5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
A lthough Ariel wanted to stay the night with Pit, she’d chosen to stay with her family. After the party, they’d all gathered in her mom’s cabin that the girls were staying in for a family get-together. As long as it stayed cordial, Ariel would listen. If her block-headed older brothers were annoying, she might just bang some heads around.
She changed into the T-shirt and night shorts she had in her saddlebags. She detoured by the kitchen and grabbed a drink, then walked into the family room. She plopped down between Remi and her mom on the couch. Interestingly enough, all the men except Brew were sitting in a line. Were they planning an interrogation?
War started to speak, but her dad held his hand up.
“Ariel, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel you couldn’t tell me about your life. I realize that I said one thing about women being able to do it all but when it came to my little girl, I didn’t back up my words with my actions. Can you forgive me?”
Ariel jumped up and threw herself into her dad’s arms.
“Always. I just wanted to be able to carve my own path. Remi and the bail bonds allowed me to do that.”
Ariel sat back down and waited to see what was next.
“How did you two meet?” War asked.
Oh man. She could see this going south fast because it had been a little bit of a dust-up that night.
“I was checking out some different businesses with possible shady interests, and Pit, Justice, and Sledge were heading back to their compound from Pit’s restaurant—a route they’d taken thousands of times. The business I was watching decided to attack Saint’s for some reason. When I was watching the motorcycles come toward me, someone strung a chain across the road. When Pit and Justice passed my vehicle, they pulled the chain up. It yanked both Pit and Justice off their rides. Then someone started firing. I yelled and identified myself because I wanted them to hear and see me. I didn’t want them to shoot, thinking I was a threat. Sledge told me to leave to stay safe. Instead, I drove my vehicle between the shooters and where Pit and Justice were on the ground. Sledge helped them get in, then followed me on his bike. Pit wanted to take me to dinner for helping them out, but I was leaving town. I said I’d collect another day.”
War chuckled, then glanced toward Brew and laughed harder. Then Roam joined him.
“What are you all laughing about?” Ariel asked.
“We were hanging out in Texas, and I was mentioning I was worried about you. Brew told me to quit being such a worrier because you could take on anything that came your way. I nodded like I was agreeing, but secretly, I was calling bullshit. I guess in my mind, you’re still the little sister I left when I went to the military. But he’s obviously right—you’ve grown up. Pit was like the heroine in one of Remi’s novels needing rescuing and you rescued him. What are they called, Remi?” War asked.
“A damsel in distress?” Remi questioned.
“Yeah, that’s it, but you don’t call a guy a damsel. What would you call it?”
“Let me check because this is hilarious and definitely fuel for teasing our future brother-in-law. Okay, it’s saying the male version of damsel in distress is dude in distress. That doesn’t seem right. Dude doesn’t really fit Pit.”
Ariel rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was happy they weren’t bugging her or irritated that they were trying to figure out some name to call Pit.
“Oh, I got it. So I put Dude into my online thesaurus and I came up with the perfect thing for Pit.”
The glee on Brew’s face made her want to punch him in the mouth. He was supposed to be her buddy, not Roam and War’s. They were twins. They already had a built-in buddy.
“Okay, are you ready? Stud in distress. Get it? Because Mom and Dad will want grandkids, and Pit will need to do his duty. Hey, maybe if Ariel still wants to work, then Pit could be a stay-at-home dad?”
“Brew, how some woman hasn’t shot you yet is a miracle,” Beth commented.
“Amen, sister,” Sarah echoed.
There wasn’t anything saying Pit might not want to be a stay-at-home dad, but Ariel wasn’t having any of her brothers make Pit feel bad, especially not on their wedding day.
“If any of you neanderthals tell my husband-to-be or husband tomorrow about the dude in distress, stud in distress, or any variation thereof, I will get you back. You won’t know when. You won’t know how, and you definitely won’t see it coming. Got it?”
Her brothers all nodded, but Brew had that look in his eyes that didn’t bode well for her wedding day.
“Daddy, would you walk me down the aisle tomorrow?” Ariel asked.
“Do I have to dress up? You know I want to walk you, sweetie, but I only brought jeans.”
“It’s a biker wedding. Wear jeans and a nice, clean shirt.” Ariel paused and stared at Brew.”
“Oh, come on. One time I wore a shirt that smelled. Once. I’d spilled beer on my other stuff.”
“I told Pit that I wanted us all together with him, my family, and good food,” Ariel said.
Her mom smiled and so did her dad.
“Well, why don’t you make a list of anything you need us to do for tomorrow? And then everyone should get some sleep. We’ve got a wedding to attend tomorrow,” Regina said.
Ariel did what her mom asked, and it was great letting go of some of the items. She motioned Beth over when her brothers went back to their cabin.
“How much did they freak when the trackers started going every which way?”
Beth chuckled. “Let me show you. Sarah tapped into the camera where the guys were.”
Beth started the video, and Ariel couldn’t help but laugh. Watching her big, badass president brother run into the room carrying his little floofy dog, then rant and rave about his little sister being taken. Ariel felt a little guilty because trafficking wasn’t anything to joke about, but she’d been so angry at them. She should have one of the girls mention some of the items she had on her wish list. Maybe they were feeling guilty enough she could milk them for a really nice present.