Joy nods, looking around. It’s not quite as fancy as the one at the clubhouse, but honestly, I don’t know anyone with a setup quite like Pops’.
“Over here, baby.” Momma waves me over and I smile when I notice she’s saved my old bunk for Kit. “Tuck your baby girl in Reid, and then you go fuck up whoever dares step foot on our land. Got it?”
“Yes, Momma.” I press a kiss to her grey hair before doing exactly what she said.
I lay Kit in the bed and let Joy fuss over her daughter, pressing kisses to her face, smoothing her hair back and pulling the covers up when Kit rolls onto her side and curls into a little ball. As soon as Joy steps back I step forward and press my lips to Kit’s forehead. I breathe in her scent as I make a silent promise that as long as I live, she will be safe. Pulling back I stand to my full height, hooking Joy over the shoulders with my arm and pulling her into me, letting her melt into my chest as I breathe her in like I did our daughter. I commit their scents to memory, knowing that if shit goes wrong tonight I may never see them again.
“Come back to me, Reid. I mean it.” Joy grips my cut in her hands so tight I can see her white knuckles.
“I will make sure that no one gets our girl. No one.”
She leans back, her dark eyes on mine, and I know what I said isn't what she wants to hear. She wants me to promise that I’ll make it back to her, but there is no point in me doing that if I can’t stop Petrov and his men. I’m not starting our love story on a lie, so I don’t say a thing. I press my lips to hers, hard,punishing, as I taste her knowing that she is it for me. Knowing that I have to do whatever it takes to make sure she is happy and safe.
“I love you, Joy. Look after our girl.”
“I love you too, Reid. We’ll be waiting.”
There. There she is. Chin up. Regal. Not showing an ounce of fear. Letting me know she’s got this. And I’ve got her.
“Cousin, it’s time.” Gallows slaps a huge hand on my shoulder and all but drags me from the room.
“Thanks, Grayson.”
Gallows head jerks up at my use of his government name. “You know, I was ready to kick your ass earlier today.” My brows jump to my hairline as I follow him up the basement stairs. “You call me in, ask me to look after the DRMC Ol Ladies and land me in a pile of shit. Did you know those women don’t know how to listen?”
A laugh bursts out of me and my brothers that happened to hear Gallows’ grousing.
“I’m being serious,” he says, hands on hips. “Thank fuck we ain’t got no Ol Ladies where I’m from. If I have my way, there won’t be any. Especially if they’re anything like the ones y’all have got.”
“Give it time,” Blanche says as she gets to the landing in the hall, a gun in each hand.
Gallows stares at her as if she’s grown two heads and then visibly flinches when Chewy steps up besides Blanche on one side, Lovely and Loyal on the other side.
“No.Fuckno,” Rhodie growls as he storms toward his woman, his brothers in law backing him up. Well, Jules and Gus anyway.
“What?” Chewy asks, brows raised in shock as her rounded belly sticks out.
“Nope. You are downstairs, with the others. There is no fuckingwayyou’re going into a fucking gun fight carrying ourbaby. Nope.” Rhodie tries to bundle Chewy up who rolls her eyes.
“I’m not disabled, Rhodes.”
“No, but you’re growing a person, Dayz. If anything happens to you, that baby doesn't make it,” Gus says, coming to a stop in front of her.
“Hate to say it, Dayz, but you gotta sit this one out,” Pops says. “If you want, I’ll make sure I maim one so you can play with him later.”
“You promise?” Chewy asks with a pout. Gallows’ eyes bounce back and forth during this exchange before he catches my gaze and raises his brows as if he’s proving to me that our women are legitimately nuts.
“I promise,” Pops answers and Chewy lets out a bone weary sigh.
“Fine. I will go and hide with the weenies.” She fist bumps the women sadly and lets Rhodie lead her out of the room.
“And the rest of you?” Gallows makes the terrible fucking mistake of asking the other Ol Ladies ready to fight.
“What about us?” Blanche asks, not even looking at Gallows, her eyes on her gun as she runs her checks.
“Shouldn’t you be downstairs?”
“Oh, brother.” Tav slaps his hand on Gallows shoulder. “You have no idea who you’re talking to, do you?” Gallows frowns at him and Tav grins. “May I introduce the Landry women? Two biological, and one married in. These women are ex-Eden’s Keep.”
