heading to the Huntsmen MC—but my mind isn’t in it.
I don’t contribute because I can’t go, something I’ve never said no to.
I don’t know how the brothers, especially my blood brother, who’ll have to take my place, will feel.
Shit, he isn’t going to be happy, but I fuck, I can’t leave my family, not right now.
Lyra screams every night, and only I can settle her.
Hol struggles with her leg and misses her kids at school despite it nearly being the end of the year, so she’s depressed.
Caleb refuses to leave the girls' side, constantly calling me off Hol’s phone if I’m gone too long to the point that I had to set up an office at Rebel’s Garage so I could work on big jobs and be close.
Honestly, I get jittery leaving them. Holly going against my wishes last week is still fresh in my mind.
I need eyes on her, just... fuck.
“Steal said he can put up the brothers that attend the run, up at the clubhouse for the two nights before returning home,” Anchor explains as he reads through the paperwork before him, and I blink.
Shit, I’ve missed half of what he’s said. Did he mention who is going?
“I can’t go,” I quickly state, causing every eye to come my way, and Doc gives me a sad smile, understanding I haven’t been listening.
“We know, brother, you won’t be going on the next three runs, Ace has already volunteered,” he mentions, and I wince as Ace squeezes my shoulder.
Shit, I really was out of it huh….
“Is Lyra still not sleeping?” Trigger asks, and I shake my head with a sigh.
“She screams every single night, and last night, even Hol cried in her sleep. They’re both struggling, and Caleb, the little protector that he is, doesn’t like me far away from them,” I admit lowly, “Everything that has happened, Cheryl, Hol’s job, now this, it is so fucking much for the kids and her, I can’t be away from them right now,” and the brothers nod in understanding.
“How has Lyra’s therapy session been going?” Stone questions as he sits forward.
I shake my head, “Not good, she doesn’t like the woman she is seeing, and I’ve told Hol we need to find someone else.”
Lyra began seeing a therapist two days after the event, after she screamed continuously every time I walked out of the room, making it difficult to even go pee, but the woman, fuck, she is a bitch, something I caught onto after the first two sessions.
Lyra instantly disliked the woman, who kept staring at my cut instead of helping my daughter and kept snapping at Ly if she interrupted the bitch trying to talk to me.
“Maybe she just needs time to get used to the woman?” Ace tries, and I look his way with a raised brow.
“Does Abigail Hunter sound familiar to you, brother?” I ask, and he frowns for a moment before his eyes widen in shock, and I nod and confirm, “Yeah, Lyra’s therapist was the woman you fucked twice and during each session, the woman stared at my cut before bringing you up, so no, Uncle Ace, she is not seeing the woman again. ”
The brothers try to hold back their laughter as Ace winces and mutters, “Fuck.”
I’ve fucking lost count on how many women have come forward and asked if Ace was still around because they missed his cock, but my daughter's therapist, fuck no.
“Sorry, brother, she was hot, but then she kind of turned crazy, wanting to introduce me to her parents because she said she was my one,” Ace mutters, shaking his head, and I snort.
“I guess you're going on the next three runs will be your punishment, huh?” I confirm, and he winces then grumbles, “I guess, but someone will have to take over the interviews with the diner, Harriet and AJ are becoming more possessive, and the fact I can’t find a waitress that will come in and not start drama is beginning to piss me off.”
I grin, and Doc mentions, “I’ll interview some, test the waters when I bring you up and go from there in between my shifts at the hospital,” and Ace sighs in relief, making me laugh, and he gives me the stink eye.
If he’d just keep his dick in his pants where his employees are concerned, he wouldn’t be having these problems right now.
Chuckling, Doc looks at me and tilts his head with a brow raise, and I smile and confirm, “I’m giving her the cut after church, I think she’s ready.”
The men bang on the table in celebration, and I chuckle but nod.
I wanted to give it to her last week, but I think it was too soon. It was a lot for her to agree to no breather, even though I know she really wanted one. But it’s been a week, and I want my cut on my girl, and then we’ll be going to the courthouse.
I want my ring on her finger, her name on Caleb's papers, and mine on Lyra's. I know we haven’t been together long, but sometimes you just know and I know she is mine, and I’ll never let her go.
“Well, we'd better get out there then so you can give her the cut and preferably before Caleb storms church because we’ve taken too long,” Doc states, and I frown.
“Don’t we have to go over the finances and shit?” I ask, and Doc smirks.
“You’ve been out of it for the whole of church, brother, Tank did the garage and Ace typed everything up,” he admits, and I wince.
“Fuck, sorry, brothers,” I mutter, and Ace squeezes my shoulder again.
“Church dismissed, it’s time for Dirty to claim his woman,” Doc announces as he bangs his gavel, not letting me beat myself up, and I take a deep breath.
Fuck, I hope she accepts this cut because if not, I’m locking her up until she does.
I need her tethered to me. If I didn’t know she wanted to wait to have kids, I’d have fucked with her birth control by now.
Standing, the brothers wait for me to leave church first and I open the door and grab my phone from Joe, who should be patched in next week if he does well on the run.
I lock eyes with my girl, who is sitting next to my parents, Lyra on my dad's lap, Caleb leaning against my woman, and I smile at the sight.
She’s fucking beautiful.
“Make love to me, Alex.”
Her whispered words from last week hit me, and I couldn’t help the feeling of love that overwhelmed me before we made love in front of the fire. The woman fucking owns me and she has no idea.
Hol tilts her head at me. Her white-blonde hair falls to the side, and I swallow hard.
She’s wearing leggings instead of her jeans, which I love her wearing, for her leg, and my shirt. She’s fucking perfect, and I’m so goddamn lucky to call her mine, I really fucking am.
Pressing two of my fingers to my mouth, I hold them out to my girl, who furrows her brows, and I walk towards the officers' rooms and not her way, but I don’t look at her again, knowing I need to grab her cut.
As soon as I’m out of view, I rush to my room, grab the cut from the closet, take the simple white gold engagement ring adorned with light pink and white diamonds around a large white diamond, and swallow hard.
“Fuck, I hope she says yes,” I mutter, and I fist the ring and cut and walk back to the common room.
The brothers are all at the bar while their women watch them, confused.
Summer, scowling because her man isn’t holding her, making Anchor stifle a laugh before their attention shifts to me again with confusion but Summer being Summer instantly catches on and she quickly covers her mouth so she doesn’t ruin it and I give her a wink.
“Alex, is everything okay?” Hol asks with concern and I grin, kneel before her, and cup her cheek with my free hand.
“How are you feeling today, darling?” I ask, ignoring her question as I look at her leg.
She isn’t elevating it now, but she also can’t put all her weight on it, and it fucking scares me that she might never be able to.
"I’m okay, but you’re kind of freaking me out," she admits and I chuckle and shake my head.
“I love you,” I say, and she melts, her eyes racing between mine.
I admit, “I’m scared I’m going to lose you,” and she frowns and opens her mouth but I don’t stop, “Every single day, you have buried yourself deep inside me, you’ve become the reason why I breathe and I know this is scary.
I know you didn’t expect a relationship, or being pushed by a seven year old to meet his father, the same seven year old who really wanted his Auntie Rose with his Uncle Stone and tried to push their relationship,” I hear a snort, most likely Stone and I admit, “But fuck, I am so glad Caleb was relentless, because he brought you into my life, he brought Lyra into my life, making me a father of two instead of one.”
Tears pour down Hol’s cheeks as her gaze rivets between mine. I choke out, “I want to spend every day with you, Hol.” I set the cut on her lap, my hands shaking, and the brothers’ wives sob around us which I barely notice, focused only on her as I offer the ring—her gasp is all I hear.
“I want you to be my old lady,” I admit, “I want to claim you in the eyes of the club but I also want you as my wife, I want you to have my last name and I want you to adopt Caleb,” she lets out a small sob, “and I want to adopt Lyra, to give her my last name and when you are ready, I want to give you all the kids you’ll allow me to have with you,” I swallow hard and grab her ring finger and ever so slowly, I push the ring on and I murmur, “I want forever with you but not in a few months, or when you’ve had time to change your mind, but now, I want forever now.
” I look at my girl and cup her cheek, her eyes still on me despite the ring I’ve just pushed onto her finger, and I practically plead, “Marry me, today, let me make us a family, please?”
I hold my breath, heart pounding, and wait for her answer.
I spoke to her dad this morning, who calls her daily, helping her build the trust he broke, and he gave me his blessing.
As we speak, he is at the courthouse waiting for us, along with Matty, her Uncle Mathew, and her mother, which, I’m not sure how Hol will take to that, but Philip swore she’d be on her best behavior.
Apparently, she’s never gotten over her daughter choosing her unborn child over her, and Hol getting an inheritance. Matty explained that Hol gave him a big chunk and put the rest in a trust for Lyra, Caleb – which I was in awe over – and any future kids we may have—and yes, I said we.
“Tell me one thing first,” she whispers into the quiet room, everyone holding their breath knowing I’ll just get Judge Jones to sign the paperwork if need be, but I really don’t want to piss my girl off that way.
“Anything,” I croak, my heart pounding.
“Did you scrap my shit box?” she asks, and I smile widely, not shocked that she noticed the new truck on the driveway instead of her car that we got the prospects to pick up after that day.
“No,” I admit, “I know the sentimental value, so I put it in the club's storage.”
“I love you,” she breathes, and I hold back a sob as she whispers, “Of course I will marry you.”
The club cheers loudly, and I slam my lips against hers, making her giggle as little arms wrap around us, and fuck me, this isn’t the life I wanted, but I’m so goddamn glad I have it.
“You wouldn’t have given me a choice, would you, if I said no?” she asks against my lips as our kids hug us, and I grin back, making her giggle again.
Yep, I fucking love my life.