Chapter 17
Life would be a lot more fun if everyone’s middle name was motherfuckin’.
-Fact of Life
Truth
“That was the weirdest fucking visit I’ve had in my life,” I grunted. “Was there a reason for what happened there?”
Ghost kept looking over his shoulder like he was a goddamned addict who’d stolen from a drug dealer. He was jumpy, his speech was rushed, and I was fairly sure that he was about to have an aneurysm if he continued to hold his breath like that.
“What’s the deal, man?” I asked, stopping. “Are you okay?”
He ignored me and kept walking, coming to a stop at the shadow of the airport entrance.
“I thought I saw someone.”
“Who?” I asked.
He seemed to contemplate what he was going to say for a few short moments, then he answered shortly.
“Nobody.”
I looked behind me.
“You’re so fuckin’ confusing.”
Ghost’s mouth twitched, but he remained silent.
I was set to continue to question him when a roar of motorcycles drowned out the still night air around us.
Silas, the president of the Dixie Warden’s Benton, Louisiana chapter, shut off his bike and dismounted.
His son, Sebastian, got off his as well and walked up to us.
“Ghost, you got a minute?”
Sebastian, who hadn’t seen Ghost behind me, froze, his eyes going so wide that it was nearly comical, before he opened his mouth to say something.
“Not a fuckin’ word,” Silas growled. “We’ll talk later.”
Sebastian’s mouth snapped shut, but his eyes remained on Ghost as he walked around the corner of the airport with Silas and disappeared.
“You know,” I said to the big man. “I’d fuckin’ love to know what the hell is going on.”
Sebastian’s lips twitched. “I would, too.”
I had a feeling that he knew a whole lot more than I did, but who was I to argue? If I was meant to know, I’d know.
“What’re y’all doing here?” I asked.
We’d spent a full day with Silas, his son, and his other club members. We’d gotten zero accomplished.
Another chapter was set to open up in Texas, and a few of the closest club members were meeting to see who wanted to help lead the new chapter.
When no volunteers were forthcoming, a vote was taken.
I wasn’t chosen.
Because I was now married.
Thank God for small things. Those who were married and already had lives established in their territories weren’t under consideration in those votes.
Not to mention that I wasn’t moving to fucking Texas.
I was an Alabama boy, born and bred, and I wasn’t big on moving to Texas, at all. Especially now that I had a wife to come home to.
“At the time, I wasn’t aware of why we were coming. Now that I’m here, I see why.”
His eyes stayed on where Silas and Ghost had disappeared, and I knew exactly what he was getting at.
I was like Curious fucking George. I wanted to walk over there and see what the hell was going on, but I knew if I did, Silas or Ghost would kick my ass.
I wasn’t a small man, not by any means, but those two motherfuckers were mean. Both of them had this dangerous aura that always seemed to surround them, and my life had been a lesson in knowing when not to fuck with something dangerous.
Danger recognized danger after all.
“Hey, could you make me a sword for my dad for Christmas?”
I blinked, turning to find him standing almost directly next to me.
“Sure,” I said. “Why?”
He snorted.
“Because my father has anything and everything he could ever imagine, and I saw that sword you gave to Torren last year. It was fucking sweet.”
Pride in my work swelled in me, and I nodded once before heading to my bike.
“Y’all’s boys are going to take these home, right?”
Sebastian started to chuckle. “Yes. We have prospects for…”
“No fucking prospect is going to touch my bike. You promise me that, motherfucker. I’ve already had one bitch fucking another cocksucker on my bike, and now I have to ride this one. If you take my spare out, then I’m boned.”
Sebastian’s amused eyes turned to the bike.
“I heard about that. But I also heard that you lucked out in the end.”
I did.
Fuckin’ A, I sure as hell did.
“How’s your wife and kids doing?”
“Busy,” he answered. “You’ll find out soon when you start having kids. Time seems to sped up. I swear it was just last month that my daughter was born, but now she’s a fucking hellion and I’m trying to keep up with her while she kicks a goddamn ball around the yard.”
The thought of having kids didn’t scare the shit out of me like it once did. Now all it did was make me feel fucking happy inside, like a goddamn man that was finally happy with the life he now was living.
And I guess, after contemplation, that was true. I was happy. I was happy to have Verity in my house, warming my bed. I liked the idea of her pregnant with our kids. I was actually looking forward to seeing her belly swell with my child growing inside of her.
What I was really happy about, though?
That was simple.
The fact that she chose to stay with me. That she was putting the effort in, despite my attempts at trying to put distance between us. That, in all honesty, she was putting her life in my hands.
She knew I’d keep her safe, and I would.
I’d fight until my dying breath to keep her safe.
That didn’t mean that I wanted to do that…that I wanted to put her into a position where I would have to do that, but if it came down to it, and I had to give my life for hers, I’d do it. Because my life for hers seemed like one hell of a trade.