Shep

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JJ insisted on coming into the bar by day three of what I thought should be at least a week of rest. I hated the idea. She was still fragile, still recovering. I wanted to keep her in a bubble of safety. She reminded me that my mother was the nurse and I was not and she wasn’t into anymore downtime. I’d also kept my hands off her and continued to sleep on the couch.

She’d been through a trauma, whether she wanted to admit it or not. And I wanted to go slow. I wanted to go at her pace.

“I want to see the guys, Mama Josie. I want to be sure Machop is stocking things the way I told him to.”

Keeping JJ Hollins down was just about impossible.

She did let me drive her over, even though she insisted it would be a quick walk. At least that made me feel useful.

“If I see you bend down to get something or pick up a box or I don’t know, squeeze lemon, I’m going to lose my shit.”

“Get over it,” JJ said, and she got out of the car. I heard her wince. And I knew she was trying to stifle it. She was so fucking tough.

“Machop, if she lifts anything heavy while we’re in Church, I’ll kick your ass.”

“Got it, Shep.”

I knew why we were in Church, and most of my closest brothers knew or suspected what was up.

Bear was already in his seat and Mama was fussing.

“You know you’re NOT supposed to be in here.”

“And you’re not supposed to be out of bed. So, we’re even.”

“This conversation is familiar,” I said and hugged Mama.

“Oh, good, JJ at the bar?”

“Yep.”

Mama headed out. I saw her pause and look at Bear at the head of the table before she left the room.

“Alright, we all here?” Bear said and we all settled in. There was still an empty spot at Bear’s right hand. Where a veep was supposed to be. Maybe I’d be sitting there, maybe Axle. Bear had obviously called the meeting so he could open up a vote on that.

Bear pounded the gavel. His deep voice had our attention.

“I want to say first, that I’ve talked to our new allies The Great Wolves. We’ll be seeing them in town soon. I think that goes a long way to sending a message to whoever’s going to be in charge of the Laredo Hawks that we’re twice as strong as before they fucking started this with us. Benz, you want to update us on what you’re hearing?”

“The ATF decimated them. They’d got everyone on lifting the shipment from us, so it’s a pretty clean sweep. A few will turn and get lighter sentences but it’s going to be bad, decade at least bad, for the rest. And Sebastian Wright got a commendation.”

Benz rolled his eyes at that little nugget.

“Good.”

“And Moss?”

“Still missing. And no one’s looking.”

Bo had the information from Hex, who we had warned to stay away from the drug shipment. Consequently, he was planning on getting the hell out of Port Az and as far away from any Hawks as he could.

“And now, to the sad business of E.Z.,” Bear said. “I propose immunity from club consequences to anyone who has information on who killed E.Z. If you did it, it was outside Church, but confess to us now, here, to the brotherhood, and we’ll move on. I know you did it to avenge me and The Saints.”

Bear scanned the room. None of the brothers looked away.

And none of us admitted to killing E.Z.

“No one killed E.Z. then?” Bear asked.

“Fine, we’re going to move on. E.Z. gone has left a vacancy.”

Here it was: we were getting to the real reason we all were here. Bear needed a second, and we needed to nominate someone for that role.

“And I’m going to leave another one.”

It was like he’d dropped a bomb. We were all stunned. The Dark Saints we knew had always had Bear at the head of the table.

“Mama Bear said you were recovering. Are you not telling us something?” I asked.

“No, I’m doing pretty fucking great for being this old and this shot in the fucking chest. But it’s time. It’s your MC now: you fought to keep it. You fought to keep this town safe from the likes of the Hawks. And it’s time you run it the way you see fit.”

“When do you plan on stepping down?” Axle asked.

“Now, today. I’ve pounded my last gavel. Didn’t it seem special?” Bear laughed at his own joke.

“So… we got to do this by the book.” Benz knew The Dark Saints Charter backward and forwards.

“Which means you need to nominate a Prez and a Veep and vote it, now.”

“What the hell? Are you sure about this?” I asked my Dad, my Prez. It didn’t seem possible that he’d step down from that chair. It was his life.

“I’m sure. I owe Mama Bear some time. I owe you all the chance to run this show your way. I don’t want to run it into the ground because I’m old or out of touch. Or whatever. My time is done in this chair. Think about it. And throw the names out there.”

We all sat in stunned silence. I had thought I’d be nominating and voting Axle into E.Z.’s spot, not trying to figure out who should fill Bear’s boots.

Maybe it should be Axle? He was smart, he had an even temper, and he was Dark Saint through and through. Or maybe Deacon? He was the soul of this club. We’d all follow him, but would the weight of being Prez crush that soul we all relied on? Or maybe Maddox? He had history on his side. Sarge was Prez before Bear. His family had made more sacrifices than any family for this club.

If I was honest, I felt almost every brother at the table would be a good choice. I knew each one of them would die for me and me them. But taking the gavel, that was a heavy responsibility.

“I nominate Shep.” It was Axle.

“I second.” This time Deacon.

“I third, wait, is there thirds?” Kade said.

“No,” Benz said and hit Kade on his shoulder.

“Anyone else want to throw their helmet in the ring? Because I know each one of you in this room would give your life for this club,” Bear said.

We all waited and looked at each other. I hadn’t wanted this. I didn’t lobby for this. But as I sat here, I knew that I’d prepared for it. Deep down, I knew that even before that bullet hit Bear, he was grooming me, training me, making sure I know all the things he did for The MC.

“All in favor of Shep Bullock as the next Prez of The Dark Saints say Aye.”

“AYE!” It was a low and loud and the hairs on my arms stood up.

“Congratulations, Prez.”

Bear struggled a bit but got up out of his chair. Shit, I didn’t know how to feel about it. It was his chair.

“You need to handle your first order of business.”

Bear handed me the gavel and then hugged me tight.

“You will do right by this club. I know it, son. I’m proud of you.”

Bear wasn’t one to dole out praise or encouragement. I nearly fell over hearing it.

I stood at the head of the table and they all knocked their fists on it.

“To Shep!”

I nodded. I didn’t know what to say. So I got to business.

“The first order of business, we need a V.P. I nominate Axle.”

“Second!” This time Bear chimed in with the second.

“I’m a voting member, man, I got to protect my interests,” Bear said with a smile.

There were no dissenters, no other candidates.

“All in favor?”

“Aye!”

I looked at the gavel. It felt heavy in my hand, but it fit.

“By order of The Dark Saints, Axle is now Veep.”

The fists knocked on the table again.

I hit the table with a solid whack of the gavel.

I was the Prez of The Dark Saints.

God help me.

I walked into the club and there were a lot of fist bumps, and congratulations. But the person I needed to be okay with this was probably the least clued into on what it meant.

I made my way through and found JJ and Mama Bear sitting on bar stools, deep in conversation.

“How are you feeling, babe?” And I kissed her on the top of her head.

“Fine, just fine.” But I knew she had to be tired. This was a big outing for someone who still didn’t want to laugh because it hurt.

“She’s healing great,” Mama Bear said, then added, “So, do I have to call you Mr. President now?”

“You heard?”

“Yep.”

“I’m proud of you son, it’s good for the MC. You stepped up the last few days when Bear couldn’t and you brought us through a war.”

“I fucked up a lot too. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

“You’re not alone. You’ve got your Brothers, me, Bear, and JJ.”

“Yeah, true. But you’re not in the meetings.”

Mama Bear lowered her voice. “Why do you think I was in that kitchen all those years?”

I remembered how well we heard Kade in our meeting room when we were standing in the kitchen. Standing where my Mama always did making our food.

“You were listening?” I was damn shocked, and at the same time not.

“Not one vote, argument, plan, nothing, has gone on at that table where I wasn’t listening. The Prez needs a good old lady and to be a good old lady to the Prez you have to know what’s going down.”

“Wow,” I said.

“Why do you think I gave JJ my recipes for everything? You’re not going to have to do this alone.”

Mama Bear stood up and gave me a hug.

Shit. She was fucking crafty. My mother was the ultimate Old Lady. I believed JJ could be too, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted to be.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked her.

“Okay? I’m proud of you. You’re going to do great.”

A handful of my brothers came over and wanted to buy a round.

“I was just getting my old lady home,” I protested to the group. Though I realized it was probably futile.

“Machop, take her home. JJ, you don’t mind, I hope? We’re all doing a shot with the new Prez. It’s a tradition,” Kade explained.

“Since when?”

“Since fucking now,” Kade said.

JJ laughed, and Machop did as he was told and took her arm.

JJ wasn’t mad, or jealous, or even crazy enough to try to keep up with this crew when it came to doing shots.

Somehow, my Mom had known all along, that if I was going to be Prez, someone like JJ was going to be vital.

Mama Bear was always right.