Page 21 of Reaping Havoc
“Right?” Nylah agreed. “Our men are crazy.”
We both sipped on our tea, lost in thought, and hoping what happened wasn’t a harbinger of more danger or some crazy vendetta against the club.
Gavin and Gage chose that moment to wake up. I heard their little feet running across the living room floor and their joy in finding Diablo, Chrome, and Bones seated on the couches. A few seconds later, the boys erupted in giggles.
Nylah stood with a smile, and I slowly joined her, peeking around the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. Gavin and Gage were tackling Shadow and Chrome. The two men had the boys on the floor and wrestled with them, using their Reapers to playfully growl at the twins.
Those boys never got scared. In fact, they loved it. Leave it to Rael to have kids who enjoyed being around Reapers. Chrome would probably be the same way with our son once he was home.
Despite the scare Nylah had earlier, it felt normal in the house. I didn’t have to guess why Grim ordered the guys to stay calm around us while providing protection. They were concerned I would have an episode. They didn’t need to worry.
I had come a long way since moving to Tonopah. The recovery process, thanks to the other ol’ ladies and Mimi’s therapy sessions, had helped bring healing to my ravaged soul.
The front door opened, and Mimi rushed inside, followed by Patriot.
He scowled at his brothers. “Couldn’t make her stay at The Crossroads without her sister and best friend.”
I smiled as Mimi hugged Nylah, then me.
“You both okay?”
“I’m fine. No one came to our house. Just here as far as I know.”
Chrome’s nod confirmed it as I caught his gaze.
Mimi frowned as she stared at the bikers in my living room. “You all need to move. Why would you take the most comfortable spot in the house from two pregnant women? Don’t you know how hard those dining room chairs are?”
Her hands went to her hips as she stared each of them down.
Every one of those inked, muscly, big men looked guilty as they jumped to their feet, making their way toward the porch as we flopped onto the couches, propping our feet.
“Much better,” I admitted as I watched all the guys exit in a hurry to get out of Mimi’s way, flooding the front porch with black leather vests, jeans, and shitkicker boots.
Nylah laughed. “We should have gotten mean like Mimi.”
She snorted. “They should all have their asses kicked, especially Chrome. He knows better.”
I thought it was hilarious. He’d given me an apologetic look as he went with his club brothers, but I knew he wouldn’t go far in case I needed him.
“This is almost like Thursday,” I mused. “We’re just missing the rest of the ol’ ladies.”
“Rael is spooked,” Nylah divulged. “He’s angry too. I think Grim has ordered families to The Crossroads until this is settled. Otherwise, it might have been fun to have all of them over.”
Mimi agreed.
Thursdays at The Crossroads meant we sat on the couches and took up space in the bar, ate snacks, drank our fruity and fancy drinks, and didn’t have to worry about the kids. The guys handled childcare for the afternoon.
It was one of my favorite parts of the week, even if Chrome and I didn’t need the break from kids yet. I loved spending time with the rest of the ol’ ladies and found sisters among them. Theclosest friendships I’d ever had which made moving here much simpler than I first imagined.
I had packed up my whole life and left my brother, also in an MC, in Detroit, while I followed my husband to Nevada. To Tonopah, of all places. A small town in the middle of the desert with the best stargazing I had ever seen in my life.
It couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. Just weeks after being assaulted, Chrome moved us away to join his brother in the Graven Bastards. I didn’t have to stay in a city where the memories of that horrible night were fresh all around me.
Nylah put a movie on for Gavin and Gage while we relaxed, happy to let the men handle food and security. After all, we earned it. Growing little humans was exhausting work.
MY STOMACH HARDENEDas I winced, breathing through the pain as I stood in the bathroom, fresh out of the shower. After giving birth to the twins in a previous pregnancy, I was accustomed to Braxton Hicks contractions. It didn’t make the experience any more pleasant.
I sighed as my body relaxed and the pains receded, finally able to finish getting dressed. It had grown late, and the boys were already in bed. Cameron and Mimi helped tuck them in, as I was feeling restless, another sign that my body was preparing for the birth of my daughter.
