by Erin Osborne
Once we get back to the clubhouse, we get an easy dinner of sandwiches and chips while the kids have milk. I help her give the kids a bath before we lay them down in my bed. They take the middle while Vanessa and I surround them on the outside. Tomorrow we’ll be going back to the new compound, so we won’t have to share a bed with them. I want to talk to Renegade about making a few of the rooms here bigger so we can add beds for kids. Or make them their own room we can set up with cameras and shit to keep an eye on things. Something so I don’t have to share my bed with anyone but Vanessa.
Chapter Twenty
Vanessa
I’M AT THE compound, helping finish putting the final touches on the cooking and baking classroom when my phone rings. Still, Cassidy and Grave are the only two who call me. So, it’s got to be one of them. Picking my phone up from the nearest counter, I pick it up and see Grave’s name on the screen.
“Hey. What’s up?” I ask, putting it on speaker so I can finish putting the pans away.
“Babe need you to come to the clubhouse. There’s some officers here to see you,” he tells me.
There’s an edge to his voice so I’m not sure if he knows what’s going on or not, but I guess I’m about to.
“I’ll be right there.”
Hanging up the phone, I pick up my purse and leave the compound. I have a golf cart to use to get back and forth between the two places. Well, it’s for all the ol’ ladies who work here. We just toss the keys back and forth. It works well to get back and forth quickly. So, I head to Cassidy and get the keys from her.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“I don’t know. Apparently there’s some officers here to see me,” I answer.
“Okay. Well, I’ll be here if you need me when you’re done,” she lets me know as Hawk and Chains comes in the room.
“Thank you,” I say, leaving the room.
Walking out to the golf cart, I think about all the different possibilities of what officers could want with me. Obviously they know the compound has moved because the club has them sticking close by in case something like with my ex happens. They can get to us quickly and not have something happen like a person or child getting shot. Yesterday was a close call.
I park the golf cart behind the clubhouse and walk in the backdoor. Foxy is standing there with a sour look on her face as I brush past her. She tries to reach out and stop me, but I wrench my arm free and continue moving on.
In the common room, I see Grave, Renegade, and Psycho standing around with two men in police uniforms. They’re all talking amongst themselves as they wait for me. If I didn’t know the club doesn’t generally associate with the cops, I’d think they were all friends.
“Grave, what’s going on?” I ask, walking up to them.
“These men need to talk to you,” he responds.
“Okay.”
“Ma’am are you Mrs. Vanessa Tomlin?” the older of the two men asks.
“Yes, I am.”
“And you’re married to a Mr. Ray Tomlin?” he asks again.
“Yes. We’re separated right now. I have a lawyer trying to get our divorce to go through,” I tell him honestly, wondering what’s going on right now.
“That won’t be necessary any longer,” the second cop tells me.
“And why is that?” I ask, confusion filling me as I wonder what’s going on with Ray.
Terrible thoughts fill my mind of him doing something in order to take my kids from me. I won’t let them go to him. He’ll kill them or worse before I can blink and my children don’t deserve that life. No one does.
Grave senses my despair and puts his arm around me, pulling me into his hard body. He’s offering me his support and strength as I wait for the officers to tell me what’s going on with Ray now.
“Ma’am, your husband was killed in a car accident yesterday afternoon. He was driving recklessly and ran headfirst into a tree. The doctors did all they could to save him, but his injuries were too extensive,” the older officer tells me.
The first thing I feel is shock. Once that begins to subside, relief fills me. I should probably be crying over the loss of him, but I can’t. And I won’t force myself to do something I don’t feel just because there’s a few cops here to deliver the news. If they know anything about me, they know I have a restraining order against him and I don’t want anything from him. I guess that’s all out the window now because we’re still married as far as I know.
“Okay. Well, thank you for letting me know,” I finally say.
The officers look at one another before turning to talk to Renegade. Grave pulls me into the hallway and lets me sink into his body. I finally feel the tears come, but they’re not for Ray and the loss of him. It’s tear of relief and the knowledge this is finally over with. I don’t ever have to fear Ray getting to my children or me again. He can’t ever hurt us or anyone else.
“It’s really over with?” I ask, looking up at him. “I don’t have to live in fear anymore?”
“It’s really over with, baby. The kids and you are safe and you don’t ever have to worry again. You can begin to live your life and we can build our own life together,” he tells me.
“Thank God,” I tell him. “I guess I now have to contact Mr. Ripley and let him know what’s going on. And figure out what to do now. It’s not like I want anything from him, but I’m sure we can sell everything available to us and take the money from the sale. The kids will use it.”
“Yeah. That’s the next step, baby. What about his funeral?” he asks me.
“What do you mean?” I ask back.
“I mean, do you wanna go? Are you gonna need to see him buried for closure?” he asks me.
“No, I don’t think I will. Just knowing he’s gone is enough for me. I don’t want to see his family or all of the people who will mourn him. I’m not going to mourn the monster,” I tell him honestly.
“Okay. If you change your mind, just let me know and we’ll figure it out,” he says.
“Thank you, Grave. For everything. Including your patience with me,” I tell him.
“You don’t need to thank me for that. Baby, you know I want the kids and you. You’re with me now and the kids and you are my family. Everythin’ I do is for you guys,” he says, making me fall in love with him even more.
“Grave, you know I care about you, right?” I ask him. “And I trust you with my life.”
“I know, baby. I more than care for you and you’ll get where I am when you’re ready. I can wait for it,” he responds.
Foxy makes herself known at that point. She huffs past us, but not without making sure to brush up against Grave. Her chest rubs against his arm and I’ve never felt jealousy the way I do right now.
“Bitch, you better watch yourself,” I tell her, turning my back to Grave so I can look at her.
“Excuse me? Grave, are you gonna let a skank talk to me like that?” Foxy pouts, looking at my man.
“Yeah, I am. You’re the only skank I see here,” Grave tells her, wrapping his arms around me and resting his head on my shoulder. “This is my ol’ lady and the only one who has the right to touch me. We’ve been over this.”
“And you’re the one who promised to make me your ol’ lady. I was okay with you messing around with her for a while, but it’s time for you to come back to me now,” Foxy says, trying to push me out of the way.
“The fuck I did. What I told you is you’d never be my ol’ lady. Vanessa is the only woman I want and you’re done here. You’re steppin’ over lines you know better than to cross,” he tells her.
I grab hold of her arm and walk her into the common room. Hopefully, the cops are gone already because I’m sure she’s about to cause a massive scene, one they don’t need to witness. I’m done with this bitch and I don’t even know her. But, I know she’s going to continue to cause trouble and Grave already said she’s done here.
“What’s goin’ on?” Renegade asks, turning his attention toward us.
“Seems this woman doesn’t know the word ‘no’,” I answer. “Grave just said she’s done here and I’m just making sure she finds the door. Is that okay?”
I begin to second guess myself as the men in the room all turn to look at me. They’re going to either make sure she’s gone or they’re going to tell her she can stay. I’m not sure which way this is about to go.
“Grave has already talked to me about you, Foxy. And I also heard you went off on Vanessa the other day when no one was around. It seems you don’t know how to respect ol’ ladies around here. This isn’t the first time we’ve had a talk with you about this,” Renegade says. “Vanessa, you can finish takin’ the trash out.”
“What?” Foxy screeches loud as hell. “You can’t fucking do this to me! I’ve been here longer than anyone else.”
“Exactly. And that’s why you should know the rules better than anyone else. Instead, you think you’re better than the ol’ ladies and entitled to more than what you are. You’re here for our protection, a roof over your head, food, and all the sex you could want. You’re the one who fucked it up for yourself,” Psycho tells her.
I pull her along behind me again until we’re through the door. The guys follow us out as I push her from me and turn my back on her. I’m not scared of her. I’ve lived with Ray and he’s done way too much to me for me to be scared of a bitch like Foxy. She only wants one thing and that’s Grave.
“You’ll regret this,” Foxy threatens as she rights herself and glares at us all.
Grave pulls me into his arms and I lean back against him. A smile fills my face as I watch her get dragged away by Bishop. He’s got a gentle grip on her arm as he leads her away from the clubhouse and toward the opposing gate closing the clubhouse off from the rest of the world. Foxy is about to be put on the other side and I’m not going to miss her around here at all.
“I’m sorry about this,” I tell the guys.
“Nothin’ for you to be sorry about. She was on her way out either way,” Renegade tells me. “I don’t know about the rest of you, I’m gonna head home with my family.”
“I’m gonna take Vanessa back to the compound to finish up so we can get the kids and spend the night at the house,” Grave tells them. “We have a big day tomorrow.”
I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but I’ll take his word for it. Plus, he probably thinks I don’t want to be around anyone right now after learning Ray killed himself yesterday. Honestly, other than the relief I still feel, Ray won’t get another second in my thoughts. Grave is the only man who will ever take up residence in my mind. The kids and him are the only ones I think about right now. I’m sure the club will eventually take up space there too, but I don’t know them enough yet.
We all say goodbye to one another before Grave leads me around back of the clubhouse. Getting in the golf cart, we make our way back to the compound. Grave goes in to talk to Hawk and Chains while I make my way to the kitchen so I can finish work on getting everything sorted out.
Tyler and Kayla are at the daycare while I’ve been working. Grave had things to do and couldn’t watch them. So, they’re playing with the other kids there. I’m not sure what the rest of the women are doing, unless they’re getting their homes in order. There’s no classes going on right now because the guys want to make sure everything is set up and ready to go with no problems before we start classes again.
I’m in the kitchen, taking care of the last box when I feel someone else in the room with me. Turning around, I see Natasha standing there. She’s looking around the room in awe. I’m not sure if what I’ve done is going to be up to her standards but I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
“You’re almost done?” she asks, walking up to the front of the room with me.
“Yeah. This is the last box,” I answer.
“It’s looks great in here,” she tells me. “Thank you for doing this. It means more to me than you know.”
“Oh, um, you’re welcome,” I tell her.
I’ll never be one that knows how to take compliments. It’s nothing I’ve ever received in my life and I’m not sure I ever will. Well, I will because Grave compliments me all the time. And I’m sure the rest of the ol’ ladies will too. This club isn’t like one I’ve ever heard about before.
The ol’ ladies are respected and loved. These men don’t care who’s around when they want to show how much they love their women. Grave doesn’t mind holding me or kissing me in front of the rest of the guys or women around. It’s something I need to get used to I guess.
“I just wanted to come in and check on the rooms. See how everything’s going. It looks like you’ve got this handled,” Natasha tells me. “Are you sure you don’t want to take over the class all together?”
“No, I don’t. I want to be in the class. I’m good until you come back, but then it’s all yours again,” I tell her honestly.
“Okay,” she answers with a laugh. “And way to go with Foxy a little while ago. Renegade told me you took charge and made sure she was out of the clubhouse. For good.”
“Thank you. Grave said she was out so I made sure to help her along,” I answer.
“No need to thank me,” she says. “I’ll let you finish up. I know Grave is ready to head home.”
Nodding my head, I finish unpacking the box of pots and pans. As soon as I’m done, I make my way back to Cassidy’s new office and find Grave already has the kids. They’re playing with a few small toys on the carpet while the adults talk.
“Ready to go?” Grave asks, looking up at me.
“Yeah. Cassidy, the kitchen is done,” I tell her.
“Okay. Thank you. We’ll see you later on,” she says, flashing a smile before Grave helps me get the kids out of the office.
We head to the house assigned to us at the compound. Grave and I make dinner while the kids play in their new rooms. I made sure to unpack their things first. The rest I’ll do as we go. Tonight is just for us.
After dinner, Grave and I spend time with the kids before bed. Then it’s all about us. We cuddle on the couch and watch a movie before heading to bed. Grave is sharing a bed with me now. I’m not going to make him sleep on the couch when we’re together. And, I’ve discovered I love sleeping in his arms. I feel safe, protected, and loved more than I ever have my entire life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Grave
TODAY IS THE day my family moves home. Renegade had multiple crews working on the house once they were done with the compound so we could move in sooner rather than later. I want Vanessa close to the compound but she needs to realize she doesn’t need to be there anymore. She’s more than strong enough to live in a house with the kids and me.
I even worked on the house to ensure it went smoothly and the way I want it laid out. Yeah, there’s blueprints for the workers to go by, but I still want to make sure it’s exactly as I envision it for my family. This is going to be the only home we know and we’ll live out our days here. I see Tyler, Kayla, and any other children we have running in the yard, playing inside, growing up, and putting their own mark on the place.
I’ve never wanted to live anywhere but the clubhouse, close to my brothers and the only family I wanted in my life. Things change and now I want to live with Vanessa and our children. It’s time for me to move out and become the man Vanessa needs in her life. A life I want to build and grow every single day. That can only happen with Vanessa and our children by my side. I’ll be growing right alongside her and the kids.
Her counsellors are still close by and she’ll be able to go to the classes still. But, with the way she’s handled Ray’s death and Foxy, I know this is the next step to take. Vanessa may not agree, but I’m going to have to push her every now and then to get out of her comfort zone and show her how strong she is. I’m willing to stand by her side the entire time.
The only time I’m not going to push her is when it comes to having sex. After everything she’s been through, there’s no way in hell I’m going to push
her for more than she’s ready for. It’s good enough, for now, to sleep in bed with her every single night. And that was her decision. She chose to bring me into her bed and I couldn’t contain my happiness.
While the house was under construction, the ol’ ladies were told about it. And they were sworn to secrecy. They helped me buy everything we’d need for the house to make it a home. Even though Vanessa doesn’t know about the house being ours, she did give her input on what she’d like in a home of her own. The ol’ ladies got together with her and talked about their own homes. What they had and Hadliegh even started talking about remodeling her house. Just so Vanessa would open up and talk about what she’d want in her own home.
We used that and bought the stuff she talked about. Including things I added for the kids and her. I want them to be comfortable and have things they’ve never had before. Especially Vanessa. She’ll never have to worry about power, water, clean clothes, or anything else. We’ll have it all and I’ll give my family everything they could ever need or want.
Yesterday and today, we spent our time putting everything in the house where I thought Vanessa would want it. She can make any changes she wants in the house, and I’ll be sure to let her know this. It’s not my house I’m moving them into— it’s our home. There’s a difference, and I know it’s going to take a while for Vanessa to understand it. She’s not used to having anyone share anything with her or the kids, especially a man. So, we’ll have to take it day by day until she realizes we’re in this together.
Living in the clubhouse has allowed me to save every dime I’ve ever made working for the club and the share I get as an officer. I’ve got quite the stockpile of cash saved up in the bank along with what I keep on hand at all times. Yes, there’s a safe in the house. I’m the only one who knows where it is and Vanessa will be the only other one.
Actually, there’s two safes in the house. One for the cash I want to keep there and one for my guns. There’s no way in hell I’m going to take any chances with the kids in the house. If they even get close to the safe, I’ll know because I had Hawk put some extra security around the gun safe. Now, my guns stay in my saddle bags so the kids don’t ever have the opportunity to see them. When we’re all living together, it’s another story and I’ve taken the precautions to ensure everyone’s safety.
