Page 81 of Pigeon

“Fuck yeah, when the time’s right,” he answers immediately.

“Are we going to lose our shit like Gunner or be the nutjob dad that Axel is?” I ask.

“I’m going to be Livi’s rock, not to steal Gunner’s useless words. Nobody can be the nutjob Axel is, so we’re safe on that count. You’ll lose your shit when Ivy’s in labor, though.”

“Why would you think that?” I question loudly in an offended tone.

“Jesus, Pigeon. Her foot’s been healed for weeks, and you’re still trying to carry her everywhere,” Cash replies with a smirk.

“Maybe I just like carrying my wife,” I lamely defend myself.

The man needs to speak more and see less.

“Yeah, and that doesn’t scream any indication of how you’ll be when she’s in pain, and you can’t stop it? You can only stand by, watch, and know you’re the reason she’s being torn in half? Or that there’s going to be time during the labor that she’s going to hate you? With a fucking vengeance.”

Maybe the man doesn’t need to speak more.

“I liked you better when you were a silent fucker,” I mutter and walk away, listening to his laughter.

Keeping one eye open for any sneak attack Rex might attempt, I take a seat on a couch. Rex still hasn’t gotten even with Reeves and me, so neither of us are comfortable when he’s in the room. I wish to hell the techy bastard would just do what he’s going to do and get it over with. The waiting and watching for it is worse than whatever pain he’ll inflict.

Glancing at my phone, I see the time and realize Ivy’s really late. She was supposed to meet me here after she finalized the sale for two of her studs. She should have been here before me. Hitting her contact, I wait while it rings. When it goes to voicemail, I disconnect. Feeling uneasy but thinking over Cash’s words, I ignore the feeling.

I force myself to wait ten minutes before calling her number again. Still no answer. Before I can panic too much, Mac distracts me. Standing on the table closest to the couch, he starts stomping his feet in a beat I recognize but can’t name. I laugh out loud, though, when he starts singing, and I know why the beat was familiar. As Mac sings “Love Stinks” by the J. Geils Band, stomping out the drumbeats, he gains everyone’s attention. Laughter from the men, sympathy from the women, Mac continues his unrequited love song of sorts.

Stopping abruptly, Mac asks me, “You have pecans? Fucking pecans?”

“Nope, buddy, sorry, I don’t have pecans or fucking pecans.”

“Chingalinga, my feathered ass. Mac’s chingalinga!” he shouts in anger.

The strain of not gaining Priscilla’s undying love is making Mac crack up. We have a dire situation of a bird going over the edge on our hands. Axel unknowingly happens to enter the room at the most unfortunate moment. Mac’s head snaps his direction, and he takes flight. Axel’s eyes widen as he sees Mac in full-on attack mode and headed directly for him.

Axel drops his bowl of cereal and makes a break for the door. Mac effortlessly changes direction and screams, “G.M.S., asshole!”

Axel makes some impressive moves trying to avoid Mac’s attack, with the final one being a belly dive under a table. Mac lands on the floor in front of Axel and sticks his face close to the terrorized biker.

“Why you coming after me?” Axel asks loudly in confusion and, most likely, fear.

“Priscilla!” Mac screeches.

“Not my fault she loves me and not you,” Axel taunts with a grin.

“Don’t go that route, Axel,” Petey advises.

“But it’s the truth. Don’t be a sore loser, Mac,” Axel says, ignoring the great advice of his father.

Mac shakes his whole body and then attacks. Using his beak, he clamps down on Axel’s chin and hangs on. Axel’s head slams into the bottom of the table as he tries to get loose from Mac. The table crashes to the floor sideways. Male screams and bird screeches erupt at the same time as feathers flutter around them. Axel manages to break loose, but Mac’s a persistent little fucker. As Axel tries to gain his feet, Mac attacks his unprotected ass. The large biker makes an ungodly sound, but the bite motivates his feet to get under him. Standing, upper-half turned around, Axel tries to pry Mac’s beak loose, whining the whole time. When he manages to free his ass from the crazed bird, he grips both of Mac’s feet in one hand and holds him at arm’s length.

“What’s going on?” Craig asks.

Shifting my eyes to the kid, I see Craig, Luke, and the twins leading Moose and Matilda through the main room.

“Mac’s lost his damn mind!” Axel shouts.

“Why are there donkeys in the clubhouse?” Axel then asks in a calmer voice. Probably calmer now that Mac’s incapable of inflicting more pain at the moment.

“We’re practicing our leading skills,” Craig answers like it’s completely normal to do this in the dark.

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