Chapter 8 #2
Kennedy rolled her lips together to stop herself from laughing. “I still haven’t worked out if he strapped it on or just held it in his hand and banged the gas pedal and the brake with it.”
I snorted.
“It’s no wonder he lost control,” Kennedy went on through my giggles. “Luckily, Cash and Bowie were outside and got him straight out before it exploded. Unfortunately, they didn’t think to pick up Lucie’s leg before they made a run for it.” She let out a quiet snort. “No pun intended.”
The laughter burst out of me before I could stop it.
“Mom,” a familiar deep alpha-in-training voice called over
I whipped around to see DJ sauntering toward me alongside Kai.
Kennedy sighed. “I used to call Kai mini biker boy, but I can’t anymore.
He’s already as tall as his dad. He shaves, girls call him constantly, and I found condoms in his pocket the day before yesterday when I was doing laundry.
I ask Kit to talk to him, but he just smiles and says boys will be boys. ”
“I’ve found them in DJ’s pockets, too,” I admitted. “I just tell myself it’s better than pregnancy.”
“True,” she said under her breath, smiling at the boys as they approached. “But Kit would lose his mind if Kady was using them.”
“Amen, sister,” I murmured just as DJ called over, “Mom, did you hear about Wilder stealing Lucie’s leg? I didn’t even know he wore one.”
“Me neither,” I responded.
“Nobody did except some of the brothers,” Kai informed us. “It’s cool as fuck.”
“Can you please stop saying fuck, Kai?” Kennedy grumbled. “You’ve a mouth like a sailor.”
“Jesus, we have parallel lives,” I told her. “My son thinks he’s twenty-five and the man of the house,”
DJ’s chest puffed out. “I am the man of the house.”
Reaching up, I ruffled his hair affectionately, “You’ll always be my baby boy.”
He ducked his head to get away from me mothering him. “Had a powwow with Kai, and we decided we won’t work at the gym if you don’t want us to. I’ve got your back.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed on Kai. “You were excited about it when you told me earlier. What’s happened in the last three hours to make you do a complete one-eighty?” She must have caught my wince because she turned to me and asked, “Didn’t your date go well?”
“He stood her up,” DJ told her flatly.
Kennedy’s hand flew to her throat, and she screeched, “He did what?”
“Left her sitting there all dressed up and ready. Not even a fuckin’ phone call,” DJ told her, his lips thinning angrily.
Kennedy gave me a pitying look. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
I pointed at her face and twirled my finger. “Because of that.”
“What?” she demanded.
“That face,” I said dryly. “That ‘poor Rosie, isn’t she a fool’, pity face. It’s happened, and I’ve dealt with it. Now it’s time to move on.”
She grabbed my arm. “I don’t fucking think so.” She began to pull me toward the clubhouse and yelled, “Girls!”
My heart jerked because I knew what was coming.
“We need to convene,” she called out before shouting at the top of her voice, “Donovan O’Shea stood our girl up last night.”
Every eye in the parking lot sliced to look at me.
“Thanks for that,” I snapped.
“I’ll kill the fucker,” I heard Atlas rumble from the direction of the burned-out car.
“What a dick,” John Stone spat from beside him.
“On my way!” Cara yelled, handing Wilder over to Cash while ordering, “Don’t you let him out of your sight.”
Layla and Sophie fell into step beside her, and they started toward me and Kennedy.
“Are you okay?” Sophie asked me, her expression full of concern as they drew closer.
“Men are assholes,” Cara declared.
“I’m sorry, Ro,” Layla murmured sympathetically.
Kennedy pulled me toward the doors and announced, “It’s time for cocktails. We need to devise a plan of how we’re going to make Donovan O’Shea’s life a fucking misery. I won’t be satisfied until we’ve run him out of town.”
“Girlies, it’s fine,” I assured them as I followed Kennedy into the bar.
“It happens. I was more pissed about the kids witnessing it all. I’m the kind of mom who keeps her shit tight.
I love them and they can talk to me about anything, but I keep clear boundaries and make sure they know I’m still the parent and the boss.
Last night they saw me vulnerable, and I didn’t like it. ”
Kennedy led me over to the couches we always congregated on and motioned for me to sit. “Pornstars all around?” she asked.
Everyone agreed emphatically, and I watched her head toward the bar.
I smiled because it was unusual that we all got to drink alcohol together. More often than not, one of the girls (usually Layla) was pregnant, so getting lit with all my friends was a rarity.
The doors opened, and Atlas stomped into the bar alongside Cash, who was giving Wilder a piggyback. They immediately made a beeline for us, and I noticed my brother give me an assessing look.
“You okay?” he barked.
I gave him big eyes. “Jeez, I’m fine. I actually came to talk to you about some work, not my disastrous love life.”
He went to the spot where Sophie sat at the end of the couch and parked his ass on the arm beside her.
“Thank fuck. If we pay the boys late again, I think they’ll riot.
Cash is too busy to take over the payroll, and Arrow’s just not interested.
You already know our systems from the work you did for us before, so we don’t need to train you. ”
“Rosie, sweetheart, if you can take over some of the accountin’ work, I’d love you forever,” Cash interrupted. “I’m sick of havin’ to wipe Arrow’s ass every time an invoice needs sendin’, and Atlas is right about the payroll gettin’ fucked up. When can you start?”
I cocked my head questioningly. “How about tomorrow?”
“Done,” he replied. “Take all the hours you need and sort that shit show of an office out, then invoice us weekly for your services and pay yourself. Whatever happens, don’t trust Arrow to do it.
It’s a big job, and even when you get everythin’ organized, we’ll need you a few days every week at least to keep on top of things.
The businesses have expanded since you last worked for us, and we’re owed thousands in work that Arrow hasn’t invoiced for.
Gonna need you to make some phone calls and send some bills out, not just for the construction team but for the auto shop too. ”
I looked around the couches at the girls and threw my arms in the air. “Yay! I’ve gotta job!”
Layla’s eyes shone at me as she copied my arm thing and parroted, “Yay!”
Sophie laughed.
“I’ve got work for you, too, if you want it,” Kennedy called over. “My accountant’s charging me a fortune. I need someone to do my monthly accounting. That way, I’d only need to use his firm when it comes to submitting my tax returns.”
“It’s the least I can do,” I agreed. “I could work for free until I’ve paid you back for the custody work you’re doing for me.”
“I already told you, there’s no charge for that,” she argued, mixing up a big pitcher. “I’m doing that for fun.”
Sophie laughed.
Atlas’s eyes narrowed on me. “Wait. What custody work?”
“Evan’s girlfriend’s giving Gabby hassle,” I explained. “Rachel was a bitch to her on their last visit, so DJ got them out of there. Now they’ve both decided they don’t want to see him, at least for the time being. Kennedy’s going to write to his lawyer with a few new conditions.”
Atlas shot me a glare. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
“For two reasons, Danny.” I sat forward and stuck my thumb out.
“Reason one: you’d have gotten the boys together, rode over there, burned his house down, and no doubt made everything worse.
” I stuck out my index finger next. “And reason two: I had it in hand already.” I leaned across and squeezed his hand.
“Thank you for looking out for me, but I’ve got this. ”
Atlas’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t argue with my logic. “Okay, I’ll give you this one, Ro, but if your asshole ex pulls any more bullshit, you tell me, and I will go pay him a visit. No fucker messes with my sister, or my niece and nephew. Feel me?”
I smiled and released his hand. “I feel you, honey. Thank you. Gabby isn’t hurt about the shit Rachel said to her; she’s more upset that Evan didn’t have her back.”
“My little Gabby’s sensitive,” he muttered, sitting back and shaking his head frustratedly.
“Your ex-husband and his bitch are lucky they live a fuckin’ state away, ‘cause if I saw ‘em in the street, all bets would be off. Unfortunately for Donovan ‘fucknut’ O’Shea, he doesn’t have that luxury.
What the hell kinda game is he playin’?”
My belly clenched. “I don’t know, but you’re all making it into more of a big deal than it really is.”
“Are you sure you didn’t get the days messed up or somethin’?
” Cash asked while wrestling with a wriggling Wilder.
“He really seemed into you at the weddin’.
Even Pop agreed. He made plans with DJ and talked about startin’ a boxing league.
Why would he do that if he was gonna screw you over?
Doesn’t make sense to me whatso-fuckin’-ever. ”
Cash was right. Why would Donovan go out of his way to try and involve himself in my life if he had no intention of being in it?
I was happy to keep us in the friend zone; it was him who pushed for more. Donny’s words didn’t match his actions, and maybe that was why I was so pissed at him. But what confused me the most was that I’d known the guy for a long time; we had history, and I knew he wasn’t usually an asshole.
He’d always been respectful, especially with women linked to the Speed Demons because of the close relationship between the MC and the O’Shea family.
So why would Donovan shit where he ate? Cash was right when he said it didn’t make sense.
Still, it didn’t change the fact that Donovan had hurt me, and although standing me up wasn’t exactly a hanging offense, it still caused a jolt of pain every time I thought about what he’d done.
My eyes slid to Cash’s. “I didn’t get the days mixed up. I’ll pick you up at seven was pretty definitive.”
He shot me a closed-mouthed smile and muttered, “Fair enough.”
“Cash does have a point,” Layla said softly. “What if something important came up?”
“He could have phoned,” Cara cut out. “And he obviously hasn’t called today with an explanation, either, so even if he did get caught up in something unavoidable, his silence says everything.”
My belly jolted. “Well...”
“Well what?” Sophie asked.
“Well, I may have blocked his number at eight-thirty last night,” I admitted.
Layla frowned. “That seems a bit harsh.”
“Harsher than leaving me sat waiting like an idiot with my kids watching?” I demanded.
She grimaced. “Fair enough.”
“Still,” Sophie added. “He may have been trying to call to explain.”
“You’re fucking savage,” Cara added, smirking. “And I love it.”
“Even I would’ve given him twenty-four hours before I blocked his ass,” Kennedy drawled as she approached us with a tray loaded with a huge pitcher and glasses. She set it down on the table and took the spot next to me. “Humor me and unblock him so we can check.”
I took my phone from my purse and did as Kennedy asked.
“See if he left any messages,” she instructed.
I scrolled down to voicemail, went into my blocked messages app, and immediately saw the notifications.
My heart began to thud.
“Put it on loudspeaker so we can all hear,” Cara crowed, glancing at Cash. “Can’t wait to find out if Donovan O’Shea’s excuses are as good as your pathetic—” She was cut off by the door to the bar flying open.
We all jerked our heads around to see the whirlwind—otherwise known as Tristan—racing into the bar.
“Rosie!” he yelled. “We’ve got a situation!” He went straight to the cocktail pitcher, and with shaking hands, sloshed some Pornstar into a glass, chanting, “I’m gagged. Lordy, I’m gagged, and not in the way I actually enjoy being gagged.”
Cash handed Wilder off to Cara just as Atlas hauled to his feet, then their hands slid into their cuts, automatically checking for their weapons.
“What’s the sitch?” my brother barked. “D’ya need back up?”
Tristan held a hand up to silence Atlas while he gulped down the entire cocktail. The instant he drained the glass, he smacked his lips together, banged the glass back on the table, and, through his heaving breaths, he yelled, “Nebraska!”
My eyebrows snapped together. “Huh?”
“Mother Maureen called me to cancel Sunday roast.” Tris’s hand went to his chest, and he tried to calm his breathing. “She’s in Nebraska with Donny, Callum, and Maeve.”
Sophie looked around the table at us all. “Aren’t Callum and Maeve meant to be in Ireland?”
“They postponed it,” Tristan pushed out, his breath still sawing. “Family emergency.”
Layla beamed. “I knew it.”
A weird feeling spread through my chest cavity, not a bad one exactly, but I knew Tristan had more to say just by the way he was eyeing me. I was proven right when my friend gave me big eyes and murmured something that not only piqued my curiosity but also made my heart jolt.
“Pour the drinks.” His gaze swept over the girls before settling on me. “Because I guarantee you’re all gonna need one after what I’m about to tell you.”