Page 35 of Colton (Raging Barons MC #17)
-:- NYX -:-
Walking into the kitchen, I notice the silence, which is highly suspicious, to say the least. All four of my old dears are looking at me with such innocence that I know for sure they are up to something.
A knock, the table jiggling and my old dears looking down at the table has me stopping, folding my arms across my chest, and I tap my left foot. I’m waiting for whatever the heck they are up to, to reveal itself.
Now, what I didn’t expect was Star to climb out from under the table, rubbing her head while grumbling about having to have more stealth. What the heck is she talking about now?
My ladies are not such old dears at the moment, but naughty seniors. I give them all the stink-eye and they look either away, down or at the ceiling. Anywhere, but at me, that is.
“Okay, Star, take a seat. Once you are all settled, I want to know what the heck is going on, and I want to know, NOW!”
Leaning my lower back against the kitchen counter, I wait and wait again. But it seemed all five of them sitting here are guilty of something, and not willing to share.
I lean forward, placing my hands on the table in front of them. Giving each of them eye contact when they eventually looked at me. Then I bang my fist on the table, which has them all jumping and squeaking, and that includes Star. “Tell…Me…What…You…Are…Up…To? ”
Tina, of course, is the first to break. “Well, you see, Nyx. Um. We, you know, were looking for it.” Pausing.
“Looking for what?” I ask.
Sandy sighs. “The gnome, Nyx, the gnome.”
“You have been looking for the gnome?” I look again at each of them, before landing my steely-eyes on Star.
Now, to say Star is a tough cookie is fair, but she’s not good when caught in the act, along with her cohorts I may add. She gulps, then looks me in the eye. “Okay. I know where the gnome is, and we are going to get it back.”
The trouble with that statement is it went from nervous to determined, followed by excited before you could say lickety-split. I need more facts. “Hang on a minute.”
Five pairs of eyes are staring at me, and I’m just pleased Penny and Arabella are napping at the moment, or there would be even more eyes upon me, along with this situation.
“You know where the gnome is?” Star nods enthusiastically. “Where?” I ask, while leaning forward even more.
“Clubhouse compound. Opposite Knuckles' house under a tarpaulin,” Star smirks as she tells me this, and honest to goodness you can see the excitement, and the wheels turning in her head on how to recover this gnome.
My mind spins. Why on earth would the gnome be in the clubhouse compound? “Why is it there?” Yeah, you’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.
Star claps her hands excitedly. “Well! Chaos stole the gnome. I know this because I was sitting with my love, you know, Meat, on the treehouse walkaround. Chaos drove this large vehicle up the compound with someone I didn’t know, but I think Meat recognized the man.
Anyway, we’ve been watching, and that gnome has been in and out of the compound.
Last time I followed, and it’s been going to charity fetes and things.
He’s been getting money for a children’s charity using the gnome. ”
“So, he stole the gnome. Then has used it for charity events to collect donations?” I’m flabbergasted. “But why didn’t he just ask to borrow the damn thing?”
“Oh, come on, Nyx! We are talking Chaos here. He didn’t get his name for following rules, now did he?” Star giggles, along with my ladies.
“So you are saying he stole it because he could, and then used it to help raise money for a children’s charity?” Stunned is what I am, totally stunned. The people of this motorcycle club are all batshit crazy!
Joan giggles. “Nyx, we are going to steal our gnome back. We are not going to report it stolen, or say who stole it. But the least we can do is steal it back again, right from under his nose.”
“Okay, tell me?” I close my eyes a moment, knowing I could end up in hot water, but they are my ladies, so hell, I have to stand with them…don’t I?
When the planning has taken place my ladies look excited, rubbing their hands together with glee.
I’m more worried about how this is going to go down and hope that I can keep them all safe.
Star is organizing like this is a full-out war effort and that is hyping my ladies up even more. Maybe I should get a different job?
Later in the afternoon, Penny has a call from Sheriff Forest, and by the look on her face whatever he is telling her has her grinning.
Cutting the call, Penny looks at me and giggles.
“He’s been found guilty of attempted kidnapping and embezzlement from the same company his mother worked for.
He’s not coming out of prison for a long, long time. ”
“Oh, my, that is fantastic news,” I gush as I grab Penny and hug her, jumping up and down a little as I do.
Ruger grunts, then walks outside. He has a look on his face I’ve not seen before, but it has a satisfied air to it. I don’t know and I’m not asking.
“With that all considered, I’ve decided I’m taking Arabella home to my house. I’m grateful to Colton, but I need to give Arabella a normal life, and I can do that now.” Penny hugs me and gives me a bright smile.
“Okay, but I still want my Arabella time, and I’m sure Ruger will want his Punkin time, too.” Before I can say more the ladies throw in their comments.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to visit this business Ruger keeps talking to me about.
If, and I say if, I take the job, then you’ll have Arabella while I’m working.
Is that still okay with you all?” Penny didn’t really have to ask because my ladies have already started collecting children's things that Arabella may need or want.
“Colton said the job will be a good one. You’ll be organizing everyone and keeping things running smoothly.
It’s a security company, so it’ll have a safe working environment.
The salary will be good, Penny.” I encourage her, as Colton has told me about the job and the building.
I’m sure this will be a brilliant move for Penny, and give her the financial backing she needs to move forward.
Ruger and Penny take off a little while later for Penny to check out the job. Leaving Arabella with us to watch over. Star disappears without a word of course, and my ladies take to watching over Arabella as she sleeps.
Colton walks into the kitchen via the front entrance and grins as he gives me the keys to the truck.
Dragging me outside, I think, wow, the truck looks great.
It’s now a brilliant white instead of the mucky white it was previously and it has the business logo on the front doors.
It really looks smart, and I’m happy to have it back.
“Why have you brought it back?” I ask.
Colton wraps an arm around my shoulder as he replies. “Well, I was doing a sweep of the businesses with Buzz when Fist said he was bringing it back as he’d rush-jobbed it. So, I grabbed the keys and told him I’d bring it. Here I am,” he said all that with a smartass grin on his face.
“I really like this truck, and I can carry all the stuff the ladies buy without it impacting where they sit. The truck bed is spotless and I intend to keep it that way.” I walk around the truck once more and can’t get rid of the smile on my face, because this truck looks cool.
Walking into the kitchen with Colton behind me I open the fridge to take out a bottle of water. Turning to ask Colton if he wants one, I stop dead when I gasp at Colton on one knee holding a ring up towards me.
“Nyx, I love you, Buttercup. Will you be my life from this moment on? I didn’t say wife, I meant life. I love you so much and never want to live this journey called life without you.”
A tear runs down my cheek as I whisper my reply. “Yes. I love you, too, and never see my life without you. ”
Colton jumps to his feet, places the ring on my finger. I admire the ring for a moment, then look up, giving a watery smile. “I love it, Colton.”
Colton doesn’t miss a beat and kisses me soundly. Whispering in my ear once he’s satisfied he’s kissed me thoroughly. “I’ll show you again how well my Jacob’s ladder works when we get home.”
We both turn when we hear giggling, and shit, the ladies are all standing in the doorway watching, and when Carol asks what a Jacobs ladder is I cringe.
Because you really do not want to know what explanations Carol is given, but Colton finds it highly amusing until Carol asks him if she can see it.
Along with the others staring at his crotch.
After pouring everyone a soda, I send the ladies back to Arabella watching.
Sighing as I look at the beautiful ring on my finger.
It is a small diamond with smaller ones around it.
It is beautiful, delicate even, and one I would have chosen myself.
I would never want something that could be classed as over the top bling.
****
What the hell are we doing? It’s two-thirty in the morning. I had to sneak out of the bed and house, all without alerting Colton.
The ladies are waiting for me, dressed in black and have even blacked their faces. What the hell have I gotten myself into? “Get in the truck.” I open the truck doors and watch them all climb inside, before checking said doors and getting into the driver's seat.
An hour later, we are lifting the gnome into the back of a van, a large van I might add.
Star is dressed like a freaking ninja, and her man Meat keeps grunting.
Not sure if grunt is his chosen language, but I don’t understand a grunt of it.
Star, however, seems to understand all, and each of the grunts.
Once the damn gnome is in the van and the door is closed, I give a sigh of relief.
I herd my ladies back to the truck and get them home before anyone notices us on the club property.
I’m sure something is going to be said about its security at some stage.
Unless Meat has a way of overriding what I know is a buzzer to get in and out of the compound gate.
Back at the house we eventually get the gnome re-sited, and after settling the ladies down, I sneak back home. I grin when I think home, and the saying ‘home is where the heart is,’ in my case is true. Wherever Colton is, is home to me.
Climbing into bed, Colton wraps his arms around me and tucks my back to his front tightly. One hand going to my breast, and the other over my stomach, pulling me back so my butt is snugly against his groin.
“Where have you been?” Colton sleepily asks.
“Just to get a drink,” I mumble. But I’m gritting my teeth as I hate to lie.
“Okay. You not sleeping well?”
“I’ll nap in a minute,” I try to sound sleepy.
“I can make you tired. You know, show you how well my ladder works.”
Giggling, because honestly his ladder as he calls it works perfectly, and he’s already shown me three times in the last twenty-four hours just how well. Thinking about that, I grin, and push my butt back and mumble, “Okay.”