Raging Barons MC - Book Ten - Stitch, page 17
“I can live with that, but you know little sisters can be a pain in the ass.” Smirking at the thought.
“Are you ready to settle down now?” I ask because I’m curious since he’s asked me on a date.
“I’m ready to at least get into a relationship that matters. The one-nighters are okay, but they are just meaningless. Filling a need is all they are. But you have to be careful even with that because someone will think it’s more than it is. I’m very careful to tell a woman it’s a one-night thing and nothing more, and I tell them way up front so no misunderstandings can be had.”
“You will not find a decent woman doing one-night deals, as I call them. To find your woman, you need to be looking in better places than the dive bars you frequent.” I giggle because he looks shocked that I know where he drinks and picks up his women.
“How do you know where I drink?”
Laughing, I give him a wink because I’m not letting on I heard him speaking with some of the other security men about a night out they were having, and the expectations of getting their dicks wet.
Pulling into the warehouse, I park the van, and we check the security in the yard before climbing out and entering the building. I give smiles and waves to the butchers and assistants as I pass and make my way through the reception to the office where Poppy will be working.
Zero makes sure I’m in the office before giving me a tip of his chin and heads to the kitchen, where he’ll make both of us a hot drink. That’s become our normal routine when we arrive back from deliveries.
“Hi, Poppy. Everything went well with the delivery. They’ve reordered on a monthly basis and they are happy to pay up front for their supplies.” I take a seat in front of the desk and give Poppy a questioning look as he’s rubbing his face with the palm of his hands and looks defeated. “What’s wrong?” I ask, and my tone tells him I will not be fobbed off.
“I’m thinking of passing the business to you once this shit is done with. I’ve had enough of working my ass off from morning to night. I have enough saved now, and a pension I’ve paid into since I was no more than a kid, so I can afford to retire and take it easy.”
Slowly standing from my seat, I keep my eyes on my Poppy, but the shock of what he’s just said has me reeling. I must look like a goldfish as I open and close my mouth, not knowing what to say because I couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d pulled a weapon on me and shot me.
“What a fucking day this is turning out to be! You tell me you are retiring and leaving me to it on the same day I just adopted myself a brother.” I mumble, but look up when Poppy speaks. “Adopted a brother. What does that mean?”
“I just adopted Zero as my unofficial brother, but Poppy, your news has to be the one that knocks me off my feet.” Turning when an arm wraps around my shoulders, I look up to see Zero looking down at me with a worried look on his face.
“I’m sorry Gemmy, I know it’s a surprise but I’m telling you now so you will be ready to take over by the time this shitshow with Kane is done. I’ve worked hard to get this place to where it is, building it from nothing, but I’ve lost the drive to continue. I think this war with Kane has made me realize having this place isn’t the be all and end all of things. We are, us, me and you Gemmy. We are more important than this business, and if anything happened to you, nothing in this world would matter a damn to me.”
Stepping away from Zero, I walk around the desk and as Poppy stands; I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tightly, hanging on for quite some time. My eyes flick when I hear Zero murmur. He’ll leave my drink here, and that’s when I notice he’s holding two mugs in one hand.
“Thanks, Zero. We’ll be finished here soon.” Poppy states, and as Zero leaves, he closes the office door, giving us the privacy that this conversation is going to need.
Once we’ve both retaken our seats, I look at my hands resting in my lap and think things are going to change now, and never be the same.
“I want to do some traveling Gemmy, see the things I’ve always wanted to see, do the things I’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance.”
Swallowing hard as I try not to cry because I feel that it’s my fault he hasn’t had and done those things. If it wasn’t for Poppy, having me to look after he’d have been free to do all he’s mentioning.
“Now, don’t take this on your shoulders, Gemmy. I would never have had the money to have gone off and done those things in the past. We had to get here, to this point in our lives, for it to be possible. But the business was always going to be yours. It has always been your inheritance. Once this is over with Kane, I’m going to sign the business over to you, and you can run it, sell it, or demolish it.”
I run my fingers up and down my thighs, giving thought to what Poppy is saying, and he knows I’m not impulsive where the business is concerned, even if I am in my personal life. “We worked hard to get the business to this point, Poppy, so I’ll not be selling it and certainly won’t demolish it. If that is what you want to do, I’ll support you, but I’ll miss you so much as we’ve never been apart for more than a few days.”
“I know, but you’ll be fine, I didn’t bring up a pissy-assed pansy now did I?” I can’t help the giggle that busts out with Poppy’s description, and I have to admit that no he didn’t bring me up as some of my former friends, with bows, frills, and girly shit. I had a dirt bike, a butcher's knife, and a hunting rifle.
“Now tell me about this brother you’ve adopted.”
Laughing, I tell Poppy about Zero asking me out, and our discussion, ending with us deciding we’re siblings instead of love interests. I can see Poppy’s eyes sparkling with amusement and when I ask what pranks a sister plays on a brother, he roars with laughter.
I pick up my drink and take a healthy mouthful, and when it hits my taste buds, I spit it back into the mug, gagging and wiping my mouth. “Asshole.” I mumble.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Poppy, he’s gonna get it. If this is brother shit, he’s just declared brother war. He’s put salt in the drink instead of sugar.”
Poppy laughs more and even wipes his eyes of tears. “Oh, this is going to be fun to watch. Now, what about revenge?”
Lunchtime I settle in the kitchen with a sandwich, and while eating I send a text message to Cora.
Gemmy: Hi, you up for a ride to the costume shop?
It only takes a moment for a reply text to arrive.
Cora: Yeah, when and I’ll be ready [winking emoji]
Gemmy: 45 minutes?
Cora: OK.
Gemmy: I’ll see you soon.
Forty-five minutes later, myself and of course Zero, arrive at the clubhouse of the Raging Barons MC. It’s a nice-looking place, I have to admit, and it’s well maintained. We don’t even get through a gated entrance before I see Cora hobbling towards the gate on crutches with another woman walking alongside her.
The gate opens and Cora is lifted by Zero, who’s gotten out of the truck and walked around to help her climb in. Squealing a little in surprise before laughing, Cora is placed in the back seat, crutches placed in the back of the truck, and we are on our way. The other woman waves us off before making sure the gate has closed. It’s a little like a fortress, I think to myself.
“So, what kind of costume are we after?” Cora asks from the back, and I turn in my seat so I can see her to reply.
“I have no idea. The poster I saw that Stitch was handing out just said Masquerade Night, masks mandatory. I would think anything as long as you have a mask on.”
Both Cora and I look at Zero in shock. “Masquerade balls were from the 15th century, and they were a feature of the Carnival season. It was a huge thing in those days. As for dresses, they were long, lots of material, low at the front so their tits were pushed up for everyone to ogle.” Chuckling to himself as he continues, not noticing Cora and me with our shocked faces. “It was all about mystery and intrigue. You weren’t supposed to reveal who you were until after midnight.” Turning his head, Zero realizes our shock, and he clams up, turning a little pink on the tip of his ears.
“Wow, who would have known Zero was a scholar?” Both Cora and I bust into fits of laughter and Zero gives me the middle finger. “Come on brother, you’ve got to admit it’s shocking that you know that kind of thing.”
“I’m not fuckin’ ignorant. I know I’m former military, but I’m not illiterate, and you can find out more if you want by yourself, sista…”
I can’t help but laugh again at the way he said sister, and with the punch, he said it. But I can see the amusement in his eyes all the same.
Arriving at the costume shop, we help Cora get inside with as little effort as possible and finding a seat near the counter, she plops herself down and looks around with mischief in her eyes. Yeah, we are going to be great friends, I’m thinking.
“Good afternoon. How can I help you?” turning I see a young woman with long red hair, half tied at the top, and it has the most beautiful, what looks like, natural waves through the lower half. She’s around 5’ 9” I would guess and has skin like porcelain. Now I know that sounds poetic, but she is stunning with glowing green eyes and an amused look on her face.
“We’re here for a masquerade night and need something suitable, but as you can see I have a cast on my lower leg. I’m hoping it’ll be gone before the night, but even then, I’ll have to be careful, so I want nothing that’s liable to trip me up, and that won’t show I’ll be wearing ballet flats underneath.” Cora states easily, and I look over at the woman again, point at Cora. “What she said, but without the cast.”
Smiling, the woman nods. “I’ve heard about the night, and I have a few dresses that would suit you with all the material flowing around. Hang on a minute and I’ll fetch them over for you to look at. Things are being rented out fast, so it’s going to be a good evening.” She rushes away and I grin at Cora.
Zero is looking at a man’s suit, shaking his head at the tights that go along with it. I can’t help the light laugh I let loose because I can just imagine Zero strutting around in that.
“Not happening Gemmy, no way, no how.” He gives me what can only be described as a grimace when he hangs the suit back on the rail.
The woman reappears with three lovely dresses; they are plain enough that they’ll not be out-of-place anywhere, but they have lace and a few beads around the neck which are square neck and will show a hint of cleavage. They are tight across the bust and from under the bust flow to the ground. Nothing big and flowing, just a nice cut with enough material to make walking easy and a bit of a swish when dancing. One is green with a shimmer, the second is a bird's egg blue, and the third is red, and it’s going to have the wearer standing out boldly.
Before I can say I’d like to try the red one, a woman walks in from the back of the shop, takes the red dress, tuts at our server and laughs. “Now, you know Lily, that one’s mine.”
Oh, so the lady serving us is called Lily, and before I can grab the dress or say anything, Lily replies. “Goodness' sake, Star, you never said you had made your mind up on that one.”
“I need that one to match the mask, and you know I’ve got to stand out enough to make my point.” Star smirks.
“Okay, take it and bring me the other two that I have in the back so these ladies can see them. I kept those for you to choose from.” Lily rolls her eyes before turning back to us. “Sorry about that. Star has her eye on a man and she’s got a plan in place, so everything she does has to be just right.” Rolling her eyes once more, which has Cora laughing.
Star walks back in with a beautiful navy-blue dress, same style as the others, but with long sleeves and jewels around the cuffs. I point at that one. “Can I try that one? I love it.”
“Come this way to the changing room and let’s get you sorted out. Are you okay there for a few minutes?” Lily asks Cora and getting a nod in reply, I follow Lily to the changing room.
Once I have the dress on, I have to admit it looks beautiful. The mask Lily passes to me is navy blue, with white lace around the edge and matching feathers. It really is stunning and once on my face, I can’t help the smile that appears.
“This is me Lily, I love it. When can I pick it up?”
Lily smiles. “It’s perfect for you, and I know you had your eye on the red one, but this is much better for your complexion. You’ll leave a deposit today so I can hold it for you, and then you’ll pay the rest the day before the event. When you return the dress, you’ll be given fifty percent of your payment back. I’ve had to do that as so many were never returned or returned badly damaged or filthy. Sometimes I just had to put them in the trash.”
“That’s terrible, and disrespectful. I can understand accidents, but to not return it at all is downright theft.” Still shocked at what some people will do.
Cora settles for the green dress with a matching mask, and we’re all set for the night. I can’t wait, it’s going to be a great night, and having a friend is going to change my life because it’s been years since I’ve had a friend I can trust and enjoy doing this kind of thing with.
After dropping Cora off at the clubhouse, Zero and I make our way back to the warehouse where we check everything is good before I head home. Poppy is making a meal for us both, and sitting down with him to eat is something I’ve missed with us working opposite shifts.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
-:- STITCH -:-
Friday, and after checking in with Silver at Club Whisky, for the moment there is nothing I can do there, so checking if Forest wants to tag along, we head to TJs as I need to speak to Beer about the run.
Walking into TJs, it’s quiet, as it’s still only midmorning. “Yo, how you doing Beer?”
“Good. What can I do for you two this morning?”
“I thought I’d check in with how the organizing is going for the run. The food is out of our hands now. Tony, Cookie, and Meat are making sure we have plenty to be on hand. Plus, Mia said she and the other Ol’ Ladies will do a lot of side dishes, like that potato salad and pasta shit.” Chuckling because most of the brothers never touch the stuff, they pile their plates with meat.
“The route is set. We’re not changing anything unless something unexpected happens, like an accident blocking the road. The Sheriff has said he’ll let us know if anything happens in the morning before we start the run.”
“TwoCents said the donations were excellent, and the cash would be substantial if everyone pulled in what they were promised.” Forest adds, and we both take a seat at the bar, getting comfortable as Beer shouts through to the kitchen to bring three coffees.
The next hour we hash over all the details, making sure we have covered the use of TJs function room, the outdoor area, food, donation collections, and even ordered portable toilets so everyone doesn’t have to walk through the function room to get to the restrooms.
“Okay, next week this will all be over and let’s hope we don’t do another for a few years.” Beer grins, and I can’t help the chuckle because if I’d known it was going to take this much organizing, I wouldn’t have volunteered.
“What next?” Turning to look at Forest, who’s looking at his cell phone, flicking through pictures from what I can tell.
“I’ve found a house I want to go look at. Do we have time?”
“Yeah, why not? Let’s go look. Have you made an appointment?”
Forest grins. “No, but I’ll call now. If they can’t let us in, we can look around and through the windows.”
Beer and I speak a few more minutes while Forest is talking to the realtor, and when he grins, I know we’re going to get to look inside this place he’s interested in.
Straddling our hogs, I look at Forest, who chuckles. “You’ll never guess. The fuckers have left a key to the place under a flowerpot. The realtor hasn’t had time to go get it, so he said to use that, have a look around and drop the key off with him when we’re done. What sort of cockassed realtor is that?”
“Well, not a good one. So, we gonna do his job for him and take the key once you’ve looked at the place?” I’m sure I know the answer, but I just had to ask.
“Like fuck we are. We’re going to have a look, then put the key back where we got it. If I like the place, I’ll make the offer and he can take it or leave it. But if the offer is accepted, I’ll go get the key, so I have access immediately.”
Pulling up outside the place, it looks to be in decent condition. It's a one-story structure that takes up a large amount of space. The garden is shabby and will need cleaning up, but it’s nothing that can’t be done fairly easily.
Finding the key, Forest grins as he unlocks the front door. We step inside what is a broad entrance hall. Wood floors that will be stunning if a little effort is put into it.
The main room is on the right and it’s a nice sized room, needs decorating as it looks old and dated, but it’s not dirty. The room is spotlessly clean.
Turning to the other side of the entrance hall is the dining room, and a large six-seater table with chairs is still sitting in the center. Forest steps up to the table and runs his hand over the top. “Beautiful piece of furniture.” He mumbles more to himself than to me.
Stepping into the kitchen, I like the size of it and I can see Forest does too. “I like this place. What’s your first thoughts on it?”
“So far, so good. I like the size of the rooms, and this kitchen remodeled will be good. I may have a word with Meat. See if he’ll come and help me get the setup in here that will make this a great kitchen, not just a good one.”
The utility is a good size, with plenty of room for a washer and dryer. It has shelving for detergents and a sink with cabinets underneath. There is even a tall cabinet against the corner next to the back door, and opening it is a nice surprise as it has coat hooks at the top and two shelves at the bottom for shoes and boots.
