Six months later…

“I leave you two alone for a week and what do I come back to find,” Dem didn’t sound pissed off, but his soon-to-be husband was normally a good-natured man.

The thought of proposing came to him several times, yet he shook it off. He needed Dem to be his partner—his husband. The perfect opportunity hadn’t made itself known. Especially when shit like this kept happening.

“She started it,” he yelled and pointed an accusing finger at his mother in the cell next to him.

“You’re not blaming this one on me, Jackson.”

He turned to find his mother pacing with Killer in the hoodie Mary stole from him. His dog spent equal time with both of them. Apparently, she was extremely attached to what she called her furry grandchild. Sometimes he wondered if she should be out of the hospital.

“What the hell happened?”

“Well, let me clear that up for you, Dem.”

Fucking snitch. He glared at Pelter.

“I received a call four hours ago from Twitch saying they had trouble.”

“Jackson,” Dem groaned.

Why was it always him? He’d been good over the last six months, mostly, but Dem knew he was trying or at least he hoped Dem knew he was.

“No, this little fiasco was due to a certain pretty brunette.”

He snorted and rolled from the cot, he stuck his arms through the bars and laced his fingers. When he’d heard a primal scream and turned to find Mary attached to some huge biker, his first instinct was to attack.

“Mary, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” She sniffled and turned away.

If he’d learned anything about his mother, he learned she had a con artist streak a mile wide. A sweet lady could get what she wanted with tears, well, as long as they didn’t know her.

“Cut the shit, Mary, what happened?”

“Dem, she ain’t talking, I’ve asked her I don’t know how many times and Joker doesn’t have any idea. All the witnesses said they heard this scream, and then she was wrapped around some biker four times her size.”

“What did the biker do?”

“He didn’t do shit from what I heard. He was actually holding his hands to the side as she was reaching for her—”

Dem sighed loudly. “Mary, what have we talked about?”

“He touched me.”

“You were in a bar, people are going to touch you, brush against you, we’ve discussed this.”

“Doesn’t matter, he tried to rub on me.”

“Bear didn’t do anything of the sort. He wanted to buy you a drink.”

Pelter sounded amused, and he knew the Sheriff had a weak spot for Mary even if he tried to hide it.

“Then get in my panties. I thought you took me to a gay bar.” She huffed and looked at them accusingly.

“Mom, no mention of your granny panties, woman!”

“I don’t wear granny panties, Twitch took me—”

“Mom!”

He glared at Dem and Pelter as the men laughed at him.

“When can we get out of here,” he asked.

“Since the responsible adult is here, you two are free to go.”

He stepped back as Pelter unlocked his cell door and he exited. He moved to Dem and wrapped his arms around his man. Dem had left to visit his parents and take care of cleaning out stuff he’d left at his ex’s place and in a storage unit. He’d wanted to go along, but that hadn’t been a good idea. They’d both agreed, and someone had to be there to watch Mary.

He’d thought he’d gotten his temper and rage from Garnet, but it turned out his mother was a bloodthirsty little thing.

“Mary, before I let you out you have to stop. You’re safe here, and if you’re not, then you come to me. I’ll take care of it. You have to apologize to Bear.”

“I’d rather stay in here.”

“She’ll apologize, I’ll make sure of it,” Dem said. “It’s a good thing neither of us wants kids, your mother is bad enough.”

“I think a kid would be better behaved.”

He chuckled as Mary flipped them off and impatiently waited to be set free. Pelter sighed and unlocked her door. Mary turned sideways to exit. He understood her, so he didn’t say much about her quirks.

“Come on, let’s go home,” Dem released him.

Mary followed behind grumbling the whole way.

“I ain’t apologizing. I didn’t do anything wrong, Dem, I didn’t even get my knife out.”

“Mary, this isn’t up for discussion. We’ll find the man, and you’ll apologize.”

“No, I ain’t gonna.”

“I’m not arguing with you. I’m rethinking this relationship, Jackson.”

“The fuck you are.” He wasn’t having that shit.

“Can I trust you two to ride right home?”

Mary went straight to her bike he bought for her a month after she got out of Waterford. He’d have to thank the crew for bringing it out from Brawlers. She slammed her helmet on her head and without waiting, she started her bike, speeding toward home.

“What are we going to do about your mother?”

“She’s fine, Dem, she doesn’t understand.”

“Not every man is like Garnet or that orderly. Maybe this guy is nice.”

“Bear seems okay. He’s King’s uncle. I’ll talk to him about it.”

“I want Mary happy, but…I love your mother, but she’s not adapting.”

“I said she’ll be fine.”

“Okay, sorry.”

“It’s fine. I just don’t know what to do. I get her…know what she went through.”

“Enough about Mary, we need to discuss something, and I don’t want you to be mad.”

“That isn’t the fucking way to start a conversation when you don’t want someone to be mad.”

“You shouldn’t be mad, and really with you just getting out of jail, this seemed the appropriate time.”

Dem produced a tiny black bag, and when he shook it, two rings fell into the man’s palm.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Well, we’re not exactly the most romantic couple, and I’ve been impatient. So, will you fucking marry me?”

He was shocked speechless. He looked from the circles of metal and then back at Dem. Dem looked nervous and chewed on his lower lip.

“Really?”

The man wanted to marry him. Spend the rest of his life with him—that’s what marriage meant. Although it made him feel even more of an asshole, he was still waiting for Dem to get tired of him and find someone more…agreeable and sane. With the new development of being in charge of Mary, he assumed it would become too much sooner or later.

“Yes, really, my mother and I went to look at rings while I was in New York. She flew in just for that. I know I should’ve done this more…we’re just not that kind of couple. Fucking say something.”

“You want to marry me? Me, Joker Webb?”

“You’re Jackson Webb, and yes, I want to marry every bastard inch of you, especially several inches I’m quite fond of.”

He loved Dem’s smile. The way Dem always knew when enough was enough. Dem didn’t get angry when he needed space or the fact he still flinched sometimes, or he woke crying from nightmares. It was all fine, whatever he needed Dem gave him even if it was a few days to himself.

“Yes, but we have to do it soon before you change your mind. Let’s talk to—”

“Jackson, Jackson, hold up.” Dem held tight. “I want all our friends there. I want Gideon standing beside me and Harper beside you. I hear Lily is ordained to do weddings.”

“An atheist minister, still weird, but she doesn’t want anyone else to perform the ceremonies for her kids.”

“So, you’re going to marry me,” Dem asked and held out one of the rings.

“Yes, I always wanted you to be mine.”

Dem grabbed his bearded cheeks and pushed their mouths together, the kiss was slow to end. He held his man close. Wondered what the hell he’d done right in his life. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t think too hard, and he’d get the man to marry him as soon as possible, so Dem didn’t have a chance to change his mind. No matter what, Dem was his, and he would be thankful for it every day.