Misalliance (Death Dwellers MC #4.5) (12 page)

Roxy went silent, lifted her bell and rang.

Throughout the entire dinner, her words rolled through Kendall’s head. She couldn’t believe Roxy’s advice combined practical wisdom, a maternal kindness, and street mentality. It also contained wistful experience that Kendall wanted to ignore out of sheer stubbornness.

She couldn’t, though. Partly because Roxy terrified her. While the dinner party went on, Kendall noted only she and Johnnie were quiet. When he’d walked in, he’d seemed happy and relaxed. She had no idea how he’d spent his day, but Christopher, Val, and Johnnie had been laughing and joking. He looked as if he anticipated spending time with her and them.

Even Christopher seemed to have backed off, and just let her be. Until she’d ruined it, peeved because Roxy had put her to work and allowed Meggie to rest.

Everyone went happily along, while Kendall stewed in bitterness and hate, disliking Meggie more because she reminded her of a woman best forgotten, than anything else.

A guffaw from Roxy interrupted Kendall’s thoughts. “Outlaw, you’re a stupid motherfucker.”

Christopher snickered, and Meggie shook her head, laughing.

“You’re awful, Christy,” Zoann said around her own chuckles.

“Psycho stalker wild man,” Val agreed.

Bunny got to her feet. “I think I’ll go help the boys in the kitchen.”

“Do you have to?” Meggie asked, her amusement dying. She narrowed her eyes at Trader.

“Um, no. I have to check on the kids, though,” she said, almost running out before Meggie could say anything else.

“Time for your ass to get the fuck out, Trader,” Roxy said.

“Roxy, babe, this still my fuckin’ house, no matter how much I like your fuckin’ ass.”

“Bunny’s been right with me the past couple days, helping out and looking after Meggie. She’s a fine girl, and for this motherfucker to come in here and treat her like she’s just a piece of ass isn’t happening around me.”

“Trader
my
brother, not yours,” Christopher countered. “I fuckin’ invited him here. ‘Til I uninvite him, you ain’t got shit to say.”

“I think I’m bypassing desert,” Zoann said morosely. She got to her feet, and Val jumped up immediately. “I’m suddenly so tired.”

“Take her upstairs, Val,” Christopher ordered. “Let her rest, until she feel well e-fuckin-nuff to get to your house.”

“Come on, babe,” Val said, wrapping his arm around her and guiding her out of the room.

Trader stood, and offered Roxy a tight smile. “I think that’s my cue to leave, too.” He nodded to Meggie. “Pleasure to meet you.” To Kendall he said, “I don’t think I ever got your name.”

“It’s Kendall,” Johnnie answered for her.

He smiled. “Cool name.”

“Dead ass,” Johnnie countered in warning.

Trader lifted his calloused hands. “No harm, John Boy. Just commenting.”

“Don’t,” he barked.

A moment later, he left. Not missing a beat, Roxy raised her bell again. When Stretch and Hanson walked out this time, they carried plates with… what…? Kendall didn’t know as Hanson placed it before her. It smelled delicious, a combination of yeast, cinnamon, and sugar. It had icing on it, and sugar colored, purple, green, and gold.

“Kendall, taste this,” Meggie gushed. “It’s King Cake. Roxy brought three with her. Omigod, it’s sooo good.”

“I brought three. You’re right,” Roxy said. “What I want to know is what happened to the other two?”

“I wanted something sweet,” Meggie said around a mouth full of cake. “Christopher found this and when we tasted it…Omigod.”

“Herb, Al, and cake, un-fuckin-beatable.”

Kendall took a bite. “Um, yum,” she said, surprised at how delicious it tasted. Four, hearty bites later, she finished and craved more.

“You girls okay?” Roxy asked, once everyone cleaned their plates.

“I’m fine,” Kendall said, as Meggie nodded.

“Then, let’s go to the den, so we can listen to some good music.” Roxy picked up her purse, rolling her eyes when Christopher scooped Meggie into his arms.

Johnnie put his hand at the small of Kendall’s back, not immediately following the other three. “Are you all right?” he asked, the intimate contact of his touch affecting her.

“Yes.”

“I’m going to talk to Roxanne,” he promised. “I didn’t want to-”

“She scared the shit out of you, too, didn’t she?” Kendall interrupted with a giggle.

The tips of his ears reddened and she laughed harder.

“Not really scared me. I backed off because I didn’t want any bloodshed.”

“Yours.”

He glared at her, and the redness spread to his cheeks. Hugging him, she kissed his cheek, still chuckling. He relented, and laughed with her.

“Come on. Let’s see what music she’s so anxious for us to hear.”

Taking her hand, he started forward, but Kendall stopped him.

“Don’t tell her anything. Everything she said made sense. What’s more is she’s speaking as a woman who’s been in my place.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m so glad you’re back, gorgeous,” he whispered, taking her face between his hands and caressing it with reverence. “I missed you more than I can ever express.” Brushing his lips against her own, he pulled away from her and guided her out.

In the den, Bunny watched over the boys.

“Here, ‘law!” Little Man demanded Christopher, pointing to a spot on the floor where he sat with Ryan in the huge den.

“Don’t call daddy Outlaw,” Meggie chastised from the sofa, next to Christopher, who had his arm draped casually behind her.

“Come me,” Ryan demanded, frowning between Little Man and Christopher.

“My ‘law!” Little Man protested.

While Stretch rifled through an iPod, Roxy cooed to Harley.

“Come here, buddy,” Meggie instructed her son. “You come too, Ryan.”

“My Mommie!” Little Man yelled, getting to his feet and running to his mother as fast as his little legs could carry him. He wore pajamas with tiny little dinosaurs decorating the white cotton. He climbed onto her lap, situating his body so Ryan would have no space.

Ryan pushed Little Man’s leg, whining.

“Come here, Ryan,” Christopher directed. Sniffling, the child went to his uncle and held his arms up, even as he climbed onto Christopher’s lap and snuggled against him.

Getting to his feet, Christopher held Ryan above his head, then carefully placed him around his neck, unaffected when the little boy gripped his hair, smiling in delight.

Shocked at what she witnessed, Kendall allowed Johnnie to guide her to a loveseat, situated across from the sofa.

“John-John,” Little Man said happily, when he caught sight of Johnnie.

“Uncle Johnnie,” Meggie corrected, and then pointed to Kendall. “Aunt Kendall. Can you say that?”

He tipped his head back and looked at his mother upside down, reaching for her hair. For as long as Kendall remembered, he’d tormented his mother’s golden strands.

“Aunt Kendall,” she repeated patiently.

“Ant Kenda.”

While Kendall’s heart swelled inside of her chest at the child’s words, Meggie raised her hand. “Hi five.”

“Hi five,” he repeated, slapping his small hand against his mom’s.

“Okay, boys, time to get to bed,” Bunny said, reaching for Ryan. Christopher stopped entertaining his nephew and sat him on his feet.

Once Meggie whispered to Little Man and showered his cheeks with kisses, his father took him and spoke in low tones, before putting him down.

He grabbed his father’s leg. “My ‘law. Love my ‘law.”

“Yeah, boy,” he responded gruffly. “And I fu…” he scowled and sidled a glance to Meggie… “I love you.”

Bunny took Harley into her arms then led the boys out.

Roxy cocked her head to the side and considered Outlaw. “I learn something new about you all the time.”

“Yeah?” he asked with a frown, going to the bar. He picked up a bottle of tequila. “You want a pint, John Boy?”

“Fuck yeah.”

After Christopher handed Johnnie the vodka, he returned to his seat next to Meggie, already swigging from his tequila. She crawled into his lap, and laid her head on his chest, to which he immediately nosed her hair and kissed the crown of her head.

“You want to know what I learned?” Roxy pressed.

“Nope. Cuz I don’t give a fuck.”

Meggie poked Christopher’s chest, but he shrugged.

Roxy sighed. “Ready to hear the music at least?”

“I ain’t escapin’ this bullshit, right?”

“No, you sure the fuck aren’t.”

“Then play it so me and Megan can get the fuck upstairs, and I can give her my gift.”

The first track,
Say You Love Me,
by Jessie Ware, set a romantic atmosphere, that even Roxy’s watchful eye couldn’t dampen.

Johnnie pulled Kendall against him, and tangled his hand through her hair, pressing kiss upon kiss to the top of her head.

“What type of house would you like?” he asked suddenly.

Kendall’s heart began to beat hard and fast at the question. Since she hadn’t expected it, she was clueless about what to make of it. “What do you mean?” she asked slowly.

“I mean, you know,” he hedged. “If we ever get to that point, what would your specifications be?”

“Where are you planning on building it?”

“Remember the cave we went to?”

The cave where he’d originally asked her to marry him. She’d turned him down then, too, believing he’d proposed just because of her pregnancy. She winced. “Yes.”

“Near there, closer to the waterfall. Our property line ends not far away, but I thought it would be a beautiful backdrop. I wanted our bedroom facing east, so we could enjoy the sunrise.”

“What did you do today to make my dream come true? Whatever it is, do it again tomorrow.”

“Aww, gorgeous, if you only knew.”

His wry tone sounded ominous. “What
did
you do?”

He sighed.

“Johnnie?”

“We killed a fuckhead who needed to go to ground, got rid of the body, hit a joint, and had a couple of beers at the clubhouse in Christopher’s office.”

“Oh. My. God! Are you serious?”

“Quite.”

“And…and…you’re all just playing with two toddlers and…and-”

“It’s what we do, Kendall. This is my life. It doesn’t mean I’ll bring it home with me.”

She glanced at Meggie, who was threading her fingers through Christopher’s hair and allowing him to kiss her senseless, not seeing the biker. She saw the man.

Kendall glanced at Johnnie, the words to a new song, one she’d never heard before, floating to her. “What’s this, Roxy?”

“
Fire and Desire
by Rick James. Real music,” she added. Her pumps had been removed, and her feet dangled over the side of a chair. Drink in hand, she seemed utterly and completely relaxed. “I was a child when this shit hit the airwaves, but one of my boyfriends was into this music. K-P and I made Bailey on this song.” Roxy laid a finger on her cheek and pursed her lips. “Hmm. Then, again, it might’ve been
Super Freak
or
Give It To Me Baby
.”

“I like the sound of that,” Meggie breathed. “Give it to me, baby.”

“Wicked little bitch,” Christopher said, not wasting time getting to his feet, and carrying her out.

“Sick motherfucker,” Roxy said fondly.

“I fuckin’ heard that,” Christopher yelled, “so fuck you.”

“Fuck you right back.”

Chuckles floated back to them, but no more words.

Roxy got to her feet. “I have to get everything cleaned up.” She came to them, reached down and hugged Kendall, then did the same with Johnnie. “Don’t let her get away again.”

Johnnie smiled sheepishly. “I’ll try my best not to.”

Once they were alone, Kendall warmed under Johnnie’s touches, marveling at how peaceful she felt without expectations of sex. An intimacy greater than she’d ever felt wrapped around them. She listened to the music, enjoying the peace and silence between them. They had hurdles to overcome, but she had more hope for their future, than she’d had in a very long time. If ever.

“Do you still want to know what type of house I want?”

Another kiss. Another brush of his fingers on her cheek. “Yes.”

“One that’s filled with us, our family, and the closeness we have now. Wherever that might be, doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together.”

At his silence, Kendall tensed, half expecting—hoping—he’d say he loved her, and scared he’d rebuff her completely.

“Thank you for that,” he said, his words neutral, disappointing and relieving her all at once. “For now, we stay at the club. Okay?”

She swallowed. “Okay.”

She’d awakened still not knowing her place and still harboring resentment. She’d been the biggest loser of all, in her misplaced quest for justice.