by LeAnn Ashers
I sit down and stare at the table before me. I can feel their eyes on me, but where do I fucking begin?
I know this is her story, and she confided in me. But I need my brothers in this, because I am going to be getting revenge and they have to be prepared for the blowback.
I start from the beginning, with the phone call about her aunt dying; then I move from her being so fucking terrified to her telling me everything.
I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t been there. They fucking hated her because most of them went to jail, but I am so proud of her.
“Fuckkkk.” Lane slams his hand on the table. I tighten my fists, wanting more than anything to choke the life out of her father.
Do you think I will let him die easily?
He is going to suffer. She suffered for years, and he is going to feel that, but ten times worse.
I rub my hand over my face and lean back in my seat looking at the others. They are just as pissed off as I am.
“I say we start with her aunt Glenna and her husband, then her uncle who tried to do shit to her, and then him.” I can’t even say his name.
“I say we get the girls in on the aunt, shall we?” Lane grins at all of us, and I laugh because that will be epic.
Smiley finally says something. “I think we need to have a family barbecue so Grace can be introduced to the others. She and Adeline would have a lot in common.”
I nod. His woman went through years of hell with her husband—different circumstances but still, no matter what, this shouldn’t happen.
Lane takes out his phone and starts texting. I know he is getting this ball rolling. “It’s time for some fuckers to get what they deserve.”
A couple of hours later, a shit ton of people pile into the clubhouse. Amelia and Bailey show up first, pissed off, then Shaylin walks in with Kayla, Jean, Alisha, and Paisley, and their men are right behind them.
It seems the two clubs are coming together for this. I grin at everyone, especially Shaylin, who walked in carrying her baseball bat. She is the female version of Smiley. I saw her kick someone’s ass and smile the whole time like it was the most fun thing in the world.
The door flies open again, and Konrad, Maverick, Walker, and Trenton step inside. Lane steps forward. “Many of you here know what Aiden told us about what happened to his woman. This shit is unforgivable. Before she became Aiden’s woman, she was already family. She is Tiffany’s softball coach, and we have become close to her.”
My heart fills with love for my brothers; this is family. I grew up just having my mother. She had gotten pregnant with me when she was sixteen years old, and she did everything she could do to give me a good life.
“We are going to her aunt and uncle’s today. They didn’t have a direct hand in her abuse but, from what she has told me, they actually witnessed it but they didn’t stop it. In my eyes they are just as guilty.”
I cannot fucking fathom the shit she has dealt with. No one had her back besides the aunt who is on life support right now, and she was as much of a victim in many ways.
I read Mary’s chart while Grace was whispering to her, and I learned that she had blunt force trauma to her head and internal bleeding. My guess is that he hurt her. Her husband is the man who tried to touch Gracelyn before she told the cops what had happened to her.
“This stays among ourselves.” I eye everyone in the room, and they all nod.
“Let’s ride.”
We file out of the clubhouse and head toward the aunt and uncle. We are starting with the smallest offenses, so her father will know we are fucking coming for him.
My hands are fucking burning to be wrapped around his neck and watch the life leave his eyes. I grit my teeth, riding side by side with Travis, and stare straight ahead. My body is ready for this.
The second we hit the outskirts of town, I know exactly where we are going. We are going to a trailer park where violence and drugs run rampant.
Lane pulls to a stop in front of a beaten-down trailer. The porch is barely connected to the house, and plastic covers the broken windows. The door does not even fully cover the doorway.
I get off my bike. The door is pried open, and out step Glena and her husband, Richard. Her eyes are wide as she takes in everyone before her gaze settles on me. “What is the meaning of this?” she screeches in a godawful voice.
Richard looks like he is about to piss himself. He is standing behind his wife, and that’s a bitch move. If you don’t protect your woman, then you’re a low piece of shit.
“You.” She points her finger in my direction dramatically, and I smirk in amusement at her trying to be brave. “What do you want? I see the bitch isn’t here with you.”
I see fucking red.
“Get your fucking asses off that dilapidated porch. Gracelyn has informed me of what went on.”
They pale and start to back up toward the house.
Like that shit is going to stop us from getting inside.
“We didn’t do shit to her!” Richard has finally gotten a voice and screamed at all of us, which isn’t helping his cause.
I take a step closer to them. “Yeah, but you didn’t do shit to stop it either, did you?”
That leaves them silent. I motion for them to walk off their porch, and they do as we ask. Shaylin stands next to me, and the moment they step off the last step, I punch Richard hard in the face, knocking him on his ass.
That felt fucking amazing.
Shaylin laughs and grips Glenna’s hair, and she drags her to the rest of the girls. Richard gets off the ground, and I take steps back to bring him closer to the others.
“Look, I never hurt her,” he says. Glenna is making excuses too.
“Do you think that matters? You knew what was happening.” I take a step closer, so I am looking down into his face. “You knew he was raping and beating her.” I yell the last part.
He doesn’t say anything, but he nods. That’s all it takes for me to lose it. I punch him over and over in the face, and he falls to the ground. I feel his teeth breaking beneath my fist.
I bend over him and grip his jaw. “You don’t need your mouth, you didn’t speak up when you should have. You don’t have that luxury anymore.”
I take out my knife. Lucas pries his mouth open. Travis bends down beside me with some pliers, and he grips his tongue and pulls. I use my knife and cut part of his tongue off.
I slam his mouth shut and bend down next to his ear. “Enjoy not having a voice, she didn’t have one. She suffered every single day for years, while you wallowed in your shit and enjoyed life, letting it fucking happen.” I get up and spit on the ground next to him. Worthless piece of shit. He could have stopped it—she could have too—but they didn’t.
Lane touches my shoulder. “He deserved it.”
I look over at the women; they are taking turns bitch slapping her. I laugh loudly. “I think, ladies, she needs to be left alive. He will need a hospital.”
Glenna looks up from the ground at her husband, and she glares at me.
“Don’t say a fucking word, be thankful he’s alive and so are you.”
She nods and crawls over to Richard, who’s choking on his blood.
We watch as they leave. “Man, that was fun,” Shaylin says and we all burst out laughing, even Butcher.
I feel a little bit lighter, but I won’t feel like I can fully breathe until her uncle has been dealt with and her father is dead.
I get on my bike. There’s one thing on my mind, and that’s to pick up Grace and go home to my boy.
8
Grace
I am nervous. Aiden told me that his mother, Laurie, will be here any minute with Reid.
Did I mention I am nervous? No, it’s more like I am terrified.
I want her to like me. I want her to accept me and think that I’m good for her son, because I am really starting to care for Aiden a lot and Reid has already stolen my heart.
When Aiden picked me up fro
m the center, one part of me was afraid that he would treat me differently, but it’s not like that at all.
One of my biggest fears is someone pitying me—I don’t want that. Yes, horrible things happened to me, but I don’t want that to define my life. It already took many years from me.
I want to be intimate with Aiden. I am absolutely terrified, but I want to take that chance—and live. I trust Aiden, unlike any of my other exes. He is different.
I hear the doorbell, and my heart jumps into my throat. I stand up as Aiden opens the door and his mother steps inside with Reid. She looks at me and then does a double take before she smiles. “Gracelyn?”
“It’s me, Laurie.”
She walks over to me and hugs me tightly. I want to cry because I have missed her, and her hugs are the best.
“I have thought about you so much over the years.” She leans back and touches my cheeks, studying my face. “You were beautiful then, but now you’re breathtaking.” She pats my cheek softly.
Did I mention how sweet his mother is? She is one of the beautiful women I have ever seen and doesn’t look her age. Not that she’s that old. She had Aiden when she was just sixteen.
“You haven’t changed one bit, Laurie, still a fox.” I wink at her and she blushes, laughing.
“Stop that. I am a grandma now. I’m old.”
I roll my eyes and look over at Aiden, who is pestering kisses all over Reid’s face. He was chomping at the bit for Laurie to bring him.
“You’re not and you know it,” I scold her and she just waves off the compliment.
“Mom, we are having a barbecue at the clubhouse tomorrow evening, and I want you to come with me and Grace.”
I smile at being included. He says we all the time, and I love that statement because it means that he anticipates my being around for a while.
“Sure, baby. What time?” She sits down on the couch, making herself at home.
Another thing I admire about her is her confidence. She carries herself in a way that I hope I can one day, and she’s a momma bear right down to her bones.
“Six.” Aiden brings me Reid.
“Hi, sweet boy.” I hug him gently, kissing his forehead. I missed him too.
“Do I need to bring anything since it’s my first time at the club?” Laurie takes her shoes off and curls up on the couch. Aiden invited her for dinner, and we are having a movie night. I love that he is including her. I know it means a lot to her, and it shows what an amazing person he is.
“No, everything is taken care of.”
We hear a beeping sound, and Aiden pushes a button next to the door. “It’s the pizza guy.”
He steps out onto the porch, and I sit down next to Laurie. “I’m so glad you’re back in my son’s life.” She touches my hand.
My poor heart can’t handle all this; my eyes fill with tears. “Thank you. I am glad that he’s back.” I touch my heart; it’s filled with so much happiness I feel like I can fly.
Reid takes the moment to start crying.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart? Hungry?” I rock him slightly.
“He may be ready for a bottle. It’s probably bedtime for him. I already bathed him,” Laurie tells us.
I look at the clock and it’s hitting eight. “Okay, let me fix him a bottle.” I make his bottle with him on my hip, fussing the whole time, I sit down and cuddle him before he yanks the bottle to his mouth. I laugh and rub the back of his head.
“Better now, huh?” I look around the room. Aiden and Laurie are both staring at me. “What?” I ask and they give me identical smiles.
Aiden sits on the other side of me and opens the pizza. “Cheese or pepperoni?”
“Cheese.”
He puts it on a plate and leans back. “Open.”
I arch an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing?”
He laughs. “I’m going to feed you. You’re taking care of my son, and I will take care of my CiCi.”
Well, there goes my heart once again. So I let him feed me though I’m not used to this. I’m sure this is a common thing for a lot of people, but for me it’s everything. I love that someone cares enough to take care of me. I am so used to taking care of others it’s kind of nice to sit back and let it happen.
A couple of hours later, his mother leaves. I’m in Aiden’s bathroom, brushing my teeth, trying not to overthink and be nervous. Because if I’m completely honest, I am terrified. I also know I am safe here, but the fear is in the back of my mind.
Stop thinking, Gracelyn. This is Aiden. He is not going to do anything to make you feel unsafe or comfortable.
I put on my big-girl panties and step out into the bedroom. He is sitting in bed staring at the TV on the wall next to the bathroom door.
I turn off the light and slowly walk over, his eyes on me with every step. I’m wearing one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. He pulls back the blanket, and I slide in next to him. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me against him until my face touches his warm shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asks.
I lean my head back and look at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was hard telling you, but I am glad that I did.”
He gently pushes my hair behind my ear. “I’m glad you did too, CiCi. Your family will never fucking hurt you again. You’re mine now. I have you.” He kisses my forehead.
I clench my eyes closed, his words hitting me hard. How many times have I wanted to hear those words? So many times.
I open my eyes, the tears falling down my cheeks. His thumb catches them. “My Gracelyn,” he whispers.
I close my eyes and kiss him, slowly testing the waters. I kiss him softly, butterflies completely swarming my belly.
He gently lays me down on the bed, leaning over me. My hands are shaking as I touch his shoulder.
At moments like this I wish I were normal.
His hands move down my sides and slide under my shirt, touching my belly, I jolt at the feeling of his hands.
One of the things I have noticed through the years is I’m afraid of physical intimacy because all I have known is pain.
I kiss him back harder, digging my fingers into his hair and stroking the side of his face, loving the feel of his jaw moving as he kisses me. His lips drift from my mouth to my cheek and then my neck. I stiffen because that’s one of the places that freaks me out. I was choked many times. He stops kissing me and looks at me. “He hurt you here, didn’t he?” he whispers.
I close my eyes, feeling ashamed. Why would someone want someone like me, who is so damaged?
“Baby... Don’t ever turn your head in embarrassment. If you could only see yourself the way I see you, you wouldn’t feel a single ounce of embarrassment.” He touches the center of my neck with the tip of his finger. “Let me show you.”
I nod and he drags his fingers along my neck, gently touching and rubbing, and little by little I relax. He studies my face before he kisses the side of my neck. I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling. I touch the back of his head and just let go.
I let out a large sigh without even thinking. I’m enjoying this way too much, and I'm growing wetter by the second.
His lips move down my neck to my collarbone, then my chest. I feel his hand touching the waistband of my shorts.
I open my eyes and look at him, and his eyes connect with mine, asking. I nod.
I lift my hips, helping him take off my shorts and underwear, leaving me completely bare to him.
“Gracelyn.” He is looking at me in such a tender and beautiful way. “I would never hurt you, trust me.” He whispers the last part.
“I trust you, Aiden.” I touch the side of his face and, to show that I do, I sit up and take off my shirt. I don’t have a bra on.
“I will fucking cherish your trust, baby. Let me love you. I know you’re scared, I can see it in your eyes, but being afraid of me is something you never have to be. I will protect you, cherish you, and take care of you.”
With the back of my hand, I wipe the tears off my face
. I know I seem like such a baby, but being hurt by the person who is supposed to protect you more than any other— it hurts right to your core. I’ve been failed by so many people, and I expect it from everyone.
“I don’t deserve you,” I whisper, feeling this from the bottom of my heart.
He looks genuinely shocked. “Don’t ever fucking say that. You deserve the fucking world, baby, and I plan on handing it to you.”
That leaves me speechless.
He scoots down the bed, and I fall back down onto my back. I close my eyes and breathe, trying not to overthink.
He strokes my inner thighs, running down my legs and back up again. His lips touch me right below my belly button.
One of my hands is resting on my stomach; he intertwines our fingers and searches my face before he ducks his head.
I feel his warm breath before his tongue swipes my clit. All my worries go right out the window in a split second.
I open my legs wider, gripping his hand hard as he slowly teases me, and it’s the most amazing feeling in the world.
I masturbate, like everyone in the world, but this is a whole different ballgame.
“That’s right, sweetheart, feel, enjoy, and let me take care of you,” he says softly.
I let go of his hand and grip the sheets by my sides, my body already stiffening. I feel his finger at my entrance before he slowly slides it inside me. I shiver all the way down to my legs, my toes curling.
“My baby liked that.” He sucks my clit deep into his mouth. He wiggles his finger along with the movement of his tongue. Then he slowly adds another finger and curls it in a come hither motion that sets me off.
My legs stiffen, tightening around his head. I slowly loosen my thighs, and he rubs my legs and scoots up the bed to hold me.
This has changed my life. I knew that I shouldn’t have been scared, but the little girl is still a part of me. I don’t have to be afraid, but I don’t think I would have made the plunge unless it was Aiden.
