Chapter 15LovelyMarx
Lovely
B y the time Bee and I wake, Marx’s side of the bed is cold. I feel a slight pinch in my chest until I check my watch and realize that it’s well past ten in the morning. Bee makes grumbling noises and I know she must be starving, but this little girl has never been an early-to-rise type of kid.
“Come on, little Bee, let’s get you some brunch,” I smile down at her, running my hand over her thick, dark hair.
Every now and then I’m amazed at how much she looks like Blanche’s kids, but then I remember that they all have the same father, even if Sage, Cove and Elio’s mothers are different.
The Landry genes are damn strong. I suppose at some stage we should be worried about them having issues, given they’re all related in more than one way.
Maybe I’ll ask Chewy about it. She would know. Heck, Elio probably does too.
“Mark?” Bee asks, pointing to where Marx slept last night.
“He’s gone to work, and we should too. Come on lazy bones!”
I let Bee bounce around on the bed as I get dressed.
Usually I’m in one of my brothers’ oversized flannel shirts and jeans, but today I decide to put on a pretty purple tank top I bought when I went shopping with the Girl Gang one time.
I have lots of prettier things than what I normally wear, it’s just that I never felt the need to wear anything different.
Now though, I think it is time to try something new.
It’s warm out but not warm enough to only wear a tank with jeans, so I throw the flannel over it and leave it unbuttoned.
I’ve seen Nat wear the same type of thing and it makes her look effortlessly cool.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I decide to try and do a messy bun look.
Normally I leave my hair long, or in a single braid, but not today!
Today is a good day. I slept all night with a man and I didn’t wake up in a cold sweat.
In fact, it’s the first time I’d ever just slept with a man.
I feel triumphant and strong and I want to celebrate with a new look.
“Mommy pretty!” Bee coos from the bed.
I rush toward her with tickle fingers, attacking her sides before I scoop her up carefully with my good arm, and my heart flutters when she throws her head back, messy hair and all and lets out a loud squeal.
She really is the cutest little girl and the light of my life.
Although I guess there are lots of little lights around my life now.
I set her in her little booster at the island and prepare her favorite breakfast - oats and strawberries.
It’s a good nutritious breakfast and something I ate everyday as a child.
Not all the memories I have of the Keep are terrible.
In fact, up until I was a teenager my life was pretty idyllic.
Kids at the Keep got to have childhoods, playing outside, entertaining themselves, good food that was grown by the men and women of the Keep.
We were healthy and thriving. It’s just as you got older and pulled back the curtain you realized things weren’t all as they appeared.
A quiet knock pulls me away from watching Bee demolish her breakfast, so I check to make sure she’s all secure before moving the short distance to my front door and opening it to find Kaia on the other side.
“Good morning! How are you?” I ask her, turning back to Bee and gesturing that she follow me.
“Um, I’m good.” She stands awkwardly at the edge of the counter, before she drops her wringing hands and clenches them. “Actually, no, I’m not.”
I hesitate for a moment, not sure what to say, but thankfully, Kaia carries on her train of thought.
“Look, I’m not an idiot, I know that what the DRMC gets up to isn’t always above board.
I’ve done my research, and I know that while you guys do good stuff, charity and things, you also do bad stuff to keep people in Rose Grove safe.
” I nod my head. I don’t interject because she seems to be talking through whatever it is that’s upset her.
“The twins and I, we heard a snippet of the bad last night. I was looking out the window and saw Leo, um, Judge leaving that barn out the back, and the scream, I could hear it from the trailer.”
I reach out and lay my hand on hers. “Kaia, sometime-”
“It made me mad.”
“Huh?”
She flicks her blue gaze to mine, “It pissed me off. Everyone got to go down there and beat on the men that threatened us. He had bullets with my babies names on them. I wanted to be there with you and I felt, I felt, like an outsider.” She raises her eyes to look at me and all I can see is doubt and sadness.
She swipes a tear away, “It’s OK, I mean I’m used to it, it’s just -”
“You’ve been alone with the twins for a long time, haven’t you?”
Kaia drops her head, nodding, letting out a huff.
“After we left town it was just me and my dad. Then the twins came along and it was just the four of us. I had a boyfriend, well, a failed relationship, and ugh, I never wanted to be put in that position ever again.” She looks wistfully out the window, where I can see the twins are hovering just outside my cabin.
She doesn’t say it in as many words, but I know that this woman has been through the wringer.
“Kaia, the DRMC is a family. I know this situation isn’t the best way for Judge to get to know the twins, but trust me, those kids belong to Judge, and they and you, belong to DRMC now.
No matter what happens. Last night was something that doesn’t happen a lot,” I try to hide my smirk, “and you’re new at this. So, give it time.”
She nods, sniffing, “OK, I was just really pissed and wanted to get a few licks in, you know?” she peeks at me and I can’t help but laugh.
“Oh, you’re gonna fit in perfectly! Hey, come back tonight after dinner. I’ll get all the girls together and we’ll watch a movie. What do you say?”
She makes out like she’s thinking for a moment. “I’ll see you then.”
Marx
“So, we’re in agreement?” I raise my brow, looking around the table at my MC.
The women have sat this Church out, preferring to get together for a movie.
It seems after dealing with the men in Pops’ Office, they’re quite happy to leave the cartel up to us.
I was surprised, and any other time I’d be suspicious of their motives, but at this point they haven’t given me any reason to doubt what they’re up to.
Still, I’ll have Mad Dog keep an eye on them.
And Pops as well, seeing as he’s with the women somewhere.
My men and the Landrys nod. Roman sits smirking in the corner but I’m choosing to ignore him.
He’s offered to help provide backup and all clean up services, so as long as he keeps his word and doesn’t get in the way, then I’ll leave him to it.
The quicker we can get this business over and done with, the better as far as I’m concerned.
“Our second piece of business I wanted to discuss involves the Landrys. They’ve come to us to ask to start a chapter of the DRMC in Louisiana.” My men all trade glances. Some are nodding, others like Rider and Flack have smiles on their faces.
“What about prospecting?” Dex asks, “Those of us who patched over from Death Riders never prospected. The Landrys, as with the Tombs, have had our back through a lot of shit.”
Everyone makes noises in agreement, only stopping when I thump the wall. “I don’t disagree. However, prospecting is an integral part of joining an MC.”
“What about an expedited prospect phase? Instead of a full year, they do, say six months for the Landrys, less for the Tombs. They’ve been here since before the Death Riders,” Tank offers.
Brothers are nodding, chatting amongst themselves and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.
My club is about to grow by six if we all vote to have the Landrys and the two Tombs who aren’t already members.
On one hand it’s fucking great, having that sheer number of men all wanting to band together to keep people safe.
On the other hand, that’s another six men for me to worry about.
The pros outweigh the cons and I’m sure with Lovely by my side I can handle fucking anything life throws at me, including an almost 20 strong club.
“All those in favor?” The vote amongst patched members is unanimous and like they stated to me, the Landrys make it known that Chris and Dom will prospect here first, then they’ll swap out for Vic once patched.
I close Church and take a seat on the porch swing outside, my boot pushing off the wooden deck, rocking me gently.
“Fucking hell brother, who would have thought when dad and his cronies set up the DRMC it’d grow this big? A Louisiana chapter? Fucking wild,” Rhodie snorts, shaking his head as he leans against the railing, facing me.
“Fuck I know brother. I mean, who would have thought we’d also be torturing fucking cartel members in our spare time as well?”
Rhodie barks out a laugh. “If it makes you feel better, we don’t do any torturing.”
“You’re right. We leave that up to your woman and her elderly grandfather,” I snort.
“No two better people to do it,” he grins, his teeth white in the dimming light. “You feeling OK about what we’re about to do?”
“As usual Chewy’s plan is foolproof. Fuck, why am I even the Pres? We should just give it to Chewy and be done with it.”
My brother chuckles at the thought. “Look, Chewy is fucking good at all sorts of shit, but you’re the Pres because it’s more than just leading us into shit.
Or getting us out of shit. Don’t think I don’t see how much you counsel the brothers.
How many nights you’ve spent helping us sort through our bullshit.
Fuck, half the men here were broken when they joined.
You’re the one that gave them something to aim for.
Can you fucking imagine Chewy having to talk through someone’s feelings? ”
“Shit, Rhodie, I’d pay to see that,” I laugh. It feels good to laugh, to blow away the fucking doom and gloom of what we’re about to do.
“So, brother,” Rhodie pauses.
“Yes, brother?”
“You know that in two days’ time we could be riding to our fucking deaths, right? We may not all make it back in one piece.”
I scrub a hand down my face, “Yeah.”
“Have you thought about what that would do to Lovely?”
My jaw ticks, because I have thought about it.
I’ve thought a fucking lot about it. On one hand I should leave her alone until all of this is done.
On the other hand, for selfish reasons, I want to spend an evening with her just being together.
We don’t even need to kiss or touch, I just want to be in her orbit, soaking up the goodness one last time, just in case.
“Word from the wise?”
“Is that you?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
“Don’t wait, brother. If you want to take her on a date or something like that, then do it. Nothing in this life is guaranteed. You have to grab the sweet moments whenever you can, cos you never know when it’ll turn sour.”
With that he slaps me on the shoulder, giving it a squeeze before sauntering off. He’s right, I know he is. There’s also some part of me that thinks if I take all I can with Lovely before I go, then I’ll fight harder to come home to her and Bee.
“So, we putting together a date?”
“Where the fuck did you come from?”
“Eh, its my house,” Pops shrugs. “I can be wherever the fuck I want to be.”
I stare at him for a moment, before letting him win this one. “Yes. We’re going to put together a date. Is there a nice place around here where we can picnic or something? I don’t want to take her to town just yet, it’s too fucking dangerous.”
“Let me ask the kids.”
Before I can ask what the hell that means he takes off like his ass is on fire, back to Lovely’s cabin and the Girl Gang.
“What the fuck have I gotten myself into?” I mutter to myself.
I kick at the floorboards again, getting the sway going, thinking about all the shit that needs to happen, and in what order so we can all get home safe. I’m not willing to risk anyone. I almost fucking lost Fox and Lovely, I can’t have anyone else on my conscience.