Page 40 of Marx

A snort escapes me and Marx helps me into my seat. It’s not something I couldn’t do myself, but Marx has been incredibly attentive. I can see that he’s trying to make up for all of his past behaviours, and it’s endearing. It doesn’t mean I’m going to forget the things he said, but I have forgiven him. People may think that makes me weak, but I think life is too short to hold someone’s forgiveness in your hands and not grant it.

“Thank you,” he whispers, brushing a kiss to the top of my head and then moving to his side of the vehicle.

“For what? I haven’t done anything?”

“For giving me a chance, Lovely.”

“Everyone deserves a chance, Marx.” A muffled groan comes from behind me. “Well, most people deserve a chance.”

Marx gives me a crooked grin and we ride in comfortable silence, each of us in our thoughts. We pull in next to all the DRMC SUVs and bikes and other forms of transport, all parked outside Pops’ office. Office is an understatement. The place is a full sized barn. Excitement fizzes up in my tummy and I rush to get out of the ATV.

“Slow down, I promise you won’t miss out on anything.” Marx shakes his head, a smile on his lips at my excitement.

He throws the sheriff over his shoulder, then with a hand on my lower back he guides me to the door of the office. I open it as Marx has his hands full and we step inside.

“Dammit Chewy! I thought I told you to stay away!”

Marx

I should have known she had been playing it too cool. The last time I was in here was when I had to talk Sniper down from killing his brother there and then. Instead, he gave him a hell of a beating and we agreed the only people in and out would be TumTum, Chef and Niko, to keep everyone fed and watered. As per usual Chewy has done what Chewy likes to do.

“What? I was keeping them comfortable.”

That’s debatable. All five of the men are hanging from the ceiling, with just enough chain to have their toes touch theground. All of them seem to be trying to get themselves higher, and I understand why. In front of each man, sitting on stools at crotch height are jars filled with Chewy’s favorite fish. If that isn’t pants pissingly scary enough, the Landrys have their gator, Gretchen, with them.

“Aww, did she lose another toe?” Lovely asks, spinning to look at Vic, Chris and Dom.

“Yeah, poor old girl. She’s been having trouble healing, that’s why we brought her with us,” Vic answers.

“Well, that, and disposal.”

“I dunno guys, flash freezing and meat grinding them seems to be pretty efficient,” Chewy says, moving around the room with the ease of someone who grew up in this space.

“No reason we can’t do both,” Rhodie says, snagging his Ol Lady and dropping a kiss to her upturned lips. I can’t wait to be able to do that with Lovely. She’s given me a chance, and there’s no way I’m gonna fuck up again.

The sheriff on my shoulder squirms and I dump his ass on the ground. It’s a long way down for someone who can’t break his own fall, so he lands with a long groan, rolling in pain.

“Tsk tsk, should have been a good boy, huh Sheriff?” Chewy asks, whipping the cheery yellow pillowcase from his head.

Kelson’s eyes dart around the room, eyes growing wider and wider until it looks like it hurts. I run my gaze around the room, taking it in just like Kelson. The outside is rustic, the typical red barn you’d see on any patch of land in rural America. But that’s where the rustic ends. The inside of Pops’ office is lined in stainless steel. We are standing in the main room, but there are at least 5 other smaller rooms on one side of the barn. There is also a bathroom and one of those shower things you see on pandemic films where they go in there to decontaminate. Why Pops and Chewy would need this shit is beyond me, but afterseeing what the kids had set up in their own clubhouse, I’m sure they’ll appreciate this space in the future.

“Babe, untie him and move him to the hot seat, please,” Chewy says in a perky voice. Doing this type of work is the only time her voice has animation to it.

The brothers and I line ourselves against the walls. There is a small seating area, but that’s been taken by the Girl Gang and Pops. I know Chewy has a plan. She always does. She deftly ties the sheriff to the chair, and then runs her hands over his body, my brother growling when she gets to Kelson’s junk.

“Where are his weapons?” Chewy asks, looking puzzled.

“He didn’t have any on him,” Niko answers. He’s the one who hog tied him and threw him in the ATV, so he’d know.

“You don’t think it’s weird the sheriff, who tried taking us out, who is in bed with two cartels, is unarmed?” Chewy says frowning.

“Those damn kids!” Blanche growls. Niko must know his mother is about to lose it because he yells that he’ll check the kids clubhouse and is gone in moments.

“Anyone else thinking we should just send the kids to take care of the cartel? They’re dangerous as fuck and really the only thing holding them back is their early as shit bedtimes.” Blanche glares at Rider and he grins back at her. One day all the shit he gives people is gonna come back at him and it’ll be fucking glorious.

“Babe! Music me. I feel in the mood for something, hmm, something perky,” Chewy demands.

Rhodie fucks about with this phone, then the opening vocals of “Bye Bye Bye” blast out through the surround sound system.

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