Chapter 20 #3
“I know.” Her gaze fell on something over my shoulder, and her lips twisted.
“Pagan and Saskia just walked in, so I’m thinking Ash may need all the friends around her she can get.
I also need to stick to Maeve like glue.
I don’t know that Saskia chick very well, but I’ve never liked her, and I certainly don’t trust her.
I’ll keep an eye on things with the girls while you talk to Cal. ”
I loved that I could go do my thing and still trust Rosie to look after herself. My woman was streetwise and had a mouth on her. If Saskia tried her shit with Rosie, the bitch wouldn’t know what had hit her.
“Go talk to the girls, and check in soon,” I urged gently.
She rolled up on her tippy toes again and pecked my lips with hers, whispering, “Later, honey.” Then she turned on her sexy heels and strutted toward the girls.
I watched her ass sway with a grin on my face. Then I pulled myself out of my Rosie trance, did an about-turn, and headed toward Callum, who was at the bar with Atlas and Breaker.
“You okay?” Atlas asked as I approached, no doubt with a dazed look on my face from the aftermath of the ‘Rosie-effect.’
“He’s cuntstruck,” my brother chimed in, taking a swig of his beer while looking at me like I was crazed. “Too much good pussy makes a man look exactly like that.”
Atlas’s head swiveled to my brother, and he folded his arms across his chest. “That’s my sister you’re talkin’ about, asshole.”
Callum winced. “Sorry, bud.”
Atlas’s eyes narrowed on him.
“You should be sorry, and don’t talk about my woman like that,” I chimed in. “We wouldn’t discuss Maeve that way.”
Callum looked down at his boots, suitably chastised, and muttered, “Sorry, bro. Won’t happen again. I’ll put it down to the fact that it’s the first time my brother’s been with a decent woman and my mouth ran away with me.”
Atlas clapped Callum on the shoulder. “Apology accepted.”
“Phew,” Cal muttered, taking a swig of his beer.
“Have you told them the good news yet?” I asked.
Loud shrieks echoed through the room, and we turned to see the girls on their feet, pulling Maeve in for hugs.
Atlas nodded toward them. “What’s goin’ on there?”
Callum’s face softened. “My wife probably just told the girls that she’s pregnant.”
A shocked look flashed across Atlas’s face before he broke out into a huge grin. “Fuck, yeah!” he yelled before turning around and bellowing, “Yo! Toots!”
Maeve looked over, a happy smile on her face, and waved at him.
“Congratulations!” he shouted. “You’re gonna make an outstanding mom!”
The chatter in the bar died down for a few seconds, and then, as Atlas’s words settled, whoops and hollers filled the ether.
Breaker gave Callum a bro handshake followed by a man hug and muttered, “Congrats,” just as a plethora of Speed Demon brothers leaned over to shake Cal’s hand, while the women squealed and called out their well-wishes to Maeve.
My brother caught his wife’s eye across the room and shot her a knowing little wink, grinning as she beamed a smile at him and blew him a kiss.
Eventually, the shouting and hollering died down, and everybody went back to their conversations.
“Bet Maureen’s beside herself,” Atlas piped up. “Make the most of the peace, Cal. Life’s about to get interestin’ for ya.”
I nodded at Cub behind the bar, indicating I needed a beer, before my eyes went back to my brother. “When I left Mam tonight, she and Imogen were about to sit down with an Irish baby name book and pick out a moniker for your kid.”
Callum took another sip from his bottle. “Too late. We’ve picked the names already.”
“Mam won’t be happy.”
He shook his head with a sigh. “Mam will have to deal.” His eyes fell on something behind me, and he jerked his chin. “So, what the fuck’s going on there?”
I craned my neck to see Pagan deep in conversation with a group of his men, Saskia still hanging off his arm.
“If that bitch has his ear, it could cause us some trouble,” Callum pointed out.
“I don’t think she’s in there at all,” I relayed. “Maybe he’s fucking her, but I can’t see it leading to marriage and kids. He seems more irritated by her than anything. Don’t know the details, but it seems he fucked Saskia while he was with Aislynn, and our sis found out.”
Callum’s eyes slashed back to Pagan, his lip curling into a sneer. “What is it about these assholes who have a good, decent woman at home and fuck them over for cunts like Saskia?”
Breaker almost choked on the beer he was in the process of swigging.
“That bitch tried to break up my marriage along with Maeve’s so-called sister,” my brother reminded him.
“What am I supposed to call her? A paragon of virtue? Saskia stood in my bar and told me she was gonna bring me down. She failed, so it’s no big shock that she’s gone after Ash instead.
Still, I’m surprised Pagan fell for her bullshit.
He’s a clued-up guy. Why the fuck would he listen to anything Saskia said?
If he fucked around, it was because he wanted to. ”
I took a swig of beer. “Well, now he’s arrived at the finding out stage. Apparently, he’s been trying to get Ash to talk to him, but she won’t.”
“I saw him tryin’ to engage her at your weddin’,” Atlas informed us. “I also heard her tellin’ him to leave her the fuck alone, or she’d kick him in the balls.”
We all looked at each other, our lips twitching.
“Aislynn’s stubborn,” Callum mused. “She’s also her mother’s daughter. He’s lucky he didn’t get a skillet wrapped around his head.”
“I heard that she ripped half of Saskia’s hair out when she caught them,” Atlas muttered.
Callum shook his head, smiling. “Sounds like Ash.”
“How do you know all this shit, At?” I demanded. “I thought clubhouses were supposed to be sacred places?”
Atlas leaned forward and dropped his voice low.
“Between you and me, the Kings of Anarchy have a club whore problem. Frankly, those bitches can’t keep their mouths shut.
Also, Saskia’s still friends with Lucy Bloom.
They met at Martha’s coffee shop a few days after the big event, and Saskia told her the entire sordid tale.
Martha told Ed, and Ed told me. Small-town gossip at its finest.”
“Pagan won’t be happy,” Breaker muttered.
“He’s big on loyalty, and he keeps his cards close to his chest. He won’t like Saskia or anyone else broadcasting his business.
” He glanced in Pagan’s direction and slowly shook his head.
“I never saw him as the cheating type. Known him a long time, and don’t get me wrong, the ladies have always loved him, but he’s not disloyal.
Callum’s right; everything he does is calculated. ”
“Pagan told me outside that they weren’t exclusive, so he didn’t regard what happened as cheating,” I returned.
Breaker frowned. “It still doesn’t sound like him, and from what I could tell, he liked Aislynn. Why the fuck would he screw her around for the likes of Saskia? It doesn’t add up.”
Atlas let out a snort. “Get a grip, Break. We see it all the time, especially in this lifestyle. Dudes have a good woman at home, but fuck it up for a piece of ass. Betas need their egos stroked, end of story.”
“You’re right, brother,” Breaker agreed. “Except Pagan’s no beta.”
“Well, whatever you put it down to, Pagan’s actions prove he ain’t the man we thought he was, and it’s good to know now rather than later. We’ll bring it up at the next Church. The fucker’s obviously not trustworthy, so we need to limit our interactions.”
“Shame,” Breaker muttered, his stare veering back to Pagan.
Atlas shrugged. “Untrustworthy assholes are everywhere. Talking of which… Donovan, when are we gonna go over to Idaho and kick the fuck out of my sister’s ex-fucknut?”
“Wish it were that easy,” I answered. “If I thought I could get away with it, I would’ve done it back when he defended his piece when she was a bitch to Gabby.”
“He’s always been an entitled motherfucker,” Atlas bit out. “Thought when Ro finally got shot of him that he’d fade into the background. He regrets lettin’ her get away, so I think he does most of his shit to get her attention.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I concurred. “He seemed to step up his take-Rosie-down campaign when she started seeing me. He can’t fucking stand her being happy with somebody else, and he hates that the kids like me.”
“Thank fuck Colt and Perry are on it,” Atlas said quietly. “It’s the only thing that’s stopped me from drivin’ over there, kidnappin’ his ass, and giving him a good talkin’ to with a gun to his head.”
“Haven’t heard anything from Colt,” I admitted. “I haven’t bugged him ‘cause I know he’s busy with his FBI shit and the Virginia chapter.”
“That’s decent of ya, Donovan. Lucky for you, I don’t give a fuck. I check in with him all the time, and they’re slowly buildin’ a case thanks to DJ’s input. Has Rosie heard from the family court yet?”
I shook my head. “No, brother. Kennedy said it could take weeks to get a date, then we could be waiting months for the hearing.”
“It gives Colt more time to dig at least,” Callum interjected.
“True,” I replied. “I just hate that it’s stressing Rosie out. She’s worried about losing the kids.”
Atlas snorted. “That’ll happen over my dead body. The prick will go sailin’ off the side of a cliff before that happens.”
My mouth curved up. “I like your way of thinking.”
Atlas grinned back at me. “We’ll bide our time but consider it a date.”
Breaker looked between us, grinning. “Check you two future brothers out, bonding over blood and mayhem. It’s enough to warm my cold, dead heart.”
My gaze cut through the room toward the table where my woman sat beside my sister, listening intently to Aislynn’s every word like they were the only two people in the room.
Ash’s shoulders straightened, and her chin jutted up defiantly just as Pagan walked past the table, staring at Ash like he was about to fling her over his shoulder and carry her out of there. My sister glared back at him as if he were no better than a piece of shit on the bottom of her shoe.
I heard a chuckle and turned to see that Atlas was watching, too.
“Ro’ll sort her,” he said softly, his eyes warming on his sister.
My eyes slid back to the table. “Yeah. I see that.”
“She’s a good one.”
My heart squeezed. “I know.”
His stare cut to me. “You’re here to stay, aren’t ya?”
It wasn’t a question; it was acceptance.
With a full heart, I turned back to the table and took in everything that was Rosie Woods. “Yeah, brother. I’m not going anywhere.”