Chapter 7
Axel checked in on a sleeping Laney before he made his way outside, calling all of his men to attention.
“Church! Get your asses inside, now!”
As much as he didn’t want to do it, he had to bring what happened with Pierce to the table. Even though his club dealt with darker things than Ox’s (job wise, at least) Axel would never allow someone under his reign to mistreat a woman.
Especially Laney.
Grumbles and murmurs met his back as he headed inside, seating himself at the head of the table where they made all of their important club decisions.
One by one, his patches trickled in like ants at a picnic. Once they were all seated, he looked at all of them and asked, “What are our three rules?”
Rebel cleared his throat and said, “Never lie, never turn your back on a brother, and never mistreat a woman.”
Axel slowly nodded his head.
“Pierce, how many times are we gonna have to have the same conversation?”
Pierce’s head tilted back as he looked Axel in the eye. He could clearly see the anger and resentment in Pierce’s eyes, he just didn’t know why it was there.
“I don’t know what conversation that is,” Pierce said blandly.
He could have been bored out of his mind for all Axel knew, and that didn’t sit well with him; Pierce had always had problems following orders, but Axel had hoped that with time, he’d sort him out. He’d get him to listen, to see reason, to follow the rules.
After what he’d heard him saying to Laney last night, he knew that Pierce wasn’t getting the message.
“You fucked with Scarlett Hunter, and I let Limit beat your ass. You lied about me and Scarlett, and then I beat your ass the next day. Last night I heard you forcing yourself on Laney, threatening her, and she’s also Seven Deadlies’s royalty. Her brother was a good man. Do you have no fucking conscience?”
Pierce had the decency to look ashamed, but Axel knew it was an act. He had no idea why Pierce had turned, or when he had, but the man was turning rotten quicker than Axel could fight it.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re not. Which is why you’re being demoted.”
The entire club gasped in unison at the news, but Axel didn’t back down; he’d thought about it long and hard, all night actually.
“Boss, are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ sure. From now until I tell you, you’re no better than a prospect, Pierce. Do as I say, when I say, or you’re out. I don’t need a vote on this. We have three rules, and you can’t seem to follow any of them.”
Pierce growled under his breath and shook his head as he slammed a fist onto the table.
“I’ve never turned my back on a brother! This is bullshit!”
Axel shook his head.
“What’s bullshit is that I even have to say a fuckin’ word to you, again. What’s bullshit is that you think you own this lot, and you don’t. Not even close.”
Pierce snorted and shook his head angrily, his light eyes blazing with fury.
“This is over that fuckin’ gash down the hall! You’re turnin’ your back on me because of some fuckin’ pussy!”
Rebel and Tango were watching Axel closely, their eyes wide with surprise.
Axel cleared his throat and looked around his table, noting the respect that oozed from more than one of his men.
He didn’t command respect, it was given to him freely, and he appreciated it. Respect led to loyalty, and loyalty was absolutely necessary to run a successful MC. Most of his men understood that…
All except Pierce.
“If anyone put a hand on my sister Ashley, what would all of you do?”
“Cut his fuckin’ head off,” Tango said easily.
“Right. That woman down the hall, woman not gash, is Rider’s sister. Our dead ally, and friend. She’s under my protection. That means I can’t have one of my own men hurting her! Do I make myself clear?,” Axel said angrily.
Everyone nodded apart from Pierce.
With a glare, Axel look at Pierce, “My decision stands. If you don’t like it, walk. I’m done with your insubordination and disrespect. I’ve killed men for less. Get the fuck out of church and make yourself useful.”
Pierce kicked out of his chair and sent it flying into the wall behind him, but he didn’t argue anymore. There was nothing to say; he was in the wrong, and he knew it. Maybe Laney had been the final nail in his proverbial coffin, but Axel knew that if he didn’t get a handle on him soon, he’d lose another brother like he lost Chris. He didn’t want that.
“Does anyone disagree with my decision to demote Pierce?”
Tango cleared his throat.
“I don’t disagree, I’m just wondering if this will help any. I’ve noticed that he’s lost the respect that’s needed in regard to his own chain of command. We all have different duties and obligations in this club. That’s how we remain successful. Pierce has been winding down a long road to destruction since Chris died.”
Axel couldn’t argue that point.
“I agree. That’s why I’m hoping some time under the radar, at least for him, will do the entire club some good. Who’s to say it won’t change him for the better, and remind him of what he’s giving up?”
“You really think cleaning toilets and makin’ drinks is gonna do that, boss?,” Rebel asked.
Axel shrugged.
“I don’t know. But, it’s either sling drinks and clean toilets or we vote him out of the club. That, in my opinion, would be too drastic right off the bat. We can’t forget his past loyalty. That still counts for somethin’,” Axel said.
Tango nodded his head and shrugged.
“I guess this is the start of a new era. Here’s to having a prospect again.”
Rebel snorted.
“Yeah, doesn’t that sound like a barrel full of fun?”
✽✽✽
Laney held her nephew close to her heart while Emily played with her hair.
“You have such pretty curls. Did Rider have curly hair?.” She asked.
Laney shook her head.
“Nope! I was the one who got the curly hair out of the two of us. I’m the spittin’ image of our mama, and he looks just like our daddy.”
Emily sighed dreamily and ran a hand across Miles’s forehead.
“I miss him.”
“We all do, Em. He was a good man. This little guy has the potential to be just as good, too,” Esme said as she ran her fingers through Miles’s hair.
The baby giggled softly and Laney felt her whole heart expand to three times its size. It felt so good to hold something so precious in her arms. She hadn’t even realized she needed it, until she smelled that sweet baby breath.
“One day you’ll have one of your own, Laney. And, you’ll get to feel that bone-deep-happiness that all mommy’s feel,” Emily whispered.
Esme’s gaze met Laney’s over the top of her head and Laney could see the empathy and sadness residing there.
Don’t cry.
She doesn’t know how deeply you ache for that baby you never got to keep.
Laney tried her hardest not to tear up, but it didn’t work. Her eyes welled over with hot, wet tears that streamed down her cheeks with vigor.
“Hey, don’t cry! I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t mean to upset you, you can have Miles any time you need,” Emily cooed as she smoothed a hand through Laney’s hair again.
Laney shook her head, feeling foolish, knowing full well that her sadness had no place in her heart anymore, but she couldn’t help it. It felt like she was missing out, like she was empty when she was supposed to be full, like her glass was not only half-empty, but shattered as a whole.
“I’m okay, Emily. I’ll be fine. I’m just so happy to finally be here with him.”
Her lie was bitter on the back of her tongue, but she knew that she couldn’t talk about it without completely losing her shit.
“On a side note, did you guys hear that Axel demoted Pierce to a prospect this morning?”
Laney’s head snapped up, her damp eyes wide.
“What?”
Rayna nodded as she breezed into a chair beside Emily, Flora in her arms.
“Yep! He’s on prospect duty until Axel decides otherwise. Fury said he doesn’t know why.”
Laney swallowed audibly and Emily’s gaze shot to hers.
“What do you know? Spill it!”
Laney slowly shook her head and Esme laughed.
“Girl, you know something!”
Laney grimaced, “Well, last night Pierce kind of tried to force himself on me…and Axel caught him.”
Rayna’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind of ‘forcing,’ are we talking?”
“He grabbed me and told me if he wanted me he would have me,” Laney said.
Emily snorted.
“I don’t know if he would do it because of that-”
“Bull shit! I don’t know a lot about Axel’s club, but their rules have gotta be similar to ours. We don’t get mistreated here like a lot of women do in other MC’s. I know Pierce has had problems in the past, he even got his ass handed to him by Limit when he messed with Scarlett, but if Axel caught him doing that to you…odds are that had something to do with the decision.”
Laney considered what Emily said.
“She’s right. Take it from me. Axel doesn’t allow women to be mistreated, and he uses Ashley as an example to live by. If they wouldn’t do it to Ashley, they don’t do it to any other women,” Esme said.
Laney didn’t know how she felt about that news. She didn’t want anyone in trouble because of her, but she also didn’t want anyone fucking with her when she just wanted to mind her own business.
“He also has the hots for you, so you better settle in for a wild ride. That man is all monster and no gentleman,” Rayna said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
Laney remembered the way he ripped her pants down and spanked her bare ass.
“Yeah, I’ve been privy to that.”
Emily giggled and so did Rayna.
“Yeah, you have! Look, don’t sweat it. Avoid Pierce and be nice to Axel. He’s got a lot on his plate this time of year.”
Laney opened her mouth to ask what Esme meant, but Esme smiled at her knowingly.
“You’ll have to ask him, darlin’. I won’t tell his secrets.”
Laney wanted to say that she didn’t realize it was a secret to begin with, but it didn’t really matter. She already knew she’d be visiting him later in the day to make sure he wasn’t making any decisions with his club for her sake; she would never ask him to that. Not for her.
“Okay.”
“Don’t look so frazzled, Laney! Tomorrow is your first day of work, you’re holding that sweet nephew of yours, and you’re finally free. You know what I mean. Here, you can be anyone you want to be, including yourself,” Esme said softly.
Laney knew she was referring to the conversation (argument) they’d had about her coming back to the land of the living and finding her own anchor. Laney knew that in her own sense, Esme was right. She shouldn’t have gotten so angry with her or with Axel for trying to help. That’s what family do for one another. Laney knew that’s what Rider would have wanted for her. She knew he would have wanted her to have a happy and healthy support system, but Laney was so used to doing everything on her own she didn’t know how to let that happen.
“You know you’re safe here with us, right?,” Emily asked.
Laney sighed heavily as she glanced down at her lap where Miles was asleep.
“That’s the thing, Em. If I stay, if I get attached, I’m not gonna be with you. I’ll be with Axel and his club, and I’m not so sure that I’ll be safe with them.”
“Axel would never let anything happen to you, Laney. Not as a woman and not as Rider’s sister.”
Deep down, Laney was beginning to believe that. He hadn’t laid a hand on her in true anger, he gave Pierce a just punishment from what it seemed, and he was so gentle with her the night before even though she was being a bitch.
“He promised me pretty much the same thing last night.”
“Uh, hello, not to mention that your pretty ass showed up to the fight and suddenly he won? What the fuck was that? Fury has been winning their fights for as long as I can remember, and then you come along and ruin his undefeated streak!,” Rayna said.
Everyone laughed, including Laney, who had no idea how significant that was.
“I didn’t mean to do anything of the sort.”
Rayna grasped her hand gently and nodded.
“I know. When I first came here, Fury did something similar when I showed up to one of his fights. Don’t think anything bad of it, baby. Axel is a good man. He’s gentle and he’s kind…to a point. He’s rough around the edges, like sand paper, but deep down he genuinely cares for everyone here. He’d give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, but if I were you, I’d pursue the connection we all see between you two.”
Laney’s mouth fell open as she asked, hushed, “Connection?”
“Like fuckin’ fireworks!,” Esme supplied.
Miles started to fuss in her arms and Emily held out her hands.
“Feeding time,” She said with a smile.
Laney handed over the hungry baby to Emily and looked down at her hands.
“I ain’t no good for anybody right now.”
“None of us were, baby. Not any of us. But, we found ourselves and found a little love, too. There’s magic in these mountains, ya just gotta believe.”