Trial By Fire - Bouncing Back, Book 1

Thirty-Seven

Memphis had become her greatest supporter, fielding all the harder work meant for the President of the Club. He was always there for her, always the first to make sure she knew she was safe when the nightmares of her past snuck up on her.

He would always whisper soothingly in her ear until the tears subsided, and she’d fallen back to sleep in the haven of his arms. It helped him understand why she was always so cranky in the morning when they were in school. Now, looking back, Memphis realized that she was just protecting herself, constantly hiding her mental and physical pain behind a mask of snarky comments and her brassy, come-at-me-I-dare-you attitude.

It had been five months of waiting and worrying over whether or not her father-in-law was going to hate her all over again. Five months of waking up and smothering her screams in her pillow so that she didn’t wake her family in the middle of the night. Expecting at any minute for Thomas to pull out a post-nuptial agreement or start demanding a DNA test to prove the paternity of the baby.

Except now she had someone to hold her like Declan held her sister. Someone who, despite how he was with the others, was her knight in blood-stained armour. Thus far, he’d gone above and beyond with his support for her. He even went with her to sign up for her courses, focusing exclusively on getting her book learning done first. The practical parts of her course, the part that demanded physical labour, could be done after the baby was born.

Rather than an extravagant church wedding, she and Memphis opted to ask Callum if they could renew their vows in front of their friends and mafia family in the Donna’s Garden. This time, they only invited the people from Thomas’s family who stuck with them throughout the uproar at the first wedding.

The white pant-suit she’d chosen had been remade specifically for her by Latoya herself. It was now accented with gold, blue, and black designs. Under the jacket, she would be wearing nothing but a white sports bra. Memphis was wearing a nice three-piece he and the others picked out. After he bought it, he asked Latoya to put white, blue, and red designs on it so that they matched.

Since it took a while for the final accents to be put on their wedding attire, Memphis and Kennedy decided to honour Thomas yet again, and scheduled their first ultrasound for the wedding day. Her bladder was ready to explode as she sucked in a breath, clenching her thighs to keep from urinating all over the paper-covered table.

The tech announced the gender of their little Jellybean, as Kennedy insisted on calling the baby. Happier than he had been since the day he officially married the girl of his dreams, Memphis choked up at the news. Fighting his excitement, he helped his wife change before they headed to the store to purchase a reveal popper and made their way to the area of the compound known as The Donna’s Garden.

******

Bella searched the crowd of people for her leader. The smile hadn’t left her face since Kennedy handed her the small confetti cannon when they got back from the clinic, telling her to pull the string when the time came. The entire Club, including all the women and children they had gotten to know over the last year, had been invited. As a show of solidarity, they all wore the MC colours while ingratiating themselves among the mafia convoys from each Family in Ontario.

She was happy that her young cousin was accepted as the Vice, loving that he’d snagged a good, strong-willed woman to share his ups and downs with. Happily cornering the young woman, she confirmed the surprise in store for Thomas.

Across the expansive garden with it’s lush lawn dusted with hints of early frost and annual flowers that stubbornly refused to die, Memphis was surprised when Sterling handed him a case of his favourite beer. “Buttering me up?”

“Not at all. I just figured we could share that to celebrate,” the man said with a sly smile. “She’s got good taste in men, though.”

Memphis frowned as he cracked open the beer Sterling handed him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You come from a good background, right? Never been in trouble with the law and s**t like that?” The older man pointed out casually.

Wondering where the biker was going with this, Memphis nodded. “And?”

“All I’m sayin’ is, even without bein’ in a gang, you settled into running the Club a lot faster than most of us thought. She coulda chose one of us, but Lady Luck was showering you with her gift instead. You need anyone, for anything at all, just call. I’d ride and die to protect the family,” Sterling replied.

Watching as the man walked away, Memphis grinned. Just having one person from the Scorpions openly say that to him gave him a boost in confidence.

“Memphis,” his great-grandmother walked over to him, a grin plastered on her face. “This is so much better without anyone trying to cause trouble, isn’t it, baby?”

“Oui, arrière Grand-mère,” he answered. “Kennedy and I were talking about the family recently. While dad is still upset over what happened, Kenni and I would like to have specific members there when Francis is born. Namely, you, Grand-mere, and Aunt Helena.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded. “If that’s what you and Kennedy want, then we’ll be there. I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings by denying such a gracious invitation. Who’s that man talking to Kennedy?”

“Who? Oh, that’s just Phoenix,” he stated with a shrug. He was unbothered by the man clinging to his wife so blatantly, knowing he missed her while he was gone. “She’s his best friend and business partner. He’s actually the future leader of the Veiðimenn.”

Tanisha frowned, “Regardless, my great-granddaughter ought to be resting.”

As the mafia Don called everyone to the banquet hall, he gave Kennedy a knowing smirk. He and the rest of the team and their kids already knew the gender of the baby. Well, everyone except Thomas. The hardest part of it all was going to be holding in his laughter when the reveal happened.

Once everyone was seated and the meal was over, Memphis stood up. “Can I have everyone’s attention please? My beautiful wife and I have an announcement to make.”

The hall quieted, everyone facing the groom as he addressed them. “As most of you know, my feisty wife was beaten to within an inch of her life, then took a bullet trying to protect a friend from harm. She came out of it swinging, surviving everything that life threw at her with a courage most of us only wish we had. Just a little over five months ago, she revealed that I was going to be a father.”

A silence surrounded them as Tanisha stared at the girl with awe. They’d been unaware of her past, but now they knew.

Memphis continued, “My father, however, is the one I will be forever grateful to. For everything he’s done for me and my friends over the last sixteen years, we owe a debt of gratitude. Ken?”

Her sneaky grin made Thomas pale as she got to her feet. Despite his protests, she moved to stand beside her husband, her protruding belly on full display. “To the man who raised my perfect match in life, the man who always harped on the team for hours to get us to co-operate and listen, we have a special gift. You sacrificed so much to raise your son into a real man that knows what it is to support and defend his family.”

Watching as the man cautiously pulled the lid off the giftbox she handed him, Kennedy smirked. Confusion flitted across his face as he stared at the sonogram photo. Seeing his father’s confusion, which they had been counting on, Memphis signalled to Belladonna.

There was a small popping sound, and the crowd was left slack-jawed while shimmering, bright blue confetti fluttered to the floor. Thomas started to shake, tears spilling over as he understood their sudden secrecy about the baby.

It was the grandson he always prayed for.

Before he was able to speak, his mother shrieked happily. She ran over, carefully grabbing the young red-head in a tight hug. “It’s a boy! Oh my God in heaven, it’s a boy!”

Following behind her daughter, Tanisha grinned. “May you be blessed with a strong, healthy son, Kennedy.”

“Thank you,” Kennedy replied, hugging each of them in turn. “Celeste, we’re glad you could make it. Did the divorce go in your favour?”

The woman smiled, “It did, darling. Last I heard, he and his father were sharing an apartment in downtown Montreal, and he’d gotten Charmaine pregnant. I deserved so much better than that, but I have you and Memphis to thank for showing me the brutal truth.”

Suddenly, Thomas let out a yell. Turning to him with a ‘what now’ look on her face, Kennedy noticed the shimmer on his chiselled features. “Oh…”

Moving to the young woman who turned his nice, quiet house into a circus, he sneered. There was no malice in it, however. “You bratty little know-it-all. I ought to take you over my knee and tan your hide.”

Predictably, she laughed, “Come on, then.”

Grabbing her, he pulled her into his arms and gave a half-laugh, half-sob. “Thank you for making him happy, Kennedy. Are you serious, though? I have a grandson on the way?”

She nodded, “Make sure to call Bella, Tanisha, Helena, and Marigold in a few months. I want them to be there, okay?”

“You can have anything you want, sweetheart,” he murmured.