“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, as I drive behind Rufus’ car.
“They tried to make something of the fact you and I have a relationship.” Her voice is quiet. “They kept calling your club a gang.”
“Because that’s how they think of us, darlin’. It isn’t right, but there you go. That’s what we’re always up against. In their world they consider us the same as any criminal gang.”
“That’s not fair.”
I smile at her objection. “It is what it is, darlin’.”
Flicking the indicator, I make a right turn, then pull the car up behind Rufus’ on the driveway. Before I’ve turned the engine off, her mom has opened the front door and is looking out anxiously. I notice her face relaxes slightly when Mel steps out of the car. I think she might have suspected she’d be in tears, and to be honest, that wouldn’t have surprised me either. She’s just had everything bad that’s happened to her exposed and dissected, and I’d be astonished if the feds hadn’t tried to discredit her.
But I’m not going to interrogate her, she’s had enough of that for one day. Instead, I’ll talk to her dad.
As Mel disappears into the house with her mom, I turn to Rufus. But he anticipates my question without me having to put it into words.
“We’ll talk in my study.”
I trail behind him, unsurprised his first action is to pour two whiskeys. He downs half of his in one go.
Then raises his eyebrow when he sees me watching. “I know I’ve heard it all before, but hearing it again today? Fucking hard.”
It’s the first time I’ve heard him swear.
“Mel cope okay?”
“Solid as a rock. They couldn’t shake her.”
I sit down and take a sip of my own drink. “How do you read it?”
His shoulders rise and fall. “They’re trying to wriggle out of it, of course. Will try to protect one of their own. They did bring up the kidnapping.”
I sit forward sharply. “What did they say?”
“That Skull’s wife wasn’t confirming his story. It’s Skull’s word against everyone else.”
Good on Red for keeping tabs on her and offering his support. Both women had been used by the same man. Though she’d been scared at the time, if Clare hadn’t been brought to the Vegas compound and seen Mel, and witnessed her husband’s reaction, she’d never have known about his deceit. He’d have continued going undercover for months or years at a time and could have been with any number of women while she sat at home waiting.
We discuss what the FBI agents had said and Rufus’ impressions for a while, then our conversation peters out.
“Well, let’s go and join the women.”
“Sir, could I ask you something?” I’ve been waiting for the right moment. I’m not totally sure this is it, but I’ll take my chance. For some reason, I feel strangely nervous. At Rufus’ nod, I swallow. “I’d like your permission to ask your daughter to marry me.”
I hold my breath. Of course, if he says no, she’s a grown woman and can make up her own mind. I don’t really need his go ahead, but after the way Skull treated her, I want to do everything right. And that means trying to get her family on board with our relationship.
I’ve shocked Rufus. For a moment his face is unreadable, and it dawns on me, having a biker in the family might not be what he wants or hoped for his daughter. As I watch him, trying to gauge his reaction, his lips suddenly curve.
He holds out his hand, I take it. Instead of shaking it as I expect, he lays his other on top. “Pyro, I couldn’t have chosen a better man for my daughter. You’ve stood by her through thick and thin. I know you’ll never do anything to hurt her.” His eyes appear to water. “Even now, you’re doing things right. You have my blessing, and I know I speak for Angela too.”
I feel choked up myself.
Now we do shake hands, and, as neither of us are capable of speaking, we leave his study.
Mel and her mom are in the kitchen, sorting out food. Mel’s chuckling, and I’m pleased to see she’s coping after the interrogation she went through today. Suddenly the ring I have ready is burning a hole in my pocket. My plan had been to take her out to a swanky place and do everything properly, but nothing seems more right than sharing this moment with the other people who love her.
There, in the kitchen, in the space between the sink and the cooker, I lower myself onto one knee in front of her and take her hand.
As she looks down, her brow furrowed in confusion, I take a deep breath and ask, “Melissa Martins, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
My other hand holds tight to the ring box in my pocket.
Mel stares down.
“For goodness’ sake, Melissa. Put the poor man out of his misery.” Rufus chuckles, making her start as if she hadn’t realised she was supposed to reply.
“Yes.” The word sounds shaky. She says it again, her voice getting firmer with each repetition, “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
I stand and slip the top of the box open, showing her the diamond ring inside. Big enough to impress, not too big to be ostentatious. “Will this do?”
She’s still as a statue as I slip the ring on her finger. Fuck me, I estimated well, it’s a perfect fit. The moment almost as good as when I gave my property patch to her.
Then she’s in my arms, and our mouths meet in a passionate display that's probably not appropriate in front of her parents.
Beside us her mom squeals and claps her hands. “Oh my! We’ve got a wedding to plan!”
I hadn’t thought as far as that. But now she’s said it, and the glow in Mel’s face as she turns to show the ring to her mother let me know that this is a good way of moving on from everything that’s happened.
The shit’s not over, I know that. But we can concentrate more on our future, and less on our past.
As Mel and her mom start talking a mile a minute, already discussing things like dresses, bridesmaids and cakes, Rufus’ hand rests on my shoulder.
As he leans in, he says quietly, “They needed this.”
“We all did,” I correct.
The next day we return to Pueblo. The main topic of conversation, particularly among the women, changes from Skull’s betrayal to planning a wedding.
Days pass, then turn into weeks. Mel and I settle into a routine that’s comfortable for us both. We find a four-bedroom house we both fall in love with and start the process of making it ours.
Having been determined to find the source of a rattle in a relatively new engine, I’d been delayed at work. When I come home, it’s to find Mel sitting in the dark.
I switch on the light, quickly noticing her face is streaked with tears. “Darlin’?”
She wastes no time in telling me, “The FBI have dismissed my complaint. Oh, they wrapped it up in legalese, but the essence of it is, they can find no evidence of wrongdoing on their agent’s behalf.”
I close my eyes. It’s exactly what I had feared, that they’d circle the wagons to protect their own. “What happens now?” I know Rufus won’t let it drop.
“He’s submitting a claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act.”
This I know, as we’ve already discussed, could result in her being awarded punitive damages, but won’t have any effect on what happens to Skull. It seems he’s going to escape without any disciplinary action.
“There’s more,” she continues. “With the letter, Dad received a file full of documents and photos. Skull was writing up every conversation I’d reported to him. Even Theo’s fucking teething problems. He documented everything—except for the fact several of those conversations were after sex.” She sneers as she says the last. “There were also photos of me with you, me with Vi, me with Demon… at the barbeque, or just in the club. He must have been taking photos all the time, and nobody noticed.”
We’re always on our phones, it’s just the way of the world nowadays. I can’t remember if Skull had his out more often than anyone else, but if he had, we probabl
y wouldn’t have thought much about it.
“Dad said it was an invasion of my personal privacy. I wasn’t the one being investigated. My God, Ro. Did he expect me to incriminate myself, pick up a gun and shoot someone?”
“I’ve no fuckin’ idea.” I realise I’m too far away from her. Crossing the room, I sit beside her and pull her into my arms. “Skull was getting desperate. He’d gotten no results. He was probably taking tons of images hoping to pour over them and find something he could use. Same with the documents.”
“Dad has asked for nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand dollars, Ro. He said if it’s under a million cases can get settled reasonably fast. My baby’s life is worth one dollar under a million.”
I hold her tighter. “It’s not just for him, Mel, it’s for everything you suffered, from the moment Skull walked out your door.”
“Even now they could dismiss that case too. What are the chances of anyone believing me when the FBI has closed ranks?” She pulls away from me, stands and starts pacing. “I can’t believe they had the balls to write he’d done nothing wrong. For all he suspected, he could have been putting me in danger. That bastard gets away with no stain on his character, and I have to live with the knowledge the FBI think I’m…”
“Living with a criminal and associating with an outlaw motorcycle gang. Join the club, sweetheart.” I stand, trapping her in my arms once again. “You’re marrying a biker. You wear my property patch. There will always be people who look at us that way, but we don’t give a fuck. We don’t give a damn for citizen laws. You know what’s at the bottom of why we’re hated so much?”
She gives a small shake of her head.
“We’ve got something everyone wants. Family, people who have our back, brothers who protect what’s theirs, as well as what belongs to their brothers. We’re a tribe, hon, and you’ve joined it.”
Her head tilts to the side and she presses her lips together.
“If you don’t like it, there’s still time to run.” I wink, showing I don’t believe she’ll take that option. “The people who really matter, your friends, your parents, they don’t give a damn. Who gives a fuck about anyone else?”
Her hands come up to rest on my shoulders. “You’re right, Ro. This isn’t always going to be easy. But I’ve never been happier than when I’ve been with you.” She pauses, then grins. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks.”
Later, as we’re lying in bed after I’ve given my woman the loving she deserves, she turns to face me.
“I don’t care about the money, Ro. If I’m awarded it, it’s the principle that counts.”
She’ll get no argument from me about that. I just hope she’ll win, it will be the vindication she needs. Skull, she can leave to me.
“What you thinking, darlin’?”
“If, and it’s a big if, I get the compensation, would you mind if I gave it away?”
We don’t need money. Even if I didn’t have wages coming in from the club, we’d make do. What makes her happy is all that counts. “Your money, you do what you want with it. Out of interest, who would you give it to?”
“A charity that researches the reasons for miscarriage and into how they might be able to prevent them.”
I grip her hand hard. “Can’t think of one offhand, but we’ll find someone to give it to who’ll use it for the right purpose. And I agree, it’s the right thing to do.
If she wins, that is. If she doesn’t? Well, I’ll make sure she gets justice in any event.
Chapter Forty
Melissa
“Oh my. You look beautiful, Melissa.”
“Mom,” I warn, “if you cry, I’ll cry, and that will ruin my makeup.”
She sniffs loudly and turns away for a second, dabbing at her face. “I’m not crying, just got some dust in my eye.”
“Huh. I may be blind, but even I can see through that. Max, come here. Mel doesn’t want you slobbering all over her dress.”
Wondering how Steph knows what her dog was about to do, I can only giggle.
As if I’d asked, she answers, “He always makes a beeline for you, Mel. And don’t think I don’t know it’s because you’re always giving him a cookie.”
“Not all of it,” I protest. “Just a few crumbs.” I mean, how can anyone resist when those soulful brown eyes are turned on them?
“Your mom’s right. You look perfect. That dress really suits you.”
I turn to thank Vi, then glance at Jayden and Steph, all wearing dresses in midnight blue, the same colour and material, but the style to suit their personal shapes. Jay’s is short, showing off her shapely young legs. Standing slightly to one side, part of, but also I know feeling a little bit lost, is Beth, similarly dressed in blue. I give her a warm smile, remembering her delight when I’d asked her to stand up with me today, though I suspect some of her pleasure was that at last I was letting her have a glimpse at life inside the club.
“You all look…” I struggle to find the right word. There’s only one which will do. “Gorgeous. And just look at Theo!”
Theo is dressed in a miniature tux. Toddling now, he’s wriggled out of Vi’s arms, and is making a beeline for the dog. “No, Theo!” His mother stops him before he gets to his target, swinging him up into her arms. “No dog hairs, not today. Not when you’re looking so fine.”
“Sorry, not sorry,” mumbles Steph, making us laugh.
“If it’s not him, it’s cat hairs from Bitch,” Vi gloomily says.
It’s winter, and while I’d have loved a wedding held in the yard at the compound, it’s far too cold. Mom was delighted when I’d agreed to hold it in a posh hotel instead.
Neither Pyro nor myself are religious, and my parents aren’t particularly either, so we’ll be married here as well. As I watch the snow falling outside the window, I’m pleased we don’t need to bother with cars, or being transported from place to place.
“You got stepladders we can use?”
The odd question gets me turning to see Vi and Jay staring up at Beth. Unfazed, she tells them, “Nah, I’ll kneel down instead.”
“Bit of a risky position to be on your knees around bikers,” Steph warns.
Just like that, they’ve made me giggle again. Beth, at over six feet tall, towers above me and them. As Vi steps closer and seems to measure herself and pretend to estimate the difference, I know her gentle teasing is breaking the ice. Beth must have been unnerved to walk into this group of strangers.
“You know we might be able to find you a man your size,” Jay offers, thoughtfully. “Most of the club are tall.”
“I’ve noticed,” Beth responds, a gleam coming into her eyes.
I shake my head and hope trouble’s not on its way. The men Jay’s talking about are confirmed bachelors.
While the others joke on, I feel glad I have my family around me, both my mom and my adopted sisters from the club, as well as my work friend. I’d be feeling even more nervous without them. The butterflies having a ball in my stomach don’t seem quite so bad with them around.
Why I’m so full of nerves, I’ve no idea. Do I think Pyro won’t be waiting for me? We may have joked about him running a mile before it gets to the time for him to say, ‘I do’, but surely, I don’t believe that would really happen. If there was ever a man more dependable, I’ve yet to meet him. I try to shake off the sudden bout of anxiety, knowing my fears are all part of Skull’s legacy.
One thing I know is I’m not making a mistake marrying a man the world views with suspicion. It’s the way the authorities view me too. Whether I marry Pyro or not, what happened with Skull has tainted me forever.
“You ready?” a deep voice sounds from the doorway. It’s Dad.
“She is.” Mom gives me a peck on the cheek, then hurries away to take her place in the hall downstairs. One by one, Vi, with Theo holding tight to her hand, Jay, Steph, led by the faithful Max and lastly, Beth, step up, kiss me too, then follow her out.
Dad stands for a moment. “
I’m so proud.” His voice croaks.
“I’m only getting married, Dad.”
His head shakes. “No, it’s more than that. I'm so proud of how strong you are, the way you survived, and the way you’ve put your finger up at the world and held your head high. Pyro’s just been introducing me to his friends, brothers as he calls them. And you know what, Mel? The way they speak about you? So respectful. No, they’re proud of you too.”
I hadn’t cried before, I feel like doing so now.
He holds out his arm. “Come on. Let’s go make sure Pyro can’t run away.”
I laugh, like I’m meant to.
My nerves rise again. I’m not one that likes being the centre of attention, always prefer to remain at the back. Now all eyes are on me as I make my entrance. Everyone’s here from the club—except for the prospects Karl and Beaver. I even invited the club girls, having at the back of my mind the thought that it’s to show them Pyro’s definitely off the market, though he’s never shown any intention to stray. Breezy gives me a little finger wave as I pass by, indicating the gesture has been appreciated. Moira, Jeannie and Sindy are sitting alongside their men, all giving me huge smiles.
My other work colleagues are here too. I spy Holly and Macey, next to them sits Shayla, and Carter and Brice are just behind them.
I start in surprise as I see Red, Crash and Twister from Vegas. Red and Crash are next to Demon, and Twister is sitting with Mace. As I pass the enforcers, Twister growls, “Just here to make sure you don’t back out.”
As my eyes widen at his words, Mace adds in a loud stage whisper, “Don’t worry, Mel, I’m keeping an eye on Pyro. If he makes a move to the door, I’ve got plans.” He taps his nose.
It’s while I’m trying hard to suppress my laughter that I at last turn my attention to the man waiting for me to make my way to him. Both he and his best man, Beef, are wearing tuxedos. I’ve already promised they can exchange their jackets for cuts after the photos. Pyro hadn’t been able to decide who of his brothers should stand up beside him, so in the end they drew straws. Beef won, or lost, as the others joked with him.
Devil's Dilemma: Satan's Devils MC Colorado Chapter #4 Page 35
