Chapter 11LovelyMarxPops #3
I turn to make my way back to the living room to get Lovely, and a notepad on the desk catches my eye.
I know I shouldn’t snoop but clearly my feet don’t get the memo as with two long strides I’m at her modest desk staring down at myself.
Flipping the page I’m met with a pencil drawing of Flack.
I flip through pages, one by one, every page has an absolute masterpiece on it.
Chewy in full Rev Room glory, the funny grin she gets on her face frozen in time and captured perfectly.
Mad Dog leaning against the bar of the clubhouse, smiling at someone just out of view.
I turn back to the first page I saw, the one where she captured my likeness.
Never in my life have I seen myself portrayed this way.
I’m frowning, lips turned down and yet there is determination, grit in my gaze.
There’s a hardness about me, almost a cruelty that I’ve never noticed or seen before.
Running a hand down my face I curse myself.
I’ve spent a wonderful evening with a wonderful woman, a woman I want to make mine, but I’m a fucking monster.
This portrait shows in great detail exactly what Lovely sees when she looks at me.
“That’s from the day TumTum was shot. You were so mad, raging at the world and how to get revenge.”
I clear my throat, “It was the day I said some shit you didn’t deserve too. Actually, I say a lot of shit you don’t deserve. I can see why you see me like this. A cruel, hard fucker.” I run a finger down the picture once more. No matter the subject, her work is breathtaking.
“That’s not true.” Her soft voice reaches my ears.
“I see you in lots of different ways. Do you say mean stuff sometimes? Yeah, you do.” Somehow hearing from her sweet lips the shit I said affects her makes me wince.
“But I know those moments are moments where you have the world on your shoulders, pressing down on you. You’re not a cruel man, Marx.
Trust me, I know cruel men. You’re just a man trying to keep his family safe who sometimes says shitty things.
” My head snaps up at the curse word coming from Lovely’s lips, an impish grin on her face. “Turn the page.”
“Huh?” I grunt, unsure why she wants me to see Flack’s picture.
“Not that way, the other way.” She rolls her eyes at me.
I flip to the next page in the book, unaware that there were more.
I blink once, then twice. Staring back at me is another version of me.
This one is softer, kinder. The type of man I wish I was more often.
This one has a slight quirk to his lips, as if about to smile.
There’s a lightness there that I don’t recognize.
“Is this the version of me I should be? All happy and shit?” I ask, not able to tear my eyes away.
“Nope. That’s the version of you I’ve seen the past two days.
Briefly.” she adds. “That’s how you look when you’re helping with Bee.
She really is good at making your heart feel happy, huh?
” She moves slightly closer, beaming up at me.
“She saved me, Marx. She saves me every day. I can put up with anything as long as I know I have her with me and I’m keeping her safe. ”
“I’ll keep you both safe.” I vow, my throat tight with emotion. For how Lovely sees all the facets of me. For the guilt I feel for the way I treated her. For her shitty past and the battles she faces every day. For the things we’ve lost.
“And I’ll do the same for you, Marx.” She beams at me before a giant yawn takes over her face.
“OK, that’s enough heart to heart stuff, let’s get you into bed.” She laughs but does exactly what I say, climbing into her side of the bed, lying on her side, hands tucked under her cheek.
“Marx?”
“Hmm?” I grunt, moving toward the door.
“Can you do me a favor?” I nod once, knowing I’d do anything this woman asked of me.
“Please check on Sniper? I know he put on a show earlier today, but he’s more sensitive than we think.
Hurting his brother is going to take a toll on him.
I just don’t think he should be dealing with this on his own. Promise me you’ll check on him?”
Even if she hadn’t asked, that’s exactly where I planned on heading.
My MC brother is hurting, and I need to make it right.
The fact Lovely could see it too and wants Sniper to be comforted makes me want to blurt out the words that have been filling my chest since the day I thought I lost her.
Instead, I look into her deep brown eyes and I say exactly what I think she wants to hear.
“As you wish.”
Pops
“Why are you being creepy?”
“I’m not being creepy.”
“Ah, yes you are. Come on, Sid, stop spying on them!” I swiftly push my hips back, effectively dodging Debs’ backhand to the gut. Instead she winds up and slaps me on my protruding ass.
“Oh, do that again,”
She rolls her eyes and snorts, then slaps me again. “Why did I agree to marry you again?”
“Because I’m romantic, thoughtful, have a decent sized dick with good recovery and I have a very skilled tongue.”
“Sid!”
I snort and then go back to standing at the window with my binoculars.
“Can’t you just leave them be? They’ll sort this out in their own time.” Debs says from somewhere behind me, most likely getting things ready for tomorrow’s breakfast.
“Look, if I thought the kid could pull this off himself I’d leave him to it. But it turns out Marx is way dumber than he looks.”
“That’s my kid you’re talking about.”
I jump at the sound of Mad Dog’s voice over my shoulder.
“Holy shit! How the hell does a bastard as big as you move so silently? It’s fucking dangerous. It’ll give me a heart attack one day,” I bitch.
No one gives a shit. Debs chuckles and Mad Dog ignores me, moving to steal a muffin off the cooling tray. My woman swats him away before he can get his mitts on them and I can’t help but give him a shit eating grin. She let me have one.
“How are they doing over there?”
“Not you too!” Debs exclaims, throwing her hands in the air.
“Yeah, me too. I don’t want to think I made dumb kids -”
“Debatable,” I mumble
“But shit, Marx just can’t stop saying dumb shit. That little lady is perfect for him and the MC as the Pres’ Ol Lady, but he fucked it all up and now he has to do the hard yards to win her over. So, how’s he doing?”
“Well, they watched The Princess Bride. Lovely and Bee fell asleep, your boy put Bee to bed and then seemed to be snooping around Lovely’s room, so we should have a word to him about other people’s privacy.
” Debs’ brows fly to her hairline but I ignore the look she gives me.
“Then they had a conversation and I know he must have seen her drawings. She’s fucking talented, that one.
Anyway, he’s just tucked her into bed and now he seems to be heading toward my office. ”
“Good. That sounds like he didn’t fuck things up at least.”
“Nope. I think he might be learning.”
“Well, I mean, I am his father. I’ve been known to woo women in my time.”
“Oh please, this is all because of my guidance as The Love Pres.” We glare at each other and I know I should quit while I’m ahead. The last thing I need is Vi to bring her sister’s kids here to do another pose off. I need to never see that Rodney fucker for as long as I live.
“And what kind of advice is The Love Pres actually handing out, hmm?” Debs asks, leaning against the counter, arms folded.
“That he needs to find out what she likes. Namely, whether she’s an explosions kinda gal. Once we know that, we can move on to phase two of ‘Dumbass Woos An Angel.”
“That actually sounds like pretty solid advice,” Mad Dog says, agreeing with me. We share a mutually respectful look, then nod at each other.
Debs throws her hands in the air. “Leave the kids alone. They’ll make it in their own time.”
“No, I’m with Sid, they definitely won’t. They need outside intervention. I’m old as dirt and need to see my boys happy and thriving. I could go at any time.”
“I damn well knew you were diabetic.” I point in his direction.
“I’m not fucking diabetic!”
“You’re not as old as me and you’re talking like you’re going to die at any minute. You’re also a big bastard, so ergo, diabetes. Or heart disease. Stroke.”
“I’m a big bastard because I workout you little shit!”
“Enough!” Our heads snap to Debs who has her angry eyes on and a spatula in her hand. “Out! I have no time to listen to old men arguing. Get out! Shoo, scram, get outta here, piss off!”
I look at Mad Dog and we both high tail it out of the kitchen, chased out by a little woman with a dish towel over her shoulder.
“She’s magnificent.”
“Hell yeah she is. I’m a lucky fucker.” And a horny fucker. Debs all wild like that always gets my motor revving.
I’ll leave her to cool off for a moment, and then I’ll kiss her and make it all better. Yeah, The Love Pres with another winning plan.