CHAPTER ELEVEN #5
He rubs the tip of his chin like he always has when he’s trying to figure out what to say.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you, Kim Kim.
I would like to meet your kids.” I must give him a face.
“You know I’m not going to let you leave my life again, right?
I know we live a few hours apart, but that’s not an excuse to miss visiting and big events.
” Brady smiles at me. “I get that. I won’t disappear again.
Promise.” I reach over and squeeze his hands.
“Good. Maybe you can come for a visit soon. I’d like you to meet them before the wedding.
” He looks up at me. “You want me at your wedding?” I roll my eyes without thought.
“What did I just say? Yes, I mean, who else would I want to walk me down the aisle?” The jerk stands up, moves around the table, and yanks me up into a bear hug.
“I would be honored to. I’ve missed you so fucking much, sis.
I can’t say I’m glad you got kidnapped, but I’m really fucking glad this is the result of it. ” I squeeze him back. “Same here.”
The roar of motorcycles stops anything else I was going to say.
Brady squeezes me once more and lets me go.
“Sounds like your man and the cavalry's here. Best we go out and greet them.” He’s right.
We head outside, and I see my family pulling into the parking lot with my man in the middle of the sea of bikes.
Ben pulls up in front of me and gets off his bike so quickly that he barely gets the stand down before he leaves his bike.
He moves so quickly he’s got me in his arms before I can barely blink.
“Fuck. Doc, you have no idea how scared I was.” He moves just enough to give me a kiss, one that I can feel all his emotions through.
I know he would’ve gone to the ends of the earth to find me and bring me home.
He breaks the kiss and starts to pat me down.
“You’re not hurt, are you, love?” I shake my head.
“Just a couple of scrapes and bruises. Nothing that won’t heal in a couple of days.
” He looks pissed. I squeeze his hand. “Hey. I’m here, and I’m fine.
That’s all that matters. I’m fine, Mathis.
” The soft look he gives me when I use his first name has me wishing we were alone right now so I could show him just how fine I am.
A voice behind me speaks up. “When you two are ready, everyone else is inside. We’re gonna have a chat about everything before you guys head back home.
” I smile up at Ben. “Wanna know one good thing that came from this?” Ben looks at me like I hit my head.
“What the fuck could be good about you being taken at gunpoint, Doc?” I turn and gesture toward the only other person still outside.
“Meet my brother, Brady.” Ben’s eyebrows go sky-high.
“The one you haven’t heard from in years?
” Brady, being the smartass he’s always been, remarks, “Pretty damn sure I’m the only big brother she’s got. ”
The two of them shake hands and give each other that chin lift thing that all these guys seem to do to each other.
Ben, who’s not stopped touching me in some way, pulls me close to him again.
“Let’s go inside and have that discussion so we can get home to our kids.
” When he calls them our kids, it makes me want to cry happy tears.
We follow Brady inside, and I see Maine and Jon directing people into the room they have church in.
Maine looks at me and gives me a nod. “We’ve just got to have a discussion so we all know what we saw and know about those fuckers.
” I suddenly flash back to that chest freezer in the cellar.
“I know our guys know what was delivered to my door a while ago. There was a chest freezer in the cellar, and I think it had the rest of that person, along with more in there. That asshole Brander is the creepiest guy I’ve ever come into contact with.
” I can see quite a few of Brady’s brothers give each other looks.
Maine nods, “Duly noted. We’ll try and keep it brief.
As a dad, I can only imagine how much you want to get back to your kids.
” The guys all head in, but Ben hands me his cell phone so I can call Anna.
***********
It took me a good ten minutes to convince Branson that I was okay.
Bentley seemed quicker to believe me. Bailey was just excited to have a sleepover with her friend Daisy.
I’m really glad she has no idea what happened.
I think it might take some time for Branson to work through things, but I know he’ll get there.
The guys are still in their meeting, and a few more from Brady’s club just arrived.
I watched most of them walk in and go straight into the room.
Two stopped to grab a couple drinks before heading in.
I watched them interact with Batya and observed her watch one of them walk into the room. My heart feels for her.
She comes out of the kitchen a few minutes later with two mugs.
“I don’t know about you, but tonight is a two-cup kind of night.
This one has a little something more in it.
” I take a mug from her and take a sip and immediately know there’s some whiskey in it.
“You are right again. You most certainly are a mensch.” She looks at me in surprise.
“I appreciate that. It’s not often that I run into someone around here who would know that word.
” She’s not wrong. “Well, I did some of my residency back east. I had a classmate and good friend who was Jewish. I took a chance after you called yourself the Malka of this place.”
Batya points at me. “You are one smart and observant woman, which means you are a mensch as well. Like knows like, and we are going to have to keep in touch because there aren’t enough women like you around these parts for my liking.
” She takes a sip, and my nosey-ass self has to ask.
“So I’m going to ask, and you can tell me to mind my own fucking business, but what’s your deal?
Are you an old lady to one of these guys?
A club girl? Just by your comments, I’m guessing one of these brothers isn’t your dad or brother, so what’s your connection? ”
Her smile turns into a glare. “You are fucking observant. I originally came here thinking I would be a club girl, but it didn’t really work out that way.
I noticed this club looked like a frat house after rush week and started cleaning.
Cooking is just something that brings me peace, so I do it on occasion for the brothers.
Maine saw what I was doing and ended up offering me a job keeping this place and his house clean and the fridges filled with food.
It’s not conventional, but it works for me.
” Smart woman. “Hey, whatever makes your life something you can do with a purpose, that’s what matters. ”
I take a sip and ask the real question I wanna know.
“What’s between you and that last brother who came in just a few minutes ago?
” She glares at me again, and she sighs.
She shows it all on her face, and I can’t keep my mouth shut.
“Let me guess, you’re head over heels for him, and he sees you as nothing but a friend or sister.
” She doesn’t say anything but nods her head ever so slightly.
I take one more sip of my drink. “Can I tell you something as someone who’s got a few years on you?
” She waves me on to continue. “Don’t waste your life waiting for someone who looks through you.
You deserve to find that person who sees no one else but you when he walks into a room.
I’m not an expert in love or anything, but I know without a doubt that my ex didn’t see me that way, possibly ever, but my fiancé in that room?
I know that the second he walks into a room I’m in, I’m the only woman that he sees, and honestly, it’s the same for me with him.
Life is hard enough. Don’t waste time begging someone to love you who isn’t even going to see you. ”
“Ugh!” She slouches slightly in her seat.
“I know you’re right. I know I need to just give up this ridiculous crush, but it’s so much easier said than done.
Especially when he gives me moments where he’s so nice and makes me think he could possibly be interested, but then ten minutes later, I walk into the main room, and he’s getting a blow job from a club girl.
I know I should just treat this as a job and keep him at an arm’s distance.
I sure as shit ain’t about to be on my knees blowing him like the club girls do.
That just makes me gag.” I can’t help the laugh that comes out.
Her face is so animated as she gags at the thought.
“Is that why you didn’t become a club girl?
” She looks at me while trying to stop gagging.
“It’s one of the reasons. I mean, have you really studied a man’s wiggle lizard?
It’s all veiny, bumpy, and just…just no.
That vein is why I can’t eat Snickers and have to stick with Milky Way.
” Oh lord, I’m dying. I’m laughing so hard there are tears in my eyes.
I’m only one stop away from peeing myself.
Just like that, I think I just made a friend for life.