the pace in this chapter is sort of different from others. Enjoy it nonetheless
Happy POV
Against my better judgment I stood united with my brothers. We were on a mission to hunt the hunter who had marked both Jax and myself. My heart slowed as the thought of walking out of the house earlier. Bri sitting on the floor watching the twins rock back and forth in their matching swings. I had to get back to her. Had to complete this one last kill for my club I had dedicated more than half of my life to.
It was the usual gang. Jax, Tig, Bobby, Juice, Chibs, Montez, Quinn, Kozik, Rat, and myself. The good ol' boys going against a Russian powerhouse. What we lacked in numbers we made up for in heart and determination. Plus we had one unique factor. Natalie got herself and Luna snatched. The microchip Juice had put into Luna's bracelet out of protective paranoia had lead us to a house in the worst part of San Jose.
There we hid. Waiting for Kukov to arrive. I knew from talking to Bri, he did all his kills himself. So if he wanted Natalie dead, he was bound to show up and spill blood.
"He drives a Bentley." Juice said. "Always, no matter what he does. He's always in it."
I nodded slightly. The guilt from leaving my woman alone with twins was picking up. Tightening around my ribcage and threatening to crush me. "You get in and grab your girls and split." I patted him on the back. The least I could do was save one family. If I got killed in here tonight, I'd at least want Juice or Kozik around to look out for my family.
"Alright." He slapped my back. "We got this Happy. One last rodeo and we're good to go."
I swallowed hard and watched as a Bentley pulled up in front of the house slowly. Two guys got out of the backseat, and Kukov got out of the driver's side. I watched as he rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. He reminded me of August Marks, in a suit no matter what the job was. I didn't wear a suit but I had my leather and my boots. They were my outlaw suit.
"Move!" Jax yelled and we all ran towards our designated areas.
I flanked the side and came up behind Kukov. Grabbing him around the neck I walked him into the house while the guys came through the back door, guns pointed at the two men who had entered just before Kukov. "On your knees." I said through my mask. "Now!"
He dropped to his knees as gun shots rang. The two men now laid on the floor in a puddle of almost black colored blood.
"If you're killing me, I at least want to know who's doing it." Kukov hissed at me.
I pulled the mask over my face. "You've met your maker." I glared at him.
"So this is it?" He looked around. "Katarzyna can't even handle her own shit. I'm disappointed. She showed so much more promise than this."
"She didn't send us." Jax said. "We came on our own."
"Is that what you think?" He scoffed. "Dumber than a box of rocks you men are. Katarzyna sent you here, she knew that if you were marked you'd come after me. Keeping the blood off her hands. That girl is more devious than you know."
"I found them!" Juice yelled as he came out of the room holding his girls who were both in different stages of crying.
"Get out of here!" I yelled. "Take them home."
"Bye Natalie." Kukov blew a kiss in her direction.
Natalie shot a terrified look at me before looking at the man on his knees. She didn't die physically but I knew she was dead inside.
"Hold him down." I let go and grabbed a saw out of the bag I had on my back. "Let's see you get out of this."
"You think you can get away with this?" He looked up at me. "If I die, you will all die too."
"I'll risk it." I shrugged and placed the saw to his neck. "Bullet or knife I asked him?"
"Knife." He smiled.
I pressed the saw expertly to his neck and moved it back and forth slowly, with each movement it went deeper. Blood spraying from the wound before coming a slow trickle. He smiled as his life drained from his body.
A warm fuzzy feeling swooped over me when his neck cracked and splintered under the blade of the saw. My brothers cringed at the sight. They never could stomach my ways of torture. That was why I was the killer. The Unholy One. I was everything they were not. In this moment I had remembered why I never wanted a wife or kids. The feelings I had felt earlier almost prevented me from the task at hand.
"Hap." Chibs patted my chest. "We got to go. I hear sirens."
I dropped the saw and looked at the bloody mess I was. I could feel myself smiling as I backed away from the scene. His head wasn't completely severed but it would make a good impact on whoever found him like this.
"We did it brothers." Jax said. "We're free from the Russians."
I just smirked and nodded. "I gotta get home."
"We'll give you a lift." He said. "You did good in there. I honestly thought being a dad would have changed you from a Killer to a man with a conscience."
I shook my head. "Killer for life."
I staggered into the house. My boots in my hands as I headed through the house and out into the backyard to hose myself down. For the first time in a long time I came home bloody and satisfied. I rinsed my boots off and dropped them on the bench just inside of the door and went to the room I shared with Bri to shower.
I turned the water on and dropped the clothes I had on to the floor. I'd drop them in the wash before I went to bed. I let the water rinse off the blood that had seeped through my layers. I watched the water turn red, then streak before going completely clear again. I washed and rinsed quickly before stepping out and wrapping a towel around my waist. I dropped my clothes and a load of Bri's things in the washer and started it.
Tacoma was watching my every move now. Her eyes big and prying. I shooed her away as I pulled on a pair of boxers and looked down at Bri. She was on her stomach sleeping. Her hands tucked under her pillows, her face turned towards the door. Her hair was long, longer then I had ever seen it. Lighter at the top and darker towards the ends. She was wearing a hoody and I hoped she hadn't climbed into bed fully dressed. That seemed to be the occurrence these days. I yanked the blankets back and saw she was wearing only red panties.
"Love you." I whispered as I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over us.
#
The room was fully lit when I woke up. I searched the bed for Bri but the spot she was in when I got home was cold. Letting me know she had been gone for awhile. I groaned and looked at the clock. It was lunch time. I don't even remember the last time I slept this good or this late.
I slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants and trudged out of the room. I heard laughing and whining. I found Bri on all fours on the carpet of the family room and smiled to myself. Both babies were in their swings looking at her.
"Hi my babies." She cooed. "You two are my favorite babies ever."
"Brianna." I rasped as I sat down on the sofa to watch the scene unfold.
"Hey sleepy head." She smiled at me. "You sleep well? You were snoring, sounded like a chainsaw."
"That explains why my throat is killing me." I rubbed at my neck and instantly was taken back to the night before. To the bloody scene and the pure enjoyment I had gotten out of it.
"Your daddy. He is handsome." She smiled at the kids. "Can you believe we made these kids?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "Best two mistakes we ever made together."
"Tell me about it." She laughed. "Rick and Smiley."
"The Lowman Twins." I mused. "My very own assassins in the making."
"I don't know about that shit." She stood and sat on my lap. "I love you Happy."
"I love you too." I kissed her lips softly. "Don't ever forget it."
"They found Kukov dead." She sighed.
"He's dead. That's good." I smirked against her neck. She smelled like a cream soda.
"Yeah." She smiled. "He has an heir though. A son."
"So? His son steps up?" I asked her. "Talk to me Brianna." I started to press her as the doorbell sounded.
"I'll get it!" I heard Monica call out.
"His son is a formidable enemy. You think Jax is bad, you should meet baby Kukov." She frowned and slipped off my lap as Smiley started to cry. "Is my gorgeous princess hungry?"
"Hey." Juice stood at the doorway of the room. "Can we talk Hap?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "Pushing myself off of the sofa. Bri, I'll be right back."
"Alright." She shrugged. "Take your time, I gotta feed the twins anyways."
I nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Out front."
Juice and I walked outside and I was hit with the cold of the December midday. I rubbed my hands together and looked over at Juice.
"We got a problem." He said. "Natalie, she was assaulted. She said we missed a guy. I tried to get back to you guys but when I passed, there were fucking police everywhere."
I felt myself go stiff. "What? That's fuckin' bad." I rubbed my head. "Did you tell Jax?"
"Yeah, he's freaking out. Thinks blowback will be bad depending on who the guy talks to. Hope he talks to police and not the Russians." He shook his head. "I gotta go, I promised I wouldn't leave Natalie too long. She's not in the right mind to deal with Luna."
"Yeah, yeah." I nodded. "Go protect your daughter."
I watched him ride off before going back inside. If Bri found out that the blood of Kukov was on my hands she'd be pissed off. Hell she might even throw shit at me. If I got hauled in for this though, she would no doubt pack up and leave. My mind went back to the talk in the car about jail time. Protect me and the kids and we're good. You protect the club, I won't be around when you get out of jail.
"Uncle Hap!" Monica looked at me. "I got you a Christmas present."
"Oh yeah?" I looked at her. "I can't open it now."
"Yeah you can!" She jumped up and down. "I want you to! Come on Hap!"
I took the black wrapped present from her and turned it over in my hands before tearing the paper off. I looked at the black box, Hap was scribbled on it in her eight year old writing. I opened it and a smiley face ring shined up at me. It wasn't similar to the girly one I had given to Bri. This looked like the big bulky rings I wore everyday. "Thanks Monica." I smirked at her.
"It matches your tattoos!" She poked me in the abdomen.
"I love it." I smiled at her as I slipped it onto my finger. Relishing the feel of it. I knew Bri had to have a hand in it.
"Auntie Nik helped me with it." She grabbed my hand and looked at it. "Fits really good."
"Auntie Nik?" I looked at her.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Helped me get it while you and Bri were in the hospital with the twins."
SOASOASOA
Bri POV
"Hey." I looked up at Happy as he came back in the room. Monica holding his hand. She no doubt gave him his present early. He was smiling, something was off though. I could feel it. Sense it. I knew that man well. I knew he was keeping something from me. I just couldn't stomach the thought that he stepped into Russian business.
"Bri." He sat on the floor next to me and looked at the babies. "Mom is a good look on you."
"Speaking of mom." I smiled at him. "Ma is coming tomorrow again to visit with her little monsters."
"Oh yeah?" He rasped. His voice more raspier than it normally was.
"You killed someone." I blurted and he made no move or anything to deny it. "You guys did it?"
"Brianna." His voice was low. He was issuing a warning. Letting me know he would tell me details later but not around the babies. Which was stupid because they were too young to know or understand a damn thing. "Later."
I nodded. "Yeah." I kissed him quickly. Savoring the feel of his lips against mine before he deepened the kiss. "Later."
"Love you." He laid back on the fur rug and smiled at me.
"Love you too." I ran the engagement ring back and forth on the chain on my neck. "You good Hap? With this? All of this?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm good with everything we got going for us Bri. Don't ever question that alright?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "I won't question it."
"You good with it?" He rubbed my back. "Me and all of this club shit?"
"Yes." I smiled. "I got some of the best friends and a family out of all that club shit. Let's drop this talk. I feel like we're talking like we're about to break up."
He laughed. "Never that."
"Good." I chuckled. "What would I do without you? What would we all do without you around?"
"Get in trouble and do dumb shit." He said.
"You are the levelheaded one out of all of us." I rubbed his chest.
"That's true." He smiled.
"I know it is baby." I stood up and grabbed my phone from the mantel. "I gotta make a few work calls."
"Yeah." He nodded. "I can't believe we're engaged."
"Me either." I shook my head, my hair falling loose from it's perch on my head. "You watch them. I need to get a quick shower in before they need to be fed once again."
"Human cow." He smacked my thigh as I walked past him.
"Moo." I laughed. "Don't fall asleep on them Happy. I got the monitor on me."
"I got this shit Brianna." I could hear his eyes rolling as I walked away.
#
"Look at my boys." I cooed as I watched Happy rock Aleric back and forth in the rocking chair. "Looking handsome and mean as fuck."
"She's the easy one." He gruffed and pointed to Smiley who was fast asleep
"I thought boys would be easier but all he wants to do is look around and make noises."
"That's my sweet boy." I smiled. "He gets it from his mama."
"Ain't that fuckin' true." He shook his head. "You get your nap you needed baby?"
"Yeah." I sat on the shaggy white carpet that seemed out of place in a children's nursery. "Thanks."
"Welcome. You get the calls done?" He stood up and placed Aleric into his crib.
"Yeah." I smiled. "They're taken care of. Got that maternity leave situated. I don't think I'll be working for a few years though. Which sucks, because I'll be out of practice."
"I think you should work. We'll just have to do daycare after all." He smirked. "Do a nose job a day."
"Yeah, but I don't wanna leave my babies. It's hard work but I love them." I smiled.
"Yeah." He nodded and pulled me close. "You look good with this long hair."
"I plan to keep it. Soon as we're cleared to fuck. You're pulling it." He smirked at me. His hands landing on my hips.
"I can pull it now." He tangled his fingers in my wild locks and tugged on it slightly as the doorbell chimed.
SOASOASOA
Nik POV
"Lovebirds." I trilled as I walked into the nursery and found Happy and Bri hugging each other a little too tightly for my comfort level.
"What's up?" Bri looked at me.
"Can I talk to you in private? It's some serious shit." I looked at her and then chanced a glance at Happy. "Please?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "Alright, let's go out to the pond Nik. Happy I'll be right back."
He nodded at her and let her go reluctantly. Like he knew I was going to tell her something I shouldn't even know. We stepped into the backyard and headed down the trail that lead to the pond. "Jax came over to my place last night. Bloody and tired."
She blinked at me. "Happy and them killed Kukov." She deadpanned as she tossed a rock into the pond and watched the ripple effect.
"Yeah. I figured as much." I sighed. "They don't listen. Jax was marked though so he did what he felt was right. I don't get why Happy went."
"To stand with his brothers. That club is important to him. Besides all that shit that happened and the fighting and his request to go nomad, he's loyal to his brothers. I don't know why on the account your boyfriend has gotten him in trouble in the past." She crossed her arms. "I'm just happy it's over with. No more Russian problems for them or whatever."
"You hear what he did to Natalie?" I blinked at her.
"What?" She looked at me. "Did he kill her?"
"Might as well have. He had her beat, to see if she'd give up the source of the envelope. Don't know if she caved or not but still." I rubbed my eyes. "That's brutal."
"We have consciences now?" She pulled her legs onto the bench. "I think we have a bigger problem ahead of us. They may be clear of Russian blowback, but we my dear, we're in the fucking crosshairs."
"Natalie." I said. "What do we do about her?"
"I'll handle her." She stood. "Don't even worry. Her blood will be on my hands and not anyone else's."
"Good." I stood. "You're really bad at this whole violent shit."
"I feel bad. It's like she was a dog, I took her in, clean and fed her ass. She bit me and I locked her in a kennel for awhile. Let her out and now she's still faithful even though I treated her like shit for biting me. I could have handled shit different." She braided her hair to the right side and twisted it around her fingers.
"How's motherhood?" I held open the back door for her.
"Shitty." She shrugged. "Love the kids, hate the work. I got a kid on each boob every two hours or so, if I don't breastfeed, I have to pump which is terrible."
"Human cow." I laughed.
"That's what Happy says." She smiled. "Look at that sight. The killer holding two babies."
"Yeah." I smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"They're growing on me." He looked at me and smiled.
"Who cries more?" I looked at my niece and nephew.
"Your nephew." He said. "Cries like Bri, ugly face and all."
I laughed. "Her crying face is pretty ugly huh."
"Rude." She bumped against me.
"Monica here?" I asked.
"Her ass is in timeout." He rasped. "She didn't wanna fuckin' listen when I told her not to play in the basement."
"Why can't she play in the basement?" I looked at him.
"Because that's my space." He spoke. "I don't want glitter in my gym."
"It all goes back to the glitter." I laughed.
"Hate the shit." He shook his head. "Don't think about going in there to see her. She doesn't get visitors. She's got to learn to listen to me."
"I got it." I smiled. "No talking to her until she's out of trouble. Bri, you know that thing I was telling you about?"
"Yeah." She looked at me.
"Look at this shit." I passed her my phone and her mouth dropped open.
"Well fuck me." She passed me the phone back. "I didn't see that shit coming at all."
"What?" Happy looked at us.
"You know that bushy brow guy that I had watching Natalie?" She asked him and he nodded a slow unsure yes. "He was compromised the whole fucking time. Fuckin' traitorous bastard."
"What do we do?" I asked.
"Push the two idiots together." She shrugged. "Set it up Nik."
"Oh I will." I smirked. "Let's kill Natalie once and for all."
"Let the games begin." She smiled.
"Brianna." Happy said. "Don't go doing dumb shit."
"I'm not going to." She said.
"I am." I nodded and smiled.
