Raging Barons MC – Book Nine – Knuckles
Knuckles: Chapter: 21

-:- JOLENE -:-

Waking, I turn to look at the empty space where Knuckles has been sleeping with me tucked into his body all night. Whispering words of the future against my neck, the tenderness you would not expect from a man so used to fighting and hiding his feelings. To open himself to me as he has, showed me the commitment he is making to our relationship.

Quickly showering, dressing, and heading downstairs for breakfast, I can’t help the smile that keeps hovering on my lips. Walking into the kitchen, I see Meat is down from the treehouse, but he’s not speaking to anyone, just his usual grunts and nods.

“Good morning.” I cheerfully say to Mia, who is sipping something green, and when I frown, she shakes her head before laughing.

“It’s one of Meat’s concoctions. Good for me after giving birth, apparently. It doesn’t taste too bad, it’s the color that puts me off.”

“Can I sit with you?”

“Yeah, plant your ass, girl. Meat will bring us both something to eat in a minute. I’m being quiet because when he first comes down from the treehouse, he’s not the most sociable. Well, he’s not majorly sociable at the best of times, but if we wait, he comes around.”

A few minutes later, Meat walks over and places a plate in front of Mia and me. We both quickly thank him and he gives his usual nod before walking away.

Knuckles walks into the kitchen, grabs two coffees from the pot, and places one in front of me before taking a seat next to me and kissing my forehead. “You okay?” he asks, then sips his drink, watching me closely.

“Yes, I’m good. I’m having breakfast, then I’m going to stay in our room and finish the book I’m working on. I want to get it done so I can give it to Specs’ friend.”

“I can’t wait to read your books. Amelia and Bitty are gushing about them. You’ve got your first fans in them, Jo.” Mia laughs. “Trouble is, they’ll be nagging you for the next one.”

Finishing breakfast, Knuckles heads out to do some ‘club business’, which I don’t even bother to ask about because if I’m supposed to know, I’m sure he’ll tell me.

Walking out of the kitchen, I make my way back to our bedroom, but before I can get settled to write, a tap on the door surprises me. Opening the door, Mia is standing there looking a little sheepish. “Can I come in and talk to you?”

“Come on in, you can always come in here Mia.”

“Now that you are Knuckles Ol’ Lady, you’ll get your property patch, but I wanted you to know you are welcome here as a sister to all the women. I created the ‘girl gang’,” Mia states, using air quotes, “so everyone will feel part of the family. We are all in this family together, and we’ll always be here for you. Once you get to know everyone, you’ll get dragged into many things, I’m sure. Now saying that I want you to know, if you need anything, just let me know. I know everyone thinks I’ve got my plate full with the boys, but you are all my family and if you need me, or need my help you only have to ask. Oh, and I love getting into trouble, as it keeps Axel on his toes.”

We laugh and talk for a while before Mia heads back downstairs to check on the babies. I quickly get settled down to writing the last chapter of the book and forget about everything else as soon as my mind switches to the fiction I’m embedded in.

The morning flies past and when I type The End, I can’t help the smile that appears on my face. Closing the laptop, I freshen up before walking downstairs to get a drink.

As I’m about to step past the medical room, the door opens and Stitch walks out. “Hi, Stitch. Is the lady alright?”

Stitch has been growing his hair apparently, and it’s got some natural waves going on. Gives him quite an exotic look, and I can imagine he’ll have plenty of women chasing after him. He has a deeper voice than you expect him to have when he speaks and when you first hear him; it takes you by surprise, but now, I can only say it’s a rich and deep rumble.

“She’s improving.”

“Oh, that’s good. If you need anything for her or any help, or if she just wants to speak to a woman, I’m happy to do whatever I can.”

“That’s good of you Jo. Maybe later in the week you could come and speak with her for a few minutes.”

“I can do that. Just let me know when you want me and I’ll be happy to sit with her for a while. What’s her name?”

“Bianca, but she likes to be called Bee.”

Axel shouts for Stitch, and he hastens to the president’s office, while I head to the kitchen to get a glass of juice.

In the kitchen, Meat is cutting up a huge chunk of something, and when he sees me walk in, he gives me a nod. “Hello Meat. That’s a huge thing you’re cutting up.”

“Yeah, I’m going to do some smoking.”

“Oh, I’ve never done that. That’s great. I’d like to watch you do that if it’s okay?”

“Yeah.” That is all the response I get, but at least it was more than a nod.

Walking over to the fridge, I take out a carton of orange juice and pour myself a glass. The coolness is soothing on my dry throat and as I drink; I watch Meat chopping away and making long strips.

The next hour I help Meat by doing whatever he tells me to, and we get the strips hanging in his smoker outside the kitchen door. Hickory barbeque or something he has burning in the smoker’s bottom tray. Before I can ask if we are done, Meat walks away leaving me to watch his retreating back.

Chuckling has me turning, and Lincoln is standing behind me. “He’s an odd one, isn’t he, but he’s honest, loyal, and someone I can look up to.”

“I like him. He’s not a talker that’s for sure, but he let me help with his smoking and it was interesting.” Giving my brother a smile. “How are you, Lincoln? Do you want to leave now I’ve got Knuckles making sure I’ll be okay?”

“I’ll not leave until this fucker has been gotten rid of. He’ll not stop trying to get you, Jo, until he is stopped. Once we have that done I’ll sign up, but only if you’re okay and happy.” Lincoln throws an arm around my shoulders and draws me to him, hugging me tightly and kissing the top of my head. “You’ll always be my priority, Jo. It’s always been us against the world.”

“Me and Knuckles are committed to the relationship. We’re going to do our best to make this work. Have a house, kids, and family, and you’ll always be my brother, my family, but I want you to have things for yourself, instead of having to worry about me all the time.”

“It has been and always will be an honor to look after you, Jo. You’re my little sister and nothing will ever change that.”

“Why don’t you speak to Meat, Stitch, or Wings about signing up, and find out what service would suit you best. Don’t just go sign up and then regret it.” I know my brother can be impulsive, but once he’s decided, he’ll stick with it even if it’s the wrong decision. He commits no matter what.

“Yeah, I may just do that.”

Making our way back into the clubhouse, Lincoln walks away to find Wings and I make my way to Specs’ office. Knocking lightly, I wait for Specs to shout ‘come in’ before entering.

“Hi, Jo.” Specs smiles, looking up from his monitors and keyboard.

“Hi, Specs. I’ve finished the last chapter, and that book is ready for proofreading.”

“Is it on the cloud still?” Specs had made me an account to keep my word documents safe and accessible for the proofreader.

“Yes. I have them all on the cloud now.”

“I’m going to give Shelly your contact number so you can speak to her and organize what you need or want. She told me she has covers for you to look at and choose from. But it’s not my thing, Jo, so it’d be best you speak to her now.”

“Okay. I’ll speak to Shelly, that’s cool. It’ll be nice to speak to someone who knows what they are doing.” Giggling because, apart from getting the story out of my head and onto the word document, everything else is floating above my head.

“I’ve got you set up with Amazon. Shelly told me what to cover, so you’d get paid for any sales. But she has organized everything else so you can sell wherever you want to.”

“Oh, okay.” Smiling broadly as this all feels so dreamlike.

Handing me a piece of paper with Shelly’s details, I thank him and rush out of the office, heading upstairs, excited to speak with her. Closing the bedroom door behind me, I rush to the bathroom and freshen up, before going back into the bedroom, and making the call to Shelly. It only takes two rings before the call is answered. “Hi, Jo. Specs gave me your number, so I have it in my address book. Just in case you are wondering how I knew it was you.”

Laughing as I reply. “Hello Shelly, well, I wondered, but it’s all good. I want to thank you for helping me, as I did not know what to do or how to do it.”

“Everyone is like that to start with, Jo. But you are all set up now and I’ve nearly got book number three ready. I’ll send you the board I made for you to choose which book covers you want and don’t worry about paying for them as I charge nothing until you’ve made your first thousand dollars.”

“Thousand dollars? Good grief, that’ll take me years.” I sigh, not liking the thought of owing Shelly money.

“Oh, no it won’t, Jo. Your books are good, and there is a huge audience for your kind of romance. You’ll make that in no time at all.”

We discuss launching the first book in the next few days. I just have to decide on the covers, then I can leave it in Shelly’s hands. We decide for the time being to only offer paperbacks and eBooks, and hardbacks can come later when I’m established. Thanking Shelly once more, we end the call and I open my emails to check what Shelly has sent.

The covers are beautiful, and I select the five that I want for this series, making sure I tell her which cover for which number of the series it is for. Then select an electronic signature logo and take notes on what Shelly needs for my bio and other information.

I will have to contact Susanne and decline her book cover now I am signing with Shelly, and hope she and Tilly will understand.

The afternoon is busy, and excitement is buzzing through me. I take out my notebook and ideas for a new series flow from my hand onto the paper. Closing my eyes, I imagine the scene I can open with and how the rest can flow from that point.

When the door opens, I jump as I was so in my mind I had heard nothing until Knuckles walks in, and believe me he’s not quiet when he is rushing.

“You were up here all day, Jo?”

“Yes, well, nearly all day. Why is something wrong?”

Knuckles has a serious look on his face and worry flashes through me. “Vincenzo Vitale was shot today. He’s in the hospital and thankfully he will recover. He nearly caught Tommaso but to escape, Tommaso shot Vitale. Now Tommaso has a double contract on his head. One Vitale put out for betraying the family, and one for trying to kill the Don of said family.”

“Oh my, I hope they catch him soon. I’m pleased Mr. Vitale will be alright. So, what does that all mean for us?”

Knuckles sits on the bottom of the bed. “Well, if we catch him, Axel’s stated we have to take him alive, then we pass him over to Vitale so the family can deal with him. The good thing about that is we keep our hands clean. It won’t come back on us.”

Nodding, because I can understand that nobody wants to be doing time for killing the man. He’s really not worth doing time over. The mafia is a complex thing, and I don’t want to get mixed into it if I can help it, and I don’t want my new family to be mixed into it either.

Chuckling, Knuckles speaks again. “Axel is hopping mad. He wanted to get his own revenge for Tommaso snatching Meat, Wings, and us, but he’s agreed to step back on condition he gets to have a blowout with Tommaso before Vitale takes him out.”

“It’s so complicated, but I’m happy to know nothing about it all.” I sit next to Knuckles, and he wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, and kissing the top of my head. “Oh, I’ve news to tell you.”

I fill Knuckles in on all my news regarding being published, choosing the covers which I show him, and tell him about Shelly financing everything until I make my first thousand dollars.

The proud looks Knuckles is giving me warms my heart and boosts my confidence about writing more of my fictional stories.

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