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brEN
After the night that I agreed to be Alec’s Old Lady, we went from strength to strength. Some days were harder than others to not let the bitterness of our pasts colour our new relationship, but I knew eventually we’d come out the other side stronger for it.
Although the process of getting to the other side was by no means a bed of roses; we were both stubborn, and I was prone to closing down if I felt threatened in any way. The positive to this was that we’d known each other for a long time and called each other out on our shit. I worked at not walking away from an argument, and Alec worked on his temper.
In bed, we didn’t have a problem; it was when we were out of bed that we tended to butt heads. After a long discussion, we’d decided to see a counsellor to help us lay the last of our childhood fears behind us. We were getting better at communicating with each other too. The one thing we both agreed on was that we didn’t go to bed angry with each other, and we didn’t. We worked things out, although I had a feeling that sometimes Alec pissed me off on purpose because make-up sex was awesome.
With our private life moving along, if not always smoothly, it was better than it had ever been. Ellie and my beauty business was growing in leaps and bounds and doing far better than we’d expected it to do. The small units we’d built as pop-up shops were filled, and we had a waiting list of businesses that would like to rent one. It had proved so popular that we were looking around for some more land to put another one up, but so far, we’d not had any luck. Crow MC had bought the warehouse and land next to the factory, and we’d be hosting the first of the farmers markets in the Spring.
Sam’s Old Lady was going to take over running the administration on that. I’m so glad that I loved the woman he’d made his Old Lady; it turns out I didn’t have to break in a new sister as she’d already been one. I didn’t trust easily, so I was thankful that I didn’t have to build another relationship. While our private and work life was ticking along as smoothly as possible, we were still hyperaware of our safety, especially after what Dad had found out from his police contact a few weeks ago. Dad had reached out to Greg the day Ellie had told us her suspicions and had called Church the next day.
It had been a shock when we’d seen what the murdered women had looked like.
It made me feel sick to my stomach, and I had, in fact, been sick and shaking after seeing the photos Greg had given Dad. Oh, not the crime scene photos, thank God. I’m not sure I’d have been able to stomach them. It was bad enough knowing that the women who had been killed looked a lot like me and also Ellie to some degree.
The photos we had access to were the ones their families had given to the police when they’d registered them as missing persons.
Neither Ellie nor I went anywhere without at least two of the men with us. The dinner Alec had wanted to take me on had been postponed. None of us felt comfortable with us going out, and the logistics would be a nightmare, so we’d put it off for now.
It wasn’t feasible to keep on living like this, though. We all had jobs and with Ellie and I being constantly covered, it meant that someone else wasn’t able to do their jobs. Something had to give sooner or later.
Today, Sam’s Old Lady, Ellie, and I were working in Mum’s old office finalising the advert for the farmers market and finishing up confirming the list of vendors that had shown an interest and paid for their pitch. We’d been spending most of our workdays here because not only was Sam here, but the garage was also just down the road, and we could keep this door locked. Over the last few weeks, if we weren’t here, then we were with Beau at his office. If for some reason we had to go to the factory, we didn’t stay there long as it was too far away from the village for the brotherhood to get to us quickly if we needed them.
I preferred working from here and the garage, though, because it meant I could have Lexi with me.
The buzzer for the door went off, and I looked over at the monitor that showed the front door. Seeing that it was Dad and Alec, I pressed the button to release the door.
“Hi,” I greet them, standing up when they walked into the office. “What’s going on?”
Alec skirted around Dad and came straight for me, wrapping me up in his arms. He had a look on his face that had me wondering what was going on.
“Dad, what’s going on?” Ellie asks worriedly.
Dad hugs her to him and presses a kiss to her head, closing his eyes for a minute before turning towards me and Alec.
“Greg called; they picked up Christian Helmsworth and are charging him. There is a tonne of evidence, thank fuck. He won’t be getting out on bail. You girls are safe.”
The breath that I didn’t even realise I was holding whooshes out of me, and I sag against Alec as relief flows through me. Pressing my cheek to his chest, I breathe deeply.
“Thank Christ that’s over, baby,” Alec whispers against my temple. “Maybe now we can have a party and have you officially become my Old Lady.”
Tilting my head back so that I can see his eyes, I grin, “Set it up, I can’t wait to get my cut. It’s way past time, don’t you think?”
“Way past time, baby,” he agrees. “Are you about done here?” he asks.
“She’s done,” Ellie says with a laugh. I’d been so engrossed in Alec that I’d forgotten we had an audience. Turning towards where Dad and Ellie are still standing, I catch Dad smiling before he changes it to a scowl, but I know that he is happy that Alec and I have found our way, as bumpy as it has been.
“I’ll send a message out,” Dad assures me. “We’ll do it tonight; it’s Friday, so you lot may want to let your group know of the change of plans and cancel your table at the Café. We’ll barbecue; it’s not that cold.”
“Sounds like we have a plan. Do you want me to stop and get the meat?” I ask, and Dad nods.
“I’ll go with you,” Alec says, letting me go and walking towards the playpen that Lexi’s lying in and picking her up. Wrinkling his nose when he lifts her to his face, he blows a raspberry on her cheek, saying, “I swear, baby girl, you know when I’m going to pick you up and keep the smelly ones for me.”
Picking up her diaper bag, he takes her over to the small changing station, the same one that Mum had used for KJ when he was a baby. Catching Dad watching Alec with a smirk from the corner of my eye, I turn and look at him with my eyebrows raised as if daring him to say something. They’d had their time, and I knew that if they happened to be in the ring together, then Dad went hard at Alec. I was about done with their idiocy. Alec and I were good, and the rest of the males in my family better start getting on board, or I was going to have to get involved.
Dad must have read my expression because he just smiles sweetly before saying, “We’ll see you later, baby girl. Love you.”
Ellie snorts out a small laugh, and Sam’s Old Lady outright laughs at his comment. Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “Will you take Ellie home then?”
Dad nods and turns to Ellie, “Grab your stuff, kiddo, let’s get this show on the road.”
Ellie rolls her eyes at being called kiddo but does as Dad asks. We all end up leaving together, with Alec driving me and Lexi, as he’d left his bike at the house this morning.
We stop off at the grocery store and load up on meat for tonight, as well as dessert, that way Aunt Maggie can take a break. I’m excited to receive my cut because it’s not something I’d ever expected, especially not from Alec.
In the backseat, Lexi is making happy cooing sounds while batting at the toys dangling from her car seat, and with Alec next to me, I realise that for the first time in a long time, I have no worries, and I’m happy. So bloody happy. It’s an amazing feeling to have.
All my life, I’d worried, first about Ben, then Ellie when she came along. How to keep us all safe and fed while we still lived with our biological parents. Then when Mum and Dad took us in, at first, I worried for how long before they gave us back; that worry didn’t go away until they adopted us. Then I worried about ensuring that we all had enough money, and I spent the next years working at ensuring we had businesses that would keep us all employed and making money, but I especially needed for the businesses to be successful to keep Mum, Dad, KJ, Ellie, and Ben afloat should anything happen. I was happy and worry-free for what felt like the first time ever.
A smile lifts the corner of my lips up slightly, “What are you smiling at, baby?” Alec asks, taking my hand from where it rests on his thigh and kissing my fingers.
Tilting my head towards him, still smiling, I tell him, “I’m happy, Alec, for the first time that I can remember, I’m completely happy and worry-free. You are a huge part of that.”
Alec’s face softens, “You deserve it, Bren. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you. I’ll do my best to make sure that you always are.”
My heart warms at his words. Who’d have thought that we’d ever end up here? It’s taken years and lots of heartache for both of us, but after tonight I’d finally be all his. We’d be married… well, in the biker world anyway.