I love her in a way not many people ever experience. I am one lucky bastard, and I will live every day like it’s my last.
I stand up. “Well if you will quit fucking staring at me, I will go help my woman make breakfast.”
Travis smacks my shoulder, laughing. “I will just stare at your woman then.”
I push him hard into the wall and press his face against it. “Look at her, I will kill you.” He just laughs. If you beat his ass he laughs, but he will kill you laughing.
Crazy fucker is what he is.
I let him go and walk into the kitchen. Joslyn is standing there with an apron on that has a man’s abs on the front. I laugh and she turns around, grinning at me.
She is still the same Joslyn. This shit is not affecting her. She is the strongest woman I have ever met.
“The doc told us to come by in a few hours.”
She whips around and throws flour on me, covering my beard and the front of my shirt.
“Oh Baby, what did you do?”
Joslyn
“Oh Baby, what did you do?” He gives me that wicked look. I have my Wilder back.
“You mean this?” I throw the flour again, covering him head to toe.
He shakes out his beard and dusts off his shirt. “You have a five-second head start.” He arches an eyebrow, smirking. “One...”
I run into the living room. Travis looks surprised to see me running. “He’s coming!” I scream. Travis lifts the couch cushions, and I burrow under them. He buries me in cushions and sits on one.
Wilder walks into the room, and I hold my breath. He walks past us and runs up the stairs. I push the cushions up and hurry back into the kitchen, and I hide in one of the cabinets.
This is not the first time Wilder and I have done this. Last time I hid for a good thirty minutes. Every time he would leave a room, I would go to another; then he would beg me to come out.
The cabinet door opens slightly, and Travis looks inside and shuts it.
“She in here?” Wilder asks.
I suck in my lips to hide my laughter.
“Nah man, I am just cleaning up.”
Wilder is going to kill him. Wilder walks out of the room, and I let out a giggle that I couldn’t hold back anymore.
For the next thirty minutes this goes on and on, until Wilder comes back to the kitchen. “Where the fuck is she? Are you hiding her?”
I hear a thump, and I guess that is Wilder pushing him out of the way. The cabinet door swings open and Wilder looks inside. “Caught you, you little shit.” He pulls me out and kisses me.
“Let’s just drive through and get something,” I suggest, because the kitchen has been completely cleaned. I take off my apron and toss it onto the counter. I have on a pair of jeans and a shirt. I’m going as is; there is no way I feel like going back upstairs to change. “I am going to call your mom, tell her to meet us there.”
Me: Meet @ the baby doc in an hour?
Her: I will be there. You okay?
Me: I am perfectly okay <3
“Let’s go.”
* * *
“He is perfectly okay, everything is normal,” the doctor says, and we all let out relieved sighs. I knew he was okay because he was kicking, but the worry is always there.
“He lets it all out, no shame there.” I laugh, looking at the monitor. There is no denying it: he is Wilder’s son. I look at Wilder from the corner of my eye to see him smirking. Cocky should have been his middle name. Darla takes the pictures from the doctor, and she keeps one for herself and gives the rest to us.
My stomach growls while Wilder is wiping my belly with a napkin. “I guess the baby is hungry this time,” he says. I flush in embarrassment.
Walker comes into the room, and the doctor leaves. I think, on the down low, she was informed of went down, but only in small bits. Walker glances at the pictures in my hand, and I give them to him.
“How are you, baby girl?” His voice is deeper than usual.
“I am fine, Dad.”
He seems to relax. “I heard my grandson was hungry.” We all laugh but I catch Darla wiping away a tear.
This ordeal has affected us all, but it has brought us all closer. We are a family. It may be screwed up in some respects, but normal is way overrated.
I am fine with the way it is.
21
Joslyn
A Month Later
What is going on? All day long everyone has been coming in and out of the house, and Wilder just told me the girls are coming over for a girls’ day.
Who has a “girls’ day?”
I am not too keen on this sneaking-around business, but I could be totally paranoid because of these pregnancy hormones.
The door opens and Brittany rolls in a huge suitcase. “We are doing a makeover.” The rest of the girls pile into the house, carrying bags and bags of stuff.
For the past month, it’s been very quiet with the cartel. The guys really hurt them when they rescued me. They took down their warehouse and burned everything to the ground.
Brittany opens the suitcase, and my mouth opens at the amount of makeup this girl has! “Eyes closed.” She sits down on the couch beside me. I know fighting her would be futile, so I do as I am told even though I feel like hurting Wilder right about now.
He has been having these secret phone calls, talking to Brittany in the corner, and ignoring all of my questions.
I will find out what he is doing.
“Now I am going to put this over your face.” She holds up a blindfold. “We are having a girls’ night out, and I cannot have you seeing the outfit Wilder picked out for you.” She sees me tearing up. “Do not cry.” She wags her finger in front of my face. Then she puts the cloth over my eyes, leaving me in complete darkness.
So I sit like this for the next couple of hours, while I hear movement all around me and cannot see what’s going on. If I have to pee, I am led to the potty and then back to my seat. I am getting a hunch that Wilder has a date night planned. I need to get out of the house something fierce. The more pregnant I get, the more crazy he gets.
“Now it’s time for you to put on your dress.” They take off all of my clothes, leaving me naked, and I don’t even get a chance to be self-conscious.
Adeline says, “Lift your foot for me.” Someone’s hand wraps around my ankle, positioning my foot in the right place. The dress is pulled up my body, and I notice immediately that it’s not a party dress; it has a full-length skirt. My arms are pulled through soft, lacy sleeves. The dress tapers into my waist, hugs my stomach, and flows out.
Multiple hands are on my back, trying to zip me in. “Getting fat aren’t I, girls?” I laugh.
“You’re beautiful,” Darla says.
I laugh again. She is one body-positive woman, which I love. I love that she is so comfortable in her own skin. Brittany has had that pumped into her by Darla and struts around in heels and tight jeans, rocking her every curve. Men will stop and stare at her, and she just winks and goes on with her day, not caring because she knows she is beautiful. She is also beautiful on the inside.
“I wonder where Wilder is taking me?” I am getting excited. All of the girls get quiet. “Give me a hint, please?” I beg, but they continue being silent, besides someone giggling. I guess it’s little Tiffany.
“You look so pretty, Joslyn!” Darla says. I reach to take off the blindfold, and the girls swarm me, pulling my hands down.
“No, you can’t!” Brittany says.
“Hey, pretty ladies!” Travis yells, startling me.
I instinctively hold my stomach. “You’re going to cause my baby to be afraid of your voice if you keep scaring me, Travis!”
He laughs, then a hand touches my stomach. “He would never be scared of me. Isn’t that right, little Travis?” I swing my hand, smacking what I think is a shoulder.
“I am going to take you out to the truck, we don’t want you falling.” He sweeps me off the ground before I can resist.
&n
bsp; “Well, thanks for asking me.” I am not liking this blindfold business. That does not mean I don’t like it in the bedroom. Wilder and I fuck at least two or three times a day, and sometimes we use a blindfold and other accessories.
My throat tightens at the thought of my mother. She did some very messed-up things but, in the end, she died trying to protect me. That confuses me more than anything. I will never understand what went on in that moment but, nonetheless, she was my mom and I loved her.
I hear the truck door open and I am set inside. “Do not fucking take that off.” Travis slams the door shut, and the driver’s door opens seconds later. I bet you he sprinted to make sure I did not take off my blindfold.
“I guess the girls are leaving?”
“Yeah, they left before we did.” He turns on the radio, basically ending the conversation.
This is getting sketchier and sketchier. “Are you kidnapping me?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Oh shut up, Travis.”
He laughs, and we go back to silence for the rest of the ride.
Thirty minutes later, he pulls the truck to a stop and opens my door. “I am going to put your shoes on.” I feel him lifting my dress, revealing my feet, and he puts my shoes on. How sweet is he? I cannot wait for him to find love. He deserves it, and I cannot wait for the right woman to make him see that.
He lifts me out of the truck and shuts the door. He carries me up some stairs, and I feel the cold air as we step inside a building.
It’s eerily quiet. “Where are we?” I ask Travis, but he doesn’t answer me. My feet touch the floor, and the blindfold is slipped off my face.
I am in a church that is decorated beautifully in red and white. Then I look down and see that I’m wearing a wedding dress.
Oh my God.
Wilder is standing at the altar with all of the MC guys and the girls.
“Ready, Sweetheart?” Walker holds out his arm.
“I cannot believe you guys did this.”
“Do not cry, bitch!” Brittany screams across the church.
I laugh, taking Walker’s arm, and I lock in on Wilder, who is staring at me. The wedding march starts, and my stomach sinks with nerves.
Halfway down the aisle, I smile at Wilder. I cannot believe I am going to be married to him, and I cannot believe he planned this and kept it a secret. How blessed am I to have someone like him? I thank God every single day that he gave me Wilder, when I did nothing to deserve him. And soon we will have a baby.
Wilder asked me if I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom or go back to work. My answer was instant: I want to stay at home. Wilder has told me over and over that he can take care of me. It’s different allowing someone to take care of me since I’ve worked since I was old enough to do so, and I always took care of my mother and myself, paying the bills.
Wilder steps off the stage, thundering toward me. Where is he going? I don’t even get to finish thinking, because his lips are pressed against mine.
“Woah, baby!” Jean from the Devil Souls MC screams, and this sets off a ton of catcalls. He pulls away, still cupping my face. “Now to fucking claim you in one last way.” He winks, leading me to the altar, with Walker on my other side.
The preacher is sweating profusely, and I do not blame him. He’s a preacher and most of the men here are MC members; plus Wilder and Brittany cussing probably didn’t help anything. “Who here gives this girl to be married today?” he asks.
“Doesn’t matter, she is mine.” Wilder takes Walker’s hand off my arm, and Walker laughs. I wink at Wilder and he smiles back, and we walk up the stairs together. The preacher is flustered.
“We will be good,” I tell him.
Wilder’s eyes narrow on me. “Speak for yourself, sweet girl.”
The preacher composes himself. “We are gathered here today…” Wilder and I are ignoring the preacher, focusing on each other.
Wilder is stroking my fingers where our hands are joined. He is a badass and mean, but he is never afraid to show affection toward me in front of others. Wilder is who he is, and he lets people think what they want.
It’s time to say our vows. “I don’t have vows written so bear with me…” I start and everyone laughs. I squeeze his hand. “I was an absolute mess before you, Wilder, and it was slowly killing me on the inside. You became something I’d always dreamed about but thought I’d never have. You came into my life and turned my world on its head.”
I lower my head to compose myself, and Wilder steps closer and lifts my face with the tip of his finger.
“You became my world, you made me feel so safe and wanted but, most of all, so happy. I got so much out of loving you: I got your love, I got a family, and we have a baby on the way.
“But most of all I fell in love with my best friend.” I laugh, “God, did I fall for you. I love you so much that I think I am going crazy some days, but I just know I am going crazy for you. I used to be a shadow of the person I am today, now I am who I always wanted to be. You gave me the strength to become who I was always meant to be.
“I love you, Baby.” I whisper the last part.
He looks away, and I know he is trying to hide his emotions. I touch his face and stand on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek. “You’re so getting head later,” I whisper.
He throws his head back, laughing, before he turns serious, and my heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.
“From the moment I met you, sweet girl, I was so fucked. I never expected you, but I knew right then and there that you were meant for me.” He stops, looking at me sadly. “I almost lost you, sweet girl, and that is something I will never forget, but it made me realize how precious life is and how precious you are.”
He presses his forehead against mine, our fingers locked together. We’re surrounded by sobbing women but, in this moment, it’s just us. Wilder is baring his soul for the world to see.
“I make a promise to you that I will forever spend each day like it’s our last. It will be my mission to fucking protect you, love you, and fuck you like it’s our last day.” I snort at that last part, because he would add that.
“Most of all, I will love and cherish you above everything else in our lives. You and our kids will be the center of my world.” He rubs my stomach, and I close my eyes, taking in the moment.
“I love you sweet girl, now and forever.”
22
Joslyn
Way Too Many Months Pregnant.
I am so ready to have this baby—I am nine months pregnant and huge. It looks like I could be carrying multiple babies. Of course Wilder’s son would be freakishly large, and that is just my luck, it seems. Waddling has become my new walk.
Travis has been MIA here lately, and I bet my left tit that he has found someone.
“How is my baby?” Wilder touches my stomach, and I close my eyes. I am lying on the couch, on my back. Sleep has become nonexistent, and right now I just hurt. My back aches, along with other places I don’t want to mention.
The front door slams open, and Travis strolls into the house like he owns the place—as much as he’s hung out here, he might as well move in.
I stand up. “So who is she?”
“What?” he stammers and I laugh, my stomach shaking.
“Stop that—it may fall out.” Travis touches my stomach, which causes me to laugh harder. “Stop it.” He says again, which causes Wilder to laugh, and I laugh harder.
Then I feel a pop and a slow trickle of something going down my leg. I stop laughing and look down.
“My water broke.”
Travis looks at my legs in pure horror, like the baby is just going to fall out.
“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.” Wilder jumps off the couch and runs upstairs. Travis is pale and looks like he is about to pass out.
“Maybe you should sit down.” Travis gently pushes me toward the couch. “WAIT, you might sit on his head.” I can see the pure panic on his face.
“Travis, get me some clot
hes to change into?”
He nods and sprints up the stairs. Then the contraction hits me and I bend over, clutching the arm of a chair.
“Ow!” I say.
“Ow?” Wilder shouts. He runs back down the stairs without bags, but Travis has a bunch of clothes in his arms. “What do you want?” I motion to a pair of Wilder’s sweatpants and waddle to the bathroom. Wilder comes in behind me and helps me get changed.
“Ow!” I moan, another contraction hitting me. I think I have had some pains all day because I have been extremely uncomfortable.
“We need to get you to the hospital.” He wraps his arm around me, pulling me out of the bathroom. “Travis, get the truck!” Travis slams the door as he runs out of the house.
These men can face anything, but both of them are half panicked. Travis is even more freaked out than Wilder, whose child is about to be born.
Wilder gets our bags off the couch. We may have overpacked, but how are we supposed to know what we may need? I told Wilder he could go home and get whatever he needs, but he said he is not leaving me the hospital until I leave with him.
Travis walks back into the house. “Come on before he falls out.” He rushes out, still pale.
I shuffle over to the door. “He is not just going to fall out.” I walk to the truck, which Travis parked by the stairs, and get in, holding my stomach. Hopefully, in the next few hours he will be out.
* * *
Did I say a few hours? Oh boy, I was wrong. It’s been twelve hours at this point, and I am exhausted.
To those people who act like it’s easy, it’s not—and I have not gotten to the pushing part. Another contraction hits, and I grip the rails of the bed, biting the pillow. Wilder smooths my hair away from my face. “It will be over soon, sweet girl.” I nod through the pain.
Throughout the day my room has been visited by every single member of the MC. The ones that have been constant are Wilder, Darla, and my dad.
Wilder: GRIM SINNERS MC: BOOK TWO Page 15
