Two Months Later

“Any leads on Vasquez’s attempted hit?” Silas sits at the head of the meeting table, working on his fifth cigarette as we hash shit out.

Cole fiddles with a mug of beer, keeping his eyes pinned to the growing water ring on the surface of the table in front of him. “Francisco called with an update. At first, they thought the sneaky fucker was in the wind, but it turns out that he left something behind after all. You guys ready for this?”

Everyone including Silas looks over at him. “Spit it out.”

“It was Jett.”

I rear back in my seat. “What? Didn’t you guys fuck him up like you were supposed to?”

“Of course, we did. He probably stuck around to get back at Tate, and when he found out about the sit-down, he must’ve figured he could bring serious retribution on the Saints by targeting Vasquez. The man is deranged. Correction. Was deranged.”

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

Cole nods. “The Los Diablos aren’t as forgiving as we are when people cross their membership. Jett’s history.”

I blow out a breath. “See, I told you we should’ve ended the bastard. If anything happens to Vasquez, it’s on us for not dealing with our Jett problem like men. He broke our code, and we coddled him like fucking pussies…anyway, how’s Vasquez doing?”

“He’s still struggling.”

“Still?” Silas asks. “It’s been two months.”

“Jett was a motherfucker. A motherfucker from Louisiana, where all that crazy shit goes down. Something was on the bullet that grazed by two vertebras in Vasquez’s neck. It’d take a while for him to be back in the game under normal circumstances, but his condition isn’t improving.”

“What about Mob Doc?”

“He’s been over there a lot, keeping Vasquez stable. But the old guy’s too shaky to do any surgery. Actually, Dean took Molly and her mother over to help earlier today. That’ll go a long way toward making peace with those sons of bitches.”

There are sounds of agreements around the table and I rub my chest, satisfied. That’s my Molly. After she gave me the all clear, I’ve kept myself tied up with work, taking all the jobs that I can with the club’s security business to build up my savings account. I looked it up and learned that it costs a shit ton of money to raise a kid. The little poop machines aren’t cheap.

Silas clears his throat. “No matter what, we’re taking more precautions. Tate, you’re with me later. We’ll head over to their compound tonight to see what hardware they’re working with on the grounds. Maybe upgrade their camera system, give their front door a couple tweaks.”

I nod. “I’m game. I just don’t think they’d allow their past rivals to enhance their physical security. Think about it if the tables were turned.”

“Okay, you have a point. Still, we can offer. If they say no, so be it.”

“Good.” I smile, taking meeting notes on my laptop. My head is in the game, fulfilling my role as Secretary and Treasurer, but the rest of my body is craving Molly. Sure, she’s knocked up, but she isn’t dead. Being pregnant has only ratcheted up her sex drive, and now that my brothers are building us a house behind the clubhouse, she’s moved into my room to make sure we get things right the first time. I don’t mind. It means she gets to do wicked things to my cock every night. Fuck, even most days. Things are damn near perfect between us.

Axe nods over to me. “Hey. Your president just asked you a question. You going soft on us, dude?”

“What’s the question?” I fire back, straightening myself in the chair.

Silas glances down the long table at us all. “I asked about the prospect. Do we want Dean in officially as Road Captain?”

“Guy’s been really handy around the place,” I chime in.

“He’s helped saved our asses more than a few times.” Axe leans back in his chair and fondles his beard.

“I say we patch him in next month,” Cole suggests.

Silas cracks his knuckles. “Sounds like we’re all in favor. Just for the sake of the meeting minutes, all right, all in favor of patching over the prospect, say aye.”

There’s agreement throughout the room. I guess that’s settled then, it’ll be damn fun to tell the fucker. The man will lose his shit.

“We all good here, bros? I’ve got other shit to attend to when Molly makes it back here, and after that, we have to head over to the Los Diablos clubhouse.”

“By other shit, you mean fucking,” Axe isn’t subtle today. He chuckles and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean, assface. You got a problem with it?” I narrow my eyes at my brother and get ready to throw down, at least in play.

“We’re all good. Just keep it down over there, for fuck’s sake. The walls are thin. I don’t need to know about your role-playing exploits on the daily. Got me?”

“Yeah, well…I don’t need to hear you moaning and groaning when you jerk off because none of the sack demons are in the mood for you to break them with your massive dick.”

“My massive dick does just fine, fuck you very much.”

Silas raises his hands. “Cut that shit out until after the meeting. Any other business?”

“Actually, yeah.” I get serious. I clear my throat and rub the back of my head. “I want to bring Molly into the family. And the baby. It’s time we claim them as MC family.”

I keep tight in my seat, nervous as hell because I don’t want to hear anyone say no. Why anyone around this table would is beyond me. It isn’t much to ask in the grand scheme of things. Plus, I’m planning to hold on to Molly until we’re both old, gray, and grumpy as fuck.

“You want her as old lady status minus the wedding?” Silas asks, steepling his fingers at the end of the table.

“Yeah, no wedding. When we get that far I want her to know it’s because I want to be with her, not because of the baby, you feel me?”

Axe rolls his eyes. “There we go with that touchy-feely chick flick bullshit talk again.”

“How would you know what the fuck they show on those girlie channels, unless that’s how you get off at night, Godzilla dick.”

“Shut the fuck up, both of you,” Cole says. “Makes sense to me, but I don’t think we need a vote on this one, brother. Molly’s like family already. Well, you know what I mean. In any case, you wouldn’t be in the picture if she didn’t save your undeserving ass. Silas, you want to do the honors?”

“Everyone in favor, to give Molly all the rights of an old lady, say aye.”

I’ve never felt prouder than when my brothers around the table all give the aye.