Chapter 11
Nova
“She’s going to love it.” My eyes light up as I see the final design for the pretty pink dress. It’s Rica’s sixth birthday this weekend and I wanted to make sure she has the best birthday any little girl could have.
Am I going all out? Yes, yes, I am. Do I feel bad spending so much of the guys’ money on this? No. It’s their little sister and I know Ian is enjoying the planning of this party just as much as I am.
Maybe a part of me is living vicariously through this, projecting my own trauma of never having a birthday party and doing the exact opposite when it comes to how I’m planning this party.
Growing up, we didn’t have much money, maybe enough for one gift and a cake, possibly ordering some pizza. It was good enough for me, and I was grateful for what I got. Then I asked Rica if she ever had a party before, she shook her head no.
Julia, the bitch, just glared at me and told me there was no point in having a kids’ party in a place full of adults.
Well, we’re going to be changing that. She deserves it.
When we first met Rica, we thought she was around six, turns out she is only five, almost six. So, our guesses we’re close. Once I found out when her birthday was, I knew I had to make it the best one yet.
It’s been a little over a month since we got to St. Mary’s and every waking moment has been busy. When we’re not home sleeping, we’re at the compound working.
I’ve gotten all the kids new toys, clothes and anything else they could need. Ian and I even helped fix up their rooms, giving each of them a mini makeover.
The clubhouse repairs were done first, as well as removing the trash around the place. Now we’re working on fixing up the member’s homes and after that, building more.
It’s no longer the junkyard it once was and it’s looking like a real MC compound. At least according to what the photos on google showed me.
Nick has taken his role as president seriously, and so has Will. I’m proud of them, seeing them take charge and the changes they’re making, but I feel like I’ve hardly had any time with them.
Nick doesn’t even fight back anymore when I get snarky, looking too tired to care. Like, what the fuck? Where's the fun in that? I’m close to demanding they ask Kane for more help.
Rafe was patched in as an official member, as were the other prospects who were deemed worthy enough to stay part of the club.
It’s not quite where Kane wants it to be, but we’re getting there.
Not going to lie, I don’t get MC vibes when I’m there. It feels almost empty, which might have to do with the fact most of the men died alongside Killer.
All that was left were some kids, teenagers, really old men, and the women of the fallen men.
Having Kane’s men around helps, but I’ve been seeing more and more new faces coming around every week. The MC is starting to grow as well.
It’s a good thing, right? This is what Kane wanted.
But it wasn’t what Nick wanted. Okay, yes, he wants to rebuild everything so that the remaining people didn’t lose their homes, but I’ve heard how much the guys hated this life. They wanted to leave it, and they did.
Maybe this situation will give them a new perspective on MC life. Show them what it could have been like if a better person was in charge in the first place.
My life has changed, and I’d like to say it’s for the better. I love hanging out with the kids on the compound, and for the most part, the mothers have been willing to work with me and change to be better for their kids.
Julia is the only one putting in the bare minimum. Just enough to keep Kane from deeming her unfit and letting us take guardianship over Rica.
The guys haven’t really had much time to get to know her, too busy with club stuff. I want to change that, and maybe invite her over for sleepovers on the weekends.
As for my sex life... what sex life? I’m too tired by the time we get home to want to have my men. Since the guys were so engrossed in getting the club up and running, I decided to take suppressants to hold off my heats until we are at a better point in our lives.
I’m not going to lie, taking them has been amazing. Not having to worry about going into heat at any moment towards the end of the month, every fucking month, is nice.
If I could have afforded them back before I met the guys, I would have taken them regularly. Then maybe I wouldn’t have needed my ex and I could have saved myself a lot of time and money.
Speaking of my ex, I found out what the guys did. They didn’t kill him, but they did get him fired from his job and made it so that he couldn’t get another one.
I guess he moved in with my mom and she was taking care of him for a while. That was until she realized what a loser he is and went back to sleeping around with rich men.
How do I know all of this? The guys are keeping tabs on them, they have people back home watching them.
Whenever Ian has new information, he comes into the room like a giddy school girl dying to share the latest gossip. It’s pretty cute.
“I hope so.” Sofie, the designer smiles softly. “It was an honor to make it for her. And here.” She gives me an adorable pink bow. “To match.”
I smile. “Thank you.”
Once I pay, I head down the street of shops.
St. Mary’s didn’t have stores that offered what I needed for the party, so I took Will’s truck into Savannah to get everything.
Today has been amazing, and relaxing. No work, nothing to worry about. Just the fun of planning a little girl’s birthday party.
Ian wanted to be here with me, but he’s gotten more involved in the MC than he originally planned to, and has pretty much become the club’s treasurer.
Because they’re so busy, I’m home alone a lot. While I have Duchess and Petunia—the latter no longer hissing at me with disdain when I pick her up—it’s not the same. The house is too big, too quiet.
Ian has moved everything out of his room, and the place is officially mine. Still, nothing has changed because he spends every night in my room. They all do. Ian ended up ordering an Alaskan king size bed. It takes up most of the room, but I like that it’s not as open.
The next thing we’re working on is my nest. I have no idea what I want to do with it because back in my old place, I didn’t have the space for a real one.
The best I got was a corner of the room that I filled with blankets and pillows.
That's it. I want to make it perfect, that’s why I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I’m tired, physically drained, and honestly, done with all this MC stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. But also, I just want to take it easy for a while.
I don’t have to be at the compound, and Kane only gave me the order to make sure the kids had what they needed. Everything else I did on my own because I’d rather be at the compound and be useful, rather than sitting around at home doing nothing, alone.
In the past I’d have died to have so much free time on my hands, not needing to work twelve hour shifts for fuck-all in money.
I’m conflicted, okay? I’m a complicated woman.
Not wanting to carry around the dress and risk getting it ruined, I store it in the truck before heading down the street to grab a bite to eat and hit up the party store.
After I buy everything that is pink and purple that I can get my hands on, because they’re Rica’s favorite colors, as well as all the cat themed things I could find, which is Rica’s favorite animal, I head back to the truck.
As I walk down the street, I get this feeling someone is watching me.
Stopping, I look around, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.
That is, until I spot a black car across the street from me. Huh. I could have sworn I saw the same car outside the dress shop, too.
Picking up my pace, I start to speed walk.
My eyes flick over to see the car is now pulled away from the side of the road and is following after me. What the fuck?
Panic starts to set in, and I’m convinced that whoever is in that car is out to get me.
Why else would they be following me? Maybe it’s someone from the diner back home out to get revenge.
I shouldn’t have broken that man's nose a few months ago, but he put his hands on my ass! What else was I supposed to do? He vowed he would make me pay. I thought he meant medical bills, but maybe he’s come to take my life.
“Relax, Nova,” I mutter to myself. “You’re being paranoid.”
Deciding not to take a chance, I turn to the left, going down a back alley to take the long way around to the truck.
My heart pounds in my chest, body breaking into a nervous sweat. Every few seconds I look behind me, waiting to see if the person got out of their car and followed me.
As I get to the end of the alley, I start to relax. That is, until I round the corner, and a man steps out in front of me.
I scream, eyes widening. Reaching into one of my bags, I grab the first thing I can wrap my hand around and pull it out. I twist the confetti popper at him, sending a burst of glitter into his face.
“What the fuck!” he shouts as I run around him, taking off down the sidewalk. “Not today, motherfucker!” I scream. “I’m too pretty to die.”
My feet pound against the pavement, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I grab something else from the bag and frown when I see it’s a can of silly string. “How the fuck are you going to help me?” I growl, but a second later, a hand grabs my shoulder, pulling me to a stop and spinning me around.
I scream again, and lift the can up, spraying the silly string right in his eyes. “Take that, bitch!” I shout as he waves his hands in the air, trying to get me to stop.
When I’m out of string, I look at the can and panic before throwing it at the man too. It hits him in the forehead before clattering to the ground.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” he growls, his eyes filled with fury.
Yeah, time to go.
I turn around to run again, but the fucker grabs my arm before throwing me over his shoulder.
“Let me go!” I pound at his back. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”