Michelle’s jaw dropped. I left her standing there and headed outside to start unloading the car. I hadn’t actually thought about marriage, but now that Joey had brought it up, it sounded like a great idea to me. I wasn’t going anywhere, and I didn’t think she was either. It made sense that we made it official.
I carried in a box, passing Michelle, who was still standing in the same spot, the same shocked look on her face.
“You’re going to catch flies if you leave your mouth open,” I teased.
Joey was behind me and burst into laughter. Michelle’s mouth clamped shut. I stopped and kissed her. “That’s better.”
Epilogue
Michelle - One Year Later
I had a serious case of jitters, and there was no real reason for them. Today was my wedding day. It was a day I had been looking forward to for almost a year. My life had done a complete one-eighty and I couldn’t have been happier about it.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I called out.
It was Rayne, pushing my mom in her wheelchair.
“Hi,” I said, bending over to hug my mom.
“You look beautiful,” she said, tears in her eyes.
“Don’t cry. You’re going to make me cry, and then I’m going to ruin all my makeup.”
Rayne was grinning as she looked at me. “That dress is perfect. I love it.”
I smiled and turned to look in the full-length mirror. It wasn’t a big princess dress, but it was the perfect wedding dress for me. It was sleek, sexy, and classic. The plain white satin draped over my body in an A-line style. I had on a pearl necklace with matching pearl earrings. I had never felt so fancy in my life. I loved it.
“I’m so happy for you, dear. I’m only sorry it took so much pain and suffering for you to get to this point,” my mom said, dabbing at her eyes.
“Mom, don’t cry. It wasn’t all bad,” I told her. “Besides, if I didn’t have the bad, I wouldn’t have gotten the good. And the good—well, it’s great.”
“Your brother,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know where I went wrong with him.”
“You didn’t, Mom. It was Dad.”
She sighed and had a sad look on her face. “I’m so sorry. I don’t think I can say it enough.”
“Please, Mom. This is a day to be happy. I want to celebrate. I don’t want to think about Liam and what he did. It’s in the past, and that’s where I want it to stay.”
She nodded her head. “Okay. I won’t say another word.”
Rayne adjusted the small wreath of white flowers on my head. My hair was in a half-up style that made me feel a bit like a hippie chick.
“You don’t have to think about him for at least fifteen years,” Rayne muttered. “Hopefully, the parole board denies his parole and he’ll have to serve the full twenty-five-year sentence.”
I nodded. “I hope that’s long enough for him to cool down and give up this need for revenge.”
“It should be. Besides, he’ll be what, like fifty something? He’s not going to be coming after you,” Rayne said with a disgusted look on her face.
“It’s sad really. When I was little, I always dreamed of Liam walking me down the aisle. I knew my dad wouldn’t be here. I always thought it would be my brother. I imagined him in a nice tux with one of his little girls acting as my flower girl,” I said, the moment of reverie bringing me sadness.
“Don’t,” Rayne warned. “He chose to be the man he is. You did nothing but love him. He had plenty of chances to turn it around. He didn’t. Now, this is your day and you are marrying one of the most handsome men on the planet. Don’t give Liam another second of your time.”
I took a deep breath, then exhaled it and all thoughts of Liam. “Is Joey dressed?”
“Yep, and he looks as handsome as ever,” Rayne said with a smile. “Wait until you see Trevor’s little Kaylee.”
“I can’t wait! I hate that you guys locked me up in here!”
She giggled. “We wanted you to be surprised.”
“I should get to see my flower girl and my ring bearer,” I protested.
“You will. Now, if you’re ready, it’s time to get this party started. Your groom is getting anxious.”
“Are you ready, Mom?”
She nodded her head. “I’m so very proud to give you away.”
Rayne handed me my small bouquet of daisies. She went out first, joining Trevor in the hallway. The wedding was small and intimate. We had decided to hold it at the house we had bought. My mom had signed over the other house to me. Somehow, there was enough equity for me to use to put toward the rental house we had asked to buy.
“We’re up,” my mom said.
She wheeled herself into the hall and out the sliding glass doors where the pretty arch had been set up in our backyard. I walked down the aisle, my eyes glued on Elijah’s. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to soon call this man my husband.
The ceremony was short and sweet, just like we wanted.
“You look really pretty, Mom,” Joey said after the ceremony.
“Thank you. You look very handsome.”
“Dad looks good, huh?” he said with a smile.
I giggled. “Oh, yes, he does.”
Elijah kissed me again, and I wished like hell we could forget all about the party and head for the honeymoon suite we had reserved.
We did all the traditional things, fulfilling every dream I’d had as a little girl. I couldn’t have imagined my life with Nick and a courthouse wedding. I would have never been happy.
“Dance with me,” Elijah said, taking my hand and leading me to the small portable dance floor we had set up.
The song we danced to at prom came over the sound system. “Oh my God! You remembered!”
He chuckled. “Of course I remembered. I remember every detail of that night with you.”
“Can you believe we’re here today?” I asked, still struggling to believe it was all really happening.
“I believe it. Every day I wake up next to you and wonder how I got so damn lucky.”
“Me too. Do you think anyone would notice if we snuck out of here?” I asked, anxious to strip the tux from his body.
“I think they would.”
I groaned. “I want you so bad.”
“Don’t do that to me. I’ve been fighting this erection since I saw you walk down that aisle.”
I leaned forward and nibbled his ear. “I got a little something special to wear tonight, and when I say little, I mean itty-bitty. It’s my wedding present to you.”
“You’re killing me.”
I kissed him gently before moving my mouth to his other ear. “I forgot to mention I’m not wearing anything but the garter on my thigh under this dress.”
He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Fuck it. Tell everyone good-bye. If I don’t bury myself in you in the next thirty minutes, I’m going to embarrass myself.”
I grinned. “I’m already wet. I should have worn panties.”
He pushed me away. “Go. Make sure they have what they need. I’ll be in the car.”
I giggled as I searched out Rayne. “We’re going to head out. Do you need anything? I left the name of the hotel on the counter.”
She laughed. “I’m surprised you two lasted this long. You guys looked like you were going to devour each other. It was getting to the point where I thought we were going to have to turn the hose on you two.”
“Whatever. Where’s Joey? I want to tell him good night. Make sure you don’t let him stay up to late.”
Rayne pointed, and I moved through the small crowd and found Joey with his buddy Larson. I gave him a quick kiss and instructions to be good and listen to Grandma and Rayne. He promised to do so. I rushed into the house to grab my overnight bag before heading to our new SUV.
Elijah was already inside, the engine running. “Took you long enough,” he growled.
I reached over, grabbed the erection between his legs, and smiled. “Don’
t you come before we get there.”
He groaned as I moved my hand over his dick. “Pull up your dress,” he ordered.
“You’re driving!” I protested.
He backed out of the driveway, put the car in drive, and looked at me. “Pull it up or I will tear that damn thing.”
I pulled up my gown, exposing my thighs, the white lace garter still in place. I instinctively spread my legs, feeling unladylike in my white wedding dress.
“Now we’ll see who’s going to come before we reach the hotel. I bet you it won’t be me.”
His hand slid up my thigh and headed directly for my pussy. The drive to the hotel was fast and hot. He won our little bet. I hadn’t made it three blocks before he had me arching in ecstasy in the front seat of the car in middle of traffic.
We managed to make it to our suite with most of our clothes on. I had stripped him down to his undershirt and pants by the time the elevator doors slid open. Once we had managed to satisfy ourselves, we lay on the bed, completely nude and comfortable in our own skin, drinking champagne and talking.
“Do you ever think about having another baby?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “I didn’t before, but I wouldn’t mind now.”
“Good to know.”
“Is Trevor going to relocate?” I asked him.
We had been so busy with the wedding planning the past week, we hadn’t had a lot of time to talk. I felt like we had so much catching up to do.
“He is. He thinks it will be about three months. I found a space we can use for our gym.”
“That’s awesome! I’m so glad you won’t be doing the fighting anymore. I hated seeing you come home bruised and battered.”
He laughed. “It was one fight and it was for a good cause.”
“It was one fight too many,” I said.
“If I remember right, you jumped me before I even made it through the door that night. You didn’t seem to mind the bruises at all.”
I laughed. “It was a turn-on seeing you all manly and kicking ass.”
He kissed me before taking another drink. “What about you? Did you sign up for those classes at the college?”
“I did. Early childhood development. I can’t believe I actually want to go back to school. I hated school, and now I’m going to school to work in a school. I must be losing my mind.”
“You’re going to be a great teacher. You’re patient, kind, and loving. Those kids are going to be lucky to have you.”
“Thank you,” I said, kissing him again. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“It’s going to be a damn good life, too.”
I finished my champagne and rolled to the side to set the glass on the small table. “You know what?” I said, rolling back to look at him, a cheeky grin on my face as a devilish idea popped into my head.
“What? What do I know?”
“We got so caught up, I never got to show you my little wedding present for you.”
“The itty-bitty present?”
I nodded my head. “That’s the one.”
“You better take your fine ass in there and put it on,” he said, pointing to the bathroom.
I giggled, grabbing my bag and heading for the bathroom. The lingerie was incredibly naughty and daring. Rayne had convinced me to buy it. Now that we were there, I was glad I had it. I wanted to rock my husband’s world, and I had a feeling the scraps of ribbon were going to do the trick.
“Ready?” I asked.
“You know I am.”
I opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room. He was sitting on the bed, waiting. I smiled at his body’s instant response. His eyes darkened as he stood from the bed, stalking toward me with that sexy, predatory look in his eyes.
I spun around, giving him a full view.
“Well?” I asked.
“I’m so damn glad you’re my wife.”
Book Three - Protecting Her
1
Trip
“And the grand total comes to two twenty-five seventy-five,” I printed out the bill hand handed it to the man standing in front of the counter.
“Are you sure? That’s a lot less than what any of the other shops in town are charging. There must be some mistake,” the man said.
“No mistake, Fred, you’ve been through here a lot, and we’re happy to give our most loyal customers a break,” I said with a grin.
“You’re a good man, Slade, I thank you,” the old man replied. He took off his hat and wiped the back of his hand over his brow, caught up with emotion. “Things haven’t been easy with Molly--”
His voice trailed off, and I nodded. I knew his wife was struggling with her chemo, and the financial burden on the old couple had been monumental. There wasn’t much we could do for them; Frank was a stubborn man whose parents endured the Depression and taught him never to take a handout from anyone.
So, I found ways to help where I could, and giving him a break for services through my shop was one of them.
“How’s she doing?” I asked.
“Oh, you know how it goes. Some days are good, some aren’t so good. We get through them all with a smile on our faces,” he waived his hand as he spoke, not wanting to go into too many details. I understood the pain of losing a loved one, and I respected his wishes.
“Well, you tell her I said hello, will you?” I asked.
“Will do. Have a good one, Slade,” he shook my hand before heading out the door, and I stood for a moment, reflecting before putting my copy of the bill in the drawer. I had no doubt he’d pay it when he was able, but I wasn’t going to harass him for the money.
The shop was doing well. With all the business we got from doing both car and bike repairs, we had more work than we knew what to do with. I had many of the guys from the MC down at the shop on the daily, helping out where they could if they didn’t know how to do the repairs themselves.
“He’s a cool guy,” a voice behind me said. I turned to see Odie, the youngest member of the Avenging Angels, leaning against the door frame.
“Frank’s good shit,” I agreed. “How’s the Harley?”
“Coming along. We’re waiting for Greg to get back with a part we need, then we’ll be back on track,” he replied. “Anything else on the books?”
“Not much. Axle will get the Pontiac done, and we need to get that Ford on the rack and see what’s going on there, then don’t forget that we have Church tonight,” I said.
“Yes, Sir,” Odie replied. He pushed himself away from the door frame and headed back into the shop, leaving me alone in the office once more. I didn’t usually like bringing the guys together for meetings. The only reason I called them was when there was some shit going down that we had to address, and these days I preferred to maintain order than fight for peace.
But, if the rumors floating around town were true, then there was shit that definitely needed to be addressed. And I would rather address it sooner than later. The longer I let shit go in my town, the worse it got.
Before I knew it, I could have had a real problem on my hands, and I’d worked too long and too hard to make sure that didn’t happen. I’d learned a lot in the twelve years since I turned twenty-one; perhaps the biggest lesson of all being that problems just don’t go away on their own, no matter how much you wish they would.
I glanced down at the rose tattoo on my right wrist. Talking to Frank brought up memories of pain that I often tried to forget but could never quite let go. The tattoo had faded some over the years, but Mercedes’ name was still visible, etched in a script intertwined throughout the thorns of the black rose.
It was just one of many tattoos I had running up my muscular arms. I worked out a lot, keeping in shape not only so I could maintain my shop without any trouble, but keep the streets free and clear for the people in town.
I liked my tattoos. They were all dark, matching my dark shock of hair and piercing blue eyes. I’d kept them on my arms and torso primarily, but there were t
imes I thought I had room for one or two more.
Closing my eyes, I put my hand over the tattoo for a second, refusing to let the emotions take over. I was so lost in thought, caught up in the moment, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the phone rang right next to me.
My heart was still racing as I put it to my ear. PTSD was still a factor in my life, though I had been through the therapy and the medication to try to get it under control. It wasn’t as bad as it had once been, but three tours through Iraq was bound to leave an emotional scar – as well as a few physical ones.
“Need for Speed Auto and Bike Shop,” I said into the phone. “This is Trip, how can I help you?”
“Trip, this is Jenna Marcus,” the voice on the other end of the line was hushed and strained.
“Jenna?” I asked, alarm rising inside me. “Are you okay?”
“I want out, Trip,” she said. “I’m leaving, but he says he’s going to kill me if I do. I’m going to go to court, and he’s going to be served the papers tonight, but I don’t want to go alone. I need someone there for me.”
“Where are you?” I asked.
She was breathing hard into the phone. “I’m at home right now. He just left for work and won’t be back until later, but I’m going to be at my parents’ house by then. I’m packing a bag and leaving now.”
“Are you going to be safe there?” the adrenaline was starting to rush through my veins, and I felt my hands growing clammy.
“I’ll be fine, but I don’t know what’s going to happen in that courtroom. I’m so scared, Trip, can you get one of your guys to be there for me?” she asked. The emotion was making her voice crack, and I had a difficult time talking to her without wanting to go find her husband myself.
“Don’t worry, Jenna, someone will be there. You won’t be alone; I promise you,” I said. “Get safe and stay there until you know you are.”
“I will,” she sobbed into the phone. “Thank you so much.”
“Keep your chin up. You’re going to get through this,” I assured her. She thanked me again and hung up the phone, but I wanted to punch something. It pissed me off hearing about the domestic abuse that went on in town. It couldn’t just be something that happened in southern California, but it sure as hell felt like it was.
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 45
