Chapter 35
DERRICK
Sienna: Urgent family meeting, my place.
My heart stops, and I grab my stuff and head on over to Sienna’s house.
Is the baby okay? Hope everything is okay.
Pulling up to Sienna’s house, I park my car outside and rush in and freeze.
Standing in front of me, looking like a couple of newlyweds, are Axel and Olivia.
The last thing I heard from Liv was that she was high-tailing it to the Caribbean somewhere with her family and her bestie after her blow-up with Axel, and now they are standing in front of me looking so fricken happy.
“I knew it. I knew he was the one for you,” I say, rushing over to her and pulling her into a bear hug, making her squeal.
“Derrick, let the girl go, you’re going to squeeze her to death,” Axel says, acting all uber protective over her.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m just so freaking happy.” I look between the two of them. I can’t believe this is happening. How the hell did this happen?
“Stop hogging our guests of honor,” Sienna says, walking in with Ryder on her hip. My little Ryder poo holds out his hands for me, and I grab him from his mother and squish his chubby cheeks, making him giggle. I love this kid. One day, I’m hoping I get to be this lucky.
“Welcome to the family,” Sienna says, welcoming Olivia to the Dirty Texas family because, let's be serious, we’ve never seen Axel this gone for over a woman before.
He’s all in, you can see it on his handsome face.
It’s like Olivia has been able to make Axel’s intensity simmer a bit, he is still very much Axel, but just a bit sunnier.
“Come, let me show you around,” Sienna asks Olivia, and they vanish, while Axel teases Ryder.
“What the hell, Axel?” I ask him once Olivia has left.
“What?” He looks at me, genuinely surprised and maybe a little afraid.
“Um, the fact that Olivia is here in LA, not in her castle in England with her fiancé.”
Axel glares at me. “Do not ever mention him,” he warns.
Oh. Okay. Touchy subject. “I thought she was away with Ivy somewhere away from you.”
“We kind of ran into each other on an island and one thing led to another,” Axel confesses.
“You romanced her with your dick.”
“Derrick!” Axel chastises me as he looks at Ryder.
“He has no idea what I’m saying.” I tickle the little feral in my arms, making him giggle and forget about the fact that Uncle Derrick said a rude word.
“Did she tell you about the photo her sister sent her?” Axel asks.
“Um, no.”
Axel rolls his eyes. “Penny took a photo of me passed out and tried to play it off that we had slept together. She sent it to Olivia, and when she saw me again, I got a drink all over me.”
“So, you should, I can’t believe you would sleep with Penny, that woman is a bit …” Watch your words, Derrick. Sienna will kill you if Ryder starts repeating after me.
“I didn’t. She set it up to make it look like I did to hurt her,” Axel reassures me.
“Poor Livvy, she must have been heartbroken.”
“She was. It took me calling Penny and pretending that Olivia wasn’t listening in, and confirming from her mouth that nothing happened between us and that she was setting Livvy up,” Axel explains.
“And she did?”
He nods. “She did. Thankfully, otherwise, I don’t think I would have been able to get Livvy to believe me. Her sister is diabolical.”
I won’t argue over that. “And then you whisked her away to your love shack in LA to what?”
“I don’t know, convince her to break off her engagement,” Axel says as he runs his fingers through his hair. “She can’t marry him.”
“Are you going to protect her if she cancels her engagement because you know she is going to go against her family, and that girl is loyal,” I explain to him.
“I’ll move heaven and earth for her, D. I’m all in,” Axel tells me honestly.
Wow. “The mighty Axel Taylor has fallen.” I smirk.
“Screw you.” He chuckles. “But yeah, I have.” He giggles like a love-struck schoolgirl. Who is this man standing before me? It’s cute.
“I’m happy for you, but if you ever hurt her, you’re gonna have to deal with me,” I warn him.
“Hear you loud and clear, D. I promise, my feelings for Liv are real. I’ve never wanted to try being in a relationship before with anyone but with her, urgh, she’s made my heart start beating again,” he declares.
He is head over heels in love with her. I could just eat him all up. He’s so sweet. “Come on then, let’s go celebrate the two of you.” We make our way outside.
Wow, Sienna did call a family meeting. Jake, Evan’s brother is in town, I didn’t realize. When Ryder sees him, he wiggles in my arms, trying to jump into Uncle Jake’s arms. I don’t blame you, boy. I would like to jump into his arms too.
“Hey, little buddy,” Jake coos as he grabs him from me.
“Hey, to you too.” I smirk, which makes Jake laugh.
“It’s good to see you, too, Derrick.” Jake smiles.
“How are the waves treating you?” I ask, like I know what the hell I’m talking about when it comes to surfing.
“You up for a surf lesson while I’m here?” he asks.
Jake Wyld touching me half naked in the ocean, just say the word and I’m there. “Isn’t it a bit cold?”
“Yeah, you’ll need a wetsuit.”
“Um, yeah, that doesn’t sound fun. Can we raincheck it for the summer?”
“When are you coming to Hawaii?” Jake asks.
“When are you inviting me?”
“My door is always open for you, D.” He laughs.
“Any cute surfers that swing my way down there?”
“A couple I could hook you up with,” Jake adds.
“Sounds like my next holiday is in Hawaii,” I joke.
“Thought it was Spain,” Axel teases.
“True. Isla has sent me pictures of all the hot men in Paris. You have competition, buddy,” I tell Jake.
“Derrick,” Charlotte squeals, pulling me away from her brother.
I give her a hug, and I see Blake hovering behind her. Apparently, they have gone official since the wedding, much to Evan’s annoyance, but he is trying. “Hey, Blake.” I nod toward him and he does the same back. “Hope you’re treating my girl, right?” I ask him.
“Of course,” he says, swallowing hard.
“D, please. Evan has been giving him a hard time, he doesn’t need it from you too,” Charlotte says.
“Baby girl, we are just looking out for you,” I tell her before narrowing my eyes at Blake, who holds up his hands in surrender. Good. At least he knows.
“D, do you have a moment?” Blake asks.
“Sure.” Looking at him in surprise, I give him a nod as I turn away from the rest of the group to give us our privacy. “What is it?”
“Have you heard from Chance?” he asks. I shake my head.
“I’m worried about him. His mom got sick, and it was touch and go there.
He flew back home, and ever since he’s come back fucked up.
He won’t say what happened, but he came back with a black eye.
Oh. Shit. Hope he is okay. “I know it might be a lot to ask, but do you think you could reach out to him, just to check in on him? You seem to be able to calm him.”
“Not sure I can do anything, but I’ll check in on him.” If Blake is asking, then he must be worried.
“Thanks, D. I appreciate it, and for the record, I was Team Dance.” He smirks.
“Team Dance?”
“Yeah, Chance and Derrick. You were good for him, but I know he wasn’t good for you.
I love the guy, but he is messed up, always has been.
I thought it might have just been his sexuality.
I don’t care if he’s bi, but I know I’m the only one in the band that knows, not that Johnny or Tyler would care, but in Chance’s mind, he thinks they will because his parents don’t approve of his rockstar lifestyle, and knowing he’s bi would tip them over the edge and he’d never see his brothers again. ”
“Until he is ready to help himself, I don’t know what more we can do for him.”
Blake nods in understanding. “Agreed. I wish I could fix him.”
I reach out and squeeze his shoulders. “Chance’s trauma isn’t for you to fix. He needs a professional, and yes, I know what you’re about to say, he won’t go because he thinks he’s handling it, but he’s not. He masks his pain with groupies, drugs, and alcohol.”
Blake’s face says it all, he’s worried. “Thanks, D.”
“Not a problem. And please remember, don’t mess my baby girl around,” I warn him.
“She deserves better than me. I know that. I’m going to try my hardest not to fuck it up like I have before. She’s a fucking angel,” he says, and I believe him, guess time will tell if he can keep his word.
I walk back into the party and see Sienna introducing Olivia to the gang, and I take a seat beside Parker, who greets me warmly.
“How are things?” he asks.
“Busy. So fricken busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“The newlyweds are here,” Christian yells from the deck. They’ve just arrived back from their honeymoon and we are all so excited to see them as they make their way toward where Axel and Olivia are.
“Saw your face on Times Square billboard, hello,” I tease Parker.
“It’s always surreal when that happens. I just found out I’m walking men’s fashion week in Milan and Paris.”
“No way. This is huge. Congrats.”
“You’ve got to come,” he says.
“Don’t have to ask me twice, I’m there. We’re going to have the best time.”
“I think we need to drink to Axel joining the pussy-whipped club. Never thought I’d see the day, but I couldn’t be happier.” We overhear Christian teasing his brother, which makes Parker and me burst out laughing.
“Go to the man cave, then,” Sienna says, pushing the boys away, because she knows it’s gossip time for us girls.
“Are you coming?” Parker asks, getting up from his seat. I shake my head, and we agree to catch up later.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Vanessa rushing over to Olivia and pulling her into a hug, “We’re so going to be sisters.” She squeals excitedly. Olivia looks like a deer in headlights, and I don’t blame her when technically she is still engaged to someone else.
“Don’t scare the shit out of her. We know you’re still stuck in your honeymoon love bubble, just don’t push your love agenda onto unsuspecting women,” I tell her.
Vanessa ignores me, I’m going to put that down to pregnancy hormones. “So, give us the details. What have I missed?” she asks Olivia as she takes a seat on the sofa.
“Um … well, it’s kind of a long story, but we’re still trying to work things out,” Olivia says timidly as we all stare at her.
“You still engaged to that douchebag?” I ask, that’s probably the first place to start.
Olivia cringes. “We’re sorting things out … it’s all happened kind of fast.”
“Axel is very safe when it comes to his decisions, and he isn’t known for his spontaneity,” Vanessa explains to her.
“Well, neither am I.” Olivia chuckles.
“Hey, ignore her. She doesn’t know when she’s prying too much. Honestly, Evan and I happened quickly. When these guys fall, they fall fast. No mucking around.”
I know my friend is trying to reassure Olivia, but she looks frozen with fear over that statement.
“I’ve known Axel most of my life, and you’re the first woman we have ever met,” Isla tells Olivia, which seems to add to her panic.
“And he stopped going to The Paradise Club,” Stacey explains. I look between Stacey and Olivia, and yes, my mind did wander to the image of the two of them with Jackson, Oscar, and Axel.
Olivia seems surprised by this. “Really?”
“Yep, he told Oscar that he wasn’t interested in one-night stands anymore,” Stacey tells her.
If Axel is giving up The Paradise Club, then he’s serious. “Fuck me dead, my princess has pussy-whipped Axel. The staunchest I’m staying a single man there ever was.”
Olivia seems freaked out.
“Hey, don’t think like that,” Stacey says, noticing Olivia’s mind has gone somewhere.
Guessing she knows her best, seeing as they have been intimate together.
“Axel is bloody stubborn and strong-willed. There’s no way in the world you would be able to make him do something he didn’t want to do.
” Stacey seems to have relaxed Livvy, her shoulders which were bunched up around her ears have fallen.
“I know we have heaps of hurdles to overcome,” Olivia says quietly.
“I heard about what your sister did. Yeah, Axel called Christian and told him all about it,” Vanessa says.
“Really?” Olivia asks.
“Yeah, he was upset, pissed off. He told him all about the conversation, about how Eddie and Penny have been carrying on an affair together,” Vanessa explains.
Wait, what?! “No fucking way. That fucking slut.” I knew it.
Penny is a fucking snake. “How the hell you two came from the same vagina, I’ll never know.
You don’t deserve a sister like her, Liv.
You don’t deserve people like that in your life.
You’re the kindest, most thoughtful, beautiful, and hardworking person I know, and these fuck faces fuck around behind your back.
Do they have any idea what an amazing gift they have just by knowing you?
” Phew. Not sure where that all came from, but I hope Liv understands.
I’m protective of my girls. Next thing I know, Olivia is hugging me as her tears hit my shoulder.
Oh, the poor thing. “You’re special, Olivia, and if she doesn’t want you for a sister, I do.
As you know, I don’t have any family, and when I see people being treated unfairly by theirs, I have to reach out to them.
” I try to hold in my own emotions. “Just know that if you decide that Axel is the man for you, that you aren’t losing your family, you’re gaining one, and one that’s there for you no matter what.
” She needs to know that Dirty Texas will be her family when her own can’t be, especially if it’s the difference between following her heart versus her loyalty to said family.
I want her to take a leap of faith with Axel.
She deserves happiness, and he’s going to give it to her, not some asshole who is fucking her sister.
“Family isn’t always linked by blood, Liv.
Just think about that,” I tell her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, why is my girl crying?” Axel asks angrily. His protective mode has been activated, and it’s hot. The next thing we know, Olivia is running from my arms into his and kissing him so passionately that I feel like a voyeur for watching, but I’m not looking away, they are hot together.