Chapter 6
Vex
It occurs to me about three minutes into the DRMC being here that Loyal has never once seen a happy couple.
I get it, I never did either until I spent a little more time outside of the Keep, but even then it was peppered with unhappy couples.
This, what the DRMC men have with their women, it’s something to behold.
Each and every couple has found their perfect partner.
Sure, they have disagreements, but instead of the submissive party being disciplined, they work together to resolve things.
Like Rhodie is trying, right now, to get Chewy to agree to not go anywhere without him.
“Babe, I love you, but I can do this stuff. I do it all the time,” Chewy reasons, standing toe to toe with a man almost twice her size.
“Yeah, that’s the problem,” he says, exasperatedly.
Mad Dog shakes his head, he and Pops moving in my direction.
“So, what’s with the lovely Loyal, huh?” Pops asks, wriggling his brows.
Shaking my head I begin to back away. “Oh no, no way. I have everything in hand.”
“Oh?” Mad Dog raises a brow. “So you don’t need our help then?”
“No. Not at all. Loyal and I are going slow.”
Pops looks dubious. “Does she know that?”
“Well, no, but look, there’s a lot of history there. We will get there, in our own time. It’s been years in the making, and it may be years still and that’s OK.”
Pops stink eyes me for a moment, before tipping his head. “I’ll leave you with that then.”
“If you really want to help, Chef ain’t doing too good.” I nod toward my brother, looking like someone pissed in his Fruit Loops.
He’s lurking in the corner, eyes on Sage as she moves around the room. My niece is kind, sweet and beautiful, but she also has an edge, much like her mother. If Chef thinks he can break her heart and she’ll be fine with it, he has another thing coming.
“Oh, that idiot boy?” Pops purses his lips, sharing a look with Mad Dog. “Come on, let’s go make his life harder as payback for breaking my grandbaby’s heart.”
“What on earth was that about?” Loyal’s husky voice scratches deep in my brain and causes my cock to jump in my jeans.
“That’s Chewy’s grandpa. He’s certifiably nuts but an all round good man. He’s dubbed himself the Love Prez and likes to play matchmaker.”
Loyal snorts, then uses her hand to cover her grin. “How’s he doing so far?”
“Well, he takes credit for two of the couples, so two for two isn’t bad I guess.” I grin at her. I don’t need Pops’ and Mad Dog’s help. I just need to wait. To watch Loyal chase her dreams and be there for her every step of the way.
I meant what I said. Me and Loyal have been years in the making. I can wait a little longer.
“I didn’t think people could be in love like this in real life,” she says quietly, watching the couples move around the room.
Tav has his arm thrown over Blanche’s shoulders.
Tess, their daughter, is in Blanche’s ever present front pack and I really think Tav needs to cut those ties.
Tess is walking now but my sister still loves having her close.
Jules is with his woman Vi, who I will make a point of introducing Loyal to later.
The shit that woman went through to protect their daughter Juno and other kids who had been trafficked is something that I feel the two women would be able to bond over.
Loyal needs to know that the burden she feels she carries, doesn’t need to be carried alone.
Sure it won’t help with some of the shit that she went through in her marriage, but it’s a start.
“Oh hello, I’m just coming to steal your lady,” Mira grins, taking Loyal by the hand. “Oh, oh and that one there! Let’s go get her, too!”
The tall blonde strides off with Loyal in tow, heading for poor Nell who’s watching on in horror. I chuckle to myself as I move across the room, taking a seat next to Sniper.
“Brother.”
He nods, eyes darting between Nell with the women, and Greer who, for better or worse, is with the Big Littles who are trying to organize the littler kids into some sort of dance troupe.
“Do you know their background?” Sniper’s low voice asks.
“Yeah. It’s part of the screening process. To keep ourselves and our contacts safe we have to be sure of who we’re helping.” I side eye him, leaving the ball in his court.
He inhales, before letting it out slowly. “Better or worse than Eden’s Keep?”
I close my eyes, trying not to remember what I read in Nell and Greer’s file.
Clearing my throat, I turn to look at Sniper, who for the first time since we got here, is starting to look like he’s taking care of himself.
He looks like he’s slept, the haunted look not so haunted.
I guess I can thank Greer for that. For all that little girl went through, she’s a ray of light in a dark world.
“Worse, brother. Much worse.”
His fists clench, the scars on his knuckles turning bright white against his tanned skin. His jaw clenches and I ready myself to hold him back from punching something, but instead, his whole body relaxes, eyes going soft as Greer calls his name and races toward us on her chubby legs.
“Sniper! Come watch the dance, come on!” Her curls bounce around her face in excitement and I watch as Sniper’s heart cracks open in real time.
I slap his shoulder, giving him a squeeze, “Go on, now, you got a little girl you gotta keep happy.”
His lips curl up slightly as he rises to meet Greer, the pocket rocket pulling him along behind her.
“Well, shit. Never thought I’d see that,” Marx tips his head in Sniper’s direction, looking like the weight of the world just left his shoulders.
“Looks like this place is finally being used for good, rather than evil.”
“True that, brother.” Marx takes a seat, eyes on Sniper. “We’re gonna call Church, cover what needs to happen.”
I nod. “Loyal and Justice would like to know what we’re dealing with so they can hand pick the team we use.”
Marx runs a hand down his beard. “Aside from logistics, has Loyal ever transported anyone?”
I glance at him, take a breath and slowly let it out. “Since we got rid of the Elders she’s been helping more with the transport side of things.”
“Good. Call her into Church. I need to run something by her.” He takes a long look at me. “And you.”
I nod, moving to find Loyal, sitting with the Girl Gang, eyes wide like saucers. “Ladies, do you mind if I borrow Loyal for a moment?”
Nat eyes me for a moment. “Only if you promise to give her back.”
I stare at the women, one by one, before running my finger over my heart in a cross sign. “Promise.” I hold my hand out for Loyal who takes it, her eyes darting away as a blush starts to rise up her pale cheeks.
I shouldn’t get a thrill out of flustering her, but I do. I love the shade of pink her cheeks burn, and I wonder how far down her chest the flushing goes.
“Those women are something else,” she whispers.
“Yup, and I can’t think of anyone better to have my, or your, back.” I tug her behind me until we’re standing in the kitchen, near the pantry. “So, Marx, the DRMC Prez, he’s going to call Church soon. He’s asked that you attend. He has something to run by us.”
Her brows raise. “Us meaning everyone, or-”
“Us, meaning the MC and you.”
Her brows furrow in confusion. “But I haven’t done any-”
A loud whistle pierces the air and I’m almost bowled over when I see it was Dex, not Marx. “Church!”
I’m still gripping Loyal’s hand, not wanting to break our connection, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to either judging by her hand tightening on mine as she straightens her shoulders.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Loyal
I let Vex tug me into Church behind him, only letting go of his hand when he shows me to my seat and then pushes me in.
As soon as he sits down next to me his hand finds mine again, clasping it in my lap.
His thumb strokes the back of my hand and the motion soothes me into feeling safe, even if I do jump when Dex bangs the gavel.
“Shhh, you’re safe,” Vex whispers, his warm breath in my ear making the hair on my neck tickle a little.
“Fucking good to see you all, just sorry it’s for a shitty reason,” Dex starts, nodding at the original DRMC.
“Won’t be for long though,” Marx, who I learned is the Prez of the DRMC assures us. “As you all know, Fox and Nitro are moonlighting at Rose Grove PD.”
“There are some real pieces of shit there,” a man with “Fox” on his vest growls out, the DRMC men all nodding in agreement.
“Well said, brother,” Marx nods. “One of those pieces of shit is the reason we have two little girls that witnessed a murder.”
Curses go around the table and Vex tenses beside me, the heat and rage radiating off him.
“How old are we talking?” Dex asks.
“They’re six. And they’ve seen some shit,” Marx answers, looking directly at me. “This is where you come in, Loyal and Vex.” My eyes shoot up to Marx’s. “We need to keep the kids safe, but not so far away that they can’t be called to testify if that’s what it comes to.”
“What do you mean ‘if that’s what it comes to’?” Vex asks suspiciously.
“If we do things the way Moss would like us to, one of his dirty cops will face the justice system and the girls will need to testify against him.”
“There sounds like a ‘but’ in there,” Dex grunts.
Marx tips his chin. “There is. I have a whole MC and their Ol Ladies baying for blood.”
“So where do you need them sent?” Omen asks, rolling out his shoulders.
“Nowhere. For the moment, anyway. What we need is for Vex and Loyal to pose as their parents.”
I sit there, not moving. Not making a sound. Did he just?
“You want us to pretend to be their parents?” Vex looks at me, stunned. “Why us?”