Chapter Nine
Katie
“WHEN I GOT to Colorado, Sundance saw something in me. Something not even I saw, and he introduced me to one Dr. Paul Chandler. Chan’s in charge of development.
Specifically, the development of new and better strains of cannabis for the Howlers’ grow op.
He is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met and cool as fuck. ”
“You’ve always had a green thumb,” I pointed out.
“I know that, and you know that, but there weren’t a whole lot of other people who noticed that. Sundance did. Or he noticed something anyway and a beautiful friendship was formed.”
“So you stayed away because of pot?” I practically snarled.
“KitKat, settle,” he ordered, giving me a squeeze. “I would never stay away from you because of something so insignificant.”
I let out a huff and glared at him.
He gave me an annoying, albeit, gentle smile. “Chan never once treated me like an idiot.”
“Well, you’re not an idiot and I hate it when—”
“Are you going to let me finish my story?”
I pressed my lips together and sighed. “You know, for a man who’s known for his monosyllabic ways, you sure can make a story last for hours.”
“You keep that up, beautiful and I’ll stop talkin’.”
“Rude.” I wrinkled my nose. “Continue.”
“Chan and I worked closely together developing different strains of weed for all sorts of ailments, and soon I was running the entire Monument grow op. Sundance paid for continuing education, so I did a double major in microbiology and business.”
I couldn’t hold back a quiet gasp. “You did?”
“I did.”
“That’s amazing.”
“It was a lot of work, but it was also something I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do, and I did.”
I cocked my head. “Why didn’t you think you’d be able to do it?”
“Because I’ve been told I couldn’t my whole life, honey.”
“That’s not true,” I countered. “Your dad said you couldn’t, true, but Ms. Hamon saw how smart you were and was constantly pushing you, I knew how smart you were, Billy did, Hatch did…”
“Okay, you have a point,” he said. “But when you’re raised by a son of a bitch who is constantly filling your head with bullshit, it’s hard to rewire that.”
I bit my lip, giving him a nod.
“Running that op didn’t just mean making a shit-ton of money, it meant building something. Something important, at least for me. I bought real estate, established myself as a business owner—”
“In Colorado!” I hissed.
“Here, too. I own property not far from here. I’m also invested in several businesses in Colorado, and a couple close to Big Ernie’s. I even own a small apartment complex in Beaverton.”
“Why do you have property here?”
“Because the plan was always to come back, and now that I’m here, I’m staying.”
“You’re not staying because of me, right? Because I’m not making any promises.”
“You’re rushing to the end of the story, sweetheart.”
“Would you just get to it, Kam?” I prodded.
“My beautiful, gorgeous, impatient, KitKat. Don’t ever change.”
“Suck my dick, Rooster, just finish the story.”
“Say the word, Katie, I’ll suck you off any day.
” He chuckled at my frustrated grunt, then finally continued, “About a year ago, I went to Sundance and floated the option of doing what I do in Colorado here. I wanted to come home. I had a two-year plan, reached out to Hatch, and the three of us started making moves. But then your mom got sick, and my plans got moved up.”
“You started your plan to move home an entire year ago?” I tried to climb off his lap again, but he held strong. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I wanted things stable before I came to you. I wanted to be established and have something real to offer you.”
I pushed at his shoulders, but he didn’t budge. “Rooster.”
“Baby, settle.”
“Or, you can let me up,” I snapped, and he finally released me.
“Don’t spiral.”
“Don’t tell me how to feel.” I dragged my hands down my face as I paced the room. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He stared at me for a few tense seconds before letting out a loud sigh. “Because I’m a coward.”
I could no longer hold back the tears and he rose to his feet, closing the distance between us and pulling me back into his arms as I broke down again.
“I’m sorry, baby. I swear to god, if you give me the chance, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
“I don’t know how to get past the fact you tore out my heart then stomped it on the ground.” I glared up at him. “Repeatedly.”
“I know. I’m the worst.” He grinned, cupping my face. “But I promise, I will never do it again.”
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed his shirt, tugging on it frantically. He got the message, and his mouth covered mine, his tongue sweeping between my lips.
Our kiss turned frantic as Rooster lifted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he carried me down the hall.
“Bedroom?” he rasped, and I nodded to the left.
He carried me inside and settled me gently onto the mattress, leaning over me, one hand on each side of my hips. “We doin’ this?”
I bit my lip, my heart warring with my head. “Yes.”
“The whole thing, Kate. Not just sex.”
“Let’s start with sex and go from there,” I panted out.
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.
He sighed. “I love you, Katie, but we’re gonna wait on this for a bit.”
“What?” I snapped as he stood. “Why?”
“Because I want everything settled between us before we make this permanent. I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
I leaned up on my elbows and huffed. “Why do you have to choose now to be noble?”
“Well, I hope to fuck it’s because I’ve grown up.”
“Kissing me like that, riling me up, making me horny as hell and not taking care of me is one sure fire indication you’ve grown up there, bub.”
“I’ll take care of you, sweetheart, but only when we are solid.”
I flopped back onto the bed and groaned. “Rude.”
“We gonna be solid, KitKat?”
“Kam—”
“You love me?”
I let out a frustrated groan. “Of course I love you, you big dumb asshole.”
He appeared above me again with a giant, smug grin. “Then, we’re gonna keep hashing this out until we’re solid. Once that’s done, I’ll fuck you so hard, you can’t walk straight.”
I shivered. “I guess we better eat then. I’m gonna need my strength.”
He held his hand out to me. “I like that answer, beautiful.”
* * *
We finished dinner, hashing through yet more shit while we ate. Well, technically, it was rehashing because I needed more reassurance that he wasn’t going to disappear again.
“If you need me to put anything in writing, I will give it to you. Written in blood if you want it,” Rooster said.
“Okay, gross.” I wrinkled my nose as I poured another glass of wine.
“Whatever you need, Kate.”
I set the wine down and made my way to him, sliding onto his lap and looping my arms around his neck. “I just need to know you’re not going to leave.”
“I’ll marry you tomorrow, honey. Just say the word.”
I nodded. “Marry me tomorrow, Beckham. Well, Monday, since tomorrow’s Saturday.”
His eyes widened. “No shit?”
“No shit.” I stroked his beard. “If you’re serious about this, then make an honest woman out of me.”
“Hell, yeah!” He grinned, kissing me.
I climbed off his lap. “You’ve just gotta get past Billy.”
“Billy won’t be a problem, Kate. If you’re good, he’ll be good.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Call him.”
“Now?”
“Now,” I confirmed.
He slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed my brother’s number, putting it on speaker. Flea answered almost immediately. “Hey, brother, give me a second.” We heard rustling and then my brother said, “I’m back. Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Rooster said. “I’m with your sister. You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, KitKat.”
“Well, hello there ‘Tabs,’” I sassed.
“Okay, so you’ve talked, and it sounds like Rooster’s still alive.” My brother sighed. “Has he been maimed?”
“No maiming,” Rooster said. “About to be fitted for a permanent ball and chain, though.”
“Kam!” I hissed.
“I thought you were workin’ shit out, that seems quick.”
“Been years, brother,” Kam said.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
“I get it, Rooster, but you’ve been gone. You didn’t see.”
Rooster stood, pushing his chair back with a frown. “You don’t think I didn’t know?”
Before I could say anything, Rooster took his phone off speaker, put it to his ear, and walked down the hall.
I threw my hands in the air. “I guess I don’t get a say in my life again.”
* * *
Rooster
I stepped into Katie’s bedroom and closed the door. “What the fuck, man? I told you I was comin’ back for your sister, what did you think I meant?”
“I didn’t think you were comin’ back and makin’ your claim right now,” Flea admitted.
“Well, when did you think I was gonna do it?” I hissed. “I love her, Billy. I’ve always loved her. Leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I told you, I fucking told you, if she gave me a second chance, I was gonna make it permanent.”
“Yeah, I just didn’t think you’d come back and do it in less than a week.”
“Then, that means you underestimated me, which makes you stupid.”
Flea sighed. “Maybe so.”
“You gonna make this an issue?”
He didn’t say anything for a few tense seconds and then finally bit out, “If Katie really wants this, no, I’m not gonna make this an issue. I doubt it would make any difference if I did, anyway.”
“You’re right about that,” I said. “And I will fight to the end for her, Flea, so don’t fuckin’ push me.”
“Pretty sure I can fight my own battles,” Katie said.
I turned to face her and cocked my head. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” she retorted. “Rooster has to go, Flea.”
I hung up and slid my phone into my jeans’ pocket. “You pissed?”
“That you constantly feel the need to make decisions about my life without my input? Yes.” She crossed her arms. “That you fought for me? No.”
I closed the distance between us and cupped her face. “I will always fight for you.”
“Yeah, I know.” She slid her arms around my waist. “We just gotta figure out how to fix the other part.”
“That conversation was way more about me and your brother than you,” I said.
“How so?”
“He wanted to see how far I was willin’ to go. I let him know. We’re good now.”
“Why do I feel like that’s not entirely—”
Before she could finish her thought, her doorbell pealed.
“Who the hell is that?” she breathed out.
“Check your camera,” I suggested.
“My phone’s in the kitchen.” She pulled out of my arms and headed that way, and I swore I was gonna beat the shit out of whoever it was for interrupting us.
As she made her way to her phone charging on her kitchen island, her doorbell pealed again, so rather than wait for her to check her camera, I stormed to her front door and pulled it open.
That was my first mistake.
“Hey there, brother,” Hatch said, pushing his way inside, followed closely by Maisie, Cricket, Grace, Minus, Hatch’s brothers Cade, Cullen, Cameron, their wives… then Flea.
Letting them in was my second.
“What is going on?” Katie demanded.
“We were at Hatch and Maisie’s for dinner,” Cricket said, pulling her in for a hug.
“You were invited, darling,” Maisie reminded her.
“I know,” she said. “But I had plans.”
“We see that,” Hatch said.
“What’s this about you getting married?” Cricket demanded.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Katie bit out. “Tabs can’t keep his mouth shut.”
Flea grinned, wrapping his arms around his sister and lifting her off her feet. “Love you too, sissy.”
Hatch’s brother, Cameron, then pulled her in for a hug and I frowned. I knew the two of them were particularly close, but I also knew Cam and Tess had been married for a while now, so I forced myself to calm the fuck down and not react.
“Full disclosure, I titty twisted the information out of Flea,” Cricket said, pulling me from my irritation.
“I twisted the other side,” Grace said.
Flea nodded, rubbing his chest. “They’re tellin’ the truth, KitKat. One was goin’ clockwise, one was goin’ counterclockwise. Any man woulda broken.”
“Don’t make me laugh. I’m trying to be mad at you.” Katie sighed, pulling out of Cameron’s arms and walked back into mine. “And I don’t need to know about my brother’s nipples… or his titties.” She nodded at her brother and Grace. “Where are your children?”
Flea grinned. “At Mom’s.”
“All night,” Grace added with a sassy grin.
“Are you really getting married?” Cricket prodded.
Katie met my eyes, and I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You sure about this, sweetheart?” Hatch asked and I frowned.
“She’s sure.”
“She can answer for herself,” Katie ground out, then faced Hatch. “I’m sure, Hatch. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Well, I hope it’s more because you love me and can’t live without me,” I said.
Katie waved her hand. “Yeah, and that.”
Cricket bust out laughing. “Oh, that’s the sure-fire sign of a long-lasting marriage.”
I kissed the top of her head and glanced around the room. “Are you comin’ with us on Monday to the courthouse?”
Cricket leaned against Minus as she raised an eyebrow. “You’re really going to give up your dreams of a big wedding, Kate?”
“It’s wartime, Cricket, and I’m not letting another day pass without him. We can plan a big party when all of this shit with the Spiders is over and done with.”
“You’re gonna need to postpone the Monday date, sweetheart,” Hatch said. “But as soon as it’s safe, we’ll find a date and the club’ll pay for it.”
“Like, epic, big brother,” Cricket said. “Could cost thousands.”
“Cricket,” Katie admonished.
“I got you,” Hatch said.
“Don’t argue, bestie,” Cricket pressed. “If my brother said he’ll pay for it, that means, I’m taking the credit card and running with it.”
“Jesus,” Hatch hissed.
“You can’t take it back now, darling,” Maisie said. “I’m going to help.”
“Fuck me,” Hatch bit out.
I gave Katie a squeeze. “Ring tomorrow, court as soon as possible, then party when all this shit’s over.”
Katie smiled up at me and nodded.
“We’ve got a club jeweler,” Hatch said. “I’ll give him a call.”
“Thanks, brother,” I said.
“Right, what are we drinkin’?” Minus asked.
For the rest of the evening, we drank while Maisie and Katie put together an impromptu snack plate for everyone. It wasn’t the celebration we expected, but it was the one we needed.
Little did I know our wedding would be delayed longer than either of us anticipated.