The way he covered us with his body. Tears pricked my eyes. Yeah, he was a good man.
Not to mention, he wasn’t here, and the brief moment of seeing him after dropping Austyn off at the clubhouse didn’t feel like enough. Part of me wanted him here just so I could wrap my arms around him and know that he was safe.
“Did you call your sister?” Austyn asked, sitting next to me on the picnic table. It amazed me how she was handling all of this. Everything she owned blew up, and here she was worried about me. The moment Austyn and I met, she had made herself my go-to person.
Never once did she push me to the side, saying she didn’t have time for me. Never had she treated Remy like less than her own. She had become a huge staple in my life, and if anything would’ve happened to her today, life wouldn’t be the same.
Her strength was impenetrable, and I admired that so much. The thought of any of these people getting hurt didn’t sit well.
“I left a message. She’s at work.”
“Gimme,” she said, holding her hands out to Remy who leaped into her arms. Austyn held her tightly, closing her eyes and kissing the top of her head. “Sorry this happened.”
“Did you decide to blow up your and Emery’s houses? No? Then it’s not your fault.”
Austyn shrugged. Yes, she shrugged like it was an everyday occurrence, but I’d been here for two years and could guarantee that it wasn’t the same old same old. Never once had anything exploded. That I’d remember.
“Once I find out who did this, I’ll…” She paused, then covered Remy’s ears. “Tear their fucking hearts out and feed them to the wolves.”
I would’ve chuckled, but she was serious. She had an edge to her that you didn’t cross. Once you did, heaven help you. She was so much like her mother, Princess, it was uncanny. Both strong women and both loved their family down to the marrow in their bones.
They loved hard, protected hard, and cared hard. Nothing like what I grew up with. I admired them for that.
“I’ll help ya.” Normally, I wasn’t a violent person, but for this I’d do it. No one put my friends and baby girl that close to danger. I’d never held a weapon before, but there was a first time for everything.
“No one fucks with the Ravage MC, Ensley. No one. We’ll find out who the hell did it and make them pay.” This sounded scary and good at the same time. She was speaking the truth.
“Would you put some damn clothes on!” A deep voice came from the left, and both our focuses went there.
Booker, tall, lean with dark unruly hair, was chasing a very scantily clad Mazie into the courtyard of the clubhouse. These two were trouble with a capital T. Mazie was Rhys and Tanner’s girl and pushed them to the limits. Booker was Breaker and Shaina’s kid and wanted to be a member of the MC.
“No,” Mazie smarted, who was wearing something I’d kill Remy for. Tight shorts that went up her ass cheeks, showing a good amount of them, and a crop top that displayed way too much midriff skin and even a hint of boob action. If she lifted her arms, there would be a show.
Mazie was only fifteen for God's sake. And Rhys… I couldn’t believe he was allowing this one bit. He didn’t seem like a man who would ever let his little girl go out like that. Nor did he seem like a man who would let other men see his daughter like that.
“You want me to get my ass kicked?” Booker responded, reaching out and grabbing her arm in which she yanked away but turned to face him.
“It would serve you good.” Her stare was venomous as she growled out the words. When her hands went to her hips, I cringed as her shirt moved.
“Great, Maz. Thanks…” Booker retorted.
“What’s goin’ on there?” I leaned over and asked Austyn who let out a little chuckle.
“Well, Rhys has had it with the way Mazie has been cutting up all her clothes and making herself look like a club momma. So, since good ol’ Booker there is prospecting to become part of the Ravage MC, he gets to keep Mazie in line with her appearance. If he doesn’t, then Rhys punches him in the face until he feels better.”
I sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.” Now that sounded more like Rhys, and something told me he’d like to pound Booker into the ground by the side looks I’d seen him give Mazie. That would be a tangled web and a match made in hell.
Mazie took off with Booker following her like a little lost puppy. It was probably in fear, though.
“Yeah, and word is Mazie caught him with some chick the other day behind the garage, and she’s pissed at him. Therefore, she wants her dad to beat the shit out him for her. So, we’ll have a bit of a show later because she won’t change. She’s damn stubborn and has the patience of a saint. Like a snake, she’ll strike when it’s least expected.”
“Great. Just what I want to see.” While it would break up the day, if I were Rhys, I’d be locking Mazie up for going out like that and wouldn’t be surprised after the beat down was over if he did just that. No way in hell would she come out until she was twenty.
Austyn laughed. Actually laughed, on the same day she almost kicked the bucket. “Mazie’s had a thing for him since they were kids. Now that Booker is nineteen and prospecting, his options have opened up immensely with the ladies. Mazie isn’t stupid even at fifteen. She knows the club life, grew up with all of us around, and doesn’t so much like his outside activities. Mark my words, it’ll all come to a head and you’ll see fireworks.”
“Seems like she has a bit of growin’ up to do,” I responded watching them go into the clubhouse.
“A lot of growin’ up. But give it a few more years, and Mazie’ll get him back.”
I was about to ask her what she meant when Blaze, Remy’s now grandmother, came running through the parking lot to the table where we were sitting. Her eyes glistened with tears, and my heart stopped for a moment.
Did Micah have time to talk to his parents about not telling Remy quite yet? Was she going to spill the beans right then and there? What would I say to Remy, especially with all the drama that had happened today? Questions upon questions piled up. The anxiety inside of me continued to climb as my gut twisted, threatening to explode. With everything going on, I couldn’t deal with this too.
Maybe it was irrational to fear Remy being told she had a father and grandparents. Who was I kidding… It was my hang up. It had nothing to do with Remy. It was all me, and I needed to work that out.
Remy jumped into my lap. She must’ve felt my panic of everything coming at me like a flood.
Blaze surprised me, though. She first went to Austyn, wrapping her arms around her tightly. She mumbled something into Austyn’s ear, but I couldn’t hear it.
Blaze then turned to us, eyes bright. “How are you doin’?” Her tone was one that I’d wished my mother had, had for me but never got. It was concerned, kind, and caring. Three things my own mother was not. It made me happy that Micah had that.
“We’re okay.”
Blaze nodded, then bent down to get closer to Remy. “How ya doin’, Remy banannee?” The nickname made me smile. I’d forgot about that. Blaze donned her with it one of the first times that we'd met her.
“Houssss boom,” Remy blurted, sitting up and arms going out in a large arc. Kids were little sponges, and I hated that this would be a memory for her. But it wasn’t any different than a car accident. I preferred to see it as a teachable moment. That was once I got my shit together and was able to explain it right or in a way that didn’t scare the hell out of her or me. Not to mention to have the answers to give Remy in the first place that I did not have.