Burnt (28 page)

“Its tradition Dec. Like I said, it’s practically mandatory. Let me do this for Kenny, and for you too. I promise I’ll take care of her and your unborn offspring.”

Sighing, because I know there’s no arguing with Lou about this, I stand up and hug her quickly. I feel her stiffen slightly before she hugs me back, and I know she’s probably shocked as shit because I rarely ever hug her, I barely hug anyone unless it’s Kendall, my daughter or Brenna. When I pull away I tell her,

“You fucking call me if you need anything, or if Kendall needs me Lou. Fucking promise or you aren’t going any-fucking-where.”

Nodding rapidly, because the cock blocker knows she’s won this round, she promises.

“Of course I will Dec. We’ll be fine though. It is seriously only a girl’s night for the four of us, and then all of the prep in the morning before we go over to the club.”

Relenting only because I know this ships sailed, and I have no hope of changing their minds, I send Lou back out with the girl’s telling her Kendall will be a minute. I wait for her to leave, shutting the door smiling, and carrying Kendall’s bag. Smug little cock blocker. I turn to Kendall, and pull her into my arms.

“You need me, Baby, you call. I can be there in five minutes to get you, and bring you home yeah?” Waiting for her to look at me and answer, I stroke down the length of her back, feeling her shiver at my touch.

“Yeah, Honey. I’ll call if I need anything. I’ll call you before I go to bed tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” With a Cheshire cat grin she adds, “I can’t wait to marry you tomorrow Dec. I never thought it would happen, but now it is it’s like a dream, and you’re the one making that happen.”

My woman is all fucking sweet, right the way through. I crush her to me and take her mouth again. I’ll never get enough of kissing Kendall. She tastes like pure sugar and sin, and she’s all fucking MINE. I’m one lucky son of a bitch that’s for sure. As I said, that was the one dark spot, and now we’re here, so I suppose Kendall was right, I did survive the night after all.

Rocking back on my heels, I take one last look around, and then make my way into the main clubhouse. It’s only just less than an hour until the service, and I’ve still got to take a shower and get dressed. Lexi’s with Kendall getting pretty, and the guys have been told the dorms are off limits until the reception. I’ve got nothing to do, but sit down at the bar inside, and have a drink with my old man, my soon-to-be father in law, and the rest of my brothers that are loitering around.

The best thing about getting dressed to marry Kendall, is her decree that all the guys wear their regular clothes. Kendall doesn’t want us to be anything that we aren’t. No. My woman wants all the men in her life wearing jeans, t-shirts, and their leather. I however, decided to forgo the t-shirt, replacing it with a black button down, rolled up to my elbows, the rest is the same as every other day though. Jeans, boots, and my cut. All the brothers were relieved at hearing they don’t have to wear a suit and tie. I know every last one of the fuckers would’ve worn a penguin suit if that’s what my woman wanted. Not one of them would’ve made a big deal about it for Kendall’s sake, but they would’ve hated every second of it.

After showering, running a razor over my scruff, and getting dressed I head out to the main bar, and take a stool next to my dad who’s already deep in conversation with a couple of the brothers from the Ohio chapter that are invited, and arrived yesterday. Glock hands me a beer and asks,

“You ready to get tied down brother?”

Since the hog roast when I bought Kendall home from the hospital, Glock’s toned down the predatory stares he looks at Kendall with, and is nothing more than respectful when he talks to her now. He’s even smart enough to only look when I’m not around, so I’m not forced to kill his ass.

“Yeah man, can’t fucking happen soon enough for my liking.”

Chuckles go up round the bar and dad claps me on the shoulder.

“Who would’ve thought it? My boy’s settling down with a woman, and starting a family before his old man.”

A few of the brothers grunt in agreement, but it’s Reaper that answers.

“Anyone with half a fucking brain?” It’s phrased like a question, but we all know it isn’t. “You’re a dumb motherfucker Pipe, not getting your claws in that gorgeous fucking teacher. So, all round I’d say you’ve got no chance of getting that pretty little picture you just painted.”

He’s right about that. Selena the history teacher at the high school is smart, full of sass, and sexy as all get out. She doesn’t hold a candle to Kendall, but she’s a catch for my old man. Glowering at him, dad stands up and goes to leave, not before telling Reaper off though.

“Fuck off Reaper. You’ve got no idea what you’re talking about. Selena and I are fine, she’ll be here later, so fuck you.” He sounds pissed, but I think that’s because he needs to get fucking laid, and do something about nailing down something solid with Selena.

We all laugh as he storms off to finish getting his old ass ready. Priest turns to me and spears me with his dark gaze.

“Seriously boy, you ready to make an honest woman out of my baby girl?” Am I ready? Fucking yes I’m ready. I’ve BEEN ready for the last fourteen years. I know he’s asked in all seriousness, but there’s no need. Kendall is everything I want in a woman. She’s the air I NEED to breathe.

That might make me sound like a pussy, and fuck if I care. I’d happily hand over my man card to Kendall any-fucking-day.

“Fucking hell yes, I’m more than ready Prez. I don’t know why every fucker is asking that though. You all know Kendall’s the only woman for me, it’s never been a secret.”

Everyone nods, going back to their beers with the exception of Priest who stands, and straightens his cut.

“Good. I’m out of here to go find my baby girl. I’ve got to make sure she’s ready for her old man to walk her down the aisle.” Staring straight at me he adds, “I couldn’t have wished for a better man to hand her over to Cage. There’s no one else on Earth I’d trust with her safety and happiness. I hope you know that son.” With that, he turns and heads to the front door of the clubhouse. Priest might be my brother, my President, and the man that was like a second dad to me, a man I respect, but hearing him say that he trusts me with Kendall means more to me than all that other shit combined.

Not realising it’s been forty-five minutes, I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Brother, you good man? You’ve got ten minutes till go time.”

Steel’s dressed in his leathers, a black t-shirt, and his cut. His boots are untied, and he looks like he’s just been pulled away from fucking his woman.

“You just get some ass brother? You look like you need another fucking shower.”

His hair is messy as fuck, and the dude is still covered in sweat. He lets out a loud bark of a laugh.

“Fucking too right I did. I had to hold up the tradition of the best man nailing the bridesmaid brother.”

There was never a question that Steel would be my best man. It wasn’t even a choice. While I love the shit out of my old man, I wanted my friend standing by my side this time. Steel flat out refused to stand up with me when I married Isabella. He said it wasn’t right, him standing up there was condoning shit that didn’t sit right with him. It didn’t sit right with me either, being left with little choice I did what I had to, and regardless of the fact the cunt took pleasure in trying to ruin my life, it ended up turning out okay.

I down the last of my second beer, stand up, and we make our way out to the courtyard that’s now overflowing with, brothers, ol ladies, family, and our friends. I’m fucking glad all these people have come out to see me finally marry my woman, it makes it even more special being able to celebrate it all with the people that mean the most to us.

It’s standing room only on either side of the black velvet aisle runner. Kendall picked Lou, Priss, and Veronica to be her bridesmaids, assuring me I didn’t need groomsmen, Steel was enough. I took her at her word, and Steel was more than happy he didn’t have to be part of some long precession line of dudes standing around scratching their balls before escorting women back down the aisle after the ceremony. It didn’t matter that the woman he’d be escorting would be his wife, Steel bitched like a whiny like girl at the prospect of it.

Taking my position in front of the gate Kendall made for us, I don’t want to wait any longer. My heart’s pounding, my palms are sweating. Thoughts like, what if she backs out at the last minute? What if she decides she doesn’t want to make a home and family with me? What if she finally realised there’s no way I’m good enough for a fucking perfect woman like her?, race through my head. Watching my stress levels escalate to dangerous degrees, Steel gives me a good natured punch in the arm, and raises his brows, inclining his head to the end of the runner where Veronica’s making her way down toward us. I take a deep breath to calm myself and absorb the knowledge that it’s happening, she’s only minutes away from becoming my wife. Kendall isn’t backing out, or changing her mind. Calling myself all kinds of stupid, I turn to face the aisle completely, I don’t want to miss a second of Kendall making her way to me when it’s her turn.

Veronica, Priss, and Lou are all wearing matching knee length, light grey satin dresses that tie around the back of their necks, and show off a good amount of cleavage. They’ve got a sexy as hell slit up the back, and their backs are bare almost down to the base of their spines. Paired with high as fuck heels in magenta, with little sparkly things on the toe, they carry a small bunch of calla lilies with red rose buds scattered through them. They look gorgeous, but I’m positive they’ve got nothing on my woman.

I spot Arrow staring open mouthed at Veronica, and I laugh internally. Dumb fucker is obviously pining for the woman he told us was his next door neighbour back home. She was his first, and only best friend, and the only woman he’s ever loved. Story sound kind of familiar? I could empathise with the poor bastard, I really could.

After the night V took off like a Harley does at full throttle from Rough Shod after seeing and hearing Arrow, he got fucking wasted beyond anything I’ve ever seen, and spilled his guts about what went down years ago. To hear the guy talk was one thing, the amount and details he gave were something else. Arrow isn’t the chattiest of brothers, so the fact that he was willing to divulge all that information meant, we sat there and listened.

‘Poor fucking girl’, I mused. I can’t imagine what kind of fucking cunt her sister must be like setting somethin like that up. Arrow made it clear he was drunk and high as fucking kite at the time, but never tried to use that as an excuse for his behaviour, and I respected him for that. Seeing they are twins, and his head was floating in the clouds when V’s sister climbed on top of him, and started fucking him, he had no idea what he’d done until he saw V standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face, utterly destroyed at the sight of him and her sister naked in bed together. Veronica left that day, and he never heard from her again until he ran into her that night at Rough Shod. It strikes me as fucking odd that in a town of only twelve thousand, her being here working with my woman for eleven months when this shit happened, that they hadn’t run into each other earlier. Probably isn’t too surprising really, Arrow keeps to himself a lot, other than hanging with Tank, and V doesn’t go out a whole hell of a lot.

He’d looked for her after the day she left, searched high and low, but the woman had completely fallen off the grid. She changed her number, deleted email accounts, no listed number, the chick was a fucking ghost. Arrow told Steel and I, that her parent’s refused to give him any information as to where she was, stressing that V promised she would cut ties with them if they did. Verity, V’s twin sister, had no idea where she was either. Verity had been cut off by her sister, and coming from her parent’s, she was told she never would. I’d do more than cut her off if it’d been me, the bitch was lucky she wasn’t fucked up beyond all recognition. Being the dick he is, Arrow gave up searching after about eighteen months, and that’s when he landed on Devil’s Spawn MC’s door step. Nearly twenty-five, a little over seven years ago now; lost, a little broken, and with no direction, Arrow made a home, friends, got patched, and became the brother he is today, completely transforming himself from the guy we met years ago. Loyal to a fault, the first man to take a run that’s offered, earliest to work and last to leave at night, watchful, patient, and with walls of fucking concrete fifty foot high around his heart, Arrow’s a brother that I’d chose to have in my corner any day of the week. But, seeing the way he’s looking at V? It reminds me of the way I know I look at Kendall, and I can see that he needs her to help put him back together too. The man is drowning in lust, and his head’s all kinds of fucked up over this woman. I can only hope she’s the one that will start tearing down those fucking impenetrable walls that close him off from the world.

Following not far behind is Priss. That chick is made of fucking steel with a heart of gold. Dealing with what she has over the last four years, I’m surprised she’s not a quivering mess in the corner. Not our Priss though. She’s made of tougher shit than a few of the brothers around here. Priss a stunning girl, and I’ve heard there’s more than a handful of brothers that will be more than happy to take her on as their ol lady. She’s never showed any interest though, just laughing off the offers, and dirty fucking suggestions, giving the guy that asked a mega-watt smile and a pat on the arm.