Chapter 10LovelyMarx #2
I raise my brows, then direct my look to the two teens behind the counter. “Really?” I ask, my gaze swinging back to Kaia’s.
She leans closer to me, “Are you telling me there’s a threat to my babies and Leo is the reason?
Because if that’s the case I will cut his balls off with a rusty spoon.
It’s bad enough what he did, but endangering my babies with his life choices?
Oh hell no!” She hisses, her small body puffing up until she looks a few inches taller.
The door to the bathroom opens and she glares in that direction, stomping over to a man over a foot taller than she is.
“Ladies, and Pops, let’s give them a little space, OK?” Mad Dog says, trying to usher us out.
“Hey! We haven’t had our milkshakes!” Mira whines.
“I ordered them to go. I figured if Mad Dog didn’t ruin our fun, Marx would have.” Vi says, nodding at the older waitress that comes out with a tray of shakes for us in to-go cups.
“Fiiiiine,” Ana says, picking up each shake, checking the flavors on the side until she finds her one. “But I’m going to nominate Chewy to get the details outta Judge later. I’m invested in this now.
Chewy nods once, her straw in her mouth and she gulps down her shake, staring at me in much the same way toddlers do when they drink. Finally she pulls her mouth off the straw with a loud “aaaahhhhhhhhh.”
“You’re so weird sometimes,” Nat says, shaking her head.
“I’m the future buddy. One day there will be a whole world of neurodiverse people around, making the world a better place.”
“Come on world peace, let’s get home before our men come drag our asses outta here,” Blanche says.
We all file through the door as a dark-haired man about to enter holds it open for us.
I’m not sure what it is about him but I get a weird feeling in my stomach, a clenching replaced by a flutter.
My steps hesitate so I turn to look over my shoulder, and I know I’m not the only one who feels it.
Chewy has her eyes narrowed and Nat and Vi are on high alert.
Mad Dog stands over the man as he exits.
By the time I turn to look forward, Pops is by my side.
“Keep walking girl, and if anything feels off, you run, got it?” I nod, as do the women who overheard his instruction.
We move to walk past the alley that leads to the back of the diner, our SUV just on the other side of it when Pops gets tugged into the alley. A click pierces the air and I freeze in horror, Pops with a gun to his head.
Three more men come out of the shadows of the alley and suddenly the creepy guy from the diner is behind us, a gun in his hand.
There are five of them and ten of us. Mad Dog already has his gun trained on the guy at our backs, and we all stand stock still, staring from each other to the men sent here to do us harm.
“Ugh, so predictable,” Mira sighs, sucking on her straw, making an awful noise.
“And boring,” Chewy adds before she hurls her milkshake at the man with the gun trained on Pops.
It hits Pops’ shoulder, exploding all over him, and more importantly, all over the glasses of the man behind him rendering him blind.
Everyone freezes and then a flurry of milkshake is flying through the air, covering whoever the heck these dudes are.
One of them yells out, red spreading over his jeans where a knife is protruding from his thigh.
“Where the hell did that knife come from!?” Vi yells, pepper spraying the man closest to her.
“From my butt!” Chewy yells with glee, turning to show us the back of her leggings. Inside the waistband at the back she has half a dozen knives nestled back there.
“Jesus Christ,” Mad Dog growls, before he coldcocks the guy in front of him who was momentarily distracted by Chewy’s butt knives.
“You should see my pussy knives,” She spins and thrusts her pelvis forward. Very clearly the outline of a small dagger can be seen in the front of her leggings.
I stare wide-eyed and then decide I need to get in on this.
I have a small switchblade my brother Chris gave me before I left the farm.
It’s not much, but I know how to wield a knife as well as I can wield a gun.
The Keep was paranoid we’d be attacked at any moment, so men, women and children were all taught to defend themselves.
I imagine when you brainwash someone enough you think they’ll never turn those skills on you. Until Blanche turned up.
“ Oh, entonces sois unas chicas duras ,” one of them sneers.
“Yeah, we are tough ladies. Come get it, pendejo ,” Vi hisses back.
Looking around I almost laugh at the sight.
One guy is on the ground thanks to Mad Dog, there are four covered in shakes of various flavors, and every member of the girl gang, including Pops, is holding a weapon.
From my quick glance I saw knives, pepper spray, a small handgun and even knuckle dusters.
“In the words of the great Shania Twain, let’s go girls!”
Marx
“So, what are we meeting about?” I ask, eyeing the Landry brothers sitting across the dining table from me.
They share a look, before Vic clears his throat. “We like what you’ve got going here and we want to set up something similar in Louisiana.”
I stare them down. I’ve never once thought to set up a chapter anywhere other than here. Devil’s Rose MC is part of Rose Grove. Always has been, and I thought it always would be.
“We’ve discussed it between us, and we know you’d never open a chapter without us patching in so Dom and Chris will prospect first, and I’ll run shit back home. If, or once they’re in, they’ll go home and I’ll prospect,” Vic continues.
I run a hand down my face. It’s a good idea.
A fucking good idea. Each of these men have shown their mettle, and time after time have driven the hours to help us out, no questions asked.
I mean, it would be better if they stopped fucking bringing gators with them, but thats more a quirk of personality than anything else.
I stare them down, one by one, and not one of them flinches.
I can’t help but think how loyal these men must be.
Their sister took a bullet for me and not once in the hospital did they give me the beat down I knew I deserved.
“You’re willing to patch in even though your sisters have been put in danger because of the DRMC?”
Chris waves a hand at me, “Our sisters were in danger in the loving christian environment we grew up in. They’re in danger every time they cross the damn road. Besides, even if we didn’t like the lifestyle you live they wouldn’t give a shit either way.”
“They’re not as helpless as you think, man.” Dom continues. “I know you look at Lovely like this fragile baby deer or some shit, but that one, she’s the one you have to worry about, not Blanche.”
Vic nods his agreement, “Blanche has an explosive temper and has always bucked the rules. We knew that she was going to be the one to bring about the downfall of the Keep. But Lovely, she lasted longer in there than any of us did. She’s seen some shit and probably done some shit that would have any other person spiralling.
Instead, she has a way about her that galvanizes people together. ”
I can feel my brow raising. “And you think that somehow makes her more dangerous than Blanche?”
“Fuck yeah. Lovely brings out the best in people, she bands them together, makes them feel a part of something. You must have seen it?”
He’s right. I have seen it. Fuck, Mad Dog was here for five minutes and saw it.
Lovely’s manner, the way she treats people has them eating out of the palm of her hand.
Not in a manipulative way, never that. It’s just that Lovely sees them.
Their hopes, fears, dreams. She listens, she helps, she nurtures, she has their backs. And in turn, they have hers.
Vic snorts, “Now he gets it.”
Dom holds my gaze. “Men like you lead. Women like Lovely have people going to war for the greater good. Imagine what you could do together.”
I open my mouth to answer but the vibrating of my phone on the table interrupts me. The screen flashes with Mad Dog’s name and the letters SOS. Fuck! He’s on girl gang watch.
“Shit. Something’s going down.”
“We’re in,” Vic nods and then follows me through the house and out the door.
Their SUV doors slam moments before the roar of my bike downs out any other sound.
The women are in town, my woman is in town, and they need us.
I crank the throttle and get lower, hoping that aerodynamics or some shit gets me there faster.
I’m pushing my sled to her limits almost, but there’s an urgency rushing through my blood, pumping me to go faster, faster, faster.
I pull up at the alley Mad Dog said they were at, only turning when a loud rumble breaks through my panic. The Landrys and my brothers are all at my back. I’ll thank them later, for now I need to get my eyes on my woman.
Pulling my piece I walk along the alley wall, back to it so as not to draw any gunfire. Although there isn’t any of that. But there is a distinct sound, sort of similar to a wet dishcloth hitting the floor.
“I think you should give him a smiley face,” Mira’s voice drifts down the alley.
“What the fuck?” Tank whispers, coming to stand beside me.
Soon I’m flanked by the Ol Men, staring at the scene near the back of the alley.
Mad Dog is leaning against a trash can, arms folded, long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle. Pops is hovering over Lovely and Chewy and the body of some greasy looking guy.
“No! Do a cock and balls!” Vi cackles, the other women joining her.
“Oh, good idea!” Lovely’s voice rings out. She sounds light, like she’s been having fun all afternoon.
I storm up to my father, wanting to know what the fuck is going on. “What the hell Mad Dog?” I wave at the women, all oohing and aahing over whatever is happening to that guy’s chest.