“How are you feeling, dad? You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I finish my mouthful and drain my beer before answering, “I’m feelin’ good, darlin’. I’ve got my girl here and happy, even if her choice of men is what it is,” I laugh, “And tomorrow I will marry the woman who should’ve been my wife a long time ago.”
Sally smiles at me and reaches for my hand across the table.
“You know, you really do talk too much now, Pope. You’re starting to give me a headache,” Ricky laughs, picking up his bottle of beer.
“Punching you will upset my daughter, don’t make me upset her.”
That shuts him up and makes me laugh.
The rest of dinner is enjoyable and Kyla beams happily conquering her first family meal. Sally and I leave to Kyla ordering Ricky to do the dishes and not waiting around to see how that goes down. Me and my woman are on my bike and loving the wind in our faces.
We didn’t see the point of sleeping apart tonight, we’ve done it for too long already and it isn’t the way we want to begin.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kyla
“You may now kiss your bride.”
The Justice of the Peace takes a step back and my father swiftly swoops in on my mom. Clasping each hand on either side of her face he leans down to her height and kisses her long and hard. Her smile when he lets her go is a vision I will never forget. When my mom moved to town last week, I realised I’d never seen them kiss before. It felt odd, I thought they had been a couple but didn’t see the small details missing. It’s been a completely different story during the past seven days and they both look and act like different people.
I don’t care my tears are falling for everyone to see. They’re tears of happiness. It’s took them twenty-five years to make it official but they can finally call themselves husband and wife.
Ricky squeezes my hand and uses his free hand to wipe away my tears.
“I didn’t know you were such a sucker for weddings,” he whispers, “Do you think you’ll cry this much on our day?”
Everything stops.
“Our day?”
My voice is barely louder than a whisper.
“Yeah, our day.”
He is serious.
“I haven’t thought about it,” I admit.
He releases my hand and slides his arm around the back of my chair, holding onto my shoulder.
“You should do, someday soon. I’m going to ask you a question and that’s all I want you thinking about,” he says, keeping his face forward and watching my parents.
“You want to marry me?”
Why am I questioning him? I should shut up before he changes his mind.
“Are you asking me now?” he chuckles.
I can’t help but smile.
“No, that’s your job,” I assure him.
My mom calls us over and we sign the papers as their witnesses. My dad wasn’t sure he wanted Ricky here today but I made it known that he is my life now and he had every right to be a part of this new beginning for us all. When he smiled I figured he was playing me. I’ve seen the shift in their relationship.
“I have a surprise for you,” my dad tells my mom once we’re outside.
“Do you now?” she smirks at him and I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable around the happy couple.
My dad turns to Ricky and I and asks, “Will you both be okay for the next week without us?”
“She’ll be fine,” Ricky answers for us both, knowing my father is really talking about me.
After brief hugs and kisses goodbye, my parents drive off to wherever my dad is taking them and Ricky and I are alone.
He holds my hand as he drives us to the clubhouse and every now and then he brings our clasped hands to his mouth and lightly kisses mine. Half of the time I don’t think he is aware he is doing it. That is why I love him so much, his caresses aren’t a bother to him. It’s natural for him.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are today?” he asks, leading us towards the bar.
“Many times, although it doesn’t hurt hearing it again,” I smile.
The atmosphere is electric when we head inside and find Slade climbing onto the bar.
Guessing he has an announcement to make, everyone is looking his way and waiting for him to get on with it.
Ricky leans against the wall and pulls me against him. His arms envelope me and I’ve never felt safer.
“Hey, shut up you lot,” Slade calls out.
Once he’s happy everyone has shut up, he beams around the bar. Kristen stands off to his side and her face is rapidly going a bright shade of red.
“I’m happy to tell you all I’m going to be a dad again,” he yells.
Congratulations and cheers make the rounds and Slade jumps down off the bar and a path clears between him and Kristen.
Ricky and I drift their way when most of the others have offered their congratulations and moved on.
“Nice one, brother,” Ricky says, shaking Slade’s hand, while I lean in and kiss Kristen’s cheek.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she beams back, already glowing with pregnancy.
“Looks like you have everything you want now, brother,” Ricky grins, slapping Slade on his shoulder.
“You’re damn right I do.”
Their happiness is palpable and infectious. One husband making his wife pregnant and the way the whole club acts, you’d think they were all pregnant. Ricky leads us through the many men and women to the bar and orders himself a beer and me a bottle of water.
We remain at the bar after our drinks are in front of us and Ricky stares me down.
“What?”
He’s starting to make me feel like I’ve got something on me I don’t know about.
“Just picturing you with my ring on your finger and my kid in your stomach,” he tells me.
“Keep that image in your head, babe. I’ve still got a long way to go before I can commit to having children.”
I definitely see children and marriage in our future, I just don’t want it strained because of old habits. When I say ‘I do’ it will be with a clear mind and a clean soul.
“Would you tell me if you’re struggling?” He asks me.
“Why are you bringing this up? I haven’t given you any reason to doubt me,” I frown.
“I want to know you feel like you can rely on me whenever you need to. I want to know everything you’re feeling, good and bad.”
I palm his cheek and trace his bottom lip with my thumb.
“You make me feel good, life with you makes me feel free and protected all in one. If I am struggling, I’m sure you’ll know it,” I assure him.
“As long as you know I’m with you, one hundred percent of the way.”
“Ricky, you’ve been with me before I deserved you to be. I know I can come to you and I will. If and when we both decide to start a family there won’t be any hesitation from me, you’re definitely the one I want everything with.”
“That’s enough for me, I can be patient and I can wait.”
He will too, I can see it in his eyes.
The road that led me down a dark path nearly destroyed everything about me, but at the same time it led me to my father and to Ricky. Heaven knows how long it would have took my father to tell me the truth about his secret life if it wasn’t for my mom bringing me to him. I’m glad she did, he was the saviour I needed to be myself again.
EPILOGUE
Cas
Red hot pain shoots across my forehead and blurs my vision for a short second. From the moment we rode up and found Linc and his guys dead on the ground, a dull headache took root and hasn’t let up, no matter how many aspirin I swallow.
My office is the only quiet room in the place and taking sanctuary in here hasn’t helped my headache like I’d hoped.
Too much shit is up in the air and it reminds me of the times after I took the gavel. Leaning back in my chair, I close my eyes and breath
e through the pain.
Oak reached out to Linc’s VP and told him what had happened, since that call I haven’t heard anything from the Devil’s Bastards and it is beginning to worry me.
The door opens and I keep my eyes closed, I know it is Alannah, anyone else would’ve knocked first.
“Hey babe.”
“Why are you hiding out here?” she asks.
Opening my eyes to see my perfect wife holding our son, Leo, I forget about the pain resonating in my temples.
“If I wanted to hide, I’d be at home,” I grunt.
“Okay, why are you in here when everyone’s celebrating?” she says, choosing different words.
“Celebrating what?”
“Slade and Kristen are pregnant,” she smiles.
“Da da,” Leo chirps, reaching his chubby little arms out in my direction, bouncing up and down in his mom’s arms.
I hold my arms out for him and Lana hands him over.
With my son in my arms nothing can get to me and I forget about my brother’s great news.
His smile is the same as his mom’s but his eyes are mine. From the second I laid eyes on him in the hospital I knew he would never know the feeling of abandonment. No doubt I won’t be able to shield him from all forms of violence and danger living this life but I sure as shit can make sure he grows strong and knows he isn’t alone when standing his ground against people who want to hurt him.
Alannah and my son are the fucking world to me and I’d take on every living soul if they were in danger.
“Are you okay, Cas? You look a bit peaky.”
“Just a headache, nothing to worry about,” I assure her.
“Are you coming home tonight?”
I feel bad for her having to ask, the last two nights I’ve ended up sleeping here waiting for calls and on alert for an attack, chances are we are also on someone’s list like Linc.
“Yeah, I’ll come now.”
The bar is crazy with celebrations and I make sure to seek out Slade before we go. With Leo in one arm and Alannah under my other, walking through the bar is powerful.
Before I can reach Slade and Kristen a prospect looking grim comes my way.
“This was just thrown through the gates, the driver didn’t stop and took off too fast to get a plate number.”
Handing Leo over to Alannah, she takes him and I grab the leather out of the prospect’s hand.
Holding it up, the back patch has been slashed and the front patches have been ripped off.
“Shut the music off now,” I yell, the pain in my head returning full force.
The music immediately dies and the club falls silent.
“Who does this belong to?” I shout, holding the cut up for everyone to see.
Looking around, the place is busy with bodies and the pain is growing extreme and my vision begins to blur again.
Murmurs float around but no one claims the cut.
“Sparky, Slade, get on it and find out who’s missing, now.”
They both dart off and I grip the leather tight. Someone is missing and this show of disrespect to one of our cuts means this is a message. We have a new enemy and they have one of us. Time to find out who they are and who they’ve got. Then we hunt them and kill them all.
Watch out for….
Biker Taken
In 2016
Ellie R. Hunter, Biker Saviour: The Lost Souls MC Series
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