20. Chapter 19
Trick
Clark shakes her head at us in frustration, but the anger directed at me has me tensing and I turn to Crash and snap, “If I don’t get pussy tonight after missing it last night, brother, I’m going to kill you for this.”
"Trick, don’t talk about my sister’s pussy," Crash groans, and everyone laughs as I smirk.
“He went six years without it, Crash, what do you expect?” Bones chimes in, loving how uncomfortable our brother is. Crash gives him the middle finger while I put my focus back on my beautiful wife, whom I cannot wait to spend the night with.
According to Drew, we’re not allowed to have Willow back tonight. She’s ready to pop any day and wants all the time she can with her girls before her boy invades all the girlie time– her words, not mine.
Apparently, Cage is all up for it, especially knowing how pissed the brothers get that he spends time with Willow when they don’t. I’m all about it because I don’t plan on letting my wife up for air.
I tilt my head at my woman and give her a soft smile, and she sighs, shaking her head before she begins her trek to where we all are, where her car was parked but has already been taken home by a prospect.
Knuckles follows beside her, but his attention keeps going to the ER doors, confusing me, and I furrow my brows.
“What’s up with Knuckles?” I hear Cage mumble, and I shake my head because I really don’t know, though, saying that, for years, he’s been aloof, closed off.
Maybe I can try to get him back in the ring and find out what’s going on. He isn’t due for a fight for a few weeks.
“An ambush, really, Miles?” Clark exasperates as she stops before me, and I smile.
“I was literally just making plans to spend Thursday at the park with our girl and Kodi. I got to see the downfall of Shayne who cornered me in school because he knocked up his sister-in-law who wants an abortion. All after her sister heard everything because of course her sister is her emergency contact, and I walk out to an ambush.”
“I’d call that karma,” Crash mutters and I bite back a smirk.
“How is Kodi?” I ask my wife, ignoring the whole Shayne shit, hoping to calm her a little, and Knuckles interjects, “You know Kodi?”
I raise a brow at his tense tone, but he holds his ground, keeping eye contact so I explain, “She and Clark were close, along with Belle.” I look at my wife and smirk, adding, “She also threatened my balls if I ever hurt you after hearing about our wedding. I didn’t know you two still spoke, though, since you’re usually with Belle. ”
Clark grins widely and admits, “Our conversations are fewer lately, she’s really busy at work at the moment, but she still makes time for Willow.”
I nod, my respect for Kodi Marshalls building slightly.
Last I heard, her mom was killed, and she went off the deep end, so to speak, for a while, but I respect her like hell for being there for my daughter and wife still.
“Oh, I remember Kodi, she used to always give me shit when I tried to scare guys away from you, her, and Belle,” Crash chuckles before he stops, then frowns, “Actually, didn’t Belle fall out with her?”
I raise a brow at Clark to see if she’ll answer him, and he sighs when she puts her head down, so I answer, “Yeah, some shit about Kodi apparently wanting you.”
Crash snorts despite his disappointment, while Knuckles tenses, and I tilt my head at the brother, but he doesn’t look my way.
Well, well, well…
“She didn’t want me, she barely looked my way unless I was interrupting a dick flirting with all three of them,” he admits, and Knuckles relaxes slightly.
Huh, interesting, I don’t think he’s ever had a reaction to a woman like this before. He’s pissed, no doubt about it, but he’s also intrigued, which pisses him off further.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
“What’s all this about, Miles?” Clark asks, ignoring the whole Kodi thing, and I smile at her.
"This is about my wife finally getting on the back of my bike wearing this," I say as I grab the leather from my handlebars then hold up her old lady cut that Cage made. "Then we listen to the brothers beg forgiveness for not supporting you and explaining everything about the fact that you didn’t need protecting. Also, how I just wanted to marry you for reasons I was denying, and they knew we belonged together. Then I’ll spend the night inside my wife because Auntie Drew won’t give our daughter back. ”
Clark's bottom lip quivers as her eyes tear up and she chokes, “You’re claiming me?” Just as Crash groans, “Less of the inside of my sister shit fucker!”
“Did you ever believe I wouldn’t, buttercup?” I ask her, ignoring her brother, “I married you knowing you were completely safe. I got your name tattooed a few days after our wedding.”
Cage clears his throat and unhelpfully reminds me, “Uh, brother, it wasn’t really a wedding,” and I roll my eyes as Clark snorts.
“Do you want that?” I ask her, “Do you want the big wedding with the white dress, the whole shebang? Because if you do, then we’ll do it. Whatever you want, we can do, baby, if it means you’ll put this leather on.”
Clark shakes her head and admits, “I just want you,” and I nod as I lift the cut up and demand, “Then put this on and get your ass on the back of my bike where you belong.”
***
Cage beeps his horn forty minutes later as we approach the club's gates, his light shining up the prospect box with the brothers riding in formation behind me, my girl holding onto me tightly, wearing my property patch.
Fuck, when she put that leather on, it took everything in me not to readjust myself. Even knowing Crash would have shot me, but riding with her on the back of my bike…
Ten-minute ride from the hospital just wasn’t enough, and Cage knew it, which is why he directed us to the opposite way from the clubhouse and the officer brothers got to see me claim my wife.
Clark squeezes my waist tighter as I turn into the club parking lot, and I smile slightly.
I know she doesn’t want to do this, that the club lost her trust, but honestly, we’re happy, we’ve found our footing, and now I need her to heal with the club. If I have it my way, we’ll need all the childcare we can get.
I pull up in my designated spot next to Cage near the front and switch the ignition off before I gently rub my girl's hands.
Fuck, I could ride for hours with her on my back, I really fucking could, and I let that notion sink in for a moment. My peace is quickly ruined when her brother opens his mouth.
“Right, let's get this shit done. I want some time with my niece!” Crash calls and Clark groans, dropping her forehead to my back, and I grin as I remove her linked fingers before climbing off, ensuring I don’t kick her in the face before I get my phone out of my cut.
“Buttercup,” I say, and she looks my way and smiles wide seeing my phone up, and I take several photos and mutter, “Now I just need one with you and Willow, and I’ll be happy,” as I set one of the photos as my screensaver, the main screen being her with our newborn baby.
Her smile softens, and I put my phone away and hold my hand out for her, helping her off my bike before dragging her into my body. I then cup her cheek, gently rubbing my thumb over her beautiful, soft skin.
“That was the best feeling in the world, buttercup,” I whisper, and her tears brim.
“Are you sure about this?” she asks softly, and I move down and gently caress her lips, then murmur, “Surer than anything else in my life, I want forever with you.”
I kiss her, gently pulling her towards the clubhouse, where only brothers and old ladies should be inside. But as soon as we walk inside, I hear Crash growl, “This is for fucking brothers and old ladies, Mom, what is Nova doing here?”
I sigh in frustration at the situation.
“Why am I not surprised?” Clark mutters, and I squeeze her closer to me as I look into the common room and find Nova staring at Crash like he’s her last meal, dressed skimpily enough that she’s giving the club bunnies a run for their money.
I shudder with disgust, that look even makes me feel dirty.
“She is family,” Clarisse says vehemently, making Nova preen as she twirls her light pink hair in her fingers.
Wait, since when is her hair pink??
I shake my head and declare, “She is not club,” causing all eyes to come our way.
Spike sits up along with my father and mother seeing Clark, while Clarisse turns her head from her daughter, which has me rolling my eyes.
“She will be club,” Clarisse declares, and Crash growls while my girl finally speaks up.
“Just because you want Crash with Nova doesn’t mean it’ll ever happen, Mom.
This is why I pulled back from you, not because I was forced into a marriage but because you’re set in your ways and it’s frustrating when you only see your way,” Clark says fiercely, “Even now, you’re pushing Nova on Crash but you haven’t stopped to notice he hasn’t screwed one club bunny, that he hasn’t brought women home. ”
Clarisse huffs, “I don’t care, he and Nova are meant to be,” completely ignoring her daughter's words.
“No, we’re fucking not!” Crash shouts, “And we’re here to try and convince my fucking sister to allow us to have contact with Willow, and you’ve yet again tried to make it all about you!”
Clarisse’s eyes widen at her son’s words just as Cage takes a step forward. Being the only brother without his old lady here, and probably wanting to get home to her, states, “Nova, you need to leave now, this is family business, and Saturday you are not to show up.”
Nova gasps and looks at Clarisse, who looks down, knowing not to go against the Pres, and she huffs before storming to the door, giving my girl a glare as she shoves past, and I growl, causing her to jump and move quicker.
“Looks like Nova is banned from any club premises for a month for that act,” I declare, causing the woman to freeze in the doorway.
“I work at the diner,” she gasps, and I raise a brow.
“And who hired you?” I ask, and Clarisse now jumps in, stating, “I did.”
“On whose authority?" Cage demands, “Because last time I checked, you are only an old lady, you don’t have that kind of power, meaning she is not employed by the club.”
Clarisse freezes while Nova gasps, “I’ve worked my butt off for months, and I signed a contract, so if you fire me, I’ll sue!” causing Clarisse to drop her head, knowing that threatening the club will get you a one-way ticket out the door.
“One mess up,” Cage sneers, “and you’re gone, but as far as the clubhouse and any other club business, you are out!”
Nova gasps and I state, “Get the fuck out now!” and she flinches and looks back at Clarisse who shakes her head and the bitch screeches before storming out of the clubhouse while Clark mutters, “And she wonders why I won’t allow her near Willow when she brings that type of person around.”
I wince, and so does her dad, clearly hearing her.
“Brothers, we’re here because you all want access to Willow, whereas I already do, the little one is already at my home and I I’ll be spending the evening with her and my girls baking,” Cage says, and Clark snorts as several growls echo in the room.
He grins and continues, “Despite her and Trick finally on the right track, despite them being madly and deeply in love, despite Clark finally wearing her property patch,” he pauses as several eyes go to Clark in shock who sighs, he says, “We all made her feel like she wasn’t family, that her feelings didn’t matter in the situation when Trick’s drink was drugged.
We forced her into something where I personally don’t regret giving Trick the idea when I was in prison because, well, look at them but Clark's feelings were pushed back, her dreams were stomped on, and because of our decisions, she pushed us all back.”
Clark shakes her head, and I tighten my hold on her, and I say, “They’re all here to show you that they do love you, that they do want you to trust them, especially with our daughter.
Honestly, don’t fucking kill me for this, but I’m not sorry that we got married because you were always mine, I’m just sorry I didn’t give you the wedding you always dreamed of. ”
“All we’re asking for, sweetheart, is a chance,” Spike says, and Splinter adds, “We know we should have been more sensitive, but it is like Trick mentioned, we can’t be sorry because you two were always meant to be together, you just didn’t want to open your eyes and see it.”
“So, what you're saying is I should be grateful Lavender drugged us?” Clark asks with some heat, and Killer stands next.
“No,” he instantly says, “because what you two went through after that was not okay by any means but you also need to remember that you got that amazing little girl out of that. We just… we want to get to know her, to show her the love you did have growing up and we want to get to know you again starting with family day this weekend.”
“We know it is a lot to ask for, Clark,” Chains adds, “We should have been softer with our approach to the wedding, we should have explained ourselves better when we knew why Trick was pushing for it. Don’t you think we’ve been punished enough?”
Now, is it lost on me that they didn’t deny her claim? Not at all, but fuck, it pisses me off that they won’t ditch the bitch.
“So, what do you say, sweetheart?” her dad whispers, “Take your mother out of the equation,” Clarisse gasps, but he ignores her, “Will you give us a chance?”
I look at Clark to see her looking at all the eyes on her, and I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
I won’t sway her either way, and the brothers know this. I think it’s time my wife knows it, too, because where she is concerned, only her choices matter, especially when so many have been taken away from her.