Chapter 27
Brittany
“You are such a good boy, aren’t you? Yes, you are, oh yes, you are,” I say lowly as I gently run my hands over Max’s head, smiling as the one-year-old Labrador licks my arms, shaking his butt with excitement he did not have when he came in this morning.
His tail is no longer there, which pisses me off.
His owner demanded he get vet checked despite not having an appointment. I have to admit she was a bitch. She complained he was too bouncy and overenergetic and something just had to be wrong with him.
The woman shouldn’t have gotten a Labrador, then, should she, I think bitterly as I look over him, his stomach too skinny for mine and Paulines liking.
I gently run my hands over him as his tongue hangs out, all happy, and I swallow hard. She cut his tail off and when Pauline brought it up, she claimed it was always in the way. Always making a mess then decided to clarify that owners do it to their spaniels so she could do it to her labrador.
Who in the hell cuts off a dog's tail?
What kind of vet agrees to even do it?
The day I took Angel comes back to mind as I look over Max, and I bite my bottom lip.
Maybe I could... I quickly shake my head, knowing I won’t get away with something like that. This is a dog, a large dog, not a small kitten, and Asher would kill me if I did something like I had with Angel. Especially on my first day back at work…
My phone rings, I answer it without looking, knowing it could be one of the Untamed women.
Twice a week I get a call from one of them and I love it. They keep me grounded when I’m about to spiral like last night when they called after hearing what happened.
“Hello,” I answer, keeping my eyes on Max, the need to take him pulling me.
“Oh my god, Annie has reached a new level in corrupting us ladies, like this is all her fault,” Sky instantly says instead of hello and I raise a brow.
Uh oh.
I demand, “Explain,” as Max licks my chin, and I smile as I rub his ear.
“Hawk, Ink, Zayne, and Axel all decided against the other brother's wishes to do an intervention on us women and the pranks,” I wince, “Which let’s be honest, I barely get involved with the pranks, but Zayne decided to include me in the intervention, and it pissed me off.”
I sigh and ask, “What did you do?” as Max burrows himself into my neck.
She clears her throat before admitting, “I, well, I mean, me, Daisy, Sophie, and Annie all gave guys lap dances at the club's strip club in tiny shorts and a bra, and I may have removed the shower head at home and placed a lot of blue powder inside.” My eyes widen, “Zayne, uh, he uh came into the strip club when he got the call, completely blue, and I swear, Brit, I have never seen him so mad.”
“What about the others?” I dare to ask.
“Well, Axel was covered in glitter, Hawk full of what I think was glue, how Daisy managed it I will never know, and Sophie,” she giggles a little, “she poured itching powder over Ink’s head before running out of the house.”
Oh my…
“Where were the kids?” I ask, shell-shocked.
The women like to play pranks, yeah, but I think this is the biggest they’ve gone.
“With Meghan, she wanted no part in it apparently, and I can kind of understand why.” she admits reluctantly, and I blink, then blink again.
Laughter bubbles up, and Sky complains, “It’s not funny, Brit, we’ve really pissed them off this time! Even Annie is looking sheepishly because she knows if Axel let another woman touch him hell would be unleashed.”
“I’m sorry,” I chuckle, “it’s just funny how they band together to basically beg you to stop playing pranks on them and you literally all turn on them.”
Sky groans, and I giggle again, causing Max to whine and yip, making me smile.
“What was that?” Sky asks, and I sigh.
“A one-year-old brown Labrador named Max,” I admit, and she squeals, making me move the phone from my ear for a moment.
“Oh my god, you’re finally back at work,” she giggles with excitement, and I chuckle.
“I am,” I say, “Even though yesterday was bad and extremely traumatizing, I’d already completed a quick exam so I could return to work. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from doing what I love.”
“I’m proud of you,” she whispers, and I huff because she really shouldn’t be right now.
I look at Max again and swallow hard.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, “Is it the receptionist?”
I chuckle and reply, “No, it isn’t. I’ve managed to keep my distance from her, but uh, Max, he’s being abused by his owner. He literally whimpers whenever she is near him and tries to hide from her, he’s underweight and she cut of his tail.”
“Do it,” she states.
“Do what?” I ask in confusion, and she replies, “You know what, Brit. Do it, and even better, make it look like he ran away because of the receptionist, so you can get rid of her.”
“I can’t do that,” I say with a smile, though it would be funny to see her downfall.
I couldn’t stand her before I’d found out she screwed my boyfriend and now, I just want to smack her every time I see her.
“You can, you did with Angel,” she reminds me.
I retort, “Angel is a kitten, Max is a dog.”
“Who needs you…” she whispers softly.
I look at Max, his brown eyes looking back at me expectantly, and I bite my lip, and she chuckles, “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”
Dammit.
“Don’t you have a husband to go grovel to?” I ask snappy.
“Do I have to?” she whines, and I reply, “Yes, he didn’t deserve that and you know it. You girls have been taking the pranks a little too far lately. One disagreement and the men get it tenfold and you know if Flame had a woman grind all over his junk you would have left him.”
She sighs, “Fine, I’ll paint a portrait of our babies for him and wrap myself up in a bow.” I laugh and she says, “I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you!”
“Love you too,” I reply with a laugh before she hangs up, and I shake my head as I whisper, “I miss them,” and Max whines, licking my hand.
I smile slightly.
Maybe Asher can take me to see them this weekend, I mean he is off…
“Alright, come on, Max,” I say and guide him to the crate, and he goes in willingly before lying down, his eyes staying on me just as my door slams open, making me jump, and Max growls.
“Brittany,” Harper snaps as she walks into my room with a scowl, and I roll my eyes as I stand straight.
“Yes, Harper,” I say politely when in reality I want to smack her.
I know Asher and I weren’t together when they slept together. We hadn’t even met each other, but seriously, the jealousy I feel and the fact she was a bully in school makes it worse.
“Miss Bilson said she can’t collect Max until tomorrow,” she states, and I lock my jaw.
Seriously, we’re not a freaking center for dogs.
Harper smirks and admits, “And I told her it was fine. So you’ll have to stay longer tonight and look after him.”
Huh, so she agreed and expects me to look after him?
I tilt my head and ask, “And does Pauline know you’ve offered this, for which I’m guessing extra money? Because let’s face it, you probably accepted whatever bribe she offered.”
Her cheeks heat, and she snaps, “Oh, whatever, Brittany, you’re just jealous because Doc fucked me!”
What?
“How does your sleeping with my boyfriend, the father of my child, before I even knew him, come into factor that you’ve taken money on the side to keep a dog here?” I ask with confusion, “You’re being defensive.”
Her nostrils flare as she growls, “Look after the damn dog, do your job!”
I snort. “Actually, Harper, my job is to check the animals over, clip their claws, give them their injections, not to babysit them when their owners can’t be bothered to take care of them.” I say this as I side-eye Max and Sky’s idea comes back to mind.
I shouldn’t, I really-really shouldn’t…
“You know what, Harper, you took the money so you look after him!” I snap before I turn and walk out of the room, purposely leaving his cage door open, her screeching following me.
I quickly rush into the office and grab my things before taking a deep breath and grabbing Pauline's laptop.
Crap, I really hope I don’t get caught.
I hide underneath Pauline's desk just as the door opens before Harper’s growls hit my ears then her muttered, “Fucking stupid bitch, what does Doc see in her compared to me. I let him fuck my ass, she’s just a prude and I…”
Her ramblings quiet as the door slams shut. I take a deep breath before logging onto Pauline’s account and access the cameras trying to ignore the fact my boyfriend screwed her butt. My finger shakes as I cut off the cameras just as Harper goes into my room and I wince.
I really hope this works.
I pull up outside the clubhouse, the large building intimidating even now after being here for a few weeks, I swallow hard as Max licks my cheek.
My heart rate hasn’t slowed since I left the office, Harper completely unaware that the dog she’d just been bribed to watch now gone.
“Okay, boy, let’s go in and see if Daddy can help,” I murmur before I slowly climb out of my car, and Max follows.
As soon as Harper entered the reception area, I snuck back into my room and called for Max, who came willingly before I made a run for it and not once did Harper come outside.
Got to admit, I’d never been so happy to regain my memories and drive again.
“Asher is going to kill me,” I whisper as I pull the door, voices and laughter hitting my ears instantly.
“Oh, Brittany, what did you do?” my mama says as soon as I walk into the common room, and I look where her voice echoed from in shock to find her inside the clubhouse with Dad.
What the hell? She always refused to come here, always upset Dad by not being around his family, yet, here she is, a look of disappointment on her face but still…
“You’re here, in the club…” I state the obvious, still in shock, but she shakes her head and says, “No, you cannot get out of explaining this, what did you do?”
She points to Max, whose butt is wiggling with excitement. I look around the full common room like it is the most interesting thing ever, noticing Bailey with Debbie, thankfully nowhere near my mama.
I don’t know if I want her near my daughter, not when every childhood memory flashes before me.
Don’t get me wrong, there were times when it was amazing, but as soon as I wanted to live a little, she pulled me back in.
I honestly thought it was all normal, but it wasn’t and then there was the fact she tried to take my daughter.
Claiming I was a bad mother for bringing her around the club, her family.
“Brittany?!” Mama demands, and I look her way, giving her a wince as Max barks, wanting some attention.
Thunder and Dad begin laughing their asses off as Mama drops her head with shame. The brothers all look at me with confusion, just as the door to church opens and Asher storms out, his eyes instantly coming my way like he’s magnetized towards me.
“Fuck’s sake, Tinkerbell, what did you do?” he groans, and I bat my eyes at him as I link my fingers behind my back, rocking on me heels and smile sweetly.
This man loves me, he may be mean to others, but with me, he will give in…hopefully.