Page 21 of Mama & Pops

Mama

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect the club to be lined up outside the garage like Pops had told them to be. And when the fuck had I embraced these stupid names everyone had started calling us? I wasn’t anyone’s mama. Wasn’t ever gonna be.

Heavy sigh… Except I was. Started with Alex. Then Gracie and her unborn child. Now this whole fucking club. I was getting soft. Which pissed me off to no end. Sure enough, when I got out to the garage, there they were. Every single one of them was at attention like it was the second day of basic training and they were determined not to give the sergeant any reason to get all up in their shit.

Pops stalked past me, his game face firmly in place. “Gonna be some fuckin’ changes around here. Startin’ this very fuckin’ second.” A couple of them glanced at each other, and Pops jumped all over that shit.

He moved quickly, like he was expecting this very thing and was ready to shut it down. Getting in the faces of the two in question, he yelled as effectively as anyone I’d ever met in the Army.

“You two got a fuckin’ problem?” When one of them opened his mouth, Pops continued, his voice carrying all over the compound. Almost made me wince. Almost made me smile, too. “No one cares if you’ve got a fuckin’ problem! It’s my way or the highway. Hell. Ain’t even no highway option. You will do what the fuck I say and you’ll fuckin’ like it! You clear?”

“Sir, loud and clear, sir,” he yelled back, staring straight ahead.

“Don’t fuckin’ call me sir.”

The guy faltered, looking up at Pops instead of staring straight ahead. “Uh… Pops?”

Pops was silent for a long while, staring both those fuckers down like they really were back in the service. These two were Marines. Most of the others were Army, but there were a smattering of Navy and Air Force. And why the fuck had I made it my business to know that shit? Christ.

“Good. Listen up because I’m only gonna go over this once.”

Taz chose that moment to enter the yard. He stood beside me and nudged my shoulder. When I looked up at him, he appeared to be struggling to keep the amusement off his face. Which made me scowl all the harder at him.

Pops continued. “Taz has a situation he has to deal with. He’ll be gone for a while. Ain’t sure how long. He’s leavin’ me and Mama in charge.” Surprisingly, no one gave any side looks or showed any surprise, their training kicking in as I’d hoped it would. This was, after all, basic stuff. “He let you be laid back and adjust for a while, but I’m done with that. We got shit to do around here to make this place livable and we’re gonna get it done. Anyone who ain’t on board, get the fuck out.”

No one moved. Taz cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Not sure how long I’ll be gone, but there is no negotiation. You do what Mama and Pops say or you’re out. I don’t care why, or how unfair you think it is; if they say you’re gone, you’re gone. Even if I don’t agree with them, they’re still in charge. I will not override their decisions.” He glared at each of them for a long moment before continuing. “A word of advice to all of you, and I suggest you pass it on to anyone and everyone who comes to this place looking for a home. Of the two of ‘em, y’all might think Pops is the bigger threat. He’s not. Mama will have your balls sliced clean from your body before you even know she’s near you. Don’t fuck with either of them, but especially don’t fuck with Mama.”

“Now you’re just taking away all my fuckin’ fun,” I muttered. I was secretly pleased he’d done it, but I also knew there would be a couple who’d test me. There always were.

As I glanced around, I found two, possibly three, who would test me. I could see it in the way their gazes slid to me. They were all young -- none of them over twenty-three or twenty-four -- but they had been on their own long enough to not take kindly to a woman giving them orders.

I walked up to the biggest of them. He was a good three or four inches taller than me, but I managed to get in his face. “I see you got a problem with me bein’ in charge.” My voice was quiet, as deadly as I could make it. “You gonna test me, do it now. I won’t have anyone claimin’ I snuck up on ‘em before I nutted ‘em.” I stepped back a couple of steps and held out my hands to my sides, raising an eyebrow. “Take your best shot, motherfucker.”

As I expected, the guy lunged for me, going for his arms around my waist, probably to take me down in a football tackle. Amateur. I went down to one knee and uppercut his crotch with as much force as I could. The guy let out a startled yelp, then went down to his knees, clutching his privates.

I spun out of the way so he couldn’t reach me if he tried. Immediately, the other two charged. One of them I punted on the side of the knee. The other one wrapped two brawny arms around me from behind. I snapped my head back twice, my height letting me catch him in the nose. He staggered back and I nailed him with a spinning kick so my heel connected with his jaw.

“Who’s next?” I glared at the three men on the ground before staring down the rest of them. Mike, bless his heart, stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a big-ass shit-eating grin on his face.

He looked at Taz. “That’s my woman.”

The men on the ground groaned, looking to Taz for… something. I had no idea what, but this would define our relationship with this club. If it wasn’t to my satisfaction, I’d take Gracie and Liam and we’d get the fuck out. Start our own fucking club.

Taz shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I tried to fuckin’ warn ya.”

I waited until the guy whose knee I’d taken out attempted to stand. He looked up at me, pain on his face. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“Mama. My name is Mama.”

I reached down to offer him a hand up. The kid nodded as he took my hand and stood. “Mitch Bohannon. They call me Brutal.”

The one I’d kicked in the face was already on his feet, holding out a hand to me. “Mason Gray.” He shrugged. “Gray.”

The poor guy I’d nailed in the balls had made it to one knee, but he didn’t look like he was ready to go farther. “Gerald Ferguson, ma’am.”

“Mama.” I grinned, holding out a hand to him. “Got a road name?”

He gasped for air. Though he took my hand, he couldn’t seem to get to his feet. Kid shook his head before dropping my hand, one arm braced on his knee, the other went back to his balls. “Nah.”

---