“Your nine lives are up, Jenkins,” Pipe laughed. “You may think you’re gonna make it out of here, but your fucking delusional.”
“He’s probably pumped so full of drugs that he doesn’t even feel anything,” Tray guessed.
I smiled at Jenkins and smacked his face. “Oh, trust me, he’s going to fucking feel this.”
*
Chapter Twenty-One
Cora
“How’s Bryn?”
“She ran off to Paris with her boyfriend.”
I tipped my head to the side. “And you’re not running off to get her?”
Leo shrugged. “I’m kind of busy, and I’m too old to chase after her, Cora.”
I tucked my legs underneath me and tried not to focus on the ruckus coming from the garage. “Which is why I was always surprised that you didn’t just take what you wanted.”
“You think Bryn is what I wanted?” He steepled his hands in front of him.
“I know she is. Remember the conversation we had over a bottle of whiskey?” I had met Leo four times before coming to live with the Fallen Lords. Each time, Jenkins had shoved him at me to make him change his mind.
Leo never laid a hand on me.
He was in love with another woman, and unlike what my brother thought, he wasn’t interested in sleeping with random women.
Leo was the only decent human being Jenkins did business with.
He shrugged. “I guess things weren’t meant to be.”
“Again,” I laughed. “I find it hard to believe that you’re fine with what fate brought.”
“I only came out here to sit with you because I thought you would be crying your eyes out and trying to break down the door to save your brother.”
I tipped my head to the side and glared at Leo. “You really must not know me.”
Leo laughed. “I do know you, but I just thought this might test that hard exterior you have.”
“My brother has been dead to me for a long time. Before he sent me home with Pipe and the Fallen Lords.” I looked down at the ring on my finger. “At the time, I thought he was sending me off to be used and abused by a whole new group of men, but it was the complete opposite.”
The diamond winked at me in the light, and a smile spread across my lips.
“Yeah,” Leo agreed. “I don’t think he thought you would get here and thrive.”
“Girl Gang,” I said simply. “They saved me and showed me there were still good people in this world.”
“Well, whatever it was, happiness looks good on you, doll.”
“You hitting on my girl?”
I spun around and breathed a sigh of relief. Brinks walked toward me with a smirk on his face. I didn’t think he was going to get hurt and knew he would come back to me, but him being here meant it was done
Jenkins was dead, and he was never going to hurt me.
He was never going to hurt another person.
The hatred died with him.
Our blood was the same, but our hearts weren’t.
*
Brinks
“Turn the light off.”
“I can’t see my ring in the dark.”
Brinks leaned over me and turned off the lamp. “You ever gonna stop staring at that thing?” he laid back down and gathered me in his arms.
I shrugged and laid my hand on his chest. I could see the silhouette of my ring in the moonlight and sighed. “February fourteenth.”
“Valentine’s Day?”
She tipped her head back and smiled. “Yup.”
I brushed her hair from her face. “You’re gonna have to clue me in, babe, because I don’t have a clue why you’re saying that.”
She laughed softly and clamored on top of me. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips. “February fourteenth, you’re going to marry me.”
“That’s less than a month away, babe, unless you’re thinking next year?” I prayed to God she wasn’t going to make me wait that long.
She shook her head. “I’m not waiting that long to call you my husband.”
“So, Valentine’s Day,” I stated.
She nodded. “And that’s also my birthday.”
“It is?” How much of an asshole was I that I didn’t even know her birthday?
She laughed. “Sure is. I figured you could just be my present for the rest of my life.”
“Pretty sure that works for me too, babe.” I wrapped her in my arms and crushed her to me. “Every day, you’re a fucking present.”
“Stop with the romance novel talk, Brinks,” she whispered.
“Hey,” I protested. “You were the one who started with the whole Valentine’s wedding and birthday on the same day.”
“I really did it, so you’d be able to remember both dates easily, Robert. Your memory is lacking sometimes.”
I dug my fingers in her side and tickled her.
“Stop, stop,” she gasped. “You can’t tickle me when I’m you’re gift every day.”
My fingers moved over her stomach, and she tried to squirm out of my grasp. “I can and I will if you keep calling me Robert.”
“Brinks, Brinks!” she shouted.
My fingers froze, and I pulled her close. “Better.”
“I don’t know what you hate your name,” she whispered.
“Same reason why you can’t wait to lose the last name Jenkins.” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “It’s not who you are anymore. It’s your past.”
Her lips grazed mine. “And we don’t live in the past.”
“Exactly, babe.”
“I love you, Brinks, and I promise never to call you Robert again.”
I brushed her hair from her face. “And starting February fourteenth, I promise to always call you Cora Long.”
“It does kind of roll off the tongue nicely, doesn’t it?” she whispered.
“It sure does.”
“Brinks and Cora Long.”
I rolled us over and pinned her to the bed. “You’re mine, Cora, and I’m never going to let you go.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that, handsome.”
Cora was mine and nothing was ever going to change that.
Our love was thicker than blood.
*
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cora
“I look like a cow.” Alice turned to the side. “A pregnant cow.”
Wren stood next to her and laughed. “That might be because we’re wearing cow print dresses, and we’re both pregnant.”
“That was your choice!” I called.
After I had told the girls that Brinks and I were getting married in less than a month, I hadn’t expected the outright outrage. The only thing that had pacified them was that they had free rein to plan everything. I really had no clue how to plan a wedding, and the only thing I knew was I didn’t want pink anywhere near my special day.
I guess I should have also said the same about cow print. I should have known when Alice insisted on being in charge of the bridesmaid dresses that cow print was going to be what she chose.
I looked down at my cream lace dress and thanked God that hadn’t also meant she was going to pick my dress. Although, she had tried, for a split second, to talk me into a cow print. Thankfully, she had conceded quickly and handed me a cow print garter. I wore it knowing that no one was actually going to see it.
“Thank God I won’t be pregnant when Wrecker and I get married this winter.” Alice tried to suck in her stomach, but that almost seven-month bump wasn’t going anywhere.
“You’re talking like he actually asked you,” Karmen laughed. Cole was on her hip wearing a little tux, and he had smile on his face. He was the cutest kid ever. The plan was for him to take a ride in a red wagon while Adley pulled him down the aisle. Though Karmen was worried he was going to try to make a break for it.
“He did ask me.” Alice reached into the pocket of her dress, another thing she insisted the bridesmaid dresses have, and pulled out a ring. “I didn’t want to ruin y
our big day, Cora, but I seriously can’t hold it in anymore.” Alice slid the ring on her finger and held up her hand.
“It’s black!” Karmen gasped.
Alice beamed brightly. “Black diamond.”
We all gathered around Alice and ohhed and awwed over her gorgeous ring.
“It’s different but gorgeous,” Carnie gushed.
“Just like you,” Wendy added.
Once we were all in our dresses and the shock of Wrecker and Alice getting engaged sunk in, we all stood in a circle.
“Can you believe that we finally got here?” Nikki whispered.
“Come on,” I laughed. “Is it really that hard to believe I’m getting married?” I fully embraced the fact that I was a bitch, but that didn’t mean bitches couldn’t get married.
“No,” Nikki laughed. “I mean I never thought we would see the day where everything was calm and we weren’t running from one thing or the other.”
“Amen to that,” Alice called. “It’s crazy how the guys seemed to always find themselves in trouble.” Alice looked back and forth and burst out laughing.
We all knew that was a damn lie. It was a miracle we had all be able to find our guys with all of the craziness that seemed to be constantly chasing us.
“Now it’s just weddings and babies from here on out,” Mayra sighed. She laid a hand on her stomach, and my jaw dropped.
“You’re pregnant!” Carnie shouted.
Mayra nodded and smiled wide. “We just found out yesterday, and I didn’t want to ruin Cora’s day either.”
“Well, hell,” Raven grumbled. “If you two are raining all over Cora’s day then I might as well, too.” She pointed to her stomach. “Clash knocked me up, and he’s terrified Wrecker is going to kill him.”
“I knew it!” Alice shouted. “And don’t worry about Wrecker. I already told him I thought you were pregnant.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “I figured you knew. You walked in on me barfing the other morning.”
“It is a telltale sign,” I laughed.
Karmen bounced Cole on her hip. “Any other announcements?” Karmen bumped Nikki with her hip.
“Uh, well, no.” Nikki’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Not this month.”
“Jesus,” Alice yelled. “Did you have to do that, Karmen?” Alice wrapped Nikki in her arms. “I’ll give you my baby,” she cooed.
“I’m sure Wrecker would be thrilled with that,” Mayra laughed.
“Thrilled with what?” Wrecker called.
We all jumped and spun toward the door.
“I’m putting a damn bell on you just like I do with Slayer,” Wendy grumbled.
Pipe peeked his head over Wrecker’s shoulder. “It’s showtime. We’re all dressed up like fucking penguins, but I can’t tell you how long it will stay that way.” His face fell when he saw Nikki wipe her face. “Why the fuck is she crying?” He pushed his way past Wrecker and grabbed Nikki from Alice.
She wrapped herself in his arms, and he cooed in her ear.
“For the record, I did nothing.” Alice held up her hands.
“And I didn’t mean to do something. Nikki told me the other day that she was late and I…” Karmen frowned. “And I thought she was. I’m so sorry, Nikki.”
Nikki wiped her face and pasted on a smile. “It’s nothing, Karmen. I know what I told you, and I was just as optimistic. It just wasn’t meant to be this month.” She pulled out of Pipe’s arms and clapped her hands. “We’re not thinking about that today. Today, Cora and Brinks are getting married.”
I knew Nikki and Pipe were trying to have a baby, but I didn’t know they were having a hard time. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be much longer and they would have the baby they both wanted.
Everyone filed out of the room and headed toward the common room.
Alice hung back and waited while I grabbed my bouquet.
“You ready to get married?” she asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded. “I have never been more ready for anything in my life.”
She hooked her arm though mine and smiled. “Then let’s go marry the man of your dreams.” Her steps faltered. “Well, you marry him. I’m kind of partial to the bearded wonder.”
“Oh, Alice,” I laughed. “You always make things interesting.”
She shrugged and pulled me out the door. “That’s what I’m here for. Just wait until my wedding. This cow print dress is mild to what I have in mind for Wrecker.”
Oh, my. “Cow print suit?” I asked.
She glanced over at me. “You’re just gonna have to wait and see.”
*
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alice
December twenty-fifth.
Wrecker had no idea what was coming his way.
A baby, wedding, and lots of cow print.
It was time for the bearded wonder to make an honest woman of me, and oh, what a ride it was going to be.
A Fallen Lords Christmas
December 25th, 2020
Fallen Lords MC: Books 7-9 Page 40
