CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
-:- Paisley -:-
Looking over the jewelry that I had signed for in LeBrun’s office, I know I’ll never wear any of it again. I mean, where would you wear a diamond encrusted bracelet in a biker compound? The one I’m holding is worth a fortune. It has a row of large diamonds around the center and smaller diamonds on either side. How many diamonds in total? I have no idea, it”s something I wore for Maurice to show off his worth to other senators and their wives, at the exclusive gatherings we had to attend.
Placing the bracelet back in the package, I will take it to TwoCents’ office. I know the MC has a safe in there and I’m sure I’ll be allowed to place the jewelry inside until I know what to do with it all.
I remember Maurice saying to me one day, when we were ready for one of the never-ending boring meals we had to attend with two other senators and a judge. If anything ever happened to him, I had to make sure his mother never got her hands on any of the jewelry that he gave to me.
Thinking back, Maurice didn’t like his mother much, but he felt he had an obligation to her just because of who she was to him. Trouble being, she only thought and still thinks of herself foremost. He deserved a better mother, and if he had, he would have spent more time with Soloman, I’m sure. But, it’s no good crying over spilled milk.
Picking up the package, I head for TwoCents’ office, and give Lina a bright smile as I pass her coming out of Mav’s room, pushing the cart with all the cleaning equipment. “Morning, Lina.”
“Morning, Pais. Are you okay this morning?”
“Yes, I’m good. What about you?”
“I’m fine. I’m ready for a vacation. I’m going to visit Ireland with a friend. Just two more weeks and I’m so excited.”
“Oh, that sounds good. Take lots of photographs because I would love to see them.”
“I will.” Lina pushes her cart to Brag’s room and gives me a smile when she opens the door. “This room takes me a while. He is useless at staying tidy.”
We both giggle at Brag being such an untidy brother. Lina pushes the cart into the room and I continue to TwoCents’ office.
The door to the office is open. TwoCents has his head down, so I speak quietly so not to surprise him saying, “Knock, knock.”
Looking up, TwoCents gives me a smile. “Come on in, you don’t have to knock when the door’s open. The only time I close it is when I have you on the desk, or we have club business being discussed.”
Now, reminding me of our desk encounter has a flush rush up my neck and into my cheeks. TwoCents chuckles, when he notices it, and knows what crossed my mind.
“Shut up. I need to ask you something.” I place the package on the desk carefully, as the desk has paperwork scattered around. “Can I put this jewelry into the safe, please?”
“Yeah, of course you can. I’ll put it with the jewelry, certificates and licenses from the house. We will have a safe in the cabin, and I’ll transfer it all when we move in.”
TwoCents takes the package and carefully places it into the safe. Walking back to me, he picks me up and places me on his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on the top of my head. I relax, putting my weight on his chest and enjoy the moment.
“The Swap Shop was discussed in church, and all the brothers were good with Sentry taking 51% as you asked. Axel, however, wasn’t happy that you had put all the work into the shop and then to hand it over with no say in what happens to it in the future.
“We voted on the club having 39% ownership and you keeping 10%, because that would always leave you with the option to speak out if you saw something you didn’t like. A silent partnership is still good, Pais, and I had to agree with them. It was the right thing to keep you involved, even in a small way.”
“Okay, if you think that’s the right thing to do,” I reply. I’m happy with whatever the club decides because I’m not wanting to work every day at the shop anymore. Sentry is doing a better job of organizing the place than I did, and it’s great to see his enthusiasm too.
“Do you want me to organize the transfer of the funds from LeBrun’s office? I can open you a savings account and the inheritance can be placed in that until you decide what you’d like to do with it,” TwoCents mumbles as he kisses my neck.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and how about we leave it in an account for now, but keep it for any children we have? College fund, or whatever.”
“That’s a good idea. We will have money Pais, I’m not penniless by any means. I have a connection with a brother from the Satan’s Guardians MC. I heard about him from one of the older guys in their club. I gave him $20,000, and he traded it on the stock market. That became $400,000, given time. I have that sitting in a high interest account earning an acceptable rate.”
“Okay, well, if you put it in a similar account, then we’ll know we are good when we have kids,” I say. Without realizing I’ve made that decision in my mind already. Having kids, that is.
“You two need to pack it in during the day.”
Turning, I give Axel a smile, but I climb from TwoCents’ lap, which has him scowling. I kiss his cheek and whisper, “See you later,” before leaving them both in the office and making my way to the kitchen.
Jo is sitting typing on her laptop, oblivious to everything going on around her. I make myself and Jo a coffee and take it over to her.
“Here you go, Jo.”
“Oh, thank you, Pais.”
“How is your latest book coming along?” I ask.
“Well, I did some research last night, and I think I tired Knuckles out.” She giggles loudly. I can’t help the smirk because I know what research she is talking about.
“What do you think was going on with Meat, and the Three Stooges yesterday?”
“I was telling Knuckles what we saw, and he thinks it’s because they keep taking over his kitchen. They wanted to use his smoker too, so it’s a kitchen war which boiled over. Axel had Amelia, Bitty and Sybil in the office, and gave them a dressing down about what they have been doing. He doesn’t want any more food fights to happen.”
We both giggle as we remember what we’d seen because it was the funniest thing watching elderly ladies and Meat, who is a hunk I have to admit, food fighting. The only thing that would have made it better was if Star had joined in, because she’s as crazy as her man.
Speaking of Star, she wanders into the kitchen through the back door, looking as bright as a button, smiles at us both and walks over taking a seat. Before we can say good morning, Star leans over and whispers.
“I’ve been in the treehouse and saw a man lurking around the front of the compound, and I think we should investigate.”
I side-eye Jo, who does the same to me, and looking from any position in the kitchen, it must look comical. I turn my attention back to Star, I lean forward slightly and quietly ask, “Why do we have to investigate? We should tell Specs, as he’s the security guy.”
“Come on, Pais. Where’s the fun in that?”
Oh shit, she’s giving me that feral grin I’ve seen on Axel, TwoCents, and Meat. Sitting back as though I’ve been shot, I again look at Jo, who is grinning herself now, which shocks me.
“Come on, Pais. Let’s live a little,” Jo quietly says and closes her laptop before standing.
Meat walks into the kitchen, placing a large tray of smoked ribs on the island. He slowly looks up and sees Star, myself and Jo. Something in our faces or body language must convey to him as he places the ribs in the oven before walking over to us, folds his arms over his chest and waits.
Star quickly, but quietly, fills him in on the lurker situation and Meat snaps into being in charge, giving myself and Jo orders. I have to say at this time we blindly follow what he’s telling us to do without a thought to our own safety.
Jo and I wander out the back door, around the clubhouse, and to the front of the compound. We activate the gate and quickly make our way out onto the road, all the while pretending to be talking with no care about what’s going on around us.
We amble down the road heading towards town, just as Meat told us, but we are both listening the best we can for anyone sneaking up on us.
When it happens, it happens fast. The lurker grabs Jo for some reason, maybe mistaken identity. But I shriek as Jo screams and I mean full on screams as loud as she can.
Lunging, I jump on the lurker’s back, wrapping my arms around his neck while Jo is doing everything she can to escape his hold. I tighten my arms around his neck, and Jo spins around as he loosens his hold on her. Jo grabs his man package and I can see from the gritting of her teeth she’s giving it all she’s got.
The man screams, falls to his knees, and is grabbed by an enormous pair of arms. Meat. Thank goodness he and Star have arrived.
“Sorry Pais, Jo. It took us a little longer to get over the fencing than we thought it would. We didn’t want to come through the gate because Specs may have seen you two come out already.”
Hearing my name being shouted, Meat and Star drag the guy into the trees behind us, getting out of sight as quickly as they can. Jo and I look at each other, knowing we are both in for an ear bashing.
“Psst…Get the truck and pick us up as soon as you can,” Star whisper shouts, and Jo gives her a whisper shout in return that they may have a long wait.
Jo and I walk back as though we are on a Sunday afternoon stroll, picking wild flowers as we go. TwoCents and Knuckles are storming down the road toward us, and I’ve got to admit I feel a little nervous.
“Where have you been? Why are you out of the compound? What the fuck is going on, Pais?” TwoCents rants.
Knuckles is leaning into Jo’s face and nope, his dimples are not showing at the moment. “Jo, why are you out here? What’s going on? We need to go to our room and talk.”
Knuckles picks Jo up, tosses her over his shoulder and she leans her elbows on his back and gives me a finger wave, not looking upset or worried by his action. In fact, she looks like she’s eager about something!
“We just wanted to get outside of the compound. Have a walk, pick some flowers. Do normal things for a change,” I whine. Yeah, I’m whining and hoping it goes along with the pout I’m trying to do. I just hope it doesn’t look like I need to go to the restroom, because pouting isn’t something I normally would do.
“Come on, get in the compound,” TwoCents snaps, but he is calming somewhat now we are nearing the main gate.
An hour later, thoroughly chastised, or so TwoCents thinks. I sneak out to the truck where Jo is sitting in the passenger seat, feet on the dash, and looking dreamy.
“What the hell!” I exclaim as I turn in the driver”s seat and look at her.
“Oh, that was so worth it,” Jo giggles, but she has a deep blush on her face. I must blink a dozen times while I’m looking at her. “That was excellent research for my next book.”
“For…Fucks…Sake,” I snap at Jo. “Is that all you ever think about, sex and writing?”
“Yeah, mostly, but what a way to live,” Jo giggles again.
Quickly starting the truck, I pull up to the gate and punch in my code. I haul ass out of the gate as soon as it’s wide enough to drive out.
Picking up Meat, Star and the lurker a few minutes later. I am relegated to the back with Star, who has the man hogtied and gagged.
“Did everything go okay?” Star asks.
I give Star an eye-roll as I respond. “Well, I got chastised like a five-year-old, and Jo got the best sex of her life.”
Meat chuckles at my reply, and Star outright laughs. Jo, however, is still dreamily looking out the side window in a world of her own.
Every time the asshole between me and Star makes a noise, Star smacks his personal package, which has to hurt from Jo nearly ripping his dick off.
Arriving goodness knows where forty-five minutes later, I climb out of the truck and follow Star and Meat, who is dragging the asshole with him. Looking around, we are in the middle of a field or wasteland. I’m not sure, and I am surely not asking.
Star, I notice, has a spade, and when we stop walking, she passes it to Meat, who had untied the guy so he could walk to this spot. “Dig,” Meat growls and points to the ground in front of him.
Now, the guy still has a gag in his mouth, so he can’t do anything but give muffled responses. None of us try to understand what he’s saying. But after a few punches from Meat, he starts to dig.
A nice grave has been dug, and it’s at this point Meat takes the spade from the asshole and rips the gag out of his mouth. Star is the one who steps up and asks, “Who are you? What did you want?”
“Well, it’s fucking late to ask me these questions. You know, after you fucking kidnapped me.”
“Answer,” Meat growls. Unfolds his arms, makes fists of his hands, and I wince a little, knowing how hard he hit him previously.
“Okay. I was sent to take Paisley to a location where I could throw her into a ravine, never to be found.”
My stomach drops, and I feel like vomiting. Why would anyone want to do that to me?
“Who paid you to do that?” Star asks.
“Hudson Miller paid me to get rid of her. She gave the information to Boardman Charnwood, which was enough for him to be arrested.”
“Get in the hole you dug,” Meat snarls, and I can sense how angry he is with the information we were just told.
“No,” the guy snarls, but Meat throws a vicious punch, which lands on this guy”s chin and knocks him clean out.
“Wow, that was awesome. Will you teach me how to hit that hard?” Jo asks in such a sweet voice that the three of us turn to look at her.
“No,” Meat replies.
Jo sweetly responds with, “Okay.”
Me, I’m getting into the hysterical laughter stage, because this is like something out of a black-and-white, silent comedy movie.
“It’s okay, Pais.” Star says, while wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s teach this piece of shit a lesson.”
Meat drags the man to the hole, throws him in, then jumps in and lays him at an angle where his body is in the hole, but his head is on the edge of the hole. Like he’s lying in a bed, I suppose.
Grasping the shovel, Star throws piles of the dirt back into the hole and over the man inside. I’m feeling panicky about this, but it’s a case of him or me, and I choose him.
Standing side-by-side we all four smile at the sight. The guy is buried up to his neck, and he’s muttering and spluttering for us to let him go. But we’ve said all we are going to. He has a phone in his pocket if he can move his arm to get it out. Otherwise, as Meat told him, the wild animals can have him.
Traveling back to the compound, I’m thinking, how the hell are we going to get back in without getting caught?
If we are caught, Meat and Star are fine. Jo will just get more sex and by the look on her face, she’s looking forward to her punishment. Me, I’m going to get my butt reddened and I think it’s gonna hurt.