Shain Chapter 16

I was both glad and tense about my next four days off. The tense part was due to Moose and most of the Regulators were coming to see how I was establishing myself in Tenillo. I kept reassuring him the whole club and especially Daredevil were treating me wonderfully and I was happy with the move. Sure, I missed them, but still I was thrilled with my new life. I didn't want them to come make waves.

The happy part was the four-day break from work. It wasn't because I disliked it or had problems with Grey or Frank. Since they ran into Saint and saw Daredevil eyeing them, they'd cut out the bullshit, and I'd like to think we were becoming friends. My man was reserving judgment. No, the reason I was happy to be off was because I was exhausted and worried.

Over the past week, the number of fires in our service area has increased. They went in cycles, so at first, I wasn't concerned. But after a second one was determined to be arson by the fire investigator when they hadn't had issues with arson cases in a long time, I began to wonder half-jokingly if the firebug from home followed me here. When I raised the possibility with Daredevil, he was quick to shoot it down. And his reasoning was logical. Why would anyone do that? Plus, there were arsonists all over the world, and who knew exactly what motivated them to start and stop.

Some did it for financial gain or insurance fraud, the for-profit category. Others wanted revenge or to conceal another crime like murder. Some just wanted to be mischievous or malicious to cause property damage. Those who wanted thrills, recognition, or were seeking attention, I understood at least on one level. A part of me felt sorry for those suffering psychological and emotional issues or feelings of loneliness and persecution. I had no heartfelt sympathy for those using it as a way to strike out against society.

There was psychology behind all the different kinds and as firefighters we were educated in them all, but the ability to spot them was extremely hard. They hid it well. You didn't just meet someone and see something outright which told you they were an arsonist, at least rarely. If it was this easy we'd catch most of them before they did too much damage. The reality was, many never get caught nor did they stop. They moved on.

The door opening to the clubhouse had me swinging around to the sight of my man, cousin, several Regulators, and a couple of Infidels strolling inside. How the hell did I miss the roar of their bikes? I must be more tired than I knew if I was this distracted. I rushed over to throw myself in Moose's arms. I hadn't truly realized how much I missed him until this moment. He hugged me so tightly that I swore he had dislocated a rib. I thumped him on the back to get him to let go.

"A-are you trying to break me?" I gasped when he did.

"You're growing soft down here in this tame climate. Pack your stuff. You're coming home with us," he snorted as he gazed at Daredevil.

"I'll be damned if you're taking her anywhere. This is her home. Don't forget, you're on our turf now. We know where to get rid of the bodies," was Daredevil's split-second reply.

My crazy cousin and his just-as-crazy club brothers snickered. "We'll risk it," Carnage told him boldly.

"Behave, or you're all going into timeout until you can play nicely together," I chided. This earned me indulgent grins from both sides.

"How was your ride?" I asked to divert them. I walked toward the bar. I figured they were thirsty and could stand a drink.

"It was smooth. The weather is sure much better the further down you come. It was thirty degrees when we rolled out in the wee hours of this morning. I thought my nuts were gonna freeze to the seat," Comet bitched.

"We don't wanna hear about your nuts, but if you're that worried, spend some of your damn money and buy a heated seat. I've told you it's some of the best money I've ever spent," I reminded him.

"Wait. Is your seat heated? Is it cooled too?" Boomer asked as he rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. I gave him a "duh" look as I nodded.

"Shit, outdone by her again. That's it. Take her back. She makes us look bad," he grumbled.

I cracked up. This set off the others to razz each other. They kept it up until everyone had a drink in hand. It was at this point I went to an open table and sat down. Daredevil took the chair on my right and Moose snagged the one on my left after giving Fender a dirty look.

"How long will this clown and his bunch be hanging around so we can't question you in private? Don't they know we're not intimidated? I'll just ask. Shain, tell me the truth. They're abusing you, and you want me to rescue you, but first, we have to kill them," Moose stated as he cast a slightly diabolical peek around at us.

"Whoa, someone took his crazy pill today, or did he wreck and give himself a traumatic brain injury on the way here? If it's the first one, take those damn pills away. If it's the latter, we have a solution to correct it. If you remove his head, the problem is fixed," Torpedo offered up. I wanted to point out that his expression was just as diabolical, so the same solutions could be applied to him.

The laughter and bantering attracted some of the women, and babies and kids came along with them. At the head of the bunch was the head mischief-maker, Morgan. She was smiling, and in her hands was her ever-present notebook. Oh boy, this should go over well. I had no idea how my cousin and the others would react to it, but it would be fun to watch, so I did nothing to divert her. Instead, I pushed my chair back so she could sit on my lap if she wanted. I shook my head in defeat when she tapped Daredevil's shoulder, and he automatically moved so she could sit on his knee. She turned to me after she settled.

"I'm only borrowing him. He's still yours. Since your family is here, I thought we should talk about what they're wearing and who's part of the wedding party." She opened her notebook and held her pen at the ready, acting all grown-up and official. Lord, I loved this kid. I went along with her.

"What a good idea, Morgan. Everyone, do you know Morgan? She's Ember and Rampage's oldest. Morgan, honey, let me introduce you to the Regulators."

I quickly ran through their names. She gave each a nod of welcome. She reminded me of a queen acknowledging her subjects. She wasn't snobbish, just regal. I purposefully made no mention of the word wedding. I wanted to see how long they would stay quiet about it. The last name barely left my mouth before Moose opened his, and the questions commenced.

"What the he-heck is she talking about? What wedding? Why would we need to dress differently or be a part of it?"

"Ooh, someone is about to die," Flint muttered gleefully in a singsong voice.

"I think we should clear out the women and children and get down to business," Howler added.

Crash cast a sad look at Vicious. "I love ya, cuz, but I gotta do what I gotta do to stop this. If this little one is talking about Shain in this wedding as a main player, then it's on like Donkey Kong." This got snorts from around the room.

"You do what you have to, and we'll do the same," was Vicious's calm reply.

"I'm talking about Daredevil and Shain's wedding. I'm their wedding coordinator. Shain said I could plan it as long as I gave her Daredevil. He's too old for me, and I'll meet a man who'll be even better when I'm older. Oh, and they might name a daughter after me," she informed them proudly.

"Morgan, sweetheart, no one said he would be better than me, just younger," Daredevil had to interject.

"Daughter? Wedding? Cover your ears, little girl," Moose told her gruffly. She did it without a protest and with a grin. Daredevil added his hands over the top of hers.

"Am I hallucinating, and there's a ring on her fourth left finger I can't see, fucker? Oh, and am I developing dementia and forgetting shit because I don't recall you asking for my permission to marry her. It's bad enough I see that cut on her with your name on it. Almost killed me when I came in the door. Nope. I'm afraid the answer is no. She'll remain a Regulator, and we're killing your fucking ass," Moose told him. A part of me thought he was only teasing, but the other half knew there was some truth to his words.

I was about to try and reassure him it wasn't anything certain. It helped Morgan cope with the loss of her crush but I was halted by Sin clearing his throat. I noticed Daredevil was whispering something in Morgan's ear. Whatever he said, it made her nod and jump down. She went to stand with her parents.

"Moose, our brother can address all your questions if you give him a minute. Daredevil, the floor is now yours." Sin gestured to him. This should be interesting.

I wondered what he'd say. We'd talked about just about everything else over the past month or so, but not about a wedding other than when Morgan gave him up. We did appease her when she brought it up and always spoke about whether it was to happen. The Infidels weren't like most clubs. They did marry their old ladies, but there was nothing to say they all had to.

Daredevil stood and faced my cousin. "Moose, this isn't the way I intended to ask you this, but since it's out there, I'm gonna ask. Will you give me your cousin's hand in marriage?"

"No."

"Man, you can't just say no. Why not? We're allies, and I'd like to think we're friends. Surely, you know I'll take care of her."

"Doesn't matter if you will take care of her or if we're allies and friends. She's the only family I have left besides my Ma. I let her come here against my better judgment, but I'm sane again. She's coming home so I can watch out for her for the rest of our lives."

"Moose, there's no need to—" I was cut off.

"Yes, there is."

"It's not happening. She's my old lady. She stays."

"Over my dead body."

"Do you have any personal objections about me, or is it only because you don't want to let her go?" Daredevil asked.

Nothing was said for several heartbeats, and then Moose answered. I was surprised the rest of the club was keeping their opinions to themselves. Usually, they'd all be sounding off loudly about this.

"You as a person, not too much other than you're used to spreading yourself out to the women. What's to say you'll stay faithful? I don't believe you'd physically abuse her, but her spirit shouldn't be crushed out of her. Words can hurt worse than fists. How do you know this will last? Sure, she has the cut, but you can take it back."

"No, I can't or won't take it back. In this club, a property cut is only given when you're absolutely sure the woman is the one for you. I'm one hundred and ten percent sure that Shain is the woman for me. If I had any doubts, then the love I have for her would erase those. Yes, I said love. Again, in our club, it's one of those instantaneous knowledge things. And before you ask, yes, she loves me too. We're building a house together. Marriage is next."

The loving look he cast me made my heart jump. You could see it all over his face. When I glanced at Moose, he was shooting me a probing stare. I nodded.

"He's telling the truth. I do love him madly, and we're in the process of finalizing the house plan we want. I can show you the spot we plan to build on. It'll be here in the compound with the others. It's safe, and they have less to worry about if something should happen. Daredevil looks out for me even though he knows I can take care of myself. And he's never tried to crush my spirit, as you call it. He's been on the receiving end of it a few times, and he's not run or tried to change me. The whole marriage idea was in jest. Maybe one day we will get married, but Morgan would like to plan it. I miss all of you, but I like it here. I have a job, and I think I'm settling in well. I have new friends and more family." I pointed to the room as a whole.

"We're keeping her," one of the Infidels shouted. I couldn't tell who due to all the murmuring. The others took up a chorus of repeating it over and over. It brought tears to my eyes. Carnage, of all people, held up his hand. The room quieted down. He watched Moose. "What do you say, brother? Do we let him take our princess, or do we crush his hopes and dreams?"

I was ready to scream as the seconds stretched into a minute, then two. Yes, I was an adult and my own boss, but I didn't want to alienate Moose or the others. They were my family. Moose kept switching his gaze from me to Daredevil, then back. His fist hitting the table caught me by surprise and made me jump.

"Alright, goddamn it, the bastard can keep her. When the time comes, I expect you to pop the question and get her a big fancy ring. You know men will still want her no matter if she's claimed or not. Now that I think about it, hell yeah. I'm tired. It's someone else's turn to keep them away from her. Me and my club have been chasing boys and men away from her since she was thirteen. God help you if you ever have a daughter, especially if Morgan is her mentor." He winked at her. The little diva preened and blew him a kiss. Oh Lord, had she found a new crush? By the look on her face, she had. I mean, he was younger than Daredevil, but only by about four years.

"Thank you, and you've got it. There's no time like the present, I say. Shain." I looked back at him as he took my hand. I raised my brow, not understanding what he was doing, until he dropped to one knee. Then, it became crystal clear. My knees got weak as his other hand reached into his inner cut pocket. When he brought it out, there was a ring box in his hand. He used his thumb to flip it open as he spoke.

"Shain Kinsley, this is for real. I love you, and I want you as not only my old lady but my wife. You thought this whole time Morgan was playing around with the whole wedding planning, but she wasn't. She agreed to help me get things rolling. I hope to God you say yes, or we're gonna have an irate preteen on our hands. But more than that, I hope you love me as much as I love you and want me to be your husband and father of your children. Shain, Mon Rêve, will you please, please marry me and be my forever dream?"

Glittering up from the box was a gorgeous engagement ring. It wasn't the classic round stone. It was pear-shaped, and in the bottom half, it had two rows of smaller diamonds, which came into a slightly V shape in the middle. They made the center diamond seem to be almost floating. I noted after no one said anything that I'd been lost in admiring the ring and had never answered him. His expression appeared to be changing to a panicked one. I hurried to answer him.

"Yes! Oh God, yes, I'll marry you. I'm sorry, but this ring is stunning. It distracted me, honey. I've never seen one like it."

"I told him she'd love it!" Morgan shouted. Lord, she had been in on it. I was shocked she had kept it a secret.

He gave her a thumbs up, and then his body relaxed as he took it out of the box and slid it on my finger. Both of our hands were shaking. Another momentous step in our new life together. As soon as it was in place, the shouts, laughing, and clapping began. We were swept into arms and given hugs, pats, and kisses galore. It took several minutes for us to be passed around to everyone. In the end, the last set of arms I ended up in was Moose's.

"I will always love you, and you're not losing me. You're gaining more people to love," I whispered in his ear as he held me.

"I know, it's just hard. I look at you, and a part of me still sees that devastated seven-year-old who came to live with us. I've been filled with the need to protect you since you were born, and it's never gone away. Only grown. I am happy for you, though. I just had to be sure he could stand up to us and hold his ground."

"I know."

After a quick kiss on my cheek, he pulled away. "Okay, I need another drink! Bring me the bottle," he shouted.

So this was how I went into the clubhouse as an old lady and left as an engaged old lady. It was never dull at the Infidels' compound. Never.