Jaxson & Ralynn

by Liberty Parker

  “Who are you?” Rae asks skeptical of our newest intruders.

  “Friends of your dad’s and the Guardians. We’ve come to dispose of the trash.”

  “Make sure you dump him with all the other trash,” she instructs them and I watch as amusement crosses their faces. Marcus Welch will never be found.

  “What are they going to do with him?” I ask Smokey since he’s the closest to me.

  “They’re going to interrogate him to gather more information on his father then dispose of him properly.”

  “Good, then maybe the DA can disappear right along with his son.”

  “That’s happening,” Atticus states as he and Silas each grab an arm and secure his arms behind his back with zip ties. They yank him up roughly and one begins walking while holding his arm while the other one kicks his feet every time he takes a step causing him to stumble. Atticus is laughing his ass off every time Silas yanks him back up causing him to bark out his pain.

  “Pussy,” I hear Atticus taunt him as they make their way around the side of the house.

  “I would’ve liked to inflict more pain on him,” Rae sulks. I pull her into my arms and rest my head on top of hers. I breathe her in and thank my lucky stars that she wasn’t hit when Marcus decided it was time to reenact the OK Corral.

  “I need a beer,” Capone announces.

  I need a shot of whiskey,” Smokey states and Chef agrees.

  “We may have some Jack left,” I answer their requested statement.

  “If it didn’t get shot up, the kitchen is full of glass shards from windows being shot out,” Lily says in a pissed-off tone I’ve never once heard escape her in all the years I’ve known her.

  “Well, we’ll never know if we don’t go look,” I grab my girl’s hand and pull her into my arms as we walk towards the dilapidated looking cabin. The walls on the south side are busted out, and the wood siding has holes from bullets. Axe is going to be pissed off with the amount of construction that will be needed to fix this place up.

  “I’ll call Maddox and his dad, Pete, to come out here and rehabilitate this place,” Capone says to all of us as he pulls out his phone.

  “Yeah, I’m not going to be the one who calls Axe and explains that his and Cara’s home away from home is in shambles,” Chef declares.

  “Pussy,” Smokey says, shoving Chef who flips him off.

  “If you’re so fucking brave, why don’t you call him, Smokey?” I request.

  “Hell to the no, that’s not part of my job description,” he calls out as he rushes ahead of us.

  “Who’s the pussy now!” Chef hollers after him and Smokey shoots him double digits.

  “These guys are misfits,” Rae mumbles out to me.

  Lily, hearing her, starts singing that stupid song from that kid’s Christmas show, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and before long, Rae is joining in. Great, now that misfit song will be stuck in my head until I replace it with one that’s acceptable.

  Walking into the kitchen I shake my head at all the damage that pussy inflicted when he was randomly firing his gun. “Yeah, I’m with y’all, let’s not tell Axe,” Smokey says picking up the broom to start sweeping the floor. “He’ll lose his shit if he has to see this place.”

  “Ya think?” Capone interjects, “Pete and Maddox are gathering their crew and will be out here in three days with supplies. I gave him a basic run down and he’s in on doing this without informing Axe.” Well, at least not until after the repairs are made, that is!

  “Thank God we have friends in low places.” Motherfucking son-of-a-bitch! Really, now country is going to be plaguing my mind. I need to find my phone and get some good old rock playing before these people have me looking to make sure my dick is still in the right place. It’s pathetically sad that all of these small innocent things said in conversation have me remembering music that he used to listen to on repeat.

  “Hey, you okay?” Rae bumps her shoulder into mine.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I kiss her on top of her head. She smiles at me, it isn’t a full out watt of a smile, but it’s one that let’s me know she’s moving past today’s fiasco.

  “We do need to let Axe know the threat has been contained, however,” Capone states. “No need for any of them to miss any more sleep than they have.” I see my girl’s face fall as it dawns on her that they’ve likely been going non-stop to find that fucker.

  “Baby, it’s okay, your safety means everything to them. To all of us. If they went without sleep, it was to ensure that you could sleep without the threat of him weighing you down.”

  “Doesn’t make me feel any better, Jaxson. I wish I’d been smarter where it came to him.”

  “The thing is, we can’t always see the monsters who are staring us right in the face. Masks are used to cover someone’s dark personalities. All we can do is try to give someone the benefit of the doubt and hope they don’t let us down.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to trust someone outside of my inner circle again.”

  “You will, in time,” Smokey interrupts us while tossing the pan filled with glass shards into the trash we’re standing in front of. “Trust is hard to earn, but there are people in this world that enter our lives for reasons. We don’t learn and grow as people without learning the lessons they teach us. You’ll be more cautious from here on out, but at the end of the day, you’ll end up with who’s meant to be a part of your life.”

  “When did you get so philosophical?” Capone asked him.

  “The first time Hannah sucked my dick,” he shrugs his shoulders and walks away.

  “Nobody should know those things about their aunt and uncle,” Rae shakes her head while pretending to gag on his words.

  “I agree, one-hundred percent,” Lily adds, her eyes following Smokey and disgust is written clearly on her face.

  “Like y’all haven’t been getting busy up here,” Chef states, seeing how I’m holding Rae and Maxum has attached Lily to his side.

  “Man, I do not want to think these thoughts! We raised those little girls!” Capone shouts out and we all double over in laughter. The tension is broken in the room and we all start to clean up the mess inside of the cabin.

  Smokey comes back from town an hour later followed by a truck. He has plywood and tools to place over the windows. “Went and found a lumber yard that delivers, this should work until Pete and Maddox get here,” Smokey explains as two men jump from the truck and begin unloading the materials. Three brutal hours of hard manual labor later, we’re all full of sweat and exhausted but the cabin looks somewhat manageable.

  “At least it’s alright to sleep here tonight,” Rae affirms.

  “Yeah, you have an appointment tomorrow with Ariel at Diva’s Ink. Are you going to be okay to keep it?”

  “Fuck yes, I can’t wait to get my shading done.” The men all surround her to check out her new ink. They all get the number of the shop and declare they’re making appointments. Looks like all of us will be invading that shop at one point or another.

  Sixteen

  Ralynn

  I can’t stop looking in the mirror at the masterpiece that covers my arm. I’m addicted and have made an appointment in a month to get more pieces done. I didn’t realize how much you’d want to keep getting tats once you’ve had the taste of one. Jaxson and I will be heading back home tomorrow, there are loose ends I need to tie up with school and I want to start living my life again in the same town as him and my family. Lily goes to a local college and that’s where I’m going to go and join her to finish my English Lit degree. I’m not giving up on my dream of writing like my mother. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was six years old and learned to read.

  “What’s gonna happen with us when we get home?” I ask Jaxson. I’m not an insecure person, but I want to make sure that he doesn't have any second thoughts when it comes to the promises we’ve made each other over the last several weeks. I have a lot of baggage packed and weighing on my
shoulders. I’ve made good progress with Marie, my therapist, but I’m not all the way past everything yet.

  “Got your cut ordered, Rae. You’re gonna be my old lady and one day, my wife.” A thrill runs through me at his proclamation and I have to hold in the shrill scream that wants to slip past my lips.

  “But I’m pretty sure my folks won’t let me stay at the clubhouse with you. How the fuck is that gonna work?” And I know my dad, he might be okay with Jaxson and I as a couple, but until I have that cut on my back, I’ll be in my childhood room. Dammit, I’ve gotten used to waking up wrapped in my man’s arms.

  “Nobody is going to stop me from having you in my bed every night. Whether that’s at the clubhouse or your dad’s is your decision. I’ll stand behind you whichever way you choose.” He glances my way and I see determination set in his features.

  “Not even my dad?”

  “Especially not your dad. We’ve come to an understanding. He may be your dad, but I’m your man and that’s never going to change. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” I respond full of giddiness. The next chapter of my life is thrilling and I’m ready to keep putting one foot forward and loving Jaxson the way he deserves. The DA will be arrested in the next couple of days with all the information the Nelsons and Bandit have been able to recover. I’m not privy to all of that intel, but I trust my family and will be anxiously watching the news so I can personally witness the slime ball being whisked away in handcuffs. I hope he becomes someone’s bitch behind bars, that may make me sound mean and hateful, but I despise that man and believe in karma.

  I’ve set up with Marie televised therapy sessions. I’ll be looking at her on screen instead of in person, but she has told me that she believes I’m ready to not have to have one on one therapy sessions. Plus, she’s available by phone anytime I need her. I still have that letter to write, something I’m dreading in some ways. But in others? I love that I can spew out all the anger, disgust, hurt and shame I feel over how he treated me.

  “If I have a say and can give my preference, I’d personally rather stay at the clubhouse,” I declare. “Don’t think my folks will handle us sneaking off upstairs at all hours of the day and night, after all.” He grins at me and I grin back, because we’re both insatiable.

  “Then that’s what we’ll do, Rae.” I’m so happy that I have a man who has the balls to stand up to the infamous enforcer of the Rebel Guardians. Most boys and men I’ve tried to date in the past tuck their tails and run. But from what I’ve overheard of the conversations between my dad and Jaxson, I highly doubt my dad stands a chance of getting in his way. Our way. My man would walk through heaven and hell to keep me at his side. I admire him and will be a good old lady to him. I will show him the same respect and loyalty he’s shown me.

  Hard times are a part of life, it’s how you get through them that count. I look forward to those, because I know we’ll be stronger from each and every one. “I can’t wait to shout from the rooftops that I’m your girl and you’re my man.”

  “Not my girl, Rae, you’re my woman, my old lady. There’s nothing girl about you. Never really has been, you’ve always been wise and mature for your age.” I love when he says stuff like that because it shows me that even though he pushed me away for so many years, he wasn’t completely blind to what I was doing, even when I was a total and complete brat to not only him but everyone who stood in the way of what I wanted.

  Reaching over, I grab his hand and lace my fingers with his. “Love you, Jaxson. More than words can say.”

  He squeezes my hand and replies, “Love you, too, Rae. Until my last breath.” Fuck, he may be badass, but my man has a way with his words. I’d swoon if I were that type of girl.

  All too soon, we’re pulling into the clubhouse parking lot. I’m excited to see the rest of my family, but hate that our interlude is now over. The four of us really got closer during our time at the cabin and I hope that won’t change now that we’re back to our daily routines.

  “Rae!” my mom yells, running up to the bike. Jaxson helps me off and I find myself engulfed in her arms before I can take my helmet off.

  “Uh, Mom? Can I get this off first so I don’t brain you?” She laughs, and I quickly remove the helmet and hand it over to Jaxson to stow in his saddlebag. “God, I missed you!” I exclaim.

  She eyes me critically and I wait, wondering what’s gonna come outta her mouth. Never can tell with my mom, that’s for damn sure! “You look so good! You’ve gained weight back and the sparkle has returned in your eyes. I bet we have you to thank for that,” she says, glancing at Jaxson.

  “I’m a small part, DJ. Rae’s done all the hard work to get better.”

  “Mom, I’m not done yet,” I caution, not wanting her to think that I’ve not still got some hurdles to cross.

  “I know, honey, but my heart can rest easier seeing that you’ve made major progress.” My mother isn’t a crier, so witnessing the emotion in her eyes makes me want to join her. I’m so lucky to be able to call her my mom.

  Before I can answer, I’m swooped up in my dad’s arms. “Sweetpea, good to have you home.”

  “Good to be able to come home, Dad.” I’m wondering when one of them will mention going to the house and hoping it’s after we eat at least. Knowing the old ladies, I can almost guarantee that there’s food inside.

  “Can we stop containing her and overwhelming her and let her come in so we can get this welcome home party commenced?” Uncle Law! I run and jump into his arms just like all of us girls have done our entire lives.

  “How ya doing, pudding?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you I in no way resemble a dessert?” I’ve said this to him since I was six.

  “Not in my personal opinion, I think you taste delectable,” Jaxson proudly states to all the ears surrounding us. I guess instead of hiking his leg and pissing on me he decided in his own way that this would be the perfect time to declare that I’m his. The smirk on his face has me rolling my eyes at his antics.

  “Do not need to hear this shit,” Dad angrily states, glaring at Jaxson, imminent death promised with that look alone.

  “Let it go, Hatch. Choose your battles.” Mom tries to ease him with her comforting tone. One she’s always used on him when he’s acting over the top.

  “He just practically announced he’s sticking his dick in my little girl!”

  “I didn’t hear the word dick, did you, Cara?”

  “Nope, not once.”

  “Stay out of this,” Uncle Braxton says to Aunt Cara.

  “Never, us women have to stick together, or you men will run all over us.”

  “Do we really need to talk about my dick and where it’s been?” I cover his mouth with my hand before he ends up in a brawl with my dad.

  “No, we absolutely do not. I prefer to think of my daughters as being able to join a convent. And your dick shouldn’t be in that equation. I may let you date my daughter, make her your old lady, but I would like to sit back with a beer and think about how you both prefer to be celibate.”

  By the time he finishes stating his wishes, the entire parking lot is fully bowled over with laughter. “Oh fuck, Hatch is living in a fantasy world. You can tell with one look that they’ve been getting it on,” Smokey swivels his hips in our direction. I watch as the color drains from his face as he runs with my father chasing him.

  “Do you think Hatch will catch him?” Capone asks.

  “I bet twenty that Smokey comes back with teeth missing,” Uncle Bandit begins the bet.

  “Fifty says that Hatchet pummels him,” Aunt Hannah interjects. Holy fuck, his twin and wife are betting against him?

  “I bet one hundred that Smokey shits his pants and runs like the hellhounds are on his tail and Hatch doesn’t stand a chance in catching him,” Uncle Braxton adds.

  “He won’t hurt him too badly,” Mom murmurs. “I hope.”

  “Uncle Braxton! He won’t shit his pants, he may piss them though becaus
e Dad is scary as fuck when he has his sights set on you. Okay, I bet two hundred that Smokey climbs the tallest tree out back since he knows Dad won’t climb them.”

  The bets continue, and the speculations become more hilarious as they’re shared. We finally get ourselves under control and Mom is holding the money on the bets that were placed. We go into the clubhouse and sit down for a meal. An hour later I get more concerned as neither of them have come back.

  “Should someone go check on them?” We all stand up from the table and head towards the back yard. The sight that greets me when we locate them is one that should be posted on every social media site. Dad is laying on the ground underneath a tree panting and Uncle Smokey is up on a branch looking down at him. He’s sprawled out like a panther who’s found his purchase. They’re both just sitting there staring each other down.

  “You gotta come down at some point,” Dad yells.

  “Naw, I’m good as long as my old lady tosses me food and a drink. I can piss without moving.” He opens his zipper to show us what he means only Jaxson’s hand comes around my eyes...why does this seem to be his go to when dicks are displayed?

  “Smokey, you show your dick and you won’t be laying in my bed tonight!” Aunt Hannah angrily shouts.

  “Aww, love, that’s not fair, I gotta take a whiz and Hatchet’s right there! He needs a golden shower to cool himself off.”

  “Smokey! I swear to all that’s holy if you don’t come down here right this minute I’ll make you watch as Bandit and I do our thing.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Bandit proudly announces.

  “Over my dead body! My dick is hard as stone.”

  “When is it not?” Aunt Hannah questions him.

  “I can arrange that!” Dad shouts.

  The taunts continue until Uncle Braxton finally commands, “Enough! It looks like Rae won the bet. Hatch, it’s done, no retribution unless you wanna pay a fine.”

  “You pay a fine, Jayden Hatchet, and you’ll be on the couch out in your man cave for the foreseeable future,” Mom states.