Page 16

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

Brick

“Look to your past for the answers you seek.”

For the past two weeks, ever since the demise of the fuckers who raised Rayleigh then gave her away to that asshole, Enoch, the words Madame Laveaux spoke have been resonating in my head. Add to it what Dave said and I realize we’ve missed something. Hawg’s found no information about Rayleigh Matthews, despite constantly digging into county records. It’s as if she was never born at all and doesn’t exist, yet the majority of my brothers have met her. Hell, I’ve held her in my arms, so I know she’s not a figment of any of our imaginations.

“Fuck!” I bellow out, frustrated beyond all measure. “Who are you, Rayleigh?” I whisper, missing the tiny blonde who has managed to worm her way behind my defenses. “It ultimately doesn’t matter to me, but I know it bothers you not knowing when you were born.” I had hoped Hawg would be able to ferret out her birthday, at least, but he’s hit numerous brick walls with every single search he tries.

Sighing, I finally get out of bed, surprised when I feel the chill in the air. I can hear the noise coming from my personal generator and realize we must’ve lost power for some reason. Around here, it could be as simple as the wind blowing too much, or as serious as a bad storm rolling through. Making my way to my window, I peer outside then curse when I see the snowdrifts piled high outside. “We definitely need to bring a few prospects on,” I muse, quickly shrugging on some warm clothes before slipping my cut over my shoulders. “Gotta keep the front of the clubhouse clear at least in case we need to leave in a hurry.”

As I head downstairs, I can hear the muted voices of several brothers sitting at the bar. Figures. With no way out, they likely decided to party instead. At least Ban and Rooster are safe and sound in Texas right now. Hopefully, they’ll be back soon because I’ve had an idea simmering at the back of my brain I want to discuss with all my men once they return.

“Pres!” Kracken exclaims, holding up a beer. “Want one?” he asks.

With my brow raised, I retort, “Think I’ll start with some coffee first, Brother. Any reason none of y’all have tried to clear a path out the front door at least?”

“Rainman and Chains are working on the snowblower now, Pres,” Arrow replies, tossing back a shot. “We were all out there earlier with shovels trying to clean off the parking lot while you were still sleeping, but the shit’s coming down as fast as we move it.”

Sighing, I merely nod then head into the kitchen. Looking around, I see several of the club whores moving around the stove and oven. “What are y’all doing?” I ask, making my way to the coffee pot where I pour myself a mug of lifesaving caffeine.

“We know you’ve got a generator for the clubhouse and figured we’d make some pots of soup,” Layce says over her shoulder. “We’ve got chili, beef stew, and vegetable soup going, Brick.”

“I’m working on making bread,” Leathyr huffs out. Turning toward her, I see her vigorously kneading some dough and groan.

“You’re making your homemade bread,” I state, overlooking the fact she rolls her eyes at me pointing out the obvious. “Best I’ve ever had, Leathyr.” I watch as a flush covers her cheeks at my praise and realize she was likely the one who organized the girls into doing this for all of us.

“Since all of y’all are here, I’d like to make a few changes to how things work where y’all are concerned.” Four sets of eyes look at me in alarm, causing me to hold my hand up. “Hear me out. All of y’all are here by your own choice, and you probably realize by now if you had a secret hope of becoming an ol’ lady, it’s never gonna happen. While y’all don’t cause a lot of drama, which is good because I wouldn’t tolerate it, I’m sure one or maybe two of you are looking for more. We’re going to be adding a few younger women as soon as we get them vetted, and I’d like at least one of you to take on the role of house mom, for lack of a better word. You’d be over the other club whores as far as setting up reasonable schedules to ensure shit gets done around here. Cooking, cleaning, ensuring the other girls are being seen at the clinic regularly. Anyone interested?”

Sunshine speaks up, saying, “I think you should do it, Leathyr. We all listen to you, and you don’t take any shit from us when you tell us we’ve gotta help.”

“Yeah, Leathyr, you’d be good at it too because you’re bossy but not a total bitch,” Layce adds.

“What about the brothers?” Leathyr asks.

“If you do this, you can choose whether or not you want to be with them anymore,” I state, crossing my arms over my chest.

I watch as a look of relief crosses her face before she nods. “I’ll do it, Brick, if you think it’ll help.”

“It’ll help more than you know, especially since I suspect there will be ol’ ladies around here in the near future. They don’t need the drama.”

“We weren’t around when there were ol’ ladies, but none of us like petty, catty bitches, so no worries where we’re concerned.”

“Good to know because it won’t be tolerated as I’ve already said. Also, if one of the brothers does decide to claim an ol’ lady, he’ll be off limits to y’all. It’s something my father did, and grandfather before him. I won’t have any woman who decides she wants one of my brothers disrespected.”

I head to my office to see if I can get anything done despite the party atmosphere taking over the clubhouse. These fuckers will wanna be paid regardless of whether or not we’re snowed in, so it’s time to sort through payroll, at least.

Rayleigh’s at the forefront of my mind as I input numbers then once I’m done, hit the button so checks begin printing when I hear Brew’s voice raised in anger. “Sonofabitch!” he bellows in pain.

Standing, I head to the door when it bursts open, both Brew and Phantom standing there, shooting daggers at one another. Brew has an obvious bruise forming on his jaw, which lets me know his outburst was likely due to Phantom’s fist meeting his face. The question now is why?

“What the fuck’s going on? You lose at pool or something?” I inquire.

“It’s Rayleigh, Pres,” Phantom finally spits out, jabbing his elbow into Brew’s side, causing him to grunt. “We both got a text from her earlier, but I was tied up getting shit organized for the next run we’re doing with Scorn, so I just now saw it. This fucker here has known for fucking hours she has no power. Brick, we don’t have a generator on the bar, and the power went out sometime late last night. The whole fucking town is completely out, and the power company has no ETA on when it’s coming back on thanks to the snowstorm. She’s gotta be fucking frozen half to death at this point.”

“Motherfucker,” I yell before pushing between the two of them as I rush down the hallway, Phantom running behind me as he thrusts my heavy coat in my hands. Slipping off my cut, I give it to him, pull my jacket on then slip and slide to my truck, which someone has thankfully cleared off of snow.

Getting in, I crank it, wincing when it takes a few attempts before the engine starts, then turn the heat on high to defrost the windows as I slip on my beanie and leather gloves. “C’mon, c’mon,” I mutter, impatiently waiting for the windows to clear enough for me to be able to see. “I’m on my way, Sprite, hold on.”

The trip into town is treacherous, making me thankful I’ve got a four-wheel drive truck. I’ve tried calling her several times, but each time, the call goes directly to voicemail. While I try to consider the fact that her phone might have died due to the power outage, each time I hear her sweet voice say to leave a message, my panic grows. “She’s probably freaking out by now,” I muse out loud as I make the turn that will allow me to pull into the parking lot we use behind the bar. Thankfully, I have the keys to get into the bar on me and don’t have to worry about an alarm going off. I rush up the stairs that are just outside the door to head into the bar’s kitchen and stand on her landing, banging on the door and calling her name.

Long minutes pass which has me considering breaking down the door before I hear the beautiful sound of locks turning before the door opens up a crack, the chain keeping it from fully opening. “Sprite?” I ask, peering into the darkened space. “Sweetheart, I didn’t know you had no power.”

The door closes then I hear the chain sliding before she opens the door once again. Stunned, I look at her, bundled up as though she’s ready to go outside. She must have at least three layers of clothes on, as well as a hat that’s pulled down so low, all I can see are her eyes, nose, and mouth. I slip my glove off then cup her face in my hand, biting back another curse when I feel just how cold her skin is right now despite being inside a building.

“Oh, baby, I’m so fucking sorry,” I whisper, moving closer and gathering her in my arms. “Let’s get you packed up and over to the clubhouse. We’ve got a generator, so you’ll be nice and warm again in no time.”

Despite her obvious shivering, she starts shaking her head before she says, “I can’t go anywhere, Brick, it’s not just me.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, looking down at her.

“I’ve got these guys too,” she replies, pulling her collar back slightly. Since I’m positive she’s not trying to flash me, I look closer then see two tiny faces staring up at me. “Calvin and Hobbes, meet Brick. Brick, these are my kitties. I can’t leave them to fend for themselves.”

“Fine, we’ll take them with us.”

She stares at me, slack jawed. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. Why don’t you go pack your things and I’ll gather up what they have to have as soon as you tell me where it’s at.”

“I’ve got all their things set up in the kitchen. Their food is in the cabinet next to the trash can, litter is in the pantry closet on the floor, and I’ll have to get their carrier, which is in my closet,” she replies, stepping back further so I can fully enter the apartment.

I can see our breath plume out with each word spoken and guilt starts to ride me hard at what she’s dealt with all day long. “I’m so sorry,” I repeat, wrapping my arms around her once again.

“It’s not your fault, Brick, unless you caused the snowstorm to knock the power out,” she says, smiling up at me.

Without another thought, I lean down and capture her lips with mine, grateful that this time when I found her freezing, she wasn’t near death. She’s cold, of course, but definitely alive and well. She initially stiffens, then almost melts in my arms when I deepen the kiss. Based on her response, it dawns on me she’s never done this before, so I back off slightly, only to have her lean up and hesitantly place her lips on mine as she mimics my earlier actions.

This time, I allow her to set the pace, tracing her bottom lip with my tongue until she gasps. Slanting my head slightly, I find myself losing track of what we’re supposed to be doing the minute her tongue tentatively touches mine.

Fuck my life. Her innocent actions have my dick hardening, wanting to take this even further. When I finally pull back, both of us breathless, her face is even rosier and she’s moving her thighs together. With a smirk, I say, “Best kiss I’ve ever had, Rayleigh, but I’d much rather we were in a warmer place before we do it again.”

As her blush deepens, she lowers her head, the kittens now protesting at being held captive between the two of us. “Kind of wishing we were already there,” she shyly admits, before heading to her room, presumably to pack.

“Don’t forget your charger or your laptop!” I call out as I make my way to the kitchen using my flashlight app to keep me from stumbling in the dark. She seemed to have no problem, but other than the first day I brought her here to show her the apartment, I haven’t been back. Well, back inside, that is. Right now, I’m wishing I had grabbed my Maglite from behind the driver’s seat because despite its brightness, my flashlight is sorely lacking.

“My laptop’s next to the couch in the carrying bag Hawg gave me,” she returns, her voice muffled.

I quickly gather the supplies for her cats, then find the laptop bag as well as her e-reader and her obviously dead phone. After placing her devices inside the laptop bag and ensuring I have the power cords for both her laptop and e-reader, I move it to the door, then go in search of something to put the cats’ supplies in, nearly cheering when I find two reusable bags inside the small pantry. I dump out the milk, then rinse the sink, knowing by the time the power is restored, it’ll be spoiled. Then, grabbing her trash can, I quickly go through the refrigerator and freezer, and throw out everything so she’s not faced with a disgusting mess.

Not like I plan for her to return except to pack up the rest of her things. Nope, she’s coming home with me and that’s where she’s going to stay. My dick twitches in agreement, causing me to grin because I can’t wait to introduce her to all the things I’ve been dreaming about ever since she woke up in my bed.

“I think I got everything. Wait, what are you doing? I just went to the store, Brick!”

“Sweetheart, by the time the power comes back on, none of what’s in your fridge or freezer will be any good. It’s all going to spoil, except for maybe the butter. Have you ever smelled spoiled food before? It’s vomit inducing, I promise. I’m saving your stomach, Sprite.”

She giggles before asking, “Can you hold them? I want to get a couple of towels to put in the carrier to help keep them warm.” Without waiting for my reply, she hands me both kittens and leaves me staring at them cautiously as they meow and purr.

“What are their names?” I call out, pulling them closer to me so they stay warm.

“Calvin and Hobbes. Hobbes is the orange one, Calvin is the other by process of elimination.”

“Sassy, I like it,” I whisper to the two kittens, who are now kneading my jacket. She hurries back into the living room area by the door, the cat carrier in one hand and a throw in the other.

“I’m not sassy,” she replies, grinning at me. “I’m trying to use the vocabulary words I’ve been learning.”

“Yep, sassy,” I tease as she quickly transfers both cats to the carrier, then puts the throw over it.

“Whatever. Do I need to carry anything else?” she asks, looking at the small pile that’s now amassed by the door.

“No, I want to get y’all down into the truck and if I need to make another trip, I’ll do so,” I reply, grabbing the full trash can. “You’ve got your purse and the kittens.” When I notice the jacket she slips on over her many layers is nothing more than a light windbreaker, I start cursing under my breath before mentally starting a list of all the things I’m going to order for her.

Within minutes, she’s safely ensconced in my nicely warmed truck while I quickly gather the rest of her things, toss the trash, then lock up her apartment and the bar once again. Once I’m back inside, I look at her and say, “Buckle up, Sprite. It’s a bit of a challenging ride.”

Despite the fact I’m more than aware she’s sitting next to me, I focus on the ride back to the clubhouse. “Can I ask you something?” she inquires, her voice soft and somewhat hesitant.

“You can always ask me anything, Sprite. Depending on what it’s about, I may not always be able to give you an answer especially if it pertains to club business, but other than that, the sky’s the limit.”

“How did you know I needed help?”

I briefly glance at her before refocusing my attention on the road. There’ve been no plows through yet, making the drive treacherous as hell. “Phantom finally saw the text you must’ve sent him earlier today and came to let me know. Just letting you know now, Brew was aware, but completely forgot the bar doesn’t have a generator. I’m pretty sure he’s feeling like a piece of shit at this point considering how we initially found you.”

“I had a few bad moments today,” she whispers. “But the boys needed me to be strong, so those times didn’t last too long. When I realized I was going to need help, I tried to send both Brew and Phantom another text a little while ago, but my phone died just as I hit send.”

“Didn’t your phone charge last night?” I ask, worried the phone I got her is a piece of shit. If it’s because the battery is no good, I’m going to rip the head off the fucker who sold it to me when I went in and got her one and added it to my plan. He said it had the best battery available, but obviously, he lied.

“It would’ve, I guess, but my friend downloaded a game that I started to play before going to bed. The battery was pretty low when I put it on the charger and the power went out while I was asleep.”

I chuckle at her words. “I have a few of those I play as well when I’m trying to unwind.” I also jack off to thoughts of you, but those words don’t leave my mouth. Instead, I mentally add a battery pack so she can still charge her phone if the power goes out to my list.

“I know better now, though. Can I ask something else?” Instead of answering, I glance at her, my brow raised, which has her giggling. “Okay, okay. What exactly is an old lady?”

“It’s ol’ lady, not old lady, and it means according to our world, we’d be as good as married. A couple in all ways.” In my peripheral, I see her face redden at my words and smirk. “An ol’ lady gets a property cut, as well as a tattoo marking her for everyone else to see she’s taken.”

“I have a tattoo now,” she says, interrupting my current train of thought which has her splayed out on my bed, her blonde ringlets spread across my pillows, her sweet body on display. “Wait, what’s a property cut?”

“I can’t wait for you to show it to me.” Phantom told me she got one, but said it was up to her to tell me what it was. “A property cut is like what I wear when I’m on my bike or around the clubhouse, only it says Property of Brick on the back. Why did you ask what an ol’ lady is, Rayleigh?”

I know I’m pressing the issue, but with the threats against her now gone, I’m anxious to know whether or not she’s come to a decision. “Would you cheat?” she responds, instead of answering my question. “I mean, I’ve been reading a lot and it seems to be something a lot of men want to do.”

“Rayleigh, look at me,” I command, briefly taking my eyes off the road. When her eyes meet mine, I continue. “Since I found you, there’s been no one else. There’s no fucking way I’d disrespect my ol’ lady like that, sweetheart. If I’m yours and you’re mine, that’s it for me.”

“Remember how you told me the way it would be but ultimately it was my choice?” she inquires.

“I do.”

“I choose you, Brick. I still feel like you might be getting the raw end of the deal when it’s all said and done, but no one in my life has ever made me feel the way you have. As long as you’re okay getting a slightly neurotic hot mess who’s still trying to figure out how life works, then I’m willing to be your ol’ lady.”

Clearing my throat from the emotion her words are evoking, I ask, “And how’s that, sweetheart?”

“Cherished, protected, and safe,” she admits.

“You’re all of those, Sprite, and so much more. I won’t lie to you and say I love you because it’s much too soon for that, but there’s not been a day since you came into my life where I didn’t think about you.”

“But you never came around.” I see her slight pout and smirk, knowing she missed me as much as I missed her.

“Because I was giving you the time you needed to see what you wanted, Rayleigh. Nothing more and nothing less. Trust me, I was well-aware of how you were doing this whole time.”

“Because of Brew and Phantom?”

“And the other brothers who just happened to stop by the bar or the tattoo shop while you were working,” I admit.

She starts giggling at my words. “I kind of wondered because it seemed like someone from your club was always around whenever I was working, even if the places weren’t open for business yet.”

We pull into the parking lot of the clubhouse where I see the majority of the snow has been cleared away. “C’mon, let me get you inside so you can start thawing out.”

I help her out, hand her the carrier, then grab the important items so I can get her settled in my room. Walking through the common area to my room, I ignore my brothers and concentrate on the diminutive female beside me. I can already feel myself calming from the near panic I was in as I raced to her apartment. I notice my room is warmer than what I thought it was, then see my cut hanging up and realize Phantom came up and turned the heat up a bit.

As she slowly starts taking off each layer, it dawns on me she doesn’t have a heavy winter coat on, just the light one I saw her put on before we left. “Where’s your winter coat, Sprite?” I ask.

She drops her gaze from mine then I see her inhale deeply before she looks at me once again. “I hadn’t bought one yet, Brick. Cassie and I planned to go this weekend because one of the stores was having a sale.”

“Didn’t she tell you that the weather gets a bit unpredictable this time of year?”

“Yes, but really, where do I go? Downstairs which I can reach from inside the bar, where I clean. Then literally across the street to the tattoo shop. My hoodie and this windbreaker are perfectly fine for that, Brick.”

She continues removing sweatshirt after sweatshirt until she’s down to one. Seeing the pile on the corner of the bed, I start laughing. “Sweetheart, how on earth did you manage to put three more shirts on top of the one you were already wearing?” I finally get out.

Shrugging, she says, “I like them slightly larger than normal so until the last one, it wasn’t all that hard. Here, let me do that.” She walks over to where I was trying to open the cat carrier, crouches down and while crooning to the two inside, adeptly opens it then moves back. “Where should I set up their litter box?”

I think about it for a few minutes then decide the bathroom is likely the best place. “Let’s put it in there,” I reply, pointing to the corner of the bathroom that is currently housing my clothes hamper. “I can move the basket of laundry, so they’ve got plenty of room.”

“I’ve been researching automatic litter boxes,” she advises, picking up the box and litter then walking into the bathroom. “I don’t really like scooping it out, but I’m waiting for the one I think I want to go on sale. The customer service lady I spoke with said they do it frequently and to keep an eye on their website.”

Once again, pride fills me only this time, it’s because of what she’s telling me, not what someone else has. “Proud of you, Sprite.”

“Really? Why?” she asks, turning from her current task to look at me.

“Because for so many people, what was done to you would’ve destroyed them completely. Yet here you are, living life, learning new things, figuring out how you want to live your life.”

She washes her hands after making sure both kittens know where their bathroom is located, then comes toward me. Stopping directly in front of me, she looks up then says, “It’s because of you. You and your brothers. I had no hope left and honestly thought I was going to die out there. All alone, broken, battered, and unloved. Y’all found me, healed me, gave me somewhere to live and work so I could earn money, and never made me feel like I was stupid or less than.”

Taking her in my arms, I kiss her thoroughly until we’re once again breathless. “You did your part too, Rayleigh. You never gave up when so many others would’ve thrown in the towel.”

“There were times when it might’ve been easier for me to do that if I’m being honest, but when I found those two,” she says, pointing at the cats who are currently climbing the comforter on my bed, “I realized I needed to figure shit out because they were depending on me. I’ve never had that before.”

I’m about to reply when I hear her stomach growl. Since her hands are still somewhat cold, I state, “I’ll go down and fix us a tray of food. Why don’t you take a hot shower and warm up some more?”

“Thanks, Leathyr,” I say as she ladles more stew into a second bowl. She’s already buttered several slices of her homemade bread, and added what looks like cheesecake.

“You’re welcome, Brick. I saw you coming in with your ol’ lady and figured you’d be down to get y’all some food.”

Nodding, I take the tray ladened with bowls, bread, cheesecake, and silverware and make my way back to my room. My only intent now is for us to eat then curl up together.