Page 26

26

I hate to admit this, but Brody is kind of funny when he’s not trying to have sex with someone. He’s been quiet most of the night, clearly afraid to speak around Ringo, but the moment my husband… yes, my husband… got up to collect some more firewood, Brody has been retelling some of the antics the men got up to last night after Ringo and I retired to his room.

Oh… just thinking about what we shared has my skin heating.

“He did not?” Jols asks, giggling at Brody as he talks about the tattoo Ace unknowingly got while he was passed out last night.

“Truth. I swear.” Brody holds up his hands, wearing a huge grin. “It’s a nun taking it up the arse by the devil.”

We all roar with laughter, and I’m almost disappointed I never got to see the tattoo in real life .

The dark silhouette of Ringo snags my attention as he steps backwards from around the barn, and it takes me a second to figure out why he’s walking backwards, with his hands raised.

I gasp, leaping to my feet, just as a gun comes into view. Everyone else around the fire follows my panicked stare, their own reactions just as shocked.

“Pointing a gun at me isn’t fucking smart,” Ringo snaps, his voice sharp as he keeps moving backwards, and whoever is holding the gun follows him out of the shadows.

“You forced her to fucking marry you?!”

I blink.

And then blink again as I try to make sense of what I’m seeing.

Then, before I or anyone else can stop me, I charge forward leaping between Ringo and the gun.

“Don’t you dare point a gun at my husband, EVER AGAIN!” I scream at my childhood friend as his blue eyes widen.

“What the fuck, Abbey!” Jared yells at me, instantly lowering the gun even as Ringo sweeps me off my feet and spins, shielding me from the weapon.

“Don’t be so fucking reckless, Angel!” he chastises against my ear, but I shove out of his hold, ducking around him to stand between two men I care about and jab a finger at both of them.

“I won’t stand by and watch someone I care about get hurt or threatened!” I yell, my entire body vibrating with rage.

“Could have fooled me. You stood by while Lexi was getting hurt.”

My mouth drops open in a gasp, but before I can speak Ringo’s fist is slamming into Jared’s jaw, knocking the gun from his grip.

“I’ll fucking kill you for talking to her like that!” Ringo roars, another fist pummelling .

A sharp whistle from behind us snaps our attention around, freezing Ringo’s fist mid-swing. My eyes go wide as I take in JD, standing there with a huge blade at his throat, held by a petite brunette clinging to his back like a monkey.

“Alright!” Ringo calls, quickly straightening, his hands up in defeat.

Jared gets off the ground, dusting himself off before spitting blood from his mouth, but I barely spare him a glance, my eyes trained on his girlfriend.

“Dee, let him go,” I demand, but she just shakes her head, those big dark eyes glinting, wild and a little unhinged.

“Why don’t we all just calm down and take a breath?” Jols steps in, her expression steady as she looks between Jared and Dee.

“Fine. I’m fucking calm,” Jared snaps. “Dee. Let him go.”

She shakes her head.

“Seriously?” he growls at his girl, rolling his eyes. “Fine. Hush. Let him go.”

She shakes her head again, but this time, she flips him the bird.

“Really? You’re going to give me fucking attitude right now?”

When she winks at him, I can’t help but giggle, my heart finally starting to slow.

“Apologise to my wife!” Ringo demands, and all this testosterone is starting to piss me off.

When Jared opens his mouth to speak, I butt in.

“I can speak for myself,” I snap, before addressing my childhood friend. “That was a low blow, Jared. Accurate, but still, at the time, I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Shit, sorry Abs. I know that. I just fucking reacted. Sometimes I don’t think.” Jared steps closer, eyeing Ringo as he passes by, before giving me his full attention. “Forgive me for being out of my fucking mind. But when I heard that he forced you to marry him I—”

“Yes, I married him but it wasn’t forced,” I interrupt with a lie that has me questioning myself.

Marriage isn’t something I wanted, not after what my parents put me through, but I can’t say I hate the situation now.

“Why is it so hard for you to believe that we care about each other?”

For a long moment, Jared just stares at me, his eyes assessing before he flicks them to Ringo. He can’t tell if I’m lying, and as his eyes snap back to mine, his concern bursting to the surface, I feel guilty.

Guilty for the lie. Guilty for wanting something I shouldn’t.

Stepping closer, Jared leans in, his voice low.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt again, Abs.”

“What’s hurting me is things like this.” I gesture to him and then Ringo. “Two men I care about, ready to kill each other. I know you mean well, but how about having a conversation with me before reacting with violence?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Honesty swarms in his blue gaze, so I nod and turn to face Dee.

“Dee, I swear to God, I’ll throw down with you if you don’t get that knife away from JD’s throat and get off his back.”

A slow, deliberate smirk pulls at her lips, before she finally removes the blade, slipping off JD’s back with a grace so quiet you can barely hear her boots hit the ground.

“So much for not reacting with violence.” Jared snickers, clearly amused by my very obvious threat, and I roll my eyes as Dee approaches, her phone in hand as she taps away on it before holding up the screen for me to read.

‘It’s cute that you think you’ll throw down with me, but since you’re pregnant, I know you won’t even try. Still. It’s cute.’

Even though she’s right, I still roll my eyes, biting back a smile.

As Dee passes Ringo, she shoots him a glare sharp enough to cut, a silent promise if I’ve ever seen one.

“So you came here to bitch at Abbey for getting married?” JD asks, clearly feeling like he can have a say now that his throat isn’t on the line.

“Actually, no. Griffin sent me to give you this burner and tell you to call him.” Jared holds out a phone to Ringo, who snatches it. “But I have to fucking say, your security measures are crap. Not one of you knew we were on the property, and Dee looped the surveillance an hour ago, and no alarms were set off.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Ringo snaps before shooting JD a glare. “Call Lewy. And take Stoner with you since he’s supposed to be our top-fucking-notch security.”

“On it.” JD jerks his head at Stoner, motioning for him to follow.

As soon as they disappear inside the barn, Ringo’s furious glare shoots back to Jared.

“So you’re here because your boss sent you?” he snaps.

“He was going to send someone else, but I volunteered.” Jared glares right back, his voice laced with venom. “Thought we should have a face to face about forcing my friend into something she doesn’t want.”

Ringo’s jaw ticks and his fists ball, but he refrains from attacking Jared.

“As she fucking told you already. She wasn’t forced.”

Jared scoffs, jabbing a finger in Ringo’s direction.

“You know, and I fucking know, that’s not true.”

“Someone give me a gun,” I snap, stepping closer to the two men about ready to swing fists again. “I’m ready to start shooting people.”

Jols laughs, catching my attention, pure joy spread across her expression. “You’re a feisty one tonight.”

“Well, yes I am.” I give a curt nod, lifting my hand to count on my fingers. “I’m hormonal. Emotional. And quite frankly, sick of people not listening to me.”

“Jumping in front of a loaded gun isn’t smart,” Jared says dryly, raising a brow. “So don’t forget to add reckless to that list.”

“Beautifully fucking reckless,” Ringo mutters, and they both nod.

“Are you two done?” I snap, hands shooting to my hips.

“I’ll deal with you later, Angel.” Ringo throws me a look filled with wicked promises. “Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t spank your arse raw.”

“Fucking hell.” Jared throws his hands up, spinning on the spot and doing a quick pace before spinning back to Ringo with a sharp finger in his direction. “I don’t want to hear shit like that or I’ll fucking cut off your hands.”

Ringo smirks.

I sigh.

And then the burner phone in Ringo’s hand starts ringing .

“Speak,” Ringo snaps, pausing to listen before letting out a scoff. “A little fucking warning next time. Your little assassin was about ready to slice JD’s neck open.”

My eyes flick to Dee who smirks proudly, and I have to wonder how I never noticed just how lethal she was back in school.

Maybe because you were so busy trying to avoid Daniel’s wrath for anything else to matter.

Ugh.

I hate that guy.

“Fine, I’ll head inside and put you on the big screen,” Ringo mutters into the phone, extending his free hand towards me.

Stepping in close, I lace my fingers with his, and the cheeky wink he throws me as he starts leading us into the barn sends butterflies dancing in my belly.

Sliding onto one of the bar stools, I watch as Ringo sets things up, and a moment later, the TV screen splits in two, a small bubble at the bottom showing the video feed of us.

The two men in suits who tried to force me into the SUV outside Leather and Lace fill one half of the screen, while the two women from Ayden’s dad’s apartment appear on the other.

Griffin and Devon, and Bec and Amanda.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Amanda begins. “Our sources say that Daniel Stone and Donny Allen are roommates in a share house in the Eastern Suburbs near their university.”

I stiffen at hearing the first two names of my attackers, and it only gets worse as Amanda continues.

“Craig McRoe, Tim Beck and Michael Berry are still in Fox Pines, working different jobs with no intention of leaving any time soon. And lastly, Darnel Rivers has been picked up by a Darwin football club that paid to move him up to the Northern Territory.”

Jols must notice how ramrod straight I’ve gone, because she moves to my side and starts rubbing my back, offering a sliver of comfort.

“Having them split up works for us,” Ringo states, and Griffin nods.

“I agree. Hitting the weakest links first will cause the others greater distress. I recommend eliminating the three dickheads in Fox Pines first.”

“I like the way you think.” Ringo smiles at the screen, and Griffin grins, pretending to brush dust off his shoulders.

“The guy in Darwin can be handled by someone on our books if going up there is an issue,” Bec adds, and for a moment, I wonder if the person she’s referring to might be Dee. Or Hush, as they like to call her.

Surely not?

Then again, Darnel wouldn’t even see her coming.

No one would.

This all feels so surreal. These people, most of whom I didn’t even know four weeks ago, are all fighting for me. They are literally discussing killing the arseholes who raped me.

The old me would have been mortified. But who I am now is itching to see my rapists dead.

I don’t know what that makes me, and I don’t know if I care.

“Any update on Ian Allen?” Ringo asks, and Amanda nods.

“We know that we don’t know much. He’s a ghost when it comes to a fixed address. But what we do know is that the surprise police visit to the Western during lockdown, and the raids a couple of days ago were not sanctioned. ”

“The fuck. How did he manage that?” Devon barks, straightening from his slouch beside his cousin on the screen.

“Either he’s got an army of corrupt cops following him,” Bec answers, leaning closer to the screen, “or a friend in high places who made it look sanctioned, in which case he’s likely using unsuspecting officers to do his dirty work.”

“How do you know that?” Ringo asks, stepping back to sit on the stool next to me, his hand blindly finding mine.

“Jason Zimora,” Bec responds. “He’s a local cop in Fox Pines. He’s pretty much got the Redfield district working for the Marx family now.”

“What? No!” I shoot up from my seat, dropping Ringo’s hand. “You can’t trust him. He’s a cop.”

“Trust us , Abbey. He’s on your side,” Amanda says, holding up a folder, which could be anything, since I can’t see inside it. “Jason pulled the files from the day you went into the Redfield station to make a report. He saw who the officer on duty was, and after questioning him in a way that guaranteed the truth, Jason discovered that the officer reached out to Ian Allen the minute Donny’s name came up.”

“Jason wants to clean up the Timber Valley District,” Bec adds, “which is why he’s working with us, and the Marx crew.”

I roll my eyes. “The Marx crew are criminals.”

“That’s right, darlin’, we are,” Devon drawls. “But so is your sugar daddy. You haven’t already forgotten who you married, have you?”

I shoot Devon the best glare I can muster, and all it does is make him laugh.

Ugh. He’s infuriating .

“Have you fucking forgotten you’re talking to my wife?” Ringo snaps, the lethal tone in his voice sending a chill down my spine.

Chuckling, Devon holds up his hands in surrender, relaxing back in his seat.

“Alright. Alright. My apologies, Mrs Musgrove .”

“Let’s stay on track,” Amanda interjects. “Abbey, your concerns are valid, for sure. But you could also say that we are criminals too.” She gestures between herself and Bec.

“That’s right,” Bec adds. “But in this case, it’s about choosing the better option. Jason Zimora isn’t the type of cop who breaks the law for his own gain. He does it because he knows crime will always exist, so he chooses the right side. The side that wants to wipe out child trafficking, rapists, and sick cults that prey on the vulnerable to do their bidding.”

“They are right, Angel. There will always be crime,” Ringo adds, his deep voice pulling my attention as his fingers thread through mine. “It’s better to have some level of control over the people committing it, because it helps to police the rogue crims.”

I nod, because it’s beginning to make sense now.

I can’t actually picture a world where crime doesn’t exist, so this perspective feels clearer. It makes much more sense.

“What about the parents? Have you decided what we should do about them?”

Griffin’s question has me stiffening, and I blink at the screen, before shifting my gaze to Ringo as he starts speaking.

“Hold off for now. That’s Abbey’s call, if or when the time comes.”

My parents?

Are they talking about killing my parents ?

I suppose they are since everyone else that’s been discussed tonight has a target on their back, so why would my parents be any different?

As they all discuss logistics and plans of attack, I zone out, surprised they even included me in the conversation to begin with. I’m glad they did. But now I’m feeling a little numb with the weight of it all.

It’s easy to forget the mess I left behind in my old life.

To forget about how cruel my mum could be, or how cowardly my dad was, never once standing up for me. Or how my sister Maggie, dobbed me in without a second thought when she found my pregnancy test. And how eager she was to help our parents force sedatives into me, all in the name of control.

Unfortunately, I’ve also forgotten my littlest sister, Tahli, is still there. Stuck in that house with them .

What if they’ve found out she was the one who told Lexi? That she set everything in motion by doing the one brave thing I couldn’t.

I haven’t spoken to her in weeks. One night, back at Leather and Lace, I picked up the phone, lonely and desperate just to hear her voice.

But I never dialled the number. I couldn’t risk it. What if they traced it somehow? What if they were waiting, expecting me to cave and reach out in a moment of weakness?

So instead, I just sat there, staring at the phone as I cried.

“Hey. You wanna go for a walk?” Jols whispers in my ear, bringing me out of my thoughts, the image of Tahli’s sweet face vanishing like a cloud of dust in my mind.

Nodding, I let Jols lead me from the room without glancing back.

The moment we’ re outside, I veer towards the small orchard, Jols footsteps crunching over twigs behind me as she follows.

When I reach the Jacaranda tree, I stop before the small headstone, my eyes dropping to the name carved in stone, glowing under the soft light of the moon above.

Hope Angel Musgrove.

“He’ll be a good dad,” Jols says, her shoulder brushing mine. “That monster of a man has so much love to give. And you’re the one he wants to give it to. You know that right?”

I shrug, even though I think I do.

My track record isn’t exactly stellar. Naivety has made me a fool more times than I can count, and sometimes I wonder if the same fool is still inside me, making me want to believe in something that is impossible.

“I don’t understand, why me?” I murmur, glancing at Jols. “What is it about me that’s got him hooked? Do I look like Hope’s mum or something?”

Jols shakes her head quickly.

“I mean, you both had blonde hair and brown eyes, but she was taller. Less curvy. Unhealthily skinny, the kind that comes from living on amphetamines rather than food.”

Reaching out, Jols tucks my hair behind my ear, much like Ringo enjoys doing.

“You are so much stronger than she ever was. Kylie only kept the pregnancy to hold on to Ringo, but unfortunately she loved getting high more.” Jols takes my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. “You on the other hand? Despite how you fell pregnant, you’ll do everything in your power to protect your child. ”

She gives me a look that holds no space for doubt, and for a moment, I wonder if Lexi and Jols really aren’t kindred spirits.

“Ringo didn’t know that about you in the beginning. But he did know you were a fighter. He did know he was drawn to you, even though he didn’t understand his feelings.” Her smile is warm as she tilts her head, her blue eyes roaming over my face like she’s seeing whatever it is Ringo sees in me. “And honestly, Abs, even though this marriage isn’t ideal since you are both still so new to each other, I have no doubt this is exactly where you both would’ve ended up.”

I consider her words for a few long moments, liking how they match the way I’ve been feeling. That perhaps I’m not so naive anymore. That perhaps, it’s okay for me to care about a man so much older than me, living a life so opposite to the one I’ve been raised in. That perhaps I’ve found a family in him and his club.

“Sometimes,” I whisper, opening up a little, “the way I feel about him scares me.”

Offering me a sympathetic smile, Jols pulls me in for a hug before whispering in my ear.

“We aren’t alone.”

My eyes widen, and I gasp, pulling back to look behind us, spotting Jared casually leaning against a fence post, eavesdropping.

“So this thing between you and the Sons of Anarchy wannabe is real?”

Jols scoffs, giving my arm a squeeze before slowly walking away.

“If your bodyguard wasn’t hiding in the shadows somewhere, I’d dick punch you.” Jols shoves her shoulder into Jared’s, and a giggle leaps from my lips at her biting words .

Even though I can’t see her face as she moves away to leave me alone with my friend, I can tell she’s grinning ear to ear right now.

“Would you still be laughing if she followed through and did it?” Jared snaps, and I nod, clutching my stomach.

“You deserve it. Why are you so damn grumpy?”

He sighs, moving out of the shadows, his face lighting up under the moonlight.

"Who’s Hope Angel Musgrove?” he asks, eyeing the gravestone, and my eyes flick down to it, my smile falling away.

“Ringo’s daughter.”

Jared’s eyes flare, snapping to mine. “No shit?”

“No shit.” I nod, sliding my arm through his and resting my head on his shoulder. “It’s so heartbreaking.”

“Fuck… yeah,” Jared mutters quietly, probably thinking about his older brother, Tim, who died when he was younger. “Why the fuck is life so hard?”

“I wish I knew.” I exhale. “How am I meant to protect my child from the harshness of everyday life, let alone the monsters that walk in it?”

Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, Jared tugs me into his side, giving me a squeeze.

“Your baby will be protected, Abs. The guys back at home are stoked. Simon keeps going on about how excited he is to become an uncle.”

A grin spreads my lips wide at that.

Simon has such a big heart.

But then, the reality of my situation creeps back in and I shake my head.

“I can’t go back to Fox Pines, Jared. My baby and I have to find a new place to live which means we won’t have you and Simon and Shaun and Garrett… and Marcus.”

Pulling back, Jared stares down at me, his height so much taller than I remember him being the last time we were ever this close.

“It doesn’t matter if you move to the other side of the world, Abs. No matter where you are, we’ll always be your family.”

“What if I’ve found a new family?” I whisper, emotion thick in my throat as I stare up at my friend.

Jared’s lips thin, but he doesn’t rage at my question.

“Then I guess we have found a new family too. I guess it’s like when two people get married. Their worlds merge.” He bops me on my nose and grins. “Consider us merged, Abs.”

“Really?”

He nods. “Really.”

“But you hate Ringo,” I point out, and Jared shrugs.

“I don’t really hate him, but I’m not about to make life easy for him. He needs to know you have people who will do anything for you. People watching and making sure you’re taken care of.”

“Which is why you’re still breathing.”

Ringo’s voice cuts in from behind us, and we dart our heads towards his looming silhouette, moving closer.

Jared chuckles at the warning, stepping back just as Ringo closes the distance and tugs me to his side. Protectively. Possessively. Unapologetic.

“You’ll never get the drop on me, old man,” Jared teases, holding his hand out, and a moment later, Hush slinks out of the shadows.

A chill runs down my spine .

She’s scary as hell. But I kind of love her.

“Your side piece won’t always be hiding in the shadows,” Ringo points out, his voice low and dangerous, but Jared just scoffs.

“Doesn’t mean you’ll ever get to me.”

Ringo lifts a brow. “Doesn’t it?”

I shoot Ringo a glare at his threat, and he throws back a very fake apologetic look. “Fine. I won’t kill your friend.”

“Not if you want sex again,” I snap.

Ringo smirks down at me, while Jared curses under his breath.

“On that note.” Ringo sweeps me up into his arms, and a squeal escapes me. “Fuck off, will ya? I’m still on my honeymoon.”

I giggle as he spins and stalks off with me, Jared swearing behind us like a grumpy big brother who just walked in on something scarring.

“You’re an animal.” I laugh, clinging to his shirt as he hurries through the vines, heading back towards the house.

“That I am, Angel,” he growls. “And I’m fucking hungry.”