Chapter Ten
Eight months later
Cheryl couldn’t believe this day had come. For the past eight months, Butch had been working tirelessly to get this club set up, and now as each of The Skulls from Fort Wills arrived, her nerves were completely shot.
Every single week for eight months, they’d had one of The Skulls or the family staying with them, Lacey being one of the people that visited most often. She adored Lacey and Angel as well, even though she was really, really sweet.
There was a time when Cheryl found Angel too sweet and wondered if it was fake. Over time, she realized it wasn’t. Angel was just a nice person, which made it even more strange that she was with Lash. That man was dangerous and really fucking scary as far Cheryl was concerned.
“Are you excited?” Lacey asked, coming to stand beside her.
“Yeah, of course.” Javier, Mistletoe, Cruz, and of course Punk were lurking around somewhere.
She’d heard all of the guys making plans for the club. Butch and Ned had also been arguing about the possible drug and gun runs.
Even though this was Butch’s chapter, Lash had advised him not to go into hardcore shit.
She hated to agree with Lash, but she felt he was right, especially about this. She didn’t want to have to worry about her guy getting hurt. He’d not been on any serious runs in years.
This wasn’t about them getting into trouble. This was about him finding himself again.
“It looks good,” Whizz said.
“You can’t even see it. It’s behind the curtain,” Lacey said.
“I saw it the other day. While you were busy painting everyone’s nails, I was checking on the club.” Whizz wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Cheryl watched them, and it was then she felt something twist in her gut. Even though she didn’t want to go back to Fort Wills, it didn’t mean she didn’t miss this, seeing the couples together.
She’d been part of The Skulls for a very short time, but she’d seen the family that they were.
Even now, Lash held Angel close to him as he talked with Eva, Tiny, and Ned. She couldn’t help but watch Ned to see if he let slip at any point that he didn’t like Tiny.
Of course, the mask was on display, and he looked interested in whatever Tiny had to say.
She figured he was bullshitting about it all.
“Are you guys ready?” Butch asked, coming out from behind the curtain he’d put in front of the building.
She hadn’t seen the finished product because she took care of Jade.
“Hey, Mom,” Michael said, coming to stand beside her.
“Hey, honey.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close.
“Please, not now, people can see.”
“I don’t care if people can see. I love you.” She kissed his cheek and chuckled as he wiped it away.
“You’re mean.”
“It’s so good to have you here. How is everything at school?” she asked.
“Same as it was last night. Nothing has changed since then.”
“Well, you never know, and I’m just making sure. I don’t want anything bad to happen to my baby.” She ruffled his head, and he groaned. Just then, Jade chose that moment to whimper.
Reaching into the stroller, Cheryl unbuckled her and picked her up. She wasn’t even a year old yet, but she was growing so strong.
“Say hello to your big brother,” Cheryl said.
Michael smiled and reached out. Jade snatched his finger and tried to bite him.
She laughed as the sheet went down, and the lights were bright, showcasing the new clubhouse for The Skulls, Vegas Chapter.
There were cheers, screams, and rounds of applause.
Seeing Butch with his club again, she was so damn happy for him.
It didn’t take long after the unveiling for the barbeques to be set up and a few bonfires.
Butch made the rounds, and she kept an eye on him, knowing he’d been worried.
“He made it work,” Alex said, coming to stand beside her.
She turned to the man she had once crushed on and most hated. Now, she was just content.
“He did.”
“Butch is a good man. He’ll make one fine leader.”
“I know.” She sighed.
“And she is looking so beautiful and growing up so fast,” Alex said.
“Yeah, she’s getting her teeth, and she doesn’t like that. Doesn’t like pain.” She kissed Jade’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For Michael. For being there for him. For helping.” They hadn’t sent Michael to Fort Wills just because of the baby. He’d been sent to live with his father because he’d started to fall in with the wrong crowd, and no matter what she or Butch did, he wasn’t happy with them. “I don’t think I’ve ever really thanked you for anything in my life. Not for giving me my son, or for being there.”
“Cheryl, I’ve done a lot of bad shit myself. You’ve got nothing to thank me for. I only hope that we can continue as friends. I never meant to hurt you all those years ago. I was a selfish prick. I’ve grown a lot since then. Seen the mythical error of my ways.”
This made her laugh.
“Truce?” she asked.
“Truce.”
They shook hands, and finally hugged. For the first time since she met Alex, she actually felt they had gotten all of their history behind them.
It was no longer a dark cloud over them, just something in the past.
She wasn’t going to hold his abandonment against him, and he wasn’t going to hold her blackmail over her either.
It was done.
They were done.
They shared a son together, and they would work in his best interests.
“What is going on here?” Butch asked. “You two aren’t going to kill each other, are you? I don’t think that will be good for Michael.”
“Nah, we’re not going to do that. I’m happy for you, Butch. You’ve done well.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
She watched Alex walk away.
The family was back together for at least one night, and she was happy about that.
“What about you? I know I can’t trust him,” Butch said.
She chuckled. “Maybe this time you should.”
“You two are good?”
“Better than good.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I think after all these years, we’ve finally put the past to bed.”
“And you can handle that?” he asked.
“Yes, I can. It looks fantastic.”
“It does.”
“So, what happens now?” she asked.
“Well, all the guys are here and that’s to see if Javier, Mistletoe, and Cruz can handle themselves.”
“The initiation?”
“That’s it. You want to go in and see where you’ll be staying when you’re at the club?”
“You’re going to be staying here a lot?”
“Some nights but don’t worry, I know who I belong to.” He kissed her neck.
With Jade on her hip, she followed behind Butch as he showed her the clubhouse, the bar, and then into the main corridor of the rooms.
“It looks amazing.”
Once they got to his room, he took Jade from her arms and placed her in the center of the bed.
“I know I wouldn’t have been able to have done this without you,” he said.
“Butch, you can do everything and anything you put your mind to.” She cupped his cheek. “This is just the beginning. I don’t have any doubt that this is going to be one of the fiercest clubs around.” She went on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you, forever and for always. Never forget it.”
The sound of Jade gurgling interrupted them. Butch dived for his daughter as she was about to spill off the bed, and he caught her before she hit the ground.
Collapsing on the bed, he held Jade on his chest, and she settled down beside him.
“Do you want to stay here when the initiation starts?” he asked.
“I’ll wait for you here.” She kissed his cheek. “We can initiate this room together.”
****
“Three people are not going to make a club,” Nash said.
“It’s a start,” Butch said.
“The Skulls started out small,” Tiny said. “It takes time to build a loyal club. What Butch has here is a good starting point.”
Butch looked toward his old Prez and nodded at him. The respect was there between the two of them.
That’s all he could ever want, especially from Tiny.
“Please, I’m worth five of you fuckers,” Cruz said. “I will fuck any of you up.”
“I’d be careful. To Cruz, fuck can mean two things. Bruises or your body belongs to him,” Javier said.
“I’m a man of many talents, and I don’t complain. I’m the best dick you’ve ever seen.”
Butch covered his face with his hands. Even now, Cruz didn’t know when to shut his mouth. Killer was the first man to enter the ring.
“Holy shit, what do they feed you in Fort Wills, magic fucking beans?” Cruz asked. “He’s not real, and you’re married. How do you fuck your wife without breaking her?”
The entire club was laughing. Even Killer was struggling to hold it together.
Cruz lifted his fists. “Come on then, shorty, let’s get this show on the road.”
“Shorty, seriously?”
“You may be big, but I’m the one with the power.” Cruz raised his brows and gave a pout.
“Where did you find this guy?” Lash asked.
“He came to the gym about fifteen years ago,” Ned said. “Fucker never left. I don’t even think I’ve seen him fight.”
“I have,” Butch said. “Don’t be fooled by his bullshit attitude. He’s deadly. Watch.”
The fight started, and Killer landed a couple of blows and even lifted Cruz off his feet. Even with blood pouring down his nose, and bruises covering his face, the son of a bitch didn’t stop.
This was what made Cruz one hell of a buddy. He didn’t stop. He would have your back and wouldn’t back down. It was simple as that. Cruz never backed down from a fight, and he’d go down with his fists ready to take a beating.
When the time came, Killer left the ring, and this time, Nash was the one to fight.
Nash didn’t give Cruz a chance to talk. Blow after blow, and each time Cruz got back up.
The point of the initiation was to keep taking the beating. Even when they were asked if they wanted to stop, if you said yes, you were out. No one wanted someone at their back that couldn’t take a few punches.
Whizz took his turn, as did Zero, Tiny, and finally Lash.
Eventually, Cruz was still standing, admittedly, looking pretty fucking broken.
“You had enough?” Lash asked.
“Oh, please, I can take you all day. What you’re giving me is fucking nothing,” Cruz said. He had a bloody nose, split lip, and he looked ready to collapse in a heap.
Lash nodded.
He signaled to Steven, who brought forward the leather cut.
“I’m in?” Cruz asked.
“You’re in.” Lash helped him into the jacket. “Welcome to The Skulls, Vegas Chapter.” Butch stepped forward, and Cruz let out a feminine moan.
“I want to thank absolutely everyone who supported me. My momma for being a crack whore who gave me up. My daddy for dumping his load and paying her in crack all those years ago.” Again, more laugher filled the air. “I always wish to thank all the bitches that have sucked my dick. Without you, my balls would be like giant balloons.”
Butch stepped forward. “Enough.”
“I promise to never be dull. To always keep fighting and to keep fucking.”
“Enough. Do I need to put you in the naughty corner?”
“Will you spank me, Daddy?” Cruz asked.
“Can I take his patch from him?”
Lash was too busy laughing with the rest of the brothers. “Not a chance.”
“They love me, Butch.” Cruz rested his head against his chest.
He didn’t say anything and waited as both Mistletoe and Javier each took their turn to face the brothers. By the time they were done, all three had been initiated. That wasn’t all. The first Prospect jacket went to Punk.
He wasn’t ready to become a member. He’d been building up his skills, but he wasn’t at the point of being able to take on the brothers. Butch saw his love of the club though in all the hard work he was doing.
After they all sat around the bonfire, drinking a beer, Butch leaned back, staring up at the stars.
He’d never in his wildest dreams imagined he’d be the Prez of a new chapter of The Skulls.
His father had been a Prez, as had his grandfather. He’d not thought about them for a long time.
It seemed right.
He was going full circle. There was no looking back now. He’d make this club the best it could be. Lash and the guys would be proud.
It was the start of a whole new life.
Getting to his feet, he said goodnight to the guys. Lash had already gone to spend time with Angel.
Making his way to his room, he found Cheryl curled up in the bed. Jade was already in the crib. Smiling, he padded across the room so that he didn’t wake Cheryl.
He removed his clothes, settled into bed behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Did you have a good night?” she asked, her voice filled with sleep.
“Yes.”
“I love you, Butch.”
“I love you too.”