Golden Atonement - Chapter 61

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Savage

“Damn it, Jess. He’s gonna be here any minute.”

“Not my fucking problem!” my beautiful, stubborn wife shouted as she marched her fine ass toward the kitchen. Damn. Just looking at that ass had me thinking about all kinds of salacious, wonderful things I wanted to do to it. Since that fucktard in Rosewood arrested my woman, I’d been to the promised land, and while I was happy that Reaper was coming for a visit, he was seriously hampering my fun time with my wife. If that motherfucker stopped me from my sexy fun time tonight, I was gonna kill him myself. “Until he fucking apologizes to me, he doesn’t exist!”

Jesus fucking Christ.

If it wasn’t my woman, it was Stella. Both women were on a fucking tear and neither Digger nor I could get them to see reason. Not that either woman would listen to reason.

Fuck no.

They wanted penance.

They wanted groveling.

They wanted their pound of flesh.

“Digger, are you just gonna sit there?”

“What you want me to do?” The lazy fucker shrugged while he continued working on his new fishing lure. Since Stella bought him a kit where he could make his own fishing shit, the fucker had given up his other hobby of making homemade demolitions.

Of which we were all grateful.

“I just got out of the doghouse. I ain’t going back in it. Besides, all Reaper’s gotta do is apologize. My Stella is reasonable.”

Staring at the fucker in shock, I ignored Trout’s laughter.

“Yeah, Dig,” his brother Chipper deadpanned. “Remind me again how reasonable Stella was when you yelled at her for using your new tackle box as her new makeup kit?”

“Or when you accidentally melted down one of her new cast iron skillets for scrap metal?” Whiskey added.

“Hey!” Dig shouted. “That was not my fault. I thought the skillet was old.”

“It was still in the fucking box, you moron.” Trout laughed.

They were useless.

All of them.

Looking around, I asked, “Where the hell is Slaughter?”

The smile fell from everyone’s faces as Dig muttered, “He’s visiting with Julie.”

Well shit.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I asked, “Any change?”

“No,” Whiskey solemnly replied. “The latest news wasn’t good, brother.”

“How bad we talkin’?”

“The doc asked Slaughter to sit down with a woman from the hospital regarding organ donation.”

“Fuck,” I muttered.

“Yeah,” Dig sighed just as the front doors opened and in walked the man of the fucking hour with a damn smile on his face. However, the second he looked at us, his smile fell. “What the hell happened now? Who died?”

No one responded as they stared at our president.

“Yeah, Reaper, maybe curb the death talk while you’re here.”

“Is it Julie?” Remi asked, looking concerned.

Whiskey nodded. “Yeah. It’s not good news.”

“Where are Stella and Jess?” she asked.

“In the kitchen,” I informed when I walked over to greet Reaper. He looked good. Happy even, as he watched his wife disappear from the room before he turned back to me.

“How bad are we talking?”

“They’re talking organ donation.”

“Shit,” he cursed, then asked, “Where is Slaughter?”

“At Rosewood Memorial. Visiting hours are over at eight tonight. So don’t expect him anytime soon.”

Reaper nodded when Bayou walked through the doors, talking to a club prospect I hadn’t met before.

“Take them straight upstairs, Romeo.”

“But how will I know which room is whose?”

Bayou rolled his eyes. “How about reading the nameplates on the doors?”

“Oh yeah.” The prospect grinned goofily as he hurried upstairs, loaded down with bags.

“Not sure about that one, Reaper. He’s dumber than a box of rocks.”

“Fine.” Reaper grinned. “Then you can tell Axel his baby brother ain’t living up to the Golden Standard.”

“Fuck that,” Bayou groaned. “I tell him, then I’ll have to deal with Player and Massacre, and that’s not mentioning Maria. Hell, if it means we get to keep Maria, I’ll deal with the idiot.”

Slapping Bayou on the back, I asked, “When did you get back, man? I didn’t know you were coming.”

My brother glared at Reaper, thumbing his finger toward our Prez. “Never make a late-night phone call to him. It won’t end well.”

“Not my fucking fault you found a Russian woman on the side of the road that had information everyone wanted.”

“Huh?” I muttered.

“Long story. Needless to say, Viper and I are home,” he replied, looking around the main room. “Where’s Jessica and Stella? Thought for sure they would be here to greet us.”

“Uh,” I gulped, side-eyeing Reaper. “About that.”

And as if on cue, Reaper shouted, “Jessica Doherty Keller! Get your ass out here and welcome home your brother!”

“Uh, Prez,” I blurted. “I wouldn’t…”

“You are no brother of mine!” my woman sneered as she stormed out of the kitchen with Stella and a grinning Remi behind her. “You think you can waltz back in here and everything will be hunky-dory? Well, think again.”

“You tell him, Jess,” Stella clipped while she cocked her hip to the side, daring Reaper to say one fucking word.

Remi chuckled as she walked over to the bar and leaned against it, watching the showdown. “God, I’ve missed you ladies.”

“Uncle Reaper!” Hailey screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran past everyone, damn near jumping into Reaper’s arms. “I’ve missed you.”

“Jesus,” Reaper gasped, taking a step back. “What the hell, Savage? She’s gotten big!”

“Funny how disappearing for over a fucking year will do that,” Jess snarked.

“Is Jesse with you?” Hailey asked, ignoring the hostility.

“No, sweetheart. He and Emma stayed home with Sandman and Sunny. School started for them.”

“Are you staying here forever?”

“No, sweetie. Aunt Remi and I live in California now, but you can come visit anytime you want.”

“Come on, Hailey,” I said, reaching for my niece. “Let’s give Uncle Reaper a chance to catch up with his sister.”

“Momma said she was gonna cut his balls off.”

Remi roared with laughter as Digger and Whiskey hid their own chuckles. Handing Hailey off to Trout, I turned just as my beautiful wife sucker punched her brother in the stomach.

Gasping for air, Reaper hunched over as my woman sneered. “You ever pull that shit again and no one will ever find your body.”

Face red, Reaper simply nodded.