39. Paige
Jessica puts down a box of ammo on her tray, newly opened, and looks ready to go through all of it. At the next spot over, I'm not quite as ambitious, but Bonnie gave me enough to keep me busy for a bit. And over on the other side, Bonnie's is very, very firmly taking Anne through her points of gun safety, one after another, not even letting her pick up the .22 in front of her until she has repeated everything back to her verbatim.
The shooting date with all three of us—plus Anne, it turned out—that Bonnie suggested is finally a reality. Fresh targets are up, and we're making them pay, one bullet at a time.
Well, Jessica is. She's obviously a lot more practiced at this than I am. I’m happy to lightly tickle their edges most of the time.
But I'm getting better.
“Hah! Got it!” Anne fires her first couple of shots, and of course hers are both inside the target.
“Nice job!”
I really like her, and it’s obvious Anne loves Jessica like a sister, and Bonnie is her surrogate mom. I’ve heard some of the story from Jessica, and it sounds pretty crazy. Apparently they all decided that an MC isn’t a great place for a thirteen year old girl to live full time, so she stays at a boarding school part of the week and is only at the club on the weekends.
Meanwhile, Jessica fires a six shot series that are all within the head of the target figure. Remind me never to get her mad at me.
I picture Stefano Fabbri on the wall instead and squeeze the trigger. Boom. Right between the eyes. Maybe I just need the right motivation. I'm having fun though.
An hour later, we're out of ammo, our ears are ringing and the targets are more shreds than paper. It's a good time to pack up.
“So,” Bonnie says, as we make sure the guns are unloaded before packing them away. It's gotten cooler in the air now that fall is on the way, and she's wearing her leather jacket with her name on it, and the patch under it that reads, Boss bitch . “Now that you're an old lady like us, how's it feel? Sick of your men yet? If you decide to ditch them, I'll make up the spare room.”
“Hey, that's my room,” Anne snaps.
“If a friend needs a port in a storm, you always open your doors. Right?” She pulls Anne in and gives her a side hug. “Right?”
“Yeah, okay.” Then she looks over at me with a serious expression. “Just no messing with my stuff, okay?”
I laugh. “Fine, fine. But no, it's all good. I've been making the rounds between their rooms while we try to figure out the best setup, but Savage was telling me about properties they’ve picked up between the compound and the river, so once houses start getting renovated, we'll probably move out there.”
“We'll be neighbors,” Jessica says with a smile. “I’m really looking forward to having more room, too. It’s ok in Ghost’s quarters, but it’s not exactly a house. Hey, maybe we can combine our yards for more space!”
I laugh. “We'll figure it out. I don’t really have a green thumb.”
“Alright, everyone up to my place,” Bonnie says as she gathers the guns in their cases and sets a course back towards her upstairs apartment in the old rectory.
“Why? Something going on?” Jessica hurries after, followed by Anne. I'm just about to follow, when the guys come across the grass, looking for me.
“Hey,” I say with a smile as Crank sweeps me up in his arms and gives me the requisite hello kiss. Then Poe. Then Savage. They go easy on me today, which means I can still walk on my own.
“Should we start watching our backs?” Poe asks with a grin.
“Nah, watch out for about six inches to the right of your back.” I shrug. It's fun learning to shoot, but if any serious shooting needs to be done, I'm more than happy to let the boys deal with it.
“You guys coming?” Bonnie yells from the stairs up to her place. I point at the guys apologetically, but she shakes her head. “Bring them, too. You can keep your clothes on just a little bit longer!”
I shrug. “I guess we're going?”
Crank laughs. “I know better than to fuck around with Bonnie. We're going.” The other two grunt agreement.
Once upstairs, I have to laugh. Bonnie's got three big tubs of ice cream in the center of the table that she's dishing out in bowls, while Anne is liberally applying chocolate syrup on top. “I promised you ice cream, remember? Since we didn't make it then, we're doing it now. Now take a bowl, and sit down.”
“Yes, ma'am,” Poe says.
A few minutes later, the four of us are on Bonnie's couch, me in Savage's lap, all of us eating ice cream while Anne and Bonnie are playing a game involving dragons and laser swords on the TV. Jessica took one of the chairs and is just happily watching while she eats.
Turns out that a motorcycle club is a lot like a family, just a family you pick instead of one you grow up with. In some ways, that's better. When you can choose those closest to you, you can make sure they're ones who understand you, who like you for who you are, not just because you're related, and who will move Heaven and Earth to keep you safe.
I snuggle into Savage, trying not to spill ice cream on him while I eat. Not everyone is lucky enough to find the perfect partner in life, but somehow I found three.
And with them, the extended family I never knew I needed, but that I know I'll never want to give up.
“I love you,” I whisper, not to anyone in particular, but I think only the guys hear it.
Three hands settle on my side, my hip, my calf, all of them stroking me.
“Love you, too,” they all say at the same time.
Thank you so much for reading Outlaws’ Runaway!