Page 21

Rex

It’s been several months since I was taken and rescued, and life has only gotten better. Aria and I are solid. Very solid, and each day only makes me love her more. We are still learning everything there is to know about each other, and it makes me eager to face each day beside her.

I already know that the day will come when I’ll be asking her to marry me, but I’m not in a rush. We’re not in a rush. I’ve always wondered why Axel and Bailey haven’t tied the knot yet, and now I know. Everything is so perfect; I don’t want to do anything that might rock that boat. Mentally, I know a signed document won’t do that, but I love where we’re at right now and don’t feel the need for that document.

Aria’s family has become mine too. They’re here often, and I always enjoy the interactions between them. I never had that closeness with my family, and it’s great to watch them be a family. They fight, they argue, they tease, they disagree, but at the end of the day, they’re still family, and they’re still close.

The security office has expanded again, and we’ve hired a new person for the front desk. She’s absolutely perfect, and everyone loves her. Well, most of the time, anyway. Horse gets a little freaked out by the strange occurrences when Lucy’s working, but he’s learning to deal. The only other problem is that with Lucy there, Chubs stops by constantly. Normally, that would be a bonus, but not if you have food anywhere on the premises.

Horse swears he’s losing weight. Pigeon is convinced Lucy snitches to Chubs what we’ve brought for lunch to save on her own food expenses. Reeves sits inside his locked truck, crouched down out of sight, and eats at supersonic speeds. Me? I have the experience of Aria’s life with him and prepare appropriately. Whatever I pack, I times it by five. That way, I usually get at least enough to hold me over until dinnertime. Not always, but usually.

Aria and her work partner, Georgeanne, have become tight friends and spend time together outside of work. I try to stay clear when they’re together because when you add in Lisa, it gets chaotic. What Georgeanne doesn’t think of Lisa does. Lisa even went so far as to pull the Bart trick on Aria’s coworkers. It cost the practice quite a bit of free dental work when Georgeanne accidentally pulled a healthy tooth by accident when Bart bounced his little rear end at her. All in the day of Georgeanne and Lisa is all Aria said about it that night amidst a couple of laughing bouts.

Lucy and Chubs are back to where they were before he broke her heart. When Lucy’s not busy with customers, she’s planning their upcoming nuptials. Her mom wants to go big to be in step with a governor’s daughter getting married, but Lucy has planted her foot down hard about that. I’ve heard her tell her mom more than once that it’s about her and Chubs and not about the governor’s office. I stay out of the fray but am curious if a governor makes enough money to cover what’s going to be one hell of a bill for the wedding dinner. If not, there will be problems.

Lisa and Reeves have still not gone public with their relationship. I can’t tell if it’s serious or not, and frankly, I’m a little afraid to ask. I’m not sure crazy dating crazier is a good idea, but I keep that bit of information to myself.

Gunner caved to pressure and got the vasectomy. That gave the club members plenty of ammo to poke fun at the large guy for quite a while. He took it good-naturedly, for the most part. Ava simply stated that a good man knows when his woman is done and doesn’t expect her to carry the burden of birth control for years to come.

Axel hauled ass across the main room and covered Bailey’s ears when Ava started speaking. Bailey just grinned up at him. She really is Saint Bailey. She puts up with a lot, but she’s also got a man who would die for her or their daughters. Axel can be a handful, but he has a heart the size of Colorado.

Ava’s barn was completed, and the donkeys and Little A now live there, close to the kids. Ava traded having more children for the goats she always wanted and now has two. While they’re cute as fuck, Gunner’s constantly trying new ways to keep them fenced in. He swears they could bust out of Fort Knox and Alcatraz in minutes.

Axel has refused to have his dick pics removed from Church. He said he likes that his cock is always front and center, making the rest of us jealous. Gunner has promised that they will come up missing, but I’ve noticed new ones the last few times we had Church. Axel is getting creative because now that he’s out of American holidays, he’s started in on Canadian ones. I’ll never look at maple syrup the same way again. I’m sure Australia is next on his to-do list. I just hope nobody from those countries finds out and he causes an international incident.

I swear, even the sight of any holiday decorations, and I get instant PTSD. The flashbacks are a bitch. Axel and his dick have ruined Christmas and its candy for me. No cock should ever be wrapped like a candy cane. I even gag a little when I smell peppermint because of his Christmas pose.

Freddy’s decided he was ready to retire, so the strip club was sold. Freddy now spends his days spoiling all the kids, but especially Vex and Taja’s daughter, Kalea. When he’s not doing that, he volunteers to drive the kids back and forth to the ranch for their riding lessons. Trigger is teaching him the finer art of fishing also. Pigeon says that Ivy’s gotten very close with Freddy, and he stays in the guest cabin often, loving the fact that she cooks for him.

Speaking of Pigeon and Ivy, the ranch is thriving. They’re booked solid with clients for the autistic/disabled programs and are thinking about adding extra guest cabins to accommodate more guests. Ivy hired a couple of the women from New Horizons, and Pippa was thrilled for them. They’re doing great and are working their way back from the traumas they went through. Under Ivy’s care, these women will gain their lives back and be stronger for it.

Vex and Taja are doing great, and their daughter is already showing signs of the beauty she’s going to become. Vex is a mostly stay-at-home dad while Taja’s working on getting her medical degree. Taja loves the schooling, and Vex loves her and his daughter, so it works perfectly for all of them. Vex works a few shifts here and there at the security offices, but only when we’re swamped with orders. Otherwise, we see him at the clubhouse or somewhere out with his harem.

Tessie has graduated from high school and works full-time at the body shop now. She’s close to surpassing the master, Trigger, with her knowledge, and he’s said he has little left to teach her. He’s also planning on retiring and spending more time fishing as soon as he feels Tessie’s ready to take over.

Tessie’s driving hasn’t been a problem since Lucy took over her lessons. I’d love to know how Lucy accomplished it, but neither is telling. I have noticed that when the subject is brought up, Tessie’s eye twitches a bit.

Tessie has recently started talking about getting her own place. Taja is against the idea but also realizes that she has to let Tessie be the adult she raised her to be. I personally think Taja’s more worried about Horse and Tessie than Tessie living on her own. Tessie gave Horse and Reeves notice about moving out of her house, and they jumped at the chance to move into Aria’s condo.

Pooh and Pippa are pregnant, and Tammy is as happy as they are. Craig is stoked, though. He’s so excited it’s comical to watch him talk about the baby. He informed me yesterday that he’s been busy writing down all the information the new baby must learn to survive in the world. I laughed but quickly smothered it, not wanting to get on his bad side. I’ve been able to invest quite a bit of money since I’m not paying blackmail cash to him. I don’t want that to change. Aria has expensive taste in clothing, shoes, makeup, skincare… well, everything to be honest. I need to make bank so I can help fund her shopping habits.

Craig and Luke still ride their bikes together and spend most of their days hiding in the woods at their fort. Luke also spends more time at the ranch than any of the kids, even though Craig protests that fact often and loudly. Ivy loves having the kids, but she has formed a special bond with Luke. I think the peacefulness of the ranch soothes something in Luke’s soul just like it does for Ivy’s, and she recognizes that fact.

Cash and Livi are also expecting a baby. Livi isn’t due for a few months yet, but she’s taken leave from work and spends her days with Liam or at the gym. Cash proved his words about loving the ranch true when he made a deal with Ivy to buy a hundred acres from her. Livi was ecstatic, and she and Ivy got busy finding Livi the perfect horse for her and, eventually, Liam. They are busy working with a builder to get started on a home for them. Pigeon is thrilled because that means he’ll have help when there’s heavy lifting to get done.

The Aunts are going strong with no signs of slowing down. They’re as spicy as they’ve ever been. With Bella being busy with the club now, Cash and Lars insisted on finding someone to check on and help the Aunts daily. James mentioned his mom, and it turned out to be the perfect fit. The Aunts love her, and she’s never offended by any of their antics. In fact, she joins in on enough of them to give James constant heartburn. I told him where to buy Tums in bulk.

Terry is still looking out for Lars and hasn’t changed a bit. He’s sassy and keeps things light whenever he’s around. He still takes Snots for daddy and dog spa days, and we still all love to see the outfits he picks out for himself and the dog. Lars is loving being a grandpa and anxiously awaiting the next grandchild.

James has recently started dating a new guy, and this one seems like a good choice. He, luckily, didn’t meet this man through a dating sight. They met on a call. Braydon was putting out the fire, and James was there to direct traffic. I’m sure there were sparks in the air that night that didn’t include the home burning down. A fireman and a policeman together? We’ll see how that works out, but I’m hopeful for James.

James has been a great addition to our brotherhood. He works hard, everyone likes him, and it’s fun to watch how he manages Livi. They’re closer than hell, but James just has a way of saying exactly what she needs to hear at the perfect moment. Maybe it’s from helping his mom raise girls? Whatever it is, he’s damn good at it and uses those same powers when dealing with any of the club’s women and Axel. It’s especially fun watching him manage Axel’s brand of crazy.

The club voted to allow Bella to start as a prospect before her eighteenth birthday. That’s something that’s never been done before. She had saved enough money to buy her own bike, and with Pooh and Petey’s advice, she picked one out. She started immediately and is doing great. She’s going to make this club proud to call her a member, for sure.

Candy started as a prospect the day after Bella. She showed up to the shop the day Bella started and dropped cash for a new bike. Literally, cash. Rolled up, held by a large rubber band, she paid in full for the bike, helmet, and leathers. Petey was impressed, to say the least. He called Axel, who showed up and gave Candy her first riding lesson. Petey swears it went well, even if there were a few shouting matches, some threats tossed back and forth, and Axel’s foot getting run over. That part didn’t sound like an accident to me, but who am I to say? I just know I laughed my ass off when I watched Axel limp into Church that Sunday. On a side note, Candy has made great progress with Greer, and Lucy’s hoping to soon have him back home with her. She may have to challenge Candy to get him back, though.

Candy has found a place in the heart of all of us, though. When the club voted for her to become a prospect, I thought we might see a few tears. We didn’t, but it did have a profound effect on her. But when Lucy asked her to be a bridesmaid, her face crumpled. Dropping her head, she stammered that she would be honored. When Lucy stepped in for a hug, Candy nearly crushed her. I was sitting to the side of them, and I know I saw Candy wipe a tear away. I’m not brave enough to ask her about it, but I know what I saw. Candy is slowing coming to realize she has a family now and that she is family to us.

Mac and Prissy haven’t resolved all their differences yet, but they’re making headway. It’s been decided, somehow, between them, that since they both have the need to be the center of attention, it’s best if they aren’t both in the same space. So now they take turns coming to the clubhouse, and it’s been calmer for all of us.

The only time they do battle now is when they’re both outside flying. Mac, the demented little fucker, loves to dive-bomb Prissy from above. He’s faster and uses that advantage like a pro. Often, you can hear Ava and Axel screaming the birds’ names, trying to break it up before someone gets hurt. Mac has also learned a new trick, and it’s one Axel hates with a passion. If you happen to see Axel outside, you’ll see he’s taken to wearing baseball caps. Mac’s new trick is to drop a load on Axel from above, and the caps help minimize the amount of shit that ends up on his skin. Yeah, you guessed it. Ava’s had to take a BB gun away from Axel twice now. The battle between Mac and Prissy and Mac and Axel will continue forever, I’m afraid.

The pig Gunner brought home, Little A, is now about five hundred pounds and is hairy as hell. Aria’s mom swears it’s the cutest thing she’s ever seen, next to Gee that is. Duffy, the ill-tempered cat, has taken over Taja’s home and Kalea. Vex donates blood every time he tries to pick up his daughter when Duffy’s next to her. He has to have Taja pick up Kalea and hand her to him, and even then, Duffy’s been known to attack unsuspecting legs. The puppy that Taja got from Loki’s litter is terrified of Duffy, and regardless of being nearly her dad’s size, she avoids that cat at all costs.

Ava and Axel’s mothers haven’t re-emerged since we last saw them. We’ve heard that Axel’s mom moved out of the state and has no reason to return again. She ruined any chance of being Axel’s mom again with her hateful, spiteful words. Axel never mentions her, and Trudy is his daughters’ grandma. That’s what they will be raised knowing deep into their souls. Trudy stepped up for Ava and ended up becoming grandma to a slew of kids. Trudy couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. Petey couldn’t be happier with Trudy in his life and knowing she’ll stay there for the rest of his.

Ava’s mom is a different story. She’ll be back at some point, wanting or needing something, and the club will stand between her and Ava. Ava’s children also have Trudy as their grandma, so there’s no way Ava’s mom will get near them. They have a ferocious protector in Trudy.

Loki and Cain lived high on the hog after rescuing me. Aria, to this day, spoils the hell out of them with any type of treat she thinks they might like. She’s even bought them new beds—orthopedic beds, in fact, because Loki is getting up in years. I often find one or the other under our feet when we’re at the clubhouse, nudging Aria’s hand for attention. I appreciate all they did and never forget to give them their due.

I did find out that it wasn’t Loki who knocked Carrot Top down the stairs. He simply followed to finish the job Cash started. Apparently, Cash struck the Carrot man in the face several times before lifting him clean off the floor and tossing him down the stairs headfirst. Loki always did like to play fetch.

As for Eddie Munster, he immediately cowered near the floor, then tried making a run for it. It didn’t work out well for him because he ran smack dab into Pooh. Pooh decided to get his workout done for the day and bounced Eddie around the kitchen like he was inside a pinball machine. When Eddie slammed into Reeves, he took over. Then it was Horse’s turn. Then Gunner’s. Well, you get the picture. The Morales brothers took him with them. Nobody will see his odd little smiling thing again.

The End