BRONX:

Razor, Shiz, Snoop, Bear and I were in the compound having a drink when we heard shit being thrown in one of the rooms. We were all grown ass men, so if one of the brother’s got trashed and tossed shit every fucking where then that was fine by us. However, Razor and I wanted to keep an eye on Apollo because ever since that night when Lori showed her face at Peppers, he had been scarce and if he was present, he was mentally distant.

We had some thoughts about why, but the nurse seemed to be keeping him busy.

For now.

“The fuck is going on in there?” Bear barked.

His ass couldn’t help it because he was just loud as shit all the time.

“Fuck if I know,” Snoop said as he took another bite of his burger. “Think it’s Apollo back there. Hopefully banging the shit out of that nurse.”

Bear turned his head towards him and shook it.

“What?” Snoop asked. “You’re always shaking your head at me like I’m annoying you or something.”

“Because you are annoying,” Bear simply said and finished his drink.

Nothing else was said or exchanged between the two men, but Bear usually held nothing back. Since Shay had been at my house most of the time, I didn't get a chance to find out what was up with Dessy and him, but I was curious. Razor must have read my mind, because he turned around and asked, "Bear, you taking Dessy on?"

Bear almost looked shocked by the question, and that was confirmed when he said, "Pres, when did you start wondering who I'm fucking?"

Razor laughed.

"Fuck, inquiring minds want to know. You have me by a few years, and honestly, it was you who taught me about staying away from younger women. Just curious." He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you did give me shit for breaking my age rule with Kylie."

Bear slammed his big hand down on the counter and said, "And look at ya now. A new fucking man. The happiest I've seen ya. What the fuck do I know?" He swiveled his chair to me and bellowed, "And Bronx is crazy as shit for even attempting to tame that woman, Shay. Spitfire, she is. What the fuck? But look at you."

He lifted his glass of beer and murmured, "What the fuck do I know?"

We all looked at each other, and then I purposefully looked at Razor, who clapped his hand on Bear's back. "I fucking know that look from anywhere."

I burst out laughing because soon and very soon, we'd have the conversation. Those fucking women. Once they got their claws in you that was it. You were done.

In a good way.

A life changing way.

"Speaking of women, my money is Lori's old boy is not going to last past another two months." Snoop added out of nowhere.

"Fuck you mean?" I asked.

"He's soft. All lovely dovey and shit. Lori was in love with Apollo and he's the complete opposite. Like, he will hunt you down and like it, opposite." Snoop joked.

"Where do you come up with this shit?" Bear shook his head.

"I don't know. That's how my mind works," he laughed.

Razor raised his head, so his chin was in the air, then he said, "I'm with Snoop."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"The boy is on to something. Old boy won't last." Razor's thumb jammed towards the rooms in the compound. "Plus, the added factor of Apollo."

"Say what now?" Bear added. "You think he wants her?"

"Oh yeah," Razor and I said at the same time.

"Fuck?" Bear's eyebrows came together, and his nose wrinkled around the top, causing his long beard to lift. "Y'all are fucking crazy."

Snoop waved his hand towards us. "I don't know, but I say let's make this shit interesting. What do y'all know that we don't."

Razor looked at me and I nodded for him to say it. "It's the look, man. Can't explain that shit, but that look," he pointed to Bear. "I had that same shit. So did Bronx and so did Apollo when that boy walked into Peppers and laid his hands on Lori. It's all in the look."

"What?" Shiz scoffed. "You are basing this hypothesis off a look?"

We nodded.

"I'm with Bear, y'all are crazy," Shiz shook his head.

"Okay." I mocked. "Mark my words. When that thing bites your ass, it does not let go."

Razor nodded, and Bear just stared off.

Then he murmured, "She's not ready."

"How do you know?" Razor asked.

"This shit is about to get deep," Shiz said, as he stood up. "I ain't trying to get bit by shit."

We laughed and then Snoop looked at us, gave us a salute and left.

"I know because she is still ripe. Fucking..." Bear pulled on his shaggy beard. "Can't believe I'm even thinking about it." He looked at Razor, then asked, "What the fuck?"

Razor smirked, then pointed to me. "You tell 'em."

I shook my head, "When Shay felt like she needed a fucking gun to protect herself, I realized I had fallen down on the job. Nobody knew, but I was claiming her. Fell for her, long ago, but felt like I needed her to live another life. Without me. I thought I was okay with that shit, but I fucked up. It hit me when I got the call from Ed that she was at the fucking gun store trying to get a gun. She felt like she needed what I should have provided and that is when I realized, how I fucked up." I took a sip of my beer. "You see something that she needs, you fail to provide it when the opportunity was open to you, then you'll have to deal with those demons. Did that shit for four years. Once I realized that, I wasn't waiting another second. Had to claim what was mine."

That was my peace.

Shay was mine a long time ago; I just hadn't caught up yet.

"She needs something, you got?" Razor asked.

"Fuck if I know. Half of me thinks, she’s just into kinky shit and the other half of me think she just needs a man. But out of all of the fucking men in this goddamn town, she singles me out. Why? What the fuck? I don't go hunting for pussy. Trained myself not to need it like that. But, I swear she's getting under my skin and I never allow that shit. Had an old lady once for like ten years, a sub for six years and none of them ever had the potential she has. I haven't touched her because I know. I fucking know, it'll be the end and I'm too old for that type of shit. She's young, inexperienced and running from something."

I knew the fucking feeling.

Some scary shit.

"Know the feeling." Razor turned towards Bear. "Believe me, man, I know the feeling."

"Well, lay low and see what happens. You have your reservations and who knows, it may just be a phase for her. The question is, if she wasn't trying to get with you, would you want to get with her?" I asked.

"You fucking kidding?" Bear bellowed. "She's hot as shit. All the more reason, she should stay away from my old ass."

Razor and I erupted in laughter.

"Let's get the fuck outta here," Bear said. "All this talk about getting trapped is making me claustrophobic."

We rode to RIGOR since I had to check on the gym plus Razor and Bear wanted to work out. As soon as we entered the front area we saw Dessy talking to a wiry guy with leather pants, a white t-shirt and his hand was wrapped her wrist.

A growl erupted from Bear and we all went on red-alert because that shit would not end good.

"You got business here?" I asked the guy.

"You are?" He stood taller, but his hand was still on Dessy, who quickly jumped between us.

"Hey, Bronx. This is, uh, Jeb, the guy Haz set up with the Vipers. He was on the run, and he found me when he realized that no one was looking for him."

Bear took that opportunity to walk away, but Dessy ripped her arm from Jeb and called after him, "Bear, wait."

He kept walking, but she got in front of him. Razor started to ask the guy some questions, but I stayed close to Bear, just in case.

"Fuck do you want?" Bear huffed.

"Wait, what happened? I thought we were supposed to be setting up dinner. You never called me and you won't return my calls." Dessy looked up at him like he hung the world from his hand.

Like Shay looked at me and Kylie looked at Razor and exactly how we looked back at them.

"Listen, girl. You got shit to handle." He jerked his thumb behind him, as she shook her head. "And so do I. Let's not cross this bridge, okay?"

Her features darkened as her brows closed together, her lips thinned and her small nose flared.

"Okay, Bear. That's how you want it to be." She moved out of his way and dramatically bent her body at the waist, then extended her arm for him to pass by her. "Go ahead. Just know I think you're scared. Not the sort of thing I expected from you, but..."

She let it hang out there and by fuck if that didn't stop Bear right in his tracks.

"Little girl, you ever hear about what happens to folks who poke bears?" he growled at her.

"Don't see any bears 'round here?" She looked up and around the gym.

Bear took a step towards her and then pointed in the direction of the guy.

"What's he to you?" He called himself whispering, but almost everyone heard him.

Dessy's nose lifted as she looked at him defiantly, then she took a step closer, "Why?"

Yup, that was Shay's cousin, alright.

One side of Bear's mouth lifted, then he shouted to me without his gaze leaving Dessy. "Bronx, Dessy's needs a break. NOW!"

I didn't have a chance to respond because he dipped, picked her up and swung her over his shoulder like she was a rag doll.

"Bear," she hit his back. "Put me down."

The guy, Jeb, saw this and tried to follow them as they went into the back room. I stepped in front of him and said, "Not sure why you came to town, but she's no longer yours."

He looked me in the eyes and said, "Yeah, a man could hope, huh?"

Jeb nodded towards me, shook Razor's hand and left.

"What was he talking about?" I asked Razor.

"Young kid got in the wrong club but seems to be on the right track. Told him to go handle his business and we'd talk later. Seems to be looking for a family," he answered. "Know the feeling."

"Sure do."

"He said the Vipers had a take-over and that President is no longer in affect but one of the guys you hurt is running shit. I'm not sure what that means for us, but I'll reach out to Swag. If we need to make that call, we can do that," Razor added.

My entire body went on red alert.

"No, brother. I don't think it's like that, but we'll be ready if it does. With Haz out the picture, they've split up but if revenge is on the menu then, we can serve that up to."

"Damn, right," I nodded. "No hesitations."

"None."

Shay and Kylie had been engrossed in wedding books for the past few months. She wasn't losing her shit, but she was super focused on it being everything she wanted. Mr. and Mrs. Russell were a part of it, but Shay gave them the rules ahead of time. They were not allowed to interfere, make decisions about her wedding unless she approved and even if they were offering their money, she wanted a say. They agreed to her demands and I did not.

"How are you not going to agree?" She was washing the dishes after our Sunday dinner.

I was rinsing them and putting them in the dish drain to dry. "Because it's ridiculous. I'm not your parents. It's my wedding too."

"You're not helping me plan it, Bronx," she added.

"Fuck no."

"Then, I'm not seeing what the problem is then?" Shay turned to face me.

"There isn't a problem." I dropped the towel on the counter and pointed to the door. "I don't give a single fuck about this wedding. We can go to the justice of the peace and get hitched right now."

"No," she whined. "Bronx."

"Exactly," I said when I picked up the towel to finish drying the plate.

When I finished, I picked her up and placed her butt on the counter.

"Love you, kitten." I kissed her nose. "You're my heart. I'll take you any way I can get you."

Her bottom lip popped out, then she said, "I know."

"Do you?" I asked. "Tomorrow after my fishing trip with your father, I'm headed to the tattoo shop." I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the mock-up.

Her big brown eyes brightened as she snatched the paper out of my hand and opened it up.

"Oh my God, Bronx," she gasped. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

Shay's eyes started to water, and her voice filled with emotion as she said, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Kitten, the moment you pulled those claws out on me, I knew. Either I would take you down or die trying. It took me awhile, but I'm never letting you go."

"I know, Bronx. I'm glued to you no matter what." She smiled before she chastely kissed me on the lips. "Just so we don’t have any misunderstandings, no fucked up communications, and no drama. We good?"

She flipped the script on me and pulled one of my numbers.

I erupted in laughter.

"We're good!"

******

I hope you enjoyed Shay & Bronx’s story.

The series will continue with Lori and Apollo’s story in Just Right: Book 3.

The best way to stay tuned is my mailing and texting list!

Text EZXYLA to 313131

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