****
“Ava, I love you and I’m glad we’re trying. I want to marry you,” Smokey said.
“I don’t get it. Are you asking her or stating that you want to?” Ugly Beast asked.
“I hate you right now.”
“Hate me. You’re not the one who has to sit and listen to his prez stumble over some quick and easy words.”
“You’re supposed to be helping me.”
“I am. We’re on a stakeout of the Twisted Bastards MC due to an anonymous tip. I didn’t know that would mean I’d have to list to your endless list of shit proposals.”
Smokey wasn’t exactly happy about talking to his sergeant at arms about this either. He originally planned to do the stakeout with Raven, but with how new his relationship was with Ava, he didn’t want to mess that up. This required a woman’s touch. There was no way he was asking Abriana or Harlow since both women would go to Ava immediately.
He’d been tempted to ask her to marry him when she’d forgiven him in the car. That had been two weeks ago. He still hadn’t asked.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him because he wanted to marry this woman. She was his old lady in every single way that counted.
“You’re supposed to be able to help me. You’re married.”
Ugly Beast laughed. “Do you even remember how I got married?”
Smokey sighed. “I arranged it. It was purely a business deal, but you and Abriana are going strong. You could help.”
“I can’t tell you how to marry a woman, Smokey. I didn’t even know how to marry Abriana and be a good husband. It takes time and effort.”
“You’re not even tempted by any of the other women, are you?”
“Hell, no. If you’re worried other women are going to have your attention, you’re doing this all wrong and should just be a co-parent or whatever that is.”
Smokey tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He wanted to try again with his proposal, but he’d put Ugly Beast through a lot already.
“What’s it like to watch the birthing process?”
“Holy shit, have I turned into your bitch now?”
“I’m still the boss and can whoop your ass. Don’t start.”
Ugly Beast ran a hand down his face. “We’re not girlfriends. We shouldn’t be sharing this shit.”
“I know. I get it, but … Ava’s getting bigger and well, she will drop soon, won’t she?” Smokey asked. “I want to be in the room with her, but I’ve heard of some guys fainting. Is it the blood?”
Ugly Beast turned toward him. “We’re really doing this?”
“I want to know.”
“Dude, your woman’s pussy is only so big and that thing has got to stretch to pop a kid out.”
Smokey winced.
“Yeah, it’s magical and all that. I held Abriana’s hand. The screams alone are enough. She’s going to be in pain. A lot of pain. You can’t stop it. You can’t make the doctors do anything if it’s too late. You’re helpless.” Ugly Beast spun back around to face outside. “It’s a lot to take in. It’s not easy. With Abriana, I struggled. I wanted to kill every single fucking asshole in the room because they couldn’t take the pain away.”
“So, I’m not going to enjoy the birthing process.”
“No. You’re going to hate yourself and everyone around you. Then you’re going to hear this scream and it’s going to be an amazing sound. Your son or daughter is going to unleash in the world and you want to protect and love it for the rest of your life.”
A smile played on Ugly Beast’s lips, and for the first time in his life, Smokey was envious.
Ugly Beast had experienced love and having a child. Smokey wanted to have that as well.
“You’ll find in time, you’ll become anything and everything for your child and your woman, Smokey. We’ve got movement,” Ugly Beast said.
Focusing back on the road, Smokey watched as three Twisted Bastards MC left the bar that they’d been at. Three girls were under their arms, all laughing.
Rather than follow them down the street in the car, he and Ugly Beast climbed out.
Keeping a distance, he put his hand on his gun, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
No one paid them any attention as they walked down an abandoned alley. He heard the men demand the women get on their knees, ready to take cock. Smokey wasn’t ready to see any of the men’s cocks, but he waited until they were vulnerable enough.
It wasn’t long before their pants were around their ankles and the women were sucking at them.
“Showtime’s over,” Smokey said. He pointed the gun at the bastard’s head while Ugly Beast came up behind him.
The women screamed at the sight of the guns, and they ran in the opposite direction. Ugly Beast laughed. “Well, well, well, I was out for some takeout and look what I find.”
“Fuck you,” the one on the right said.
Smokey took aim and fired in the fucker’s thigh. He went down.
Ugly Beast tutted as the other two went to help their friend. “Don’t move. Your dicks are still swinging free and I’m very trigger happy right now.”
“What the fuck do you want?” the one he’d shot asked.
“What’s Creed up to?” This was a long shot. Most men wouldn’t give up shit on their president, but seeing as none of the men he’d caught with their pants down had any patch other than a member’s one, they might value their lives more than their club.
“I don’t know, man.”
Smokey stared at the man. “Seeing as you don’t know anything, you’re free to go.”
The man looked at him. There was something about him that rubbed Smokey the wrong way. He started down the alley, pants around his ankles, dripping blood, and he didn’t even bother to look out for the men he was with.
Taking aim, he fired, shooting him in the back of the head. The man went down without issue.
Smokey spun around. “You’re all going to end up like that.” He smiled at each of them. “Now tell me, what’s Creed up to?”
He waited as both men looked at each other. The one nearest Ugly Beast started to talk. He listened to the information provided.
The moment the man had nothing to say and begged for his life, he shot the one who hadn’t spoken in the head, and Ugly Beast pounded the shit out of the rat. Even though they weren’t part of the Twisted Bastards, a rat was a rat, and they had to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Once Ugly Beast was done, he picked the man up, and they walked back to the car, dumping him in the trunk.
“Do you believe what they said?” Ugly Beast asked.
Smokey spun the wheel, heading them right back to Twisted territory. He parked several miles from the clubhouse. Ugly Beast got out and pulled the beat-up member, dumping him on the ground.
“I don’t care if it’s right or not. The fact is they know about Ava. I’ve got to protect her.”
Creed planned to kill Ava. That was what he’d been told tonight. His woman was in danger from being with him. He wasn’t going to allow her to be hurt because of him.
“I want around-the-clock protection on her.”