CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
-:- TwoCents -:-
The weeks seem to fly past as I’m settling into my seat in church. Another Sunday, another week, we’re all gonna be old folks before we are ready at this rate, I’m thinking.
Turning to look at me, BS grins. I frown at him because what the fuck is he grinning at me for? “What?”
“I’m still enjoying the moment Axel told Davinia what would happen to her if she continued to chase after Paisley. The look on her face was priceless and I know you didn’t see or hear but TwoCents, I would have paid to have seen it.”
“What happened?” I have to ask because he has piqued my interest now.
“Axel got close to her, and we all shuffled closer so we could see and hear what was happening. You know, to make sure Pres was kept safe.”
“Oh, of course.” Responding with a yeah, I sure understand tone.
“Calm as you like, Axel told her, ‘You know, an interesting fact is that pigs eat anything they are fed. They don’t mind flesh or bones.’ Pausing at that point while he clocks if the stupid bitch is understanding the threat to her. We all stood and waited with bated breath.
“Suddenly she understands he is threatening her. That’s the point, he continues speaking. The color in the bitch”s face goes as white as a ghost and looks like she could pass out. But he continues regardless. ‘If you continue to harass Paisley or Soloman, you will face the pigs. I’ll have someone watching you, and even though you won’t see them, I will have eyes on you at all times. One step out of line and I will enjoy hunting, skinning and dicing you for the pigs.’ Man, you’ve seen no one move so fast. She left the service, ran to her damn vehicle, and tore out of the parking lot as though her ass was on fire.”
“Fuck, I would have loved to have seen that.”
“Okay, let’s get this meeting started.”
Both BS and I turn to see Axel seated and ready. Now, that’s a shocker, as we didn’t even realize he’d come into church yet.
Quickly Axel asks for reports. PT, Stitch and Specs give their reports, they bring no issues to the table.
“TwoCents.” Axel turns to look at me.
“I have nothing to report, Pres. Everything is good and the accounts I’m doing for Lily are causing no problems. It’s quick and simple, so not time-consuming for me. Otherwise, all financials are perfectly fine.”
Axel leans forward and rests his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers. “The Memorial Service went according to plan. I have spoken to Soloman, and he is scattering the ashes at his home next Tuesday. I told him we would inform Paisley once he’s done it, but he is welcome to visit her if he would like.”
I give a nod, which lets Axel know I’ve heard and will convey that information to Pais.
“I don’t think for one moment we will have any more issues with the bitch Davinia Brooks, but Specs will monitor her movements, spending and the like. Soloman is going to avoid her like the plague, but I don’t think she’ll dare speak to him again.” With a smirk, Axel shows his pleasure in the threat he made, and his eagerness to carry it out.
“It was brought to my attention that Liam was thinking we could open a second coffee house. It’s a good idea, but we would have to have a larger property than the coffee house now because it’s bursting with customers and struggling for seating space.” Axel doesn’t miss a beat. How he hears of everything I do not know!
Another coffee house has been mentioned around the clubhouse by various brothers, and the general feeling is that we go for it. But the issue would be a manager and staff. It’s something else we’d have to monitor.
The discussion ranges from ‘do we need one,’to ‘yeah, why not? It brings legitimate cash to the table and our salaries.’ Axel calls for a vote and it’s an even split, from what I can tell.
“We’ll table this and bring it up again when we have more information. TwoCents, speak with Liam, find out his idea. No rush. We can cover this whenever we want.” Axel taps his fingers on the table and we can all see the discussion about this is done. “Anything else?” he asks.
“I want new equipment in the kitchen,” Meat surprises everyone.
“New equipment? Like what equipment?” Axel asks, leaning back in his chair.
“Commercial stove for a start. This one is on its last legs,” Meat states.
I frown because I’m sure the two stoves are not that old, and don’t know what the shelf life is on a stove.
“No. The kitchen isn’t that old, and we have insurance on the equipment. If it”s fucked, then we contact them to come look and they can replace it. Sort it with PT. He”ll have the paperwork on it all.” Axel picks up the gavel, slaps it down, and walks out of church.
Fist laughs, “Well, that’s the end of that discussion, Meat.”
Meat grunts, scowls and walks out of church, and I have a feeling that maybe it’s not the end of it.
In my office, I take the seat behind my desk and take my phone out of the top drawer where I’d placed it before going to church. I see a missed call from Nell…now that is odd.
Pressing the call button on the phone, I wait for Nell to pick up. It has to be urgent if she has contacted me.
“Hello, TwoCents. I hope I haven’t disturbed you by contacting today. You know, with it being Sunday,” Nell says.
“I saw you on my phone as a missed call, and thought it wise to see if you are okay?”
“I’m fine, but I wanted to say thank you for coming out and getting me the other evening. I don’t know what it is with Vitale, but he won’t leave me alone. He keeps spouting all this lovey-dovey bullshit.” I hear Nell sigh.
It’s a good thing she can’t see me because I’m smirking. “He obviously has the hots for you, girl, and he’s enjoying the chase.”
“Fucking hell. I wish my gators could be put on a leash, then I’d train them like attack dogs.”
Chuckling because I think Nell is stressing about Vitale when really she doesn’t need to. “Did you enjoy your meal?” I can’t help but ask.
“Yes, I did. You know Vincenzo is good company. I like him, but his world and mine are not alike, and I’m not sure I’m up for a cutthroat world.”
Now, I can’t stop the bark of laughter that busts out. “Nell, that is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. You have cells under your barn, you have gators that eat bodies, and you don’t think you can cope with being a Donna, which is what they call a Don’s woman, I believe. Nell, you’d wipe the floor with the fuckers. You could do it, but if you really do not want Vitale or the life, you stick to your guns, and your boys will keep you safe.”
“Hm, I will stay away from him for a while. I’m more than happy as I am at this point in time.” I hear Nell sigh once more. “Okay, I’ve got to go do some chores. Thank you again for coming for me right away, TwoCents. You can call us even now.”
“Nell, if you ever need me to help you, just contact me. I would be more than happy to help you. Never feel you would be stuck without help. Any of the brothers would come and get you,” I reassure her.
“Thank you.”
Closing the call, I walk out of the office and look for Paisley. It’s Sunday, training done, church done. Now we have some time for each other, and I want to get a little private time with my woman. Whistling, I walk out of the office and start the search for Pais.
Tuesday Morning
Buzz steps into my office and tells me Axel wants Paisley and me in the office pronto. Now, I’ve no idea why he wants the both of us, but who are we to argue?
Finding Pais in the common room sitting next to Jo, I walk over. “We are needed in Axel’s office, Pais. Come on, we best not keep him waiting.”
Walking into Axel’s office, I stand behind Pais as she sits in the chair in front of the desk. We wait for him to look up as he’s signing paperwork, and I know better than to interrupt him.
Looking up, placing his pen down, Axel leans back in his seat and folds his arms over his chest. “Now, Paisley, there are a couple of things. First, you are today free of punishment duty, but it will be far worse if you fuck up again. But do you have anything to tell me about a man buried up to his fuckin’ neck?”
Aww, fuck, I’m immediately thinking. Somehow he’s found out, and how the fuck he finds out everything is a mystery.
Pais splutters a little before speaking. “Well, um, you see…”
“Spit it out, Paisley,” Axel states.
“ThemanthatwasacrossfromthecompoundwasspyingonmeandhewassenttograbmebyMillerbutwegottohimfirstthenwetookhimandburiedhim.”
I blink because Pais said all that without taking a breath, and I’m not sure I can decipher what she’s saying or said, even though I know what happened.
“I know all that happened, and if you ever do anything like that again, you and I will have a huge issue…you got me, Paisley?”
“I got you, Axel,” Pais nearly whispers.
“Now get out of here and let this be the last of this kind of bullshit.” Axel glares, but I can see he has that twinkle in his eye, which says he’s really not that upset or worried at this point.
“Come on, Pais, let”s get your trike and see how you cope with it.” I take her hand and we walk over to the barn where the trike is stored.
Seeing the trike, Paisley starts to get excited. She rushes over and walks around it, as if this is the first time she’s laid eyes on it. Listening to her mumbling and cooing all over again has me smiling.
“Okay. Before you start her up, we need to go over the controls and starting procedure…”
“It’s not like I’ve never ridden a bike, TwoCents. It’s been a while, but I used to have one, years ago. It was only a little commuter thing for college, but I rode it a lot.”
“Well, that makes this a lot easier then. Your biggest difference will be cornering. You’ll need to do it a lot slower than you did with your bike.”
Getting Pais seated and comfortable, I get her to talk me through the controls as she remembers them. Having a reverse gear is going to take a bit of getting used to, but I’m confident it won’t take her long.
Taking the trike to the front of the compound and on to some level ground, soon has her showing that beast who’s boss. She takes to it like a duck to water and some of the brothers have come out to see who’s tearing up the compound. Much as they did with Mia, they are all cheering and clapping as she rides around.
Calling a halt to her display, as that’s what it has become, before she gets overconfident and something happens, we take the trike back to the barn. Once it’s safely locked away, we head back to the clubhouse and her adoring fans.
Pais has gone to get the mail as Specs sent a message saying he had a package for her. I, however, am stopped by Mia as I enter the common room.
“TwoCents, if you are up for it, the last arrangements are completed for Saturday. I can get a dress for Paisley to wear, and for the other women, so she suspects nothing until the last minute.” Mia is grinning broadly.
Mia looks so healthy in her pregnancy at the moment that I’m positive Axel will be less clingy than when she was carrying the twins. Shit, I hope I never said that out loud because I could end up visiting the pigs.
“Yes, that’s good. Is Axel okay with his part?”
“Oh sure, he’s good. You know he likes to be the ‘boss’.”
I don’t reply to that because nobody ever called me a fool, and I’ve seen when someone walks up behind you and you end up in deep shit. Not happening to me, oh no siree.
“Okay, Saturday it is.” We give each other a conspiratorial grin and I walk into the kitchen to grab a drink, but stop and lean on the door frame when I see Axel head-to-head with the Three Stooges, Meat and Star.
“I’ve told you I’m not having any more of this bullshit in the kitchen. I’ve told you three…” pointing at each of the Stooges, “to stay out of Meat’s kitchen unless you are making something for the twins, and I mean making up a dish from what Meat has supplied. Leave the man’s kitchen alone, or you will be banned from entering the kitchen at all. You all three have homes you never use, and we don’t care about that, but if you fuck me off much more, you’ll be living on your own again. Now, move it, get out of the kitchen.”
The three women walk past me where I’ve been standing and into the common room. Axel gives me a wink so I know that what he’s just said is bluster to get the three women in line.
“Meat, get your kitchen back in its normal state. Star, you can help, but if either of you step out of line, I’ll ream your asses so you can’t sit down for a week. Oh, Star, that means your arse.” Axel walks out of the kitchen and while his back is to Meat and Star, they can’t see what I see, which is a huge smile on his face.