“So, this party. Alicia coming along?”
“Can’t leave her out,” I reply to the VP. As far as I’m concerned, Mary and Alicia are a package deal.
“Okay. So we keep it PG. Old ladies and kids, hell, I’ll bring along Tyler. He’ll be well up for that.” Dart pauses and looks at Kink, raising an eyebrow.
Kink raises his hands. “I hear you, VP. Any pets will be fully clothed while the old ladies are present.” He grins quickly. “After that, all bets are off.”
How does he get all these females to get naked for him? I know brothers don’t object, hell, even I’ve been entertained before, but what’s in it for them? That’s always been a mystery.
“One last thing, Prez?” I pause, knowing my two worlds are going to collide, but it’s a promise I made to Mary. Mary makes few demands on me, so when she requests something, I’m more than happy to do it. Not that I’m sure of the wisdom in this. “I’ve got some friends, civilians. They’ve got a band. Any objections to having them play at the party?”
“Friends?” Bones leans forward and looks down the table. “Since when have you had friends outside the club?”
“You been holding out on us, Brother?” Brakes shakes his head. “Going to gigs without taking us?”
I bow my head and rub my temples. “These friends and I go way, way back, but I only connected with them recently. Three years back if I’m going to be honest.”
It obviously doesn’t need a genius to work out what I’m talking about.
“You ran to your friends because of the betrayal in the club? We weren’t enough for you, Brother?” Snips shakes his head, looking disgusted.
Lost raps his knuckles on the table. “I think we can all accept what happened with Snake affected all of us, and we dealt with it in our own ways. I’d have handled it better had I had Patsy beside me.”
“I had Alex, she helped me,” Dart butts in. “Can anyone truly say there was a right or wrong way to deal with it? I think we all needed to examine our loyalty to this chapter and whether it was worth fighting for. If Grumbler needed to leave club matters behind him for a spell, I can’t see there’s anything to criticise.”
“I’m still in contact with my old Army buddies,” Niran offers. “You going to have a go at me for that?”
“We’re already going to be on our best behaviour with the kids and old ladies,” Bones points out. “I, for one, don’t object to a decent live band. As long as they’re not rubbish. If Grumbler assures us they’re worth listening to, it might be a fun night.”
It seems that’s a point well made as no one raises any more objections. As to the talent, I can make no assurances about that.
Lost ends the discussion with one last request. “Let us know the time of the fuckin’ wedding. We’ll all be there, Brother.”
If they’re all coming, then there’s something else. I raise my chin at Salem. “I’d be fuckin’ honoured if you’d stand up with me, Brother.”
“Fuck, man, you don’t need to fuckin’ ask. It’s me who’s honoured.” Salem beams.
I realise Lost hasn’t quite finished. “Grumbler’s getting his happy ending, so I think it’s time, while he’s in a good mood,” he smirks at me, “that we discuss something else. It’s long past time we brought Wrangler to the table. His time has come, he’s either in or out.”
All eyes come to me. I shrug. “Christ, Prez.” I rub my hand over my face. Truth is, I am happy. Happier than I’ve been for many years. I can’t continue to hold on to a grudge. I hope that the prospect learned his lesson and won’t again be turning away a young girl in need. “Patch him in, he gets my vote.”
It seems like he also gets everyone else’s.
“Road name?” the VP asks.
“Asshole,” I mumble.
“Seconded,” Keeper shouts.
But it seems we’re to be voted down. Shame.
Various suggestions are put forward, but none of them stick.
In the end, it’s Niran who raises his hand. “I’m in the company of one, here, without a road name. Why not keep it as Wrangler? Sounds like a good handle to me, and there’s nothing more suitable.”
“Except Asshole,” I put in again.
Prez ignores me, raising his chin at Niran. “Road names can be earned anytime. I agree with Niran. Wrangler stays Wrangler. Now, who wants to bring him in?”
It’s a great end to the meeting. I doubt there’s any of us who don’t like fucking with a man’s head. When Keeper goes out and returns with a worried looking prospect trailing behind him, all expressions are stern.
Prez does a great job, staring, unsmiling, toward the end of the table. “Prospect. We’ve been discussing how you fucked up. And, what we’re going to do about it.”
He doesn’t have to explain. Wrangler’s eyes meet mine, but he pulls his shoulders back and keeps his back straight.
“You going to fuck up again?” Prez asks.
“No,” the prospect mumbles. “No,” he says a little firmer. “Love this fuckin’ club. Respect all the members. I know I fucked up, but I won’t make that mistake again.” He knows because I don’t let him forget about it.
Lost stares at him, as do all of us, stretching out the moment until Brakes cracks up.
“Oh to hell with it.” Prez glares at Brakes. “Pass him his colours.”
Chapter Forty-One
Mary
The decision we were going to let nature take its course wasn’t a conscious one, more a creeping realisation that neither of us wanted to take any pre-emptive action. I saw the way Grumbler’s eyes lit up when he imagined himself with a child of his blood, and I knew, if it was possible, I wanted that for him. On my part, I could picture myself with his baby.
Grumbler’s house was the perfect place to raise a child—plenty of outdoor space
