Chapter Twenty-Five
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PREACH
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Sitting at the bar and staring into the glass of Jack in front of me, I’m debating on giving in and just chugging this fucker back. I’ve locked Daisy in my room. It was my only choice. If I don’t, she runs every time I don’t have my eyes on her.
Last night, I waited until she fell asleep to take a shower. I rushed as fast I fuckin’ could, but not fast enough. By the time I was dressed, she was gone. When I finally found her, she had already made it off the compound. Luckily, I got her back before she made it to town. My brothers, even Ice and Mary, wouldn’t hide her from me, as far as they’re concerned she’s mine, but that fuckin’ cop would.
He’s blown up her damn phone since I brought her here. Of course, I haven’t let her see the damn thing. I’ve done everything I had to do to keep them apart, and I plan to keep doing it. She’s nothing but a memory for him, even if she doesn’t realize it.
The fact that he didn’t come after us, that day at the diner, proves he’s a piece of shit. If some motherfucker tried to take Daisy from me, I’d kill him. No questions asked the bastard would be dead. That dick didn’t even mutter a word. Right now, Daisy’s not thinking about that. All she’s got on her mind is getting away, and she thinks he’s the only one that can help her. Sooner or later, she’ll realize what a douche he is. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
The first night she was here was fuckin’ amazing. I spent the entire night buried deep inside her, and it was pure heaven. When we woke up the next morning, everything changed. Since then, it has been pure hell. Every time I go in to try and talk with her, she just throws shit at me. I can’t even walk in my own damn room without dodging a flying shoe or empty pop can.
The only person able to calm her crazy ass down is Ice. Then again, I don’t know if she calms Daisy, or if she is just smart enough not to fuck with Ice. Friend or not, that woman ain’t gonna put up with Daisy’s shit. With her being pregnant, she wouldn’t physically hurt Daisy, but she would find some way to make her pay.
At first, her grandparents and Holt could talk to her, but once she realized they were on my side, she shut them out too. The fact that Mary agrees with me pisses Daisy way the fuck off. I think she feels like her Grams betrayed her, but she didn’t. Mary loves Daisy, and she knows I’ve changed. Now, all I got to do is prove to it Daisy.
Every time I try to show her, I end up getting bloody or bruised, and of course, everyone fuckin’ laughs at me when I come out of the room. How the hell am I supposed to explain that a hundred pound woman gave me a black eye without getting shit? I can’t.
“Don’t do it, boy,” I hear Wayne say as he sits down beside me.
“I won’t, but it’s really fuckin’ tempting,” I tell him.
“I know it is, but you gotta remember that you and your drinking is what caused a lot of the damn problems to begin with. You even have a sip of that, and it’ll send you further away from Daisy,” he says, taking the glass from me. “How’s that going anyway? She still ain’t talking to you?”
I let out a laugh, and not a happy one. “Nope, just lots of screaming and throwing shit. Not sure what else to do with her. I want to just go the hell in there, Duct Tape her mouth, tie her down, then fuck her until she gives in.”
“That’s not a picture I want my head. It’s bad enough knowing you got her pregnant and how you went about doing that. I don’t need to know anything else.”
My lips curve up in the first smile I’ve worn in days. “Sorry, brother.”
“Why don’t you just marry her?” Holt asks, coming up on the other side of me.
“Yeah, right. She would tear my damn head off if I even asked. No way, not with how pissed she is at me.”
The men go quiet until Holt suddenly grins. “I’ll make it happen. Just trust me. See you in a few hours.”
With that, they both get up and walk out of the clubhouse. I watch them until the door shuts. The only thought in my mind is, ‘What the fuck just happened?’
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DAISY
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Preach left the room hours ago, which is kind of shocking. He hasn’t left me alone for more than a few hours since the night he brought me here. Maybe he got sick of me throwing things at him. Maybe I’m taking this all too far. I love him, and I’m starting to believe he loves me, but I got this little voice in my head that keeps screaming at me, telling me that the minute I give in, he’ll break my heart again.
Lounging across his bed, I pull out my kindle and decide it’s a good time to re-read one of my favorites: At Peace by Kristen Ashley. There’s nothing better when you’re longing for your man than a little Cal. That man is every girl’s dream. I’m just getting to the cherry scene when the door flies open.
I look toward it, expecting to see Preach. Instead, my Gramps comes walking into the room.
“Daisy, girl, need you to sign some papers. Your dad changed some shit around. He doesn’t want your mama having access to his crap. He needs you to sign this, giving you power of attorney in case something happens,” he says putting papers in front of my face.
More than likely, Mom has been looting the bank account again, or picking his pain pills up from the pharmacy. Instead of dealing with her, Dad thinks it’s easier to let me handle it all myself.
Just as I go to take the papers, Preach and Kevin walk in. I can instantly tell that something is going on, but I don’t have the foggiest idea what it is. “Why are they here?”
Kevin is a friend of the club, but not an actual member. He isn’t around a lot, but enough for me to know who he is. I don’t know much about him other than he works down at the courthouse, but I’m not sure what he does there.
My eyes move from Gramps to Preach, and I see the sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. Oh yeah, something is going on. I give him a dirty look, and then turn back to Gramps. “Well?”
“Kevin’s here to notarize the papers.”
“That doesn’t explain why the hell he’s here?” I say, pointing to Preach.
“Preach is escorting Kevin back to the office, in case your mama finds this shit out and tries to get to him. You know how Lula is. She’ll do whatever she can to get what she wants.”
“He can wait for Kevin in the common room.”
Preach takes a step closer and growls out, “It’s my fuckin’ room.”
“Just shut the fuck up, both of you. Daisy girl, you need to sign the papers now,” Gramps says, holding on to his temper by a string.
I finally sign the papers without even looking at them, then hand them back to Gramps. For some reason, a bad feeling comes over me when everyone in the room suddenly has huge grins. I narrow my eyes and look at everyone. “What?”
“Nothing, Little Flower. Nothing at all,” Preach says and snatches the papers from Gramps and hands them to Kevin. He pulls out a little stamp and does his thing, then walks out of the room. Gramps and Preach follow closely behind him, leaving the door open. I smile when I realize their mistake.
I quickly slide on my shoes and start to make my way down the hall. I know I won’t get far, don’t even really want too, but I got to try or Preach will think I’m giving in. I’ve just about made it to the backdoor when I hear a few brothers come into the club shouting. Some are even clapping. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I turn around and make my way toward the sounds. As soon as I step into the common room, I see guys surrounding Preach. For some reason, everyone is acting like he just won the lottery.
I stand there for a second before an arm wraps around my waist. “Congrats, Little Flower.”
I look up and see Timber smiling down at me. “What are you talking about?”
Timber’s smile grows as he shakes. “I’d just about given up on Preach, but this shit right here proves he’s the man for you. Gotta have some big balls to pull something this big.”
With those words, he lets go of me and walks toward Preach. For some reason, I follow him. I fall behind quickly, because the guys keep coming up and hugging me. I hear congratulations over and over again, and I start to get a really nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach.
When I finally reach Preach, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me flush to his side. When he leans down and gives me a soft kiss, I don’t even fight it. I’m too freaked out to push him away.
“What’s that?” I nod to Preach’s hand, noticing some weird certificate he’s holding.
“Just our marriage certificate,” he says.
“Yeah, right,” I snort.
He shoots me his panty-dropping smile and hands me the paper. I look down and see my signature on the bottom, the signature I just signed moments ago. Then, I finally look at the rest of the paper. On the very top, in big bold letters, are the words Marriage License. With that, I feel the world around me go black.