Page 90 of Rex

“No! I didn’t! I’d never hurt Aria! I love her!” he screams.

Chubs pushes past me and plants his fist in Dale’s stomach. Jumping back, we all avoid the vomit spewing from his mouth.

“She’s my sister! You are in for a world of pain, buddy,” Chubs advises before delivering another punch, then dodging more vomit.

Dale cries in large, gulping sobs before focusing on something behind me.

“Are you wearing my clothes?” he asks in a suddenly calm voice. “You stole my stuff?”

“Fucker is delusional. He kills his mom and aunt, stalks Aria, and yet is offended that I’m forced to wear his worn-out, ragged-ass clothes. I need to punch him myself just because he has no fashion sense,” Horse mutters.

“Wait, guys. It gets better,” Pooh says with a snicker.

Stepping past me, Pooh turns Dale around then jerks his sweatpants down to his knees, and Dale starts crying again. When I see what Pooh’s exposed, I see red. Emerald green, satin, and lace panties are stretched to their limits on Dale’s fat ass. They’re tearing at the seams and are only holding on by a prayer. One of Aria’s items that Dale took from her home.

Jumping forward, I start swinging at any part of him I can hit. Pooh quickly exits the tiny room but shouts a warning about Dale’s tendency to spew bodily fluids. I’m at the point I don’t even care. I land punches until my arms are too heavy to lift again. Stepping back, I wipe the sweat off my face with my shirt and take deep breaths.

“Didn’t even hit him in the head, and he’s out cold. The fucker has no tolerance for pain of any sort,” Horse muses.

“He fainted. What a Nancy-assed bitch,” Chubs says in disgust.

“When you’re done, come upstairs, and I’ll fill you in on what happened,” Gunner says from the stairway.

“I’m not hitting him again until he’s awake and can feel it. On my way, Prez,” Chubs says in a cheery tone, and I agree, so I follow him upstairs.

“Chubs wanted to be at the cabin with you guys, and Cash was tied up. I volunteered and took his place at her office,” Gunner starts explaining but stops when his eyes meet mine.

I’m guessing the surprise on my face must have showed because he dropped his head, staring at his feet for several seconds before meeting my eyes again.

“I get why you’re surprised I’d volunteer, Rex. I’ve been an ass to you and about Aria’s protection. I never—and I mean never—thought her safety wasn’t important. I didn’t take the situation as seriously as I should have, though, and that’s on me. I had an issue within my marriage, and I let it color my behavior toward everyone else. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that. Same to you, Chubs. Your family is an extension of our club family and should have been treated that way. I fucked—” Gunner explains, but I cut him off prematurely.

“We can discuss this in private,” I offer while pointing at Chubs to include him too.

“No, we can’t. I bitched at you, negated all the work you do for the club in front of others, so the least I can do is apologize in public too. I fucked up and took my shit out on you, and it was wrong. Aria’s an important part of our club family. She’s already stepped up and helped the club out and earned more than I gave back. It won’t happen again, and I hope we can put this behind us.”

“Done,” Chubs says immediately, and I repeat the word a second after him.

“Good. Let’s move on then. I was sitting in the waiting room, just like a regular patient, when that simple fuck walked in and demanded to see Aria. Said he was her fiancé. When the woman working the front asked for his name, he said he was Rex Caddel and then brandished a knife. The woman started screaming, and I tackled him. I got him down and then Aria and her partner tied his hands and feet for me. Put him in my truck, called James to pick up Aria, and I came here. After stringing him up downstairs, I went home to change clothes and have Aria sew up a small knife wound I got in my thigh when I tackled him,” Gunner explains with a grin.

“Best part of the story, though, is when Aria was helping to tie him up. He kept telling her how they were meant to be together and babbling about his love for her. Apparently, your woman can be short on patience because about thirty seconds into it, she raised up and came down with an elbow between his eyes. Shocked him so much he started crying. Her partner, Georgeanne, was very impressed and asked where she learned that move,” Gunner says, then stops for a minute to laugh.

“Aria says, ‘Pooh taught me that move. Said the elbow is the hardest thing in the human body, and I remembered that shit. Damn! That felt good! Can I do it again?’” Gunner laughs again then finishes with, “I told her she could practice on this jackoff for as long as she wants. Dale got a few more elbows to the face, and I think Pooh’s gained a whole new customer base.”

We all laugh, and I breathe easy for the first time in what feels like years. Standing, I walk to Gunner and hold my hand out, thanking him for what he did today. He grips my hand then pullsme in for a one-armed hug. Stepping back, I know we’re good again.

“Did you tell him what I did?” Aria shouts excitedly as she comes into the room with James following.

She moves with speed until her body collides with mine, and I wrap my arms around her. Holding her, knowing she’s safe, feels perfect. I continue keeping her close to me until Chubs forces an arm between us and pulls her to him instead. I shoot an angry glare at him, but he just grins as he hugs his sister.

When she finally pulls free of her brother, I capture a hand and pull her against my side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I did what you told me to do, Pooh! Elbow! Right between his eyes! Bam!” she states with a wide smile.

Pooh grins back and gives her a thumbs-up.

“I wish I’d seen it happen,” he tells her. “Oh wait! Maybe Rex can pull up the video for us?”

“I heard about it on the way here. I’d rethink arguing with her, Rex. She’s hoping to get to use the move again someday,” James says with a chuckle.

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