CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
-:- MAV -:-
Who would have thought on a Monday morning I’d be sporting a split lip and a sore jaw? Garth is not holding back with this sparring and I’ve got to speed up my dodging maneuvers or I’m going to end up black and blue.
“Come on, Mav, concentrate,” Garth smirks as he jabs for my face once more. “Get your hands up…look forward…tuck in your chin.”
I’m following his instructions and dodging as best I can, but he needs to know that when it’s my turn to go on the attack, I’m gonna do it with as much gusto as I can muster.
Knuckles and Colton are standing on one side of the area where we are sparring. We are using the space we use on Sundays for training with the Ol’ Ladies. Thankfully, most of the brothers are at work and not watching this shit show go down.
“Watch my face,” I snarl. “I’m trying to stay pretty to get my woman. The last thing I need is to turn up with a black eye.” Garth smirks, then chuckles, and if he smirks one more damn time, I’m really gonna pummel his ass into the ground.
“You have an ugly mug, so it’s not going to be pretty at any time of the day or night,” Garth replies, and that’s it, I’ve had enough.
I go on the attack, and swing one, two, dodge, drop one leg to a knee, sweep out his legs with the other and wham, he goes down and I’m on him before he can recover.
Before I can punch him over three times, Knuckles is grabbing one of my arms and Colton the other. “That’s enough, lover boy. Hannah wants her man back tonight in one piece,” Knuckles laughs.
“You did well, Mav. But you have to stay alert, keep your eye on the man. You are not as zeroed in on your target as you need to be. These fuckers are not playing. They want to murder anyone that walks into that damn cage. Remember, it’s not a ring anymore, it’s a fucking cage that they lock you into until one of you is not breathing anymore.” Garth is giving me a look that says he’s worried I’m not ready for my fight.
“When are you going to become a brother, Garth? It’s time. You know that, don’t you?” Yeah, I’m being an asshole asking this while we are busy here.
Garth stands looking at me with a serious expression on his face, before looking at Knuckles and Colton. “If I become a brother, do I stay as I am, working doors and having time with Hannah?”
“Yeah. We are not at war with other clubs. We don’t run dirty shit, or get involved in anything we shouldn’t. We don’t need to do any of that as we have our own businesses and they are all earning a profit and giving us all a good living.” I stand with my hands on my thighs, looking up at Garth as I catch my breath.
“Okay, put my name forward and see if the other brothers want me in. I like the brotherhood I’ve seen, and I miss that, as most of you will relate. I want to spend time with Hannah, make a family with her, but also need a purpose in the day-to-day of things.” Garth at last is giving us an insight into how he feels.
“We all roll from TJs to Club Whisky, and run any kind of body-guarding shit we need.”
"Like you going to kindergarten, you mean?" Garth laughs.
"Yeah, just like that." Colton steps forward grinning right before launching himself forward, and wrapping an arm around Garth’s neck, trying to take him down. But, Garth flips him and has him down on his back, arm across his neck and tut-tutting at him. “Fuck’s sake, Garth, you gotta teach me some of these moves.”
Knuckles shakes his head before walking toward the clubhouse, shouting over his shoulder, “It’s lunchtime.”
You can bet we all scamper to the kitchen because we all saw Meat prepping his ribs this morning, and he’s going to be giving them out as a lunchtime treat, I’m sure.
Sitting in the kitchen, the table has a large plate of ribs in the center and we four are all grabbing one after another. Maybe Meat is a menace around here at times, but I’d suffer him anytime, just for the fact he can cook better than anyone else I know.
I take a chunk of the crusty bread that the Three Stooges made early this morning, and bite down, enjoying the butter that is slathered on the top. Who would know that ribs and fresh bread could taste so damn good!
“Meat, do you have any spare that I can take for Hannah? She would love to try these. She does ribs for me regularly but they never taste as good as this. But don’t tell her I said that,” Garth gives Meat a beseeching look. We all know Meat is a sucker for the women so he’s easily going to give some ribs to Garth.
Meat quickly takes a container out of a cabinet and places ribs inside. Snapping it closed, he walks over and hands it to Garth, giving him a grunt before walking back behind the kitchen island and continuing with what he was doing.
Colton tries his luck next, which has everyone in the kitchen watching. “Hey, Meat, do you have any spare ribs that I can take to my room and munch on later while I watch a movie?”
Meat slowly lifts his head, looks Colton right in the eye and flips him the middle finger. That is enough for everyone to bust out laughing and watch Colton pretending to have hurt feelings.
My mind wanders over to the Three Stooges who are sitting with Mia. Summer is sleeping in Amelia’s arms while Mia eats lunch. But Bitty has everyone’s attention when she states, loudly I might add, “Blake thinks this is a cult.”
Colton splutters and chokes on his mouthful of ribs. Knuckles, who has Jo tucked under his arm, is frowning, so no dimple popping at the moment. Me, I’m frowning too and thinking, what the hell is she talking about.
Mia takes up the conversation. “What do you mean, she thinks this is a cult?”
“Blake thinks with everyone wearing the same clothing, you know, with the club emblazoned on that you are a cult. She knows it is a biker club, but doesn’t understand what that is. So, to her, it’s a cult.” Bitty grins.
“Fuckin’ hell, you are in for it, Mav, if she thinks we are a cult. I hope she doesn’t start thinking we are like the Mansons,” Colton chuckles.
“I’ll put her straight. I don’t want a misunderstanding about what we are and what we do. Fuckin’ hell, that’s all we need, isn’t it, if she thinks we are a cult?” I give Bitty a sharp look.
“Oh, I’ll sort her out, don’t you worry, Mav. But it was so funny at the time all I could do was laugh.” Bitty takes Summer and walks out of the kitchen, but she’s giggling under her breath the whole time.
A while later I’m passing the kid's room and I hear Mia speaking about the girl-gang, and knowing how she likes to rope them into doing stuff they shouldn’t, I wait to see what’s being said.
“The meeting was okay, but the girls said no to any more bullshit at this time. As if I get into bullshit? You know that I only do what I think is right. But we had a vote that we would always be democratic, so we voted on helping get Yax out the house, before you got her out that is Bitty, and they voted to stay out of it and let the brothers sort it out, if Mav wanted them to.”
Grinning as I hear Mia talking because anyone listening can hear how disappointed she is to not get involved in any shenanigans that are afoot.
Bitty speaks out, “Well, she is out now, and that man she had took off with the boy. Turned out the boy was his, so he did what was right and took him to give him a better life, away from that awful woman. We need to run her out of town, or take her to Nell’s.”
Shit…That was not the right thing to say, and quick as a whip, Mia takes it up. “Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll speak to Nell because I want her to join the girl-gang and she’ll need a bike or trike. I’ll get Mav to take me over.”
Damn, fuck, shit, and double-damn, I’m outta here. This is something that can only lead to trouble, and I need to warn Axel what his Ol’ Lady is planning.
After informing Axel, I can see he’s mulling over what he wants to do. I leave him with Wings, Buzz and Drag in the office as I head to the common room. Taking a seat, I unlock my phone and send a text.
Mav: Hey, beautiful, you having a good day?
I know it’s lunch break for Blake at the moment, so I’m hoping she’ll reply.
Blake: Yeah, all is good at the shop. You having a good day?
Mav: I am now.
Blake: Aw, you are such a sweetie.
Mav: Hey, I’m not a sweetie, and don’t be spreading that rumor [grinning emoji]
Blake: Yes, you are, and it’s why I like you so much.
Mav: Oh, you like me a lot?
Blake: Yeah, I do. But I’m worried about you being in a cult.
Mav: I’ll come over tonight and explain about the club. We are not a cult and I don’t want you thinking or worrying about that.
Blake: Oh, okay. Do you want to eat with me?
Mav: Yeah, but I’ll bring it with me so don’t bother making anything for us. I’ll raid Meat’s evening meal for us.
Blake: OK. I’ve gotta run now. CU later [heart emoji]
Oh, my, Blake sent me a heart emoji…that’s damn cool, and I send her one right back. I’m thinking we are along the right lines here and I want to make her mine, but I don’t want to scare the shit out of her by making my move too soon.
The Three Stooges walk past me and through to the kitchen. Mia takes Summer to the play corner of the common room and places her in a stroller that Jig had made for her and she tucks her up tight before pushing her out the front door of the clubhouse. I’m sure she’ll not get far before Colton follows her either up the compound or out the front gate.
I head to the kitchen where I’m going to ask Meat about putting me up two meals to take to Blake’s house tonight. But, he’s not in the kitchen and neither are the Stooges. Shit, where are they now? They passed me only a minute ago!
Walking through the kitchen and out the back door, I see Garth leaning against the wall watching something intently, with Wings at the side of him. Now, I didn’t see Wings pass me in the common room, but then I wasn’t paying attention, as I had my eyes on my text messages.
“What are you two doing?” I can’t hold back my curiosity.
Garth responds as Wings places the palm of one hand over his mouth, "Well, those three old biddies took up to the treehouse with Meat. You know he teaches all sorts of shit to the women?”
“Yeah, I know that,” I respond, wondering where this is going.
“Well, he has Sybil zip lining, Amelia walking over the gangplank as I call it to the second treehouse, and Bitty, for some reason, is hanging upside down from the side of the treehouse. But I wish she wasn’t because I’m not sure if I should bleach my eyeballs or vomit at the sight of her bloomers.” Garth turns and walks into the kitchen of the clubhouse just as Wings hoots with laughter before following.
Slowly turning my head toward the treehouse, I see the same as they described. Sybil is at the bottom of the zip line, obviously getting ready to run back for another attempt. Amelia is now at the second treehouse, which I think is going to be an enforced nursery, and I mean locked down tight so the kids can’t escape. Good luck with that if the twins are involved, is my thinking. But Bitty, now that has me quickly turning my back and storming into the kitchen.
“FUCK… I didn’t need to see that, where is the bleach…” I holler much to Wings’ amusement. Garth, however, is standing with his hand over his eyes mumbling, ‘ I can still see it .’