The Rage of Storm ( MC No Limits Book 3 )

Chapter 19

Storm

Josie's face was so damn sad as she told me her story.
The small tear that left her eye dripped onto my hand as I held her face.
We had been in my tattoo studio for hours, talking about everything she remembered and also what Hope didn't let her remember.
I was sitting on one of the tattoo tables and she was sitting on my lap, facing me with her legs hanging off either side.

She was sobbing and her lip was trembling as she finished her story looking me in the eye.
"I'm sorry, Josie, that everything happened to you...you had to experience everything alone. I wasn't there," I said quietly.
Everything I heard only made me feel more guilty. I should have stayed with her, been more stubborn, and fought for our friendship.
But the boy I once was got used to being rejected, and so I did what I should never have done and accepted her words without question. Hope's words...but still, I let Josie down.
"It's not your fault...Not mine either. Apparently, it had to be that way," she answered quietly.
I pulled her into my arms and held her tight, breathing in her scent. Her little hands lay on my chest, and she snuggled into the embrace.
"I'll make it up to you. You won't be alone anymore, Josie. I promise," I said to her, taking a deep breath.

She just stayed in my arms and said nothing—she simply nodded and looked up at me.
"It's already morning," she stated, and I turned my head to the window.
"You're right...Are you tired?" I asked her, to which she shook her head.
"I slept too much yesterday," she said, laughing.
Well, she didn't sleep, but she was definitely knocked out.
The sound of keys was heard, and someone opened the shop. Our eyes looked at the door, and Ink came in and looked from Josie to me.
"Josie, this is Ink...he's like my little brother," I said to her as she looked at him with blushing cheeks.
"Hi, nice to meet you," Ink said as he held out his hand to her.
"Ink, that's Josie...my girl," I said, and they both looked at me.
Josie smiled at me, and Ink raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Girl?" he asked me, and I laughed.
"Yeah, you keep your fingers away from her, or I'll have to break them," I answered him, and he grinned.
"Can't wait to see Duke's face," Ink said, laughing as he placed his keys on the counter next to mine.
The other day I called her a gremlin...I was just frustrated and angry at her sudden appearance in my life. Ink was a brother, he could have easily teased me about it in front of her, but he didn't.
"I actually wanted to open the shop...But if you...well," Ink started talking nervously.
"Can you work alone today?" I asked him, and he looked from me to Josie.
"Sure...we only have three appointments today," he answered me.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise," I told him as I got up from the lounger and held Josie in my arms. Her legs wrapped around me, and she held onto my shoulders tightly.
"Where do we go?" she asked me, smiling, and I looked at her beautiful face.
"Rub it in Duke's face that you're mine," I said to her, and we all laughed.
When I set her down, I looked at her with a grin and took her hand.
"I meant what I said, Josie. You're my girl," I said to her as I looked at her blushing face.

The community was already awake, and people were walking through the street. King was standing with Duke at Nora's restaurant, and Ace was holding his future wife in his arms as they stood in front of the door.
"Oh my God," Nora said, beaming, as she saw us walking towards them.
The others followed her gaze, and Duke rolled his eyes.
"Come on man...I thought you were at least immune to the Ol Lady shit," he said, to which King laughed.
Gears and Doc looked out of the restaurant with interest, and Wrath looked up from his pad when they heard Duke.
"Obviously not," I answered him, laughing.
"Gather everyone...we have a few things to announce," King said to Duke as he looked at me and Josie, and I nodded.
"Yes, we have," I replied, looking at Josie who smiled at me.

"What's up?" Ivy asked as she came into the bar last and looked at us in surprise.
"Well, first of all, I want to say that Nora's restaurant is finally finished and we can plan the opening of the gym and the restaurant," King announced, to which everyone cheered.
"The second thing is that Josie will stay with us until Tom gets in touch with news. But as I see it, it won't be necessary to find a new identity for her," said King, looking at us.
The ol' ladies looked at Josie and me with interest, and Alice tilted her head as she grinned.
"You make her your Ol' Lady!" Alice stated and grinned.
I took her hand and kissed it, grinning, and the other women started cheering.
Josie's face was surprised at the joy the other women were having, and she looked at me questioningly.
"You're a part of our community now, Josie. You're my Ol' Lady," I said to her, to which Duke rolled his eyes.
"Another one bites the Dust," Gears said, laughing, and Duke started laughing too.
The men congratulated me, and Josie was surrounded and congratulated by the excited women.
"We need a girl's day," Alice said, and Ivy jumped up excitedly.
"Oh, we need that...we can plan the opening. And Nora's wedding," Erin said, as they all started screaming like little girls.
I watched Josie as she was led out of the bar by the Ol' Ladies. She turned to me with a smile, and I nodded to her. She was now one of us.
"Well, you didn't waste any time," King said to me as he stood next to me and watched the women go.
"It's been so long with Josie and me...you just don't know," I replied, to which he looked at me and nodded.
"High school shit...I told you," I heard Duke say as we all laughed.
"Yeah...high school shit," I replied, to which King nodded.
"They'll definitely open this weekend. We should get everything ready," Ace said as he waved at Nora.
I spent the rest of the day with my brothers, we made sure everything was ready for the punters, and later sat together at the bar stairs and relaxed.
"What do you think the women talk about when they're all together?" Ace asked, laughing.
"Dick and shit," Wrath replied, to which we all laughed.
"Yeah, everyone except Josie...As far as I know, Hope said she doesn't fuck. So they still have a virgin there," Duke stated, and I looked at him.
"What? Those are Hope's words," he said.
I know she said it...if that's the truth, then I have to go slow with her.
I completely forgot her words yesterday when I touched Josie in my tattoo studio. I didn't go any further than kissing and holding her. But maybe that was already too much for her.
"Don't worry, Storm. You'll know when she's ready," Ace said as he lightly elbowed me.
"Oh, you certainly will," King replied, laughing.
"Yeah...that's not important to me. I just want to be there for her," I replied, to which everyone looked at me.
"What the fuck happened to him?" Duke asked, knowing that women weren't a problem for me.
"I think our boy is in love," King said, grinning.
"Yeah...that's an understatement," I replied, to which Ace looked at me proudly.
"She's being helped by Dr. Owen?" he asked me, to which I nodded.
"She told me that the doctor wanted to help her," I replied, to which Doc nodded.
"That's good. It'll help her," Doc said in his mind.
I hope she will...Josie needs help, and there are some things I won't be able to heal on my own.
The women seemed to have had quite a bit of fun at Alice's pool, and when they returned later that afternoon, Josie looked at me with rosy cheeks. Erin gave her the bracelet and explained to her what it was, and she was officially one of them.
Nora and Ivy decided to set the opening for next Friday because Nora had a brilliant idea.
Since Josie had already worked in her aunt's restaurant for years, she wanted Josie to work with her in her restaurant.
Josie was excited about the idea, and I was happy about that.
"She will have to find her way back to life just like me. A regular daily routine, a job... friends. I hope you don't mind?" Nora asked me as I stood with her and Ace, and Josie looked at the restaurant.
"Thank you, Nora," I said to her, and Ace nodded.
"That was a great idea, doll," he said to her, and she stood happily in his arms.
I followed Josie into the restaurant and watched her examine the pans and pots and look around the kitchen. I was leaning against the doorframe, and her eyes fell on me.
"She wants me to work with her," she said excitedly.
"I know," I answered her, smiling.
"She wants me to show her what I can do and asked me for recipes and opinion on a menu," she added in thought.
"Because they like you, Josie," I said, and she looked up at me. "But not as much as me," I added with a grin as I pulled her in and kissed her.