Never Have an Outlaw's Baby: Deadly Pistols MC Romance (Outlaw Love) (24 page)

“We're not finished yet. Every brother gets to speak before this shit goes down, and I'm putting in my word. I
want
Dust keeping the gavel.” A couple men snorted, and others balled their fists. “He's a motherfucker for lying about my brother, but he's been a fuckin' hero every time the bullet meets the gun. He just cut us a deal with clubs a helluva a lot bigger than us, ten states away, when they wouldn't have given us a fuckin' second of their time a couple weeks ago.

I turned, staring at Firefly, his blue eyes raging the most. “Whatever the hell he did, or didn't do, that counts for something. Something big. There's nobody else I'd want at the helm when the blood flies, and we've got more coming. Sooner or later, it always comes. There's always fuckin' more, but gutting the Deads in Georgia like we just did, looks like there'll be a little less to worry about for the first time in forever.”

I sat back down. Fuck, that felt amazing, especially when the fire in my legs had been about to put me under.

“We'll start with you, Veep, because we already know your vote. All in favor of turning me out, handing over the President patch, say 'aye.'”

“Nay,” I said, without a second of hesitation.

“Nay.” Grandpa voted the same. He looked at me and bowed his head, more respect shining in his eyes than he'd shown me since the night they butchered Piece.

Two more Nays came quick. Sixty, moving onto Skin, who both voted the same way.

Club charter said it took seventy percent to elect a President or turn him out.

“Aye.” First one came from Lion, who'd taken a fuckin' beating a few months back, almost as bad as mine at the hands of the Torches MC. “We need fresh blood, somebody who'll give it to us straight.”

He stared at the Prez, anger in his eyes. Turned my damned stomach, but I respected his balls, him and Tin both for flexing nuts when they were the newest boys here.

His closest brother, Tin, followed with another Aye. If the tension was like a vice before, it felt like we'd dropped ten thousand feet beneath the ocean, the pressure caving in our skulls.

The vote moved to Crawl, staring at us through his long dark hair, a hint of Hispanic in his skin. His old man had been Brazilian or Argentinian or some shit.

“Aye.” His vote was like a fuckin' lightning bolt, the first senior brother to turn against the Prez.

My fuckin' heart sunk. I started, clenching my teeth, making the fresh pain in my jaw drown out everything else healing in my body.

A dozen eyes burned. Appreciation, anger, and respect, all of it aimed his way.

“You're a good man, Dust, and a good brother. You meant well. But you've just lost my trust,” he said, smooth and measured. Motherfucker was gonna take my place sooner or later as the eerily calm one.

Fuck.
I did the tally in my head.

Three ayes. Four nays. And it was moving to Firefly, who still had an axe to grind with the Prez over the fling with his sis.

Fuck me again.
My jaw got tighter, tighter, realizing I'd have a temporary gavel I never fuckin' wanted hanging over me, as real as this bum leg and all the lovin' I had for my family.

Firefly didn't say shit. He looked at the Prez, his face as angry and electric as ever.

“Firefly?” Dust said, when the staring contest lasted too long. “What's your vote?”

“Nay.”

Holy shit.

Heads dropped. Men cursed in shock and relief, sometimes both at once.

Grandpa had been holding the gavel while this shit went down. He passed it back to Dust, who took it on one hand, giving it a slow spin like he'd picked it up for the first time.

He walked down the center line, stopped at the big brick oven next to the fire pit, and slammed it down on the concrete so hard the hammer went flying off its handle. It bounced loudly on the pavement, rolling to a stop next to my walker.

Bingo jumped up, wandered over, and started sniffing away at it, his fat tongue hanging out.

“Brothers, thank you all for every vote. I fuckin' mean it. Those of you who decided to give me a second chance – won't let you down. Everybody who wanted me gone – you'll think twice in a few more months. Won't let anybody down, even the ones who hate me. I promise. This club's in my blood. I'll die before I ever fuck it over.”

He turned around, taking a good, hard look at each and every one of us. I spoke first.

“We done here, or what?”

“Yeah. We'll do church again in a few days, soon as I've got the next shipping details from Blackjack. We owe the Grizzlies more than money for sending their guys out here, having 'em move on the fly. We'll send a few kegs of the best Tennessee whiskey we can get our hands on out their way.”

Every brother nodded. I'd personally thanked that big, mean motherfucker, Roman, who'd loaded Alex and me in the truck. Said he'd been through some shit with his kid too, and everything happening was real familiar.

Slowly, the brothers filed out. I took my sweet time trailing Grandpa out to wait for his ride from the home, letting Skin and Firefly help me along.

Summertime came running up next to us, scratching Bingo while holding Alex in her arms. “Looks like we're about ready.”

I looked at her, smiled, and nodded. “Yeah, babe. Go warm up the truck. Just a few more minutes here.”

Perfect timing. The van rolled by about a minute later, and we all waved to Grandpa as they loaded him in, and took off.

We'd have a happier visit next time, when I brought the family around to see him. He hadn't even bothered to keep the torn up strips of Hatch's leather we'd offered, and who the fuck could blame him?

Enough blood. Enough bullshit. I wanted my wife, my old lady, my kid. Fuck, I wanted to start working on a little brother or sister for Alex, soon as my body let me.

“Rest up, brother,” Skin said, slapping me gently on the back. “I've got tax shit to crunch the rest of the day.”

Firefly hung with me 'til Summer came around, winding the truck against the curb. Before she parked it and stepped out to help me in, I turned to him, looking at him sideways.

“Why the fuck did you vote for Dust? You hate his ass more than the rest of us, that shit going on between him and your sis.”

“'Cause I agreed with everything you said, brother.” He stood up straight, looking me dead in the eye. “This club needs leadership. I'm still aiming to knock his shit in if he doesn't stop fuckin' around with Hannah. Still, we've got too much on our plate to get petty. I ain't letting personal grudges come between me and the club. We're family, Veep, same as Cora and my kid about to be born.”

Family.
That word was starting to haunt me.

I looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, you've got a point.”

I'd only begun to figure out what it meant. Had a feeling there were a hundred meanings left to find, too.

One of them stared me right in the face as Summer opened my door and helped me in.

This was everything. All of it. In here.

Long as I had her, my son, my dog, and my brothers, I'd be fuckin' dandy.

Unraveling the mysteries of the universe could wait.

* * *

I
'd been
at the chop shop all day by myself, and now I was coming home. My shoulder still ached when I worked the tools, but I was able to work again.

That meant something.

Almost as much as climbing on my bike for the fifth time since the showdown with the Deads. It hurt like hell going more than a few miles.

Damn if it wasn't worth it, though. I'd lost the walker awhile ago, and borrowed one of Grandpa's old canes about a week longer.

I'd never been happier to give anything up, when I finally kicked them both to the curb.

Never would've believed I'd take moving on my own two feet for granted, or jumping on my Harley without a second thought.

After this brutal fuckery, I never would again.

I rode, free from all the demons.

Freddy's ghost didn't haunt me no more, except when I saw him in my dreams. His face was back. So were his eyes, and his smile.

I dreamed about the good times instead of the bad. Dreamed about us wrestling, laughing, beating up on each other in the mud and the grass with grandpa watching from the porch, just like when we were kids.

The Deads were...well, pretty fuckin' dead. And they'd stay that way.

Intel said the motherfuckers left behind in Georgia and Florida after we'd killed their Prez were fighting like headless snakes. They'd be too busy killing each other across the deep south to think about retaliation anytime soon.

Grandpa, he'd never been so fuckin' happy. Not since before they closed down Robby's place in Seddon. Not since Freddy was still breathin'.

Every Sunday, he was up early, sitting in his chair waiting for us, ready to take a summer stroll around the pond behind the home with me, Summer, Alex, and Bingo at his side.

We never let the kid outta our sight. Ever.

Today, I was free. Balmy mid-summer wind tore across my face like nobody's business, sweeping down from the Smokies; haze, humidity, and all.

Today was the day. The shit I'd been working on for the last week sat in my pocket. It was missing one more piece, the most expensive one, but I couldn't fuckin' wait.

Not since my girl got herself branded last week.

PROPERTY OF JOKER, the big, dark tattoo across her shoulder read. Firefly did the ink with the same care and attention he'd used on his own girl, Cora, her belly getting bigger by the day as her due date crept up.

Seeing that shit only made me want to fuck my girl harder. Longer. Spill my balls inside her every chance I got, and throw those fuckin' pills she popped every morning to keep from getting knocked up in the fire pit with a light.

No, goddammit.

Had to keep a lid on my lust, just a little while longer. I'd already been fuckin' her for the past week when Laynie said I shouldn't, telling me it could still do damage.

It'd been torture staying away from that pussy while I was laid up. Almost as bad as feeling what I had in my pocket, ready to burn a hole right through it, if I didn't hand it over the second she walked through the door.

A short ride later, I walked into my place. Cora sat in front of the TV with Bingo and Alex, all three of them watching some kid's show with a pirate singing about booty or some shit.

“Seems about right,” I said, standing by the door. Couldn't help but feel a little damn appreciation for the bastards who used to rule the seas, the same way the clubs ran the roads.

Alex jumped up right away, toddling toward me, a sunny smile on his little face. Bingo raced ahead of him, and I got down on my knees as the big dog crashed into me, licking my face.

“You're home early!” Cora said, standing, her baby bulge like a small basketball. “Firefly won't come by for another twenty minutes to get me.”

“Figured you could use some extra down time since you're getting closer to the big day. You're doing us a solid, watching him like this after your shift.”

“Oh, please.” She stuck out her tongue and waved her hand. “My pleasure. I need all the practice I can get. Just hope my own turns out half as sweet as Alex.”

My son put a big fat exclamation point on it by jumping as high as his little knees would allow, hanging around my neck like a damned monkey. I hauled him up, carrying him on my shoulders, grinning while Bingo raced around us.

Yeah, this was the life. Just needed to put one more thing where it belonged.

“You heard from Summer?” I asked her, walking over and taking my spot in the chair across from the sofa. Shifted the kid down into my lap, all the better for him to grab at the dog.

“She's about five minutes out! Texted me a little while before you walked through the door. I think she meant to beat you here to start dinner.” Cora smirked. “She's picking up fast at the Heel. Kinda feels like torture watching her mix the drinks, knowing it'll be a few more months before I can try them!”

“Yeah, she's a quick learner. Always has been.”

“Yup. This club's really becoming a family thing, isn't it? We've got our business, our spouses, our kids. Maybe in a few more years I won't have to see all those drunken skanks wandering around for the single guys.”

“There'll always be bitches just for fuckin',” I said, turning up my nose. “Damned glad I don't need that pussy anymore to get off.”

Fuck, that was an understatement. The club had families in the old days, but it was...messy.

More than a few of the old crew fucked around on their girls, men like Early. They got hooked on booze or took to shit they should've been smart enough not to touch. Dust cleaned house since we'd lost his old man.

Early had been good for keeping the dream alive, but he'd been too damned lax. Thankfully, the norm was slowly returning. None of the boys who'd taken an old lady showed any signs of fuckin' on the side, and I'd sure as hell never go down that road neither.

Strange pussy didn't matter since Summertime gave me hers. Every morning, every night, and I still couldn't get enough.

I held onto Alex while the pirate jabbered on TV, slashing his plastic sword. Kid dozed in my arms, slipping off just before we all heard the lock jingle. Cora's phone buzzed at the same time.