Chapter Forty-Two
Gunner
Haizley and I stepped into the clubhouse amid a very intense argument. The women were lined up shoulder to shoulder. Seeing the three old ladies with their protruding bellies, had me once again thinking about Haizley being pregnant with my child.
Aspen stood beside Beck; the club girls, Brandy, Tiffany and Jade, backing them up. Blade, Jack, Ryder, and Banshee, of all people, stood in front of them. King and Cash sat at the bar, pretending not to pay attention to the standoff. Brothers were spread out around the room, watching the show.
“I said no. You aren’t going!” Blade asserted.
Beck threw her head back and laughed loudly, her hands covering her stomach, protecting their child.
“It’s cute you think you have any fucking say,” she fired back.
“It’s not safe,” Jack added.
“Greg is gone. It should be safe now,” Aspen quietly added.
Banshee took a step forward, getting in her space, and growled, “It’s not fucking safe for you, and you know it.”
Aspen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Banshee.
“I can’t stay in the clubhouse forever,” she snapped.
“Aspen is right. Greg is gone and we want to go see Grace.”
“Grace can come here,” King piped up from his seat at the bar. Beck turned a glared at him.
“Ladies, you three can’t drink anyway,” Ryder pointed out.
“It’s not about drinking, honey. We haven’t seen Grace in weeks.” Ellie turned to glare at King as well, and I wondered what I’d missed. “She works every weekend, and we just want to sit at the bar and visit with her in between customers.”
“We’ll go with them and make sure no one hits your women,” Brandy consoled. At least she tried to, but it only served to fuel my brothers into a growl at the thought of someone coming on to their women, and I couldn’t say I wouldn’t feel any different.
“Why can’t they go? Are they prisoners here? Are they not allowed to make decisions for themselves?” Haizley asked, and I turned to look at my woman.
“That’s not it, baby. They’re all pregnant.”
“Aspen isn’t. If she feels she’s ready to return to the bar, I think it’s a great idea. And the more support she has from the women she’s gotten to know and formed friendships with will only add to her healing.”
All seven women grinned, their hands on their hips, daring anyone to contradict the therapist who knew more than everyone in the fucking room.
“No,” Banshee growled.
“You don’t get a say.” Aspen narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to... I wasn’t sure what she expected to be honest.
“Aspen,” he growled.
“Ok, enough,” I barked. “The women are right. They are not fucking prisoners here. In fact, if Aspen wanted to go home today, she could go wherever the fuck she wanted. So instead of fighting with them, we’ll just go with them.”
“NO!” they all shouted at once.
“Why?”
“We need a girls’ night out. No guys allowed,” Sam explained.
I looked down at Haizley, a question in my eyes. She shrugged, not understanding either.
“How about this? You ladies have your night out. A few brothers can tag along, but they’ll sit in the corner booth and just watch over you.”
The women huddled together, and I waited for their answer. Looking over at Cash, his eyes were on Ryder, and the unbridled hate that rolled off him was alarming.
It had been almost two months since Rachel passed. The rage he held against Ryder made no sense. I knew he had been meeting with Haizley, but I wasn’t sure it was working. When I tried to ask her about it, she just glared and stomped away, mumbling something about confidentiality. And I got it, I did. But this was my brother. I needed to know he was getting the help he needed.
“Alright. You can come. But...” Beck held up her hand, her index finger pointed toward the ceiling. “We are not wearing our cuts.”
“Abso- fucking -lutely not!” Blade shouted.
“Micah, we have had this discussion before. You will not dictate what I wear. Look at me.” She pointed to her enlarged belly. She still had about three months before the baby came, but she was huge. Which I would never say to her face of course. “No one finds this sexy.”
A few of the brothers mumbled their disagreements, and Blade turned on them. “Get your fucking eyes off my old lady.”
Beck beamed at the compliment, as she should. Despite looking like she swallowed a basketball, she was gorgeous. All the women were. Once again, something stirred deep inside me when I thought about Haizley being pregnant with my child.
“Don’t even think about it,” she muttered next to me.
“What?” I gave her an innocent look, and she laughed.
Shaking her head, she walked over to the bar and sat down next to Cash. With a look at King, he stood and slapped Cash on the back and moved to the other end of the bar next to Amber.
Blade and Beck argued for a few more minutes while Haizley talked to Cash at the bar. My attention was split between the women arguing with their men and my woman talking to my brother.
Finally, Cash stood, shaking his head at Haizley, and I saw her shoulders slump. When he moved to leave the room, I stepped in front of him.
“Don’t fucking hurt my woman,” I warned.
“Fuck off, Gunner.” He shoulder-checked me as he left the room, and I looked at Haizley. She shook her head at me and turned to face the others.
“FINE!” Blade yelled.
Looking over, I saw the biggest shit-eating grin on Beck’s face. She’d won. We all knew she would. Blade would learn one of these days that arguing with her was pointless.
The women started grabbing their coats, and Blade pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“Who are you calling?” Beck asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
He gave her his own shit-eating grin and walked away.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” she called out.
We all laughed. How those two had stopped fighting long enough to get pregnant we had no idea, other than maybe the constant bickering was foreplay to them.
“You had to know he was gonna call him,” Ryder pointed out.
Beck turned a glare on him, and Ellie spoke up.
“Don’t get involved, Ryder.” Turning to Beck, she whispered, “Call Maureen.”
Beck was once again smiling and pulling her phone out.
“Haizley, are you coming?” Sam asked.
She glanced at me, and I nodded. Everything changed last night. The way she completely surrendered to what was happening between us and submitted to me was so fucking hot. I knew, given time, it would bleed over to outside the bedroom. The fact that it was already happening made my dick twitch in my jeans, and when I reached down to adjust myself, I saw her lips twitch. She knew what she did to me.
“I’d love to.” She slipped her arms back into her coat and turned back to the bar. “How about you, Amber?”
“No,” King answered for her, and Haizley frowned.
I saw the slightest drop of Amber’s shoulders and she sighed.
“I’m good.” She smiled at the girls, trying to hide her disappointment, but my woman wasn’t easily fooled.
“King, can I talk to you a minute?” Haizley asked.
The two of them walked into church and shut the doors. There were a few raised voices, and I knew they were arguing. When I heard the voices get louder, I made my way over just as the doors flew open.
“Amber,” King called out. “Would you like to go out with the girls?”
Everyone in the room froze.
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence.
My woman had somehow gone up against the most stubborn man I had ever met in my life and won.
“What?” Amber asked, confused. Well, I know I was, and I figured every other brother in the room was too.
“If you would like to go out with the girls, you can,” King conceded.
“Oh, Amber, yes. Come with us. Please.” Aspen ran over, taking Amber’s hands in hers.
“Um, ok.” Eyeing King, she asked, “Are you sure?”
When he nodded, she smiled. She really was a beautiful woman.
“Ok, let me change.” She dashed up the hallway.
“Everyone’s going to the bar tonight!” King announced to the room.
“What?” Beck asked.
“I want every brother there tonight,” King echoed, then pulled his phone out, making a call.
Loud sighs were heard from the women, but no one disputed his command.
The women piled into vehicles, and the men climbed on their bikes as the Silver Shadows were about to descend on The Queen’s Diamond.
There wouldn’t be a woman in that bar who wouldn’t be safe tonight.
When the doors opened and we all stepped in, every head turned in our direction. I imagined the men in the room weren’t happy to see us, but the looks on the faces of the women said the exact opposite.
Jake Hardy, the bar owner, met us at the door.
“Hey, King. I cleared out the corner and put two tables together for the women.”
“Thanks, Jake. I appreciate it.” He leaned over and whispered something to Jake while we ushered the women to the area that had been set for them.
“We wanted to sit at the bar. The whole point was to visit with Grace,” Beck whined.
“Grace will be over shortly,” Jake said, then turned to walk to the bar.
“Ladies, grab a seat. Archie, get their orders,” I said, ushering them over to the corner. “We will leave you ladies to your fun. The brothers will be spaced out around the room. If anyone needs the ladies’ room, find a brother to escort you.”
I put one arm around Blade and the other around Jack. “Let’s go, boys.”
Ryder chuckled behind me, and we all made our way to the bar. Jake was behind the bar, talking to Grace. She didn’t look pleased, but she gave in and took off her apron. Walking over to the women, they all cheered and hugged her. She sat down at the table, and I looked over at King. The small smile was faint, but I knew he had something to do with Grace being relieved of duty tonight.
Jake got to work behind the bar, taking Grace’s place. He grabbed beers, handing them out to the men who then slipped into pairs around the room. I sat at the bar with Blade, Jack, Ryder, and King. The large mirror behind the bar afforded the option of watching the girls without interfering with their fun.
We had been at the bar for over an hour while the women laughed and hollered in the corner, having a great time. Turning to face the room, my body heated from seeing the joy on my woman’s face. She had confessed to me she didn’t have many friends. Her best friend from college really being her only friend aside from Blackwater.
Looking around, I clocked where all the men were. Seeing the scowl on Mimic’s face, I checked on Sam. Mimic was probably more protective of Sam than even Jack was. Only his glare wasn’t directed toward Sam. Haizley must have made a phone call, because sitting right next to her was Indigo Cambridge, my employee.
When Indie noticed Mimic glaring at her, she flipped him the bird and turned back to the women, ignoring him.
A hand slid up my arm, pulling my attention from Haizley. I turned my head and sighed.
Penelope fucking Ridgefield.
“Hey, Gunner. I never see you at the bar. You come looking for me?” She leaned in, pressing herself against my arm.
“No. I’m here watching over my woman.”
“What woman?” She laughed. “You don’t have a woman.”