Chapter 6
Mad Dog
Shit. I back out of the common room, and quietly make my way to the kitchen. I was headed for my favorite recliner but that asshole Pops is in there and I don’t feel like getting a lesson from the Love Prez so I’m out.
“You OK?”
My eyes close as I slowly turn toward Mama Debs. “If I tell you, will you let me grab a muffin and escape before Sid sees me?”
She grins and cocks her head to the left, leading the way. “I just made brownies, hot out of the oven,” she murmurs quietly.
She’s a good woman. A little younger than Pops and not too different to Willa. She’s loyal, loving and would do anything for her family. She waves me to a seat and slips on her floral oven mitts. I wait as she brings over the hot tray, setting it down in front of me.
“Debs, you’re a damned fine woman. But I do not need a whole tray of brownies.” I grin up at her.
“Probably not, but you never know.” She pats my shoulder and takes a seat across from me. “So, there a reason you’re avoiding my man?”
“Are you serious? He’s a pain in the ass on a good day.”
Debs snorts. “Yup, but he’s one hell of a man. And you know he’s only a pain in the ass because he cares.”
I let out a sigh. “Yeah - oh fuck me, these brownies are good,” I moan around my mouthful. “Goddamn, Debs.”
“You know,” she says with a drawl, well, kinda, given her accent, “Willa gave me that recipe.”
I freeze. “Wha?”
“Yup, that one came from Willa. Trust me, hers are way better,” she singsongs.
I swallow my mouthful and place the brownie down on the tray. My eyes narrow. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Something. Dunno.” She giggles before her hand gently squeezes mine. “Don’t change what you’re doing with her.”
“I’m not doing anything with Willa. We're friends. But -,”
“But?”
“But shit, she’s something special, and I’m honored just to share space with her.”
She smiles softly, “Good. Now eat your brownie. You have around 30 seconds before Sid smells this batch and comes sniffing.”
I grab a handful, putting up with the burn because these damn brownies are worth it, before heading out the back door straight into the Big Littles.
“Oh, thanks, Doggy,” Cove says, plucking a brownie from my hand, the rest of the Big Littles following.
“Ah, I stole those fair and square,” I mutter.
Jovie tiptoes as tall as she can get and pats me on the shoulder, “All for us. Love you, Doggy.” She tries to slap a wet kiss on my cheek and I can’t keep up the grumpy face I’ve put on.
To be honest, I had no business thinking I could eat five brownies anyway. Probably. “So, what’s the haps, kids?”
“The ‘haps’?” Elio asks, using air quotes and looking disgusted at my attempt at hip speak.
Before I can open my mouth Cove butts in, “We’ve been coming up with plans for Miss Willa’s place.”
“There’s been a man looking at her house,” Kit continues, around a half chewed mouthful of brownie.
“What does this man look like?” I have a feeling I know, but I was hoping that Diesel asshole only made one appearance.
“Huge. Way too many muscles. Like an old sock stuffed with walnuts,” Jovie says, her hazel eyes huge in her face.
I try not to snort at the image, but that's exactly what the big bastard looks like. “And he’s been looking at her house?”
The girls all nod, looking like bobble heads. “We’ve come up with some booby traps. Miss Willa will be safe,” Elio says, carefully nibbling around the edges of his brownie, avoiding eye contact.
I open my mouth only to close it again. The Big Littles are a little scary and a lot protective. “What kind of booby traps?”
They all side eye each other. “The legal kind,” Cove says, hands behind her back.
My eyes narrow at her answer and she grins wide, her eye teeth still a little short after she lost them last summer.
She pulls her hands from behind her back and wiggles her chubby little fingers.
I stare at her but she doesn’t cave, nor do the others.
I know that whatever they’re up to is probably no good but…
if it helps keep Willa safe, who am I to stop them?
“Just, be good, OK?”
Jovie stretches up ata to slap her hand on my shoulder, looking at me very earnestly. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“Let’s roll out!” Cove shouts and the Big Littles all spin on their heels and climb into the golf cart Rider gifted them, flooring it in the direction of their clubhouse.
“Was that the Big Littles?” Remy asks, stepping up to my side.
“Yup.”
“Up to no good?”
“Yup.”
Remy lets out a long sigh, “Marx has called Church.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
She bumps my shoulder gently and I turn to follow her inside. I’ve got a belly full of brownies and the Diesel problem is partially under control. Things are feeling good.
Willa
“Oh, hey Willa!” Lovely beams as I wander into the MC common room.
“Hey, Lovely,” I smile and then let out an “oof” when she pulls me in for a tight hug. She is deceptively strong.
“I didn’t know you were coming, this is perfect timing!” she says, clapping her hands and beaming at me.
“Yeah, I ah, didn’t realize I was coming either.” I mumble.
“Rhodie and Gus had business and I needed a ride after Willa’s massage,” Chewy says, throwing her thumb over her shoulder before leaving the room.
“Wait, wait, wait, I need more details,” Blanche says power walking into the common room.
“Chewy got a massage?” Her voice raises at that bit of information and after massaging Chewy, I know why.
She raises a finger, “Don’t tell me yet, let me message the girls.
” Her fingers fly over her phone and the next thing alerts start going off in all directions.
“May as well take a seat,” Lovely says with a soft smile.
I plop down in a recliner in the corner and squirm a little as Mad Dog’s scent envelops me. Not in a bad way. Which scares me a little more than it should. I, yet again, blame hormones and my traitorous vagina.
“OK, we’re here!” Kaia and Jazz yell as they rush in, joining Ana, Nat, Mira, Lovely, and Violet.
“Chewy and Remy will be in church,” Joy whispers to me as she takes a seat beside me.
She’s a newly minted Ol Lady, and damn it looks good on her.
When she first moved in beside me it was written all over her what she’s been through.
I guess I saw a little of myself in there, and took her and her little girl under my wing.
Joy is like my sister from another mister, and when she was claimed by Switch, a good, upstanding man, I was over the moon for her.
He allows her to breathe, to grow and to be the woman she should have always been. Confident. Sassy.
“OK, aaaand GO!” Nat claps.
“Um, Chewy came in for a massage?” I answer, unsure what else they need to know.
“And…?” Mira waves her hands in the air to keep me going.
“Well, it was…interesting.” They all share a look and grin at me. It’s slightly unsettling.
“Did she get naked? I can’t imagine Chewy naked,” Mira says, face screwed up.
“I’m fucking hot, naked!” Chewy calls out from somewhere in the house.
“She has such freakish hearing,” Ana mutters.
“Apparently Tav has the same hearing.” Blanche adds, “Not that I’d know because I’m sure that cheeky bastard ignores me half the time.”
Jazz looks scandalized, “You’ve only been together like four years, how can he be deaf to you already?”
“It’s a Tombs man thing. Jules won’t hear a thing I say unless it's me bitching about him under my breath and then he hears it from the neighbor's yard.” Vi rolls her eyes.
Nat nods before turning her gaze back to me. “Now spill.”
“OK, well, she refused to take off her clothes in case I became overwhelmed with lust. And then she decided that my hands were too soft and lame so I had to use Rhodie’s hands.” I finish and they all sit there, staring at me in silence.
“Wait, huh?”
“Rhodie put his hands on her and then I kinda moved them around on Chewy.” I shrug. I’m still not really sure what happened, either.
Mira snorts, a pen and pad in her hand as she scribbles something down.
“She’s a romance author,” Joy whispers. “She writes all those alien romances I’ve been sharing with you.”
My brows hit my hairline, “No shit!?”
“No shit.” Joy beams at me and I stare at her. Still amazed by her transformation into the woman before me.
“OK, wait, so you massaged her and then she made you bring her home? Classic Chewy behavior,” Kaia says and all the women nod along.
“Yeah, she decided I’d ‘had a morning’ and I should pack it in and go home. I probably need to call the cleaners to clean out my therapy room, come to think of it,” I say, already pulling my phone from my skirt pocket.
“What happened this morning?”
I wave a hand in the air, eyes glued to my screen as I scroll to my cleaners number. “Ex husband turned up at Wild Remedy, tried to get handsy and I threw hot oil at his face. Then Rhodie and Gus dragged him out and I gave Chewy a pregnancy massage.”
I look up when there’s no witty banter. The woman all stare at me in silence, and Lovely looks positively sick.
“Um, what the actual hell?” Violet says, moving from shock to pissed in seconds.
“Ah, yeah, my ex-husband is in town. Instead of prison, where he’s meant to be,” I reply, fiddling with my phone.
“And, he just turned up?” Joy asks, her pitch rising.
“Yeah but I had it handled. He’s nursing a facial burn and that doesn't include the roughing up Rhodie and Gus gave him.” My gaze travels around the group, “It’s fine. I’ve spoken to the Sheriff -”
“Moss,” Jazz and Vi answer in unison.
“Ah yeah, Moss, and he’s got a BOLO out. It’s fine. He’s an asshole and old Willa would just take it. New Willa was ready to slice and dice the son of a bitch.”
The women all relax a little, and give me encouraging words and tips on the best places to stab someone. I don’t really need the advice, but I do appreciate their concern.
“Well, now we know Willa is OK, and it’s not even 2pm, should we all get to work decorating the diner for the baby shower?” Mira says, ever-present smile back on her face.
“OK, I’ll get out of your hair so you can get on with things.” I move to stand, running my hands down my ass and straightening my skirt.
“Ah, where do you think you’re going? You’re on the balloon arch and alcoholic tea,” Nat points out.
“Ah, come again?” I freeze in my tracks.
“You’re on the list, see? And the jobs you’ve been assigned,” Mira says, leaning over to show me her notepad.
Right there, in flowery print, is Willa - Balloon arch and boozy teas. Yippee!
“Why am I on the list?” I ask, brows pinched.
“Aw, Willy Wonka, you’re one of us now,” Joy beams.
Well. Shit.