Chapter 59
Mia
I have no idea where Aiden is taking me, but I swear he hits every bump in the road just to torment me further.
I’m desperate to fuck him after he toyed with my pussy while changing out the last plug before we went to the Hounds of Hell clubhouse.
I was almost ready to come when he pulled his fingers away and told me patience was a virtue while he watched me pant in the mirror. Smug prick.
But at least the meeting went well. The idea of peace between my brother’s club and Aiden’s is something I never thought would come to fruition.
After years of fighting, it took two presidents who don’t feel the need to measure their dicks, and can see the bigger picture, to fight against a common enemy.
It will form a peace that makes all our lives a lot easier, and it’s a peace my dad would have been so damn proud of.
The golden light of the Georgia countryside in the early evening is a blur as we ride the short distance to the outskirts of town.
We make a turn down a long, paved road that disappears into a canopy of live oaks and Spanish moss, and then opens up to a wide expanse of property.
It looks like some sort of old estate, with a massive white mansion that looks to be at least a hundred years old and has seen better days.
Pillars line the covered porch, which spans the front.
Beyond the mansion is a wide and very deep yard surrounded by trees. It gives the impression that the property just goes on forever, and maybe it does.
Aiden pulls up in the circular drive, and I notice a parking lot on the other side of the house.
“Where are we?” I ask when he cuts the engine. I get off the bike, and he follows suit, taking our helmets and hanging them from his grip. He rummages through his saddlebag and then makes his way over to me, setting a small bag down at his feet.
I realize I can’t hear anything but birds and insects.
There are two large barns in the distance, and two paddocks that look like they were used for horses at some point. The fencing needs repair, but it’s absolutely breathtaking.
A feeling of peace settles over me as I take it all in, and I inhale a deep breath, still not understanding why we’re here.
“What I do isn’t legal,” Aiden says, looking out at the field. “We both know that. I sell guns, I run strip clubs, and I launder money, but I make a fuck ton of it. Much more than I need, and I never had any qualms about it before I met you.”
“You give girls a safe, respectful place to work when they choose to be in this industry. You’ve got more good in you than you think,” I remind him. “Other clubs don’t run like yours.”
“Maybe so, but I figured it was time to do something really good. Something completely aboveboard that will change the way we run this club. Something I can really be proud of.”
He nods toward the house with a grin. “Let’s go inside.” He picks up the bag and gently pulls me by the hand.
I take in my surroundings as we walk. The gardens and landscaping are overgrown, but I can tell they were once very beautiful and could be again. There are rosebushes and peonies, rudbeckia, and lavender bushes. The smell in the air is sweet and comforting.
“This was once a fully functioning horse ranch back in the day. General Thomas Bertrand built it in 1920 after the war, for his young bride who loved to ride. She was wheelchair bound, and he felt the horses provided comfort and a way to give her legs.”
“That’s so beautiful. I can feel the peace here. The tranquility,” I tell him, breathing in the fresh country air as he pulls an antique key from inside his cut and places it in the lock.
“It needs a lot of repairs,” he says as he pushes the door open.
I’m greeted by a vast foyer with double curving staircases and ceilings two stories high. A large antique crystal chandelier hangs over our heads, and the ceiling is ornate, with a copper finish and abundant white crown moldings.
“There are fourteen bedrooms, a library, and two full kitchens in need of renovation. There’s a full garden out back, barns for animals too, and the whole place functions off grid. There’s solar on the roof, and a well that pumps in fresh water hooked up to a purification system.”
“It’s stunning. But what are we doing here?” I ask.
“I bought it,” he says simply.
My mouth falls open. “What?”
Aiden moves closer and wraps his arms around me.
“I…we own it. It’s up to you what you want to do with it, but my vision is a safe house for abused women and women who were victims of sexual assault and need help getting through it.
I’m thinking we have one or two counselors around the clock, to assist, and a fully functioning staff.
The women who stay can cook, garden, read, we could have therapy animals, and maybe they’d find peace.
Recover. There’ll be room for their kids if they have any, and there’s sixteen acres, so plenty of space to build more structures if needed.
I was thinking we could call it Nicola’s Haven. ”
Is this man real?
“It could help you keep the memory of your sister alive. You’d be welcome to work here as much or as little as you want, and every victim we help would honor her memory.”
He kisses me softly as my eyes well up with tears. I still haven’t said a word, but I start to laugh. The odd kind of laugh that happens when it’s mixed with tears of joy, tears of being loved so deeply by someone that it consumes all of you.
“Don’t cry, Rhiannon.” Aiden wipes my tears. “This is happy.”
“I am happy.” I choke back a sob, trying to catch my breath. “I just… Can you afford this? I…I have no words.”
Aiden chuckles. “Mia, I could afford three of these and still live the life I do. I’ve never spent my money.
And it’s a place where I can put my excess to good use, for the first time.
” His eyes intensify as he looks down at me, brushing my hair from my forehead.
“It’s a future. I told you, you’re the fire in me, the light.
” He looks around. “And this place is full of light.”
“It is. I felt it as soon as I walked through the door. Is it weird to say that I almost feel her here?” I ask, sniffing back my tears.
Aiden kisses my forehead and brings me close again. “No, it’s not. We’re gonna make this place something really special, Mia. You’ll see.”
I take it all in, still not believing the lengths he’s gone to in order to honor my sister. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received. I love you.”
“Not nearly as much as I love you, Rhiannon.” He bends down to pick up the bag and pulls out a small bundle of black leather, then lets it unfold.
It’s new and small, a woman’s jacket. A cut. One that looks just like his but has a simple banner under the reaper: Property of Aiden Foxx.
I reach out and run my fingers over it, and it’s soft, supple to the touch.
“You belong to me, Mia. You have since the first moment I laid eyes on you. Now everyone will know it.”
I flip it over and note the patch that will sit over my heart: Rhiannon. I shrug it on over my T-shirt and turn so he can see the back.
“Fuuuck,” he growls, smacking my ass and making me whimper. He squeezes it tight, spinning me around then letting his hands trail around my waist, moving over me, kneading my body beneath my clothes. “Now, go check out every room. I still need to stop at Lavish before we go home.”
I groan. “Aiden, please…”
“Patience, darlin’. Fuck knows I’m using a lifetime’s worth right now. If I can do it, so can you. You’ll thank me.”
“Oh, I’m going to show my gratitude, am I? Be thankful you’re torturing me like this?” I ask with a laugh. Remembering the first time he taught me to be thankful on my knees in his office. My core heats with the memory.
“Fucking right, you are,” he growls as I slither out of his hands and turn to run.
He chases me down the hall, and we spend the next hour checking out every beautiful, light-filled room in this place.
It truly feels like Nicola’s Haven. And I know that somewhere out there, Nic is at peace now, and she’s smiling down on us.