Chapter Fifteen.
Ghost
H e looked out. Christmas had come and gone, and he was amazed they had survived it. He was relieved they all got one Christmas together because word had come in that Fury was on the move.
Drama had ensued the last few months when Volcano arrived with his snitch Grunt. And then Spike turned up and everybody rocked on their heels when they discovered Volcano had been working with the FBI.
Even more disturbing was the truth that came out about Spike’s daughter Evie. Everyone felt the pain from that, especially those like Ghost who’d known the sweet girl. Fury certainly had a lot to pay for. And once again, Carmelle’s family expanded. Drake had made Volcano, Spike, Grunt, and Volcano’s brothers Carter and Gideon (who were supposedly dead) stay at Reading Hall.
But it was obvious Drake did not trust them, as security followed them everywhere. It had tickled Carmelle and him when Tye fell for Demi, Spike’s great-granddaughter and Fury’s daughter/granddaughter. The bastard had raped and impregnated his own kid. Demi didn’t seem to let her birth circumstances bother her and had become good friends with Carmelle.
Carter and Gideon had taken Carmelle under their wing and treated her like their treasured niece, which she was. Drake’s nose had been put thoroughly out of joint, and he’d been building a relationship with her. Ghost thought karma was a bitch, and Drake got what he deserved.
Volcano also informed Carmelle that everything in her house had been packed up and stored. She hadn’t lost it all, as she believed. Volcano had ensured she had items of Beau’s to treasure.
Carmelle had broken down over this thoughtfulness, and it had taken a couple of days to recover. But there was no doubting the gratitude she felt.
Ghost was sitting rocking back and forth on a porch swing; he’d become partial to them when Volcano sat down heavily next to him. Ghost automatically looked up to see if the bolts could take Volcano’s weight.
“I ain’t that fat, asshole,” Volcano snapped.
“You’re a big boy, dude,” Ghost replied .
“Fuck you. That’s all muscle,” Volcano snarled.
“If you say so. I’m not going to check you out,” Ghost retorted, and two snorts came back at him. He craned his neck and spotted Carter and Gideon with Drake next to them. Spike clumped along behind them.
“What the hell is this?” Ghost demanded.
“You never talked to me about claiming my sister,” Drake stated.
“Or me, and I’m her uncle,” Volcano growled out.
“That includes us,” Carter spoke, pointing at him and Gideon.
“I’m her uncle by marriage,” Grunt announced, appearing.
Ghost rolled his eyes and stared at Spike.
“Girl needs a father figure,” Spike added.
Ghost began laughing. “Do you think anything you say will make a difference? Carmelle’s gonna marry me, we’re going to have kids, and I do not give a fuck what you lot think.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t work for us,” Volcano said and heaved Ghost up and off the bench. Ghost threw his weight backwards, and he and Volcano stumbled down the steps and began wrestling.
They swapped a few blows, and Ghost realised Volcano was holding back.
“Still marrying her, asshole!” Ghost boomed with his hands above his head. He shouldn’t have crowed, as Carter’s shoulder rammed into his midriff and lifted him up off his feet.
“Ah fuck!” Ghost yelled as Carter body slammed him. The breath left his lungs in a rush, and Ghost made squeaking noises as he tried to suck air in. He and Carter wrestled for several minutes until Ghost pinned Carter.
“That’s my brother!” Gideon bellowed and knocked Ghost sideways.
“Rip his fuckin’ head off!” Drake demanded, and Ghost sent him a dirty look.
Ghost and Gideon traded a few blows, and when Ghost stepped back after getting his bell rung, Spike snuck a sneaky couple of uppercuts in.
Panting, Ghost rested his hands on his knees before squaring up to Drake. Grunt just watched, looking amused.
Drake wasn’t messing around, Ghost realised, as he received a blow that forced him backward.
Ghost launched at Drake, and they began beating the shit out of each other. This was about more than Carmelle. This was about fourteen years of silence, grief, and missing out. Ghost and Drake were intent on punching their emotions out. They traded blows viciously, both wanting to inflict pain.
Suddenly, a cold blast of water hit them both and broke up the vicious fight.
“I didn’t say you could beat the shit out of him, Drake. And as for you, Ghost…” Phoe snapped from the porch, holding a hose on them.
Drake stepped forward, his eye swelling and his lip split. Phoe sprayed him again as Ghost began to laugh. He shut up quickly when Phoe blasted him with ice-cold water .
“Enough!” Phoe warned and headed inside.
“Wow,” Carmelle stated.
Ghost wriggled his nose. Had Drake broken it?
“Happy now?” Carmelle demanded.
Ghost cocked his head as his ears began ringing. Aw, shit, not a busted ear drum. It also felt like he’d split his lip, and his eyes were starting to swell.
Drake was as much as a mess as he, and Carter had a black eye, and Gideon had a wide gash on his cheek. Only Volcano and Spike seemed untouched.
“Well?” Carmelle yelled.
“Damn, she does have the Michaelson temper,” Spike muttered, eyeing Carmelle.
Ghost began to laugh as Drake joined in. Carmelle seemed ready to explode.
“We’re getting married,” Ghost managed to get out.
Carmelle’s eyebrows raised so high they disappeared into her hairline. “That’s what this was about?” she snapped?
“Yup. You’re all mine, and they can’t do fuck-all about it. Including me marrying you!” Ghost stated proudly.
“One problem, asshole,” Carmelle hissed.
“What?” Ghost retorted, poking his nose.
“You haven’t asked, motherfucker!” Carmelle yelled.
Ghost considered it for a few moments. “Marry me?” he said hopefully.
Carmelle let out a high-pitched noise of frustration and disappeared back inside.
Drake and the others all began laughing hard .
“You fucked that up, son,” Spike boomed, shaking his head, amused. “Yeah, we don’t need to worry about you marrying her now. Not after that piss poor proposal!”
“She’ll marry me,” Ghost stated confidently… Damn, was that a loose tooth?
Carmelle
I beamed as I looked down at my ring. Axel had married us in a quick ceremony with Ghost promising a proper one when we got back. He’d already married Slate and Jaelynn, and we asked for just a quiet wedding because there wasn’t time to celebrate.
Axel hadn’t approved but had done it. Drake, Phoe, and my family watched, and Drake gave me away.
It was so different to my first wedding, which had been the full works. This one I wore jeans, and a tee too. In fact, we all did, including Ghost. We literally had two hours before we headed to the airport and flew to a hotel where all the families had been sent. But Ghost wanted me to have his name. And knowing the battle that was coming, I gave it to him.
We had an hour to celebrate before heading to the airport. Saying goodbye was hard. I could become a widow again, and I didn’t know how I’d cope if I lost Ghost on top of Beau. There were two choices. I could sit and worry about losing him and make myself sick and depressed. Or I could have faith that after losing Beau, God wouldn’t take another husband from me. He wasn’t that cruel, surely?
As we stood at the bottom of the steps, I held him tight. I wanted to remember his arms and how he smelt. Ghost tipped my chin up.
“You’ll never be alone, even if I fall, you’ve got a massive family now. They’ll always protect and come for you,” he promised.
“You can’t die. Because I can’t lose a second husband,” I whispered.
“Love you, babe,” Ghost replied. “Go.”
I heaved in a deep breath and exhaled heavily as Ghost walked away. No. I couldn’t do this.
“Ghost!” I screamed and began running.
He spun and caught me in his arms as I flung myself at him and kissed him deeply. Ghost held me as he broke the kiss off and tucked my head under his chin. We stayed like that for several minutes, and then I let him go.
I held my head high as I walked to the plane and boarded it. As we taxied down the runway, I saw my man stood there watching. He would survive; he had to. Because it was too cruel for me to lose another husband. He’d paid enough for fifteen years, thirteen of them estranged from his beloved club.
God wouldn’t take away what was left in front of him. He couldn’t. That would be the cruellest fate ever.