Five years later —

Chief braced his arm on the windowsill in the meeting room of the clubhouse, listening to Keeffe inform him about the updates from the two motorcycle clubs they used in their arrangement to get the chopped motorcycles to their destination.

"Komoon's ready for the call." Keeffe, leaning back in a chair at the table, unlatched his hands from behind his head. "Everything is a go on our end."

"Good." He gazed out the window. "Let's bring Shore and Cash in on the ride. Put D-Con in charge of them."

Keeffe whistled low. "It's been a long time since we brought in anyone new on the rides."

"Shore and Cash swore into Brikken almost five years ago. It's time they proved themselves to the club." He turned away from the window. "Where's Jett?"

"Upstairs." Keeffe stood from the table. "Want me to get him?"

"I'll go up." He walked across the room. "I need to get out of here early today."

"Are you coming back to the party?" asked Keeffe.

"Not tonight." He walked down the hallway and took the stairs.

Johanna wanted him home because she had something she needed to talk to him about. He already knew what she had on her mind. But, he let her have her moment and kept his mouth shut.

Upstairs, he stalked to the end of the hallway and banged on the door to Jett's room, opening it before his son could answer. Inside, Jett banged a woman on the bed. Chief tilted his head. The woman underneath his son must be new. He'd never seen her around the clubhouse before.

"Johanna wants you and your brothers to come to the house for dinner tomorrow before we ride out. Make sure you're there, son." He gazed at the woman's breasts wobbling as Jett continued to thrust into her.

"Got it, Chief." Jett panted, lowering his mouth to the jiggling breast.

Dedication. That's what he liked to see in his boys. They knew how to get the job done.

He shook his head in amusement and shut the door. Jett was almost his age when he'd found a pretty little eight-year-old girl who needed more out of life than hiding in a closet and brought her to Brikken. He strolled back downstairs. Jett would find what he wanted in life soon, and he couldn't wait to see the hell he'd go through to make sure he achieved everything.

His son would learn the harder he fought for what he wanted, the sweeter the love.

Downstairs in the clubhouse, he stopped and searched the room, finding Thorn at the pool table holding a stick in his hand, eyeing one of the women taking her shot at the game. He strolled over and leaned against the back of the couch and waited until his youngest son finished his turn.

Thorn came over and stood beside him. "What's up, Chief?"

"You're on patrol tonight, and I know you'll be sleeping tomorrow, but make sure you get up and join us for dinner. Johanna wants you there," he said.

"Before our ride?" Thorn lowered his voice. "What's going on?"

"She wants to feed us." He cocked his brow. "So, we'll eat and make her happy."

Thorn grinned. "I never turn down a free meal. What time?"

"Six o'clock or so."

"I'll be there."

He slapped his hand against Thorn's strong back. "Ride safe tonight."

"Yep." Thorn walked to the pool table.

He found Olin standing at the bar with Freddy and Cutter and worked his way over to his middle son. Cutter and Freddy spotted him and lifted their chins.

"Men." He put his arm around his son's shoulders and squeezed his hand. "Dinner, tomorrow at our house. Johanna wants you there."

"I'll be there." Olin turned toward him when Chief let go of him. "Hang on a second."

Olin retrieved his wallet out of his back pocket and handed him a wad of cash. "For rent."

He dipped his chin and pocketed the money. "See you tomorrow."

After Olin had recovered from the stabbing, he'd approached him and asked if he could rent the house that Nene had lived in. While he'd questioned his son's decision to live away from the clubhouse when he had no woman in his life, he'd only received the excuse that he needed the quiet. That excuse was good enough for him. Almost dying had a way of changing a man.

Life became a little more serious, and his middle son had always been quieter than the other two. He chalked Olin's need for independence onto maturity. He'd seen the other side of death's door. That scare made a man grow up.

With business done for the day, he worked his way through the Brikken members and walked out the door. He continued along the wall of the building and rounded the corner, going between the clubhouse and the garage toward the creek.

The fresh breeze hit him in the face. He inhaled deeply and peered out into the trees.

Fifteen feet from the water, he heard Johanna yell. He stepped up on the wooden footbridge and stopped, taking in the sight before him.

Johanna slowed to a walk seeing him. "Jackie, I told you, you have to wait until Chief reaches the yard."

His gaze fell between them, searching the wild grass that grew between the yard and the bank of the creek and found the object of Johanna's attention.

Jackie—named Jacqueline after his mother— stopped running, picked up a fallen leaf, and waved the foliage above her head at him as if she hadn't seen him three hours ago. Her long brown hair half dried from her bath already tangled, she laughed in her excitement.

At four years old, his daughter brightened everyone's lives. After he'd built Johanna a new house across the creek last year, Jackie decided that every member of Brikken was her personal friend. Johanna was having a hard time keeping their daughter contained in the yard. More than once, they caught her sneaking away when she heard the rumble of the motorcycles.

He crossed the footbridge, ending his daughter's torment. She lunged at him, and he swooped her up in his arms, taking the leaf from her hand that had slapped his face. Jackie grabbed his beard forcing his gaze away from Johanna, who stood smiling at them, shaking her head in amusement.

Johanna had to share his beard now.

"Will you play with me, Chief?" Jackie perched on his arm without any fear that he'd drop her.

"In a bit, Jacqueline." He kissed her cheek. "We're going to go in the house, and I'm going to spend some time talking to your momma. Then, you've got me for an hour before it's time for you to go to sleep."

"I already took my bath." Jackie pulled his beard making him look at her. "Can you play with me for an hour and another hour?"

Unable to tell time, Jackie argued a good case for herself. He chuckled. "Sure."

Knowing she fell asleep at seven o'clock, no matter what she was doing or where she was at, he felt safe giving in to her. His daughter played hard and slept hard.

"Can you play with me for an hour and another hour and another hour?" asked Jackie.

"Don't push me." He tickled her side and put her on her feet. "Run in the house before I get you."

"Put your nightie on, so you're all ready," added Johanna.

His daughter squealed and ran for the sliding door. He stepped over to Johanna and passed his daughter's maple leaf to her before leaning over to give her a kiss. "Hey, bug."

"Done for the evening?" She slipped her hand into his, walking with him to the house, and stepped through the door Jackie had left open.

"Yeah." He shucked off his vest and sat down in the wooden chair beside the door and unlaced his boots. "I talked to the boys. They'll be over tomorrow for dinner."

"Oh, good." She hummed. "Do you think I should've invited Karla?"

"What for?"

She shrugged and looked away. He lowered his chin, working on his boots, to hide his face. His woman was going to burst if she didn't get to talk.

Always aware of keeping communication open between them and Karla and his sons, she often went out of her way to make the two families merge, forgetting that his boys were older than her and needed their own lives.

He toed off his boots, set them to the side, and stood. Johanna opened the fridge and then brought him a beer. He took the drink and guided her to the family room. All he needed was her.

Sitting on the couch across from the rock fireplace, he pulled her on to his lap and shoved the can between the cushions for later.

He patted her ass. "You haven't given me a kiss yet."

She cupped his face, pulling his beard, and softly placed her lips on his. He opened her mouth and dipped his tongue, letting the tension from the club's business slip away. She gave him the ability to put away the leather once he stepped into the house and he could put Brikken and his men away while he relaxed at home.

Johanna broke the kiss. "I have to tell you something," she said in a rush.

He rubbed his hand between her breasts and hooked her tag necklace with his finger. She never took the piece of jewelry off. "I'm listening."

"Are you?"

He nodded. "Talk, bug."

"Okay." She tucked her hair behind her ears and took a big breath. "I have big news."

"Spill," he said, giving her all his attention.

"I'm pregnant."

He moved his hand to her stomach. If missing three months of her period wasn't a big enough sign, the little pouch above her pussy was a neon light to a man like him. Johanna had been caught up in taking care of Jackie and organizing Family Day at the clubhouse with the other women, she hadn't even figured out she was pregnant. But, he'd been watching.

He pulled her down against his chest and cradled her. "Remember what I said?"

"You'll get me pregnant as many times as I want." She tilted her head and caressed his beard. "I remember, but I think two will be enough. Don't you think?"

He rubbed small circles on her stomach, letting her have her way. It didn't matter if they had two kids or ten, as long as he had her. Brikken was strong. He could protect his family.

"You make me happy." He kissed the side of her head. "Another baby."

She sighed in contentment. "Another baby."

"Real happy, bug," he whispered, contentment rolling through him.

"Me, too." She caught his hand and brought his fingers up to her lips, kissing his knuckles. "I hate that you'll be off on a ride tomorrow night."

"Is that why you wanted dinner with everybody?" He rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip.

"I wanted to tell everyone the news together." She turned her head. "I think I'll call Karla on Monday and share the baby news with her. I don't want her to think we're leaving her out of our business. We're finally back to having a relationship, and I don't want to lose what we've built."

He yawned. "Tell her Monday."

"You're tired." She shifted on his lap and brought his head down to her chest.

He closed his eyes and snuggled his head between her breasts. These were the days he liked best. The normal schedule, no emergencies with the club, his family close to him.

"Chief! Are you done with my momma yet?" shouted Jackie.

His pillow jiggled with Johanna's amusement. He lifted his head and kissed her. "Our daughter is calling me. She has about as much patience as you."

"You better go play with her before she falls asleep in the doorway of her bedroom waiting for you." Johanna stood from his lap. "I'll heat your dinner up, so it's ready."

He walked down the hallway to his daughter's room—a flash of purple and teal. "What's it going to be tonight, Chutes and Ladders or...dolls?"

Her attention span lasted about ten minutes if he was lucky.

She held up a deck of cards. "War."

He chuckled. She was growing up too fast.

Jett had tried to teach her the card game, but she couldn't remember what the jack, queen, king, and ace represented. Half the time, she couldn't figure out if four came before or after five, so mainly they flipped cards and slapped each other's hand on the growing pile.

"War it'll be." He lowered himself to the floor, his lower back protesting.

Damn, he was getting old.

At fifty-five years old, he'd lived a hard life. Those years of beating his body had caught up to him. Though he still could kick anyone's ass if needed.

For the next ten minutes, Jackie giggled herself silly, until she could barely keep her eyes open. She reminded him of Johanna in so many ways. Except, Jackie had the confidence and love at an early age that she never feared anyone leaving her life. For that, he was thankful.

"All right, time for bed. Jump up and crawl in." He pushed himself to his feet, already stiff from sitting on the floor.

Jackie refused to move, only lifting her arms in the air. He picked her up. She monkey-hugged him. He cupped the back of her head, his heart full. "I love you. Remember that.

"I love you, too." His daughter kissed his cheek.

He tucked her into bed, shut off the light, and closed her door until only a crack of the hallway light shined in her room. Walking into the kitchen, he stopped at the entrance. His balls ached in pleasure at the beautiful woman in his life.

Johanna stood at the sink with her hand on her lower stomach and a sweet smile on her face as she looked at the windowsill. He folded his arms on his chest and swallowed hard. She'd kept the maple leaf their daughter had picked up outside and put the leaf in a glass of water.

If anyone could make it grow into a tree, it'd be Johanna.

She was the strength and determination behind everything he was and everything he'd be. He hoped she remembered.