Chapter Twelve
One week later
Back in Piston County, Butler didn’t go to Devil to tell him that he’d found his place and that he’d also taken his woman. Instead, he made a home with Mandy. He helped her get back into the swing of things with her cleaning work. He saw his club brothers around town and there was a wish that he could wear his leather cut, but at the same time, he wanted to earn it.
The old ladies had started to accept Mandy into their circle, and they had taken her under their wing. Not only did she clean now, but she’d been pulled into the schedule of taking care of the shop, babysitting, and even being there at the club get-togethers, which was why they were pulling into the Chaos Bleeds clubhouse.
He turned the ignition off and was about to climb out of the car when Mandy grabbed his arm.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go,” Mandy said. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“Mandy, baby.” He cupped her cheek. “I’m not uncomfortable with this. I promise. They’re our family.”
“But you’re not wearing your leather cut.” She had a little pout to her lips.
“It is one of the things I miss. I’d have loved to see you naked and strutting around our place in it.” He kissed her. “I love you, and I love my club.”
“I want you to be happy. That’s all I want.”
“And I am.” He pressed his head to hers. “Come on, let’s go and mingle.”
Climbing out of the car, he moved to her side and helped her out. She took his hand, and together they walked around toward where the barbeque was going on. Devil had his youngest daughter Ameila on his hip.
Kids were wandering around. Not only were there club brothers but friends of the club as well. He spotted a couple of the strippers from Naked Fantasies, and the feeling of family was thick in the air. He tightened his grip around her wrist, not wanting to let go.
“You made it,” Mia said, coming toward them.
Mandy was suddenly pulled into a hug, and then he was.
“Of course they would come. There’s no way that anyone would turn down a club barbeque, especially with my man controlling the grill,” Lexie said.
“I’ll go and get you a drink,” Mandy said, kissing his cheek before she disappeared. He watched her go and turned toward Lexie.
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been really good. What about you?”
“Good.”
“You don’t look good without the leather though,” Lexie said, touching his arm.
“Something had to give, and I’m sure Devil filled you in.”
“He did. So, this thing with Mandy, is that the real deal?” Lexie asked.
He was about to speak when Devil moved up toward his wife. “Good to have you here.”
They shook hands, and Ameila reached out toward him.
“You want to go to Butler, sweetheart?” Devil asked.
Before he knew what was happening, Ameila was in his arms, and he smiled into the little girl’s face, who let out a little giggle.
“She’s growing up so fast,” he said.
“They all do. Simon’s already writing his wedding vows,” Devil said.
Lexie chuckled.
“Speaking of vows, I’m marrying Mandy.”
“Congratulations,” Lexie said.
“Oh, she doesn’t know we’re marrying yet. I was hoping … if you don’t mind … could you guys help me organize something really romantic?” he asked. Since their trip away, he’d been thinking about how he’d propose.
For this he wanted one special evening, twinkling lights, romantic dinner, soft music.
Lexie looked toward Devil. “I can help.”
“Come, talk to me,” Devil said.
He put Ameila in Lexie’s arms and followed Devil toward the grill. There was already chicken cooking away, and he had three grills set up.
“How have you been?” Devil asked.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and Dick told me about what happened. The deal he has with you.”
“He did? That does surprise me.”
“I want you to do the same to me.”
Devil turned toward him now, staring at him. “You do realize that Dick has never once gone back on the drugs.”
“I didn’t want the fucking drugs, I realize that now. I wasn’t going to take them.”
“The temptation wasn’t there?”
“It’s always fucking there. It would be a hell of a lot easier to just take them and have you put a bullet in my head, but that’s before I had Mandy. She’s … everything. The club has been my family, and I didn’t think that I was needed here. We’re settled, everything is taken care of, and you didn’t need me. It’s stupid and fucking childish, but that was the way it was. I didn’t think you needed me, and I couldn’t have Mandy. She was always there and out of reach.”
“You had to fight for her, Butler. The moment you did, everything fell into place.”
Devil reached out, and he saw him pull a leather jacket from out of the cooler. “This is your cut.”
“You’re giving it back?”
“You didn’t take the drugs, Butler. You had a minor setback while you got your shit together. You ever take, I’ll be burying you in this. The club, your woman, our very future needs you. Your place is right here, and it has been for over twenty years, Butler. We go way fucking back, you and me. We rode together, partied together, got shitfaced together. You lost your way, and I get it, I do.” He turned to look toward Lexie, who was surrounded by their children. “That woman … she loves me. Me! She wants me in her life. After everything I’ve done, and there is no second guessing that. She is my entire world, as is this club. They come together like peas in a fucking pod. There is a place here, man. If you want it.”
He stared down at the jacket. It was like a lifeline.
“Mandy is mine.”
“Of course. You can’t keep your eyes off her. It took you long enough to claim her.”
“You told me to keep my hands off the cleaner.”
“Sometimes you have to fight for the shit you want in life. You’re going to marry her, and that’s all right with me.”
Holding open the jacket, Butler stared at his patch, and as he slipped it back on, everything felt right in his world, finally. The leather fit against his skin, and even in the heat, he didn’t feel too hot or scratchy. This was his cut, his place in the club.
Mandy came out, holding two sodas for the both of them.
He held his arms open, and she stepped between them.
“Hey, handsome. I almost didn’t recognize you there with all that leather.”
He tilted her head back, claiming her lips. There was a chorus of cheers as the club erupted, and he laughed.
“Is it like this all the time?”
“No. It’s not.” Pulling his leather cut from his body, he placed it over her shoulders. “I knew you’d look sexy as hell.”
She rolled her eyes. “You could stand the heat, but it’s a little hot for me.”
He took the soda from her, and it wasn’t long before Sasha was pulling her away. He sipped at his drink and watched as the old ladies enfolded her into the group.
“She blends in well,” Devil said.
“She’s a good woman. The best.”
“I’ll agree to disagree on that point.”
“All of our women are the best,” Butler said, laughing.
“So, remember that invitation that got canceled?”
“Which one? The Billionaire Bikers one? The posers?”
“The very ones.”
Butler rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t like the idea of going to an MC gathering, especially when it was hosted by a bunch of men who made more money than all of them combined.
“You’re thinking of going?”
“With our new endeavor of being good little bikers, I thought it would be worth a shot seeing what they had to offer.”
“And?”
“And I want you to come along. Family is invited, but I don’t know if I want to risk it.”
Butler started laughing. “No man in his right mind would take his family to a big, full-on event like this. All it will be is a bunch of men from all the clubs around, and I don’t know.”
“It will suck big time, I know.”
“I’ll come. It’ll be interesting to see what billionaires think they can handle the MC.” He finished off his soda and glanced at Mandy. “She really does look great.”
“She’s family, Butler. Just like you are.”
“I see you got your shit together,” Dick said, joining in the conversation.
Dick slapped him on the back, and it took all his restraint not to punch him. He had to remember Dick’s words of wisdom even if he didn’t like it.
“Yeah, I got my shit together.”
“Good. The club isn’t the same without you, man.” Another slap to the back, and Dick moved away.
“If you’re wanting to kill him right now, then you know you’re back in the fold.” Devil flipped the chicken, and he sipped at his drink. Lexie gave him the thumbs-up, and Mandy was laughing.
Life was really good.
****
Mandy checked the time once again and cursed that she had listened to Butler’s promise to be back in time. Lexie had needed to leave for some family thing, and she’d offered to stay late at the shop.
“Come on, Butler, where are you?”
After twenty minutes of waiting for her ride, she was at the end of her patience. Crossing the street, she began the long journey home. At least she’d been wearing pumps for this and not heels. She never wore heels on the job. She believed they were the worst curse of all.
Sending him another text, she hoped it would beep with a message that he was late but coming. Nothing.
She got nothing, and it annoyed her.
He was finally back with Chaos Bleeds, and already he was ditching her.
Keep calm.
Keep cool.
After walking for forty minutes, she got to her building. She had already planned how she was going to yell at Butler and make him sorry for believing he could be reliable. She stomped all the way upstairs, and as she made it outside of her apartment, she stopped. A foot from the door were rose petals. Bending down, she picked up one of the petals and stroked the softness between her fingers.
There were so many of them, all over the place.
As she opened the door, soft music filled the air, and she stared at the path of rose petals.
“Hello,” she said, stepping into her apartment.
Closing the door behind her, she was careful, not wanting to mess up the beautiful display spread out for her.
Rounding the corner, she came to a stop. There were no blaring lights, but so many candles, all of them lit and twinkling.
Butler stood near the table. He wore a tuxedo, and the scents of the food made her stomach growl. He held a bottle of sparkling water, and some passion fruit concentrate. She didn’t have any alcohol in their apartment. He told her he didn’t mind if she wanted to get some, but she had merely shaken her head.
Alcohol didn’t mean anything to her. She liked water and soda a lot more. Butler on the other hand, he meant the world to her, and she found giving up alcohol an easy sacrifice to make.
“What is all this?”
“I wanted to share a romantic gesture with you.”
“Okay. I’m quite easy. Picking me up would have been very romantic,” she said.
“I know, but we had to finish here.”
“We?”
“I got Lexie and a couple of the other old ladies to help me. I wanted this to be perfect.”
He poured them both out a drink, and she watched as he held a chair out. “Come and sit.”
Putting her bag on the floor, she stepped toward him, taking a seat at the table. He slid the chair underneath the table, and she took a sip of the drink. It was fruity and delicious. “You certainly know how to surprise a girl.”
“I wanted to be there, and, standing here knowing that you were walking home, well, it was hard. I had Pussy follow you though. Sasha got him to do it so I knew you were safe.”
“I had no idea someone was following me.”
“Pussy’s always been able to do that. It’s his trick.”
“I don’t know if I like that but okay.”
“I’ll be right back,” Butler said.
She watched him leave and stared at the table, the drinks, the lights, the flowers. It was all out of some kind of movie scene, and her heart pounded because of it.
Butler returned seconds later with her food, juicy steaks with potatoes and beans. The seasoned herb butter melted on top, and her mouth watered.
“Lexie helped with this as well.”
“I love Lexie.”
She cut into the steak, took a bite, and closed her eyes. The flavor was intense, juicy, and so perfect. She couldn’t imagine eating anything else, ever again. “This is just perfect.”
“I know, right? Lexie taught me, and whenever I’m in the doghouse, expect this kind of food. I’m totally going to rock your world.”
“You are?”
“Yes, I am.”
They kept on eating, and all the time, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She didn’t want to spoil it though.
Butler had told her himself that he wasn’t about the romance, and yet this was proof he was.
“I thought you didn’t like romance?” she asked, finally spilling out the words. She couldn’t handle the secrets and hated not knowing what was going on.
“I like romance, but I don’t think it should come with any other symbol. Not chocolate or jewelry, even though that has its place.”
She took another bite of her steak, washing it down with some of her fruit juice, and stared at him. “I … what is going on?”
He’d said that he loved her, and her feelings had only deepened as they spent more time together.
Butler took her hand, and he was suddenly down on one knee beside her at the table. “I don’t want to break up with you, Mandy. Far from it, okay. I wanted all of this because I know you’ve never had anyone care enough to give you romance. I love you more than anything, and I want to provide for you, to give you everything your heart desires, and to never stop doing that.”
“Okay.”
“Shit, I’m doing all this wrong.” She watched him reach into his pocket, and as he did, he returned his gaze to her. “There’s no one else that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Mandy, flaws and all. Just like I know you love me. I don’t have a squeaky-clean past, or at times even a budding future. I make messes of everything, and I … am probably the least romantic person in Chaos Bleeds for you to fall for. Even Dick knows what he’s doing, but not me.”
She chuckled. She couldn’t help it. He looked so sweet, so charming, and utterly lost.
“But … I will do whatever it takes to win you, to have you in my life. I can take whatever everyone else throws at me, but losing you, I can’t handle that. When you were gone, I tried to get over that. I didn’t know where you were, but I thought about you every single second of every single day, and those kinds of feelings never disappear, not once. I love you more than anything. I thought love, a family, a life outside of the MC wouldn’t happen for me, but when I’m with you, I want it all. I want you to be my wife, Mandy, the mother of my kids, and for us to get married, and I’m really fucking frustrated right now because I have the damn box in my pocket and I can’t get it out, and I want to do the romantic thing but I can’t.”
Mandy laughed, and in order for them to get the velvet box out of his jeans, they had to cut away the pocket.
“See, I blew it, completely blew it.”
She cupped his face, kissing him deeply. “Get down on one knee and finish it.”
Butler slid to the floor, box in hand, and he opened it up. The engagement ring was stunning, beautiful, and everything she didn’t even realize that she wanted.
“Mandy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
She nodded her head, holding her hand out as he slid the ring on her finger, which was a perfect fit.
He pulled her into his arms and she closed her eyes, loving his touch around her. She loved him so much.
“I wanted this to be perfect.”
“Stop worrying, Butler. This is perfect, and I know I will never, ever forget this proposal, not ever.” She cupped his face, kissing him again. “I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you.”
“Good, because I intend to make you feel that for the rest of our lives.”
“You promise?”
“It’s a guarantee.”
****
Billionaire Bikers Picnic
“What do you think?” Lash asked.
“I don’t know, and I don’t trust it.” Devil wrinkled his nose, not really sure what to do.
“The invite said we should bring our families.”
“Do you really want to take that risk?” Tiny asked.
“They’ve got a unicorn stand. Who the fuck gives unicorns at an MC meeting?” Butler asked.
Devil glanced around the large field. The house they’d been invited to was huge and looked more like a mansion than a home. Stands were set up, and the actual picnic looked out of place, especially as he spotted several MCs each in their groups. He saw the Trojans MC, Dirty Fuckers, Saints and Sinners, then of course there was them, The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds MC.
Their reputation for sticking together was why both clubs had ridden together today. Lash had been by his side with several of their club at their backs.
He could just see his little girls squealing with delight over the teddy bear stand.
“I feel like I’ve walked into an alternate reality right now,” Dick said. “Everything looks … weird.”
“Then blink.”
His hand was on his gun, poised and ready as the Billionaire Bikers made their way out. They were dressed in suits, all ten of them. He spotted three of the men with their old ladies, but that still wasn’t enough for him to back down.
“Welcome,” Russ said.
Devil made it his business to know every single MC Prez. He could spot them in every single MC here.
“You do realize the fucking risks here, right?” Duke asked. “Or do you think you’re above such risks with your money?”
“I don’t think that at all. None of us do. I know that to many of you our club is a mockery, but I promise you it isn’t. There’s something I want.”
“Dirty Fuckers don’t play this game, we never have,” James said.
Saint remained silent. Devil waited, and when Russ turned to look at him, he knew business was about to go down.
“I know it was a long shot with the other clubs, but I want to let you all know that we know about your current alliance. We want to talk business, plans, and a future that can help many people, not just our clubs.”
Devil glanced at Lash then back at Russ. He knew what the club was talking about. “We’re listening.”
“Good, this is not a joke. We’d very much like for you to invite your families. This is a sign that we are no threat to you.”
Grabbing his cell phone, Devil dialed Lexie’s number. “Babe, how would you like to make a day of it?”