by Nikki Wild
Sleep now. You’ve earned it.
Holding Connor close to my chest, I backed up through the doors and crossed the waiting room towards the assembled Devil’s Dragons.
The nurse had been right – they were earning a lot of funny looks. They proudly wore their leathers and jeans while taking up a quarter of the chairs by themselves. Our merry little band had drawn a lot of funny looks from all the other expectant parents, who gave us a wide berth in the room.
Grizz was the first to notice me, and he patted the men on either side on the shoulders. Within seconds, the entire club was glancing over and ascending to greet us.
“Boss, is that–”
“Takes after his old man–”
“What a tiny little thing–”
I proudly held my child up before them all.
A wide smile beamed across my face as they began to hoot and holler, causing the nurses to look over in complete bewilderment.
“Boys, meet your newest member… Connor Hargreaves, heir to the Devil’s Dragons!”
Twenty-Six
Sarah
Six Months Later
On the day of my wedding, I stood in a beautiful white dress, patiently awaiting my cue to enter the main chamber of the small, Phoenix chapel.
My father stood proudly by my side, leaning on his cane and dressed in his nicest suit. We’d chosen to get married back in Phoenix to keep him from having to travel far, and because it just made the most sense for us – to take this next step forward where it all began.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful, Sarah. Hell, you look just like your mother on her own wedding day.” He warmly smiled, noticing how my chest swelled with nervous anticipation. “God rest her soul, I only wish she were here to see you now. She’d be so proud of you, sweetheart.”
His affectionate gaze quietly dropped down to Connor, fast asleep in my arms. “…Both of you.”
“This means the world to me, Dad.”
He tilted his head, his eyes filling with tears. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry that it took me so long to understand…”
“In the end, you did,” I fought back my own grateful tears. “And that’s all that matters now.”
The attendant waved back for us.
“It’s time!” She whispered. “Bride, you’re up!”
My father crooked out his elbow. “Ready?”
Taking a deep breath, I held my sleeping child tightly and slipped my free arm through his, holding close to his side.
“I think so.”
Upon our cue – when Here Comes the Bride began over the speakers – we marched forward.
There were just enough pews in the chapel to allow one Devil’s Dragon to stand on either side between the pews. Each one of them looked proud as they nodded to me in turn, their eyes falling upon the sleeping infant in my arms – I gratefully recognized their respect with my beaming smile.
Hunter was standing at the front, watching me in a handsome, crisp suit.
With a mesmerized gaze, he stared at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world, and it made me choke back tears that this amazing day had finally come.
He snapped out of it just in time to descend the stairs and walk towards us, meeting us at the halfway point.
Dad straightened, holding his cane to him.
Hunter took it, the strength of that moment clearly not lost on him, and accepted my father’s hand in a firm, proud shake. He handed the cane back to Dad before his legs could fail; Dad released his arm to pull his impending son-in-law into a warm embrace, his hand clasped around the back of Hunter’s head.
They separated, and Hunter offered his arm.
Together, we moved forward.
My father followed closely at the rear as the Devil’s Dragons fell into single file behind him. We ascended the stairs and separated; my father hung behind me at the top, and the Dragons filled the first pew of the chapel.
As the music died, we turned to our minister: our first and only choice as the man for the job.
Grizz Hawkins beamed down on us.
With an open bible held in one large hand, and a microphone in the other, he flicked a switch on the side with his thumb and began to speak.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness–
He was interrupted with a rising cacophony of loud noises from outside. Faintly in the choas, I could make out the sounds of roaring engines…
Hunter locked eyes with me.
“Take Connor and find somewhere safe. I’ll protect your father.”
I didn’t question my man.
I turned quickly, scanning the room for an exit. The only way out looked to be from the entrance, unless we started breaking windows…
In an instant, Hunter had already unbuttoned his suit jacket and withdrawn a pair of pistols. My frantic eyes took in the Devil’s Dragons, all pulling their weapons, locking and loading in formation.
The doors flew open.
Everybody stopped.
Without a word, dozens of bikers wearing an array of patches filed into the room. They started taking up pews behind the Dragons in organized chaos, quickly filling out every seat in the room. They kept coming, lining the walls and packing the room until only the main corridor was free.
Stunned, Hunter lowered his weapons.
The rest of the Devil’s Dragons followed suit.
As the room stood still in silence, I could see that they weren’t all bikers, although the majority of them were. A large minority of our unexpected guests simply looked like toughened convicts in street clothes. With almost the entire room crammed shoulder-to-shoulder, the chapel had become a swelling sea of faces of all races, both men and women… and all eyes focused on us.
Down the main corridor walked a small handful of thugs, coming towards us with wide grins. As they approached, Hunter stepped in front and held an arm to hold me back as I tensely held my sleeping son in my arms.
As they came closer, I saw that most of the group wore patched vests – with the word President beneath. Leading the brigade was a thin, elderly man in dark attire.
He stopped them short of the steps.
“What, no wedding invitation?” He chuckled, looking at the two of us with a cheerful smile. “I can see you losing a few in the mail, surely, but a few hundred?”
Hunter held a look of defiance as he quietly holstered his guns – after all, we were greatly outnumbered – and stepped forward to confront the stranger. He looked angrier than ever.
I feared what was coming…
But then he shook the man’s hand.
What.
The old stranger smiled proudly at Hunter, still holding his hand; his gentile gaze slid to me, watching me hold our son with something that looked like adoration as he nodded with respect. He turned back to Hunter, set his other hand on top of their firm clasp, and spoke up loudly.
“You’re a fool if you think we would miss this joyous day for anything,” he winked. “I speak for all of us near and far when I say, from the bottom of my heart…
“The Outlaws send their warmest regards.”
My jaw almost dropped.
The Outlaws? I gasped in total disbelief, my eyes trailing around the packed room. Holy shit! These are the goddamn Outlaws?
To my astonishment, the others in his group knelt down before us. Every last face in the room that hadn’t been part of the wedding ceremony bowed their heads in reverence.
“Should have booked a much bigger chapel,” the stranger smiled, gazing around at the décor. “You’re lucky only a few of us could make it… you’d need half a dozen rooms like this, easy.”
Hunter turned around, smiling slyly.
“…So much for a small wedding!”
“No shit!” I gasped.
Half of the room erupted into applause and laughter. While I was grateful for the cheering, and all these people that had come so far to see me marry the man I loved, that didn’t stop the fact that I had a sleeping
baby in my arms.
I tried to cover his ears from the noise.
But, of course, it was already too late.
“Shhh!” The elderly man turned to face all the others, a thin finger held to his lips. “She’s holding her child! You’ll wake the boy, you idiots!”
A sudden hush fell over the room as Connor stirred in my arms. It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop halfway across the chapel. With his eyes held shut, our son was already fidgeting when he began to wail loudly, grasping into the air.
If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I would never have believed that a large room filled with the local underworld could give out a sincere and collective ‘Awww’, especially over a child...
Certainly not my child, either…
As if on cue, Connor’s eyes opened.
He looked into the room, and his cries calmed. It was almost as he already knew that these were his people – the ones that, should the fragile peace hold, he might one day come to rule.
Hunter finally addressed them.
“We can’t thank all of you enough for coming. I know plenty of you must have had long travels, and I won’t soon forget your dedication. This is a slightly different head count than we anticipated, so you might be on your own for the reception…”
Laughter rippled across the room.
“But thank you for being here to witness me marry the love of my life…”
Hunter turned to me, filled with love.
“…With our son between us…”
He started ascending the stairs.
“And her father, giving her away to me.”
He turned to Dad, who smiled on his cane.
“Thank you all, again,” Hunter looked over the room. “I will shake the hand of every last one of you before we leave, but there’s one last thing to take care of first…”
The stranger turned back around.
“I think, perhaps, that we have all interrupted far too long,” he spoke, pausing to gaze with total endearment upon my son and me. He took his group back towards the front, waving with a cavalier hand. “Please forgive the intrusion, and carry on as if we weren’t here…”
I looked over the filled chapel.
Sure, buddy, I chuckled to myself.
Like you guys aren’t even here, huh…?
Hunter and I smiled lovingly at one another. This was the last thing I would have expected for our big day, but it was the happiest goddamn surprise I could have ever gotten.
“I can’t believe they’re here,” I whispered.
For all their faults, they’re loyal,” he chuckled quietly. “This is the most of them that have ever been under one goddamn roof…”
The voice in front cleared his throat.
We both turned to Grizz.
“As I was saying…” Grizz noted dryly.
Even our young infant seemed to respect his authority. Connor’s chirping quieted, and he held himself still in my arms…
Twenty-Seven
Sarah
Grizz continued into the microphone, a proud grin on his face and his open bible in his hand.
“Dearly beloved, ladies and gentlemen… friends, family, and esteemed guests…” Our improvised minister paused to sweep the crowd under his gaze. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two wonderful souls, Hunter Hargreaves and Sarah Buchanan…
“If you would indulge me, I would like to lead us in a brief moment of prayer for the occasion. I invite all gathered to bow their heads with me…”
Hunter and I shared a smile.
Grizz had always been a man of God…
The room followed suit, and so did we.
“Heavenly Father, who art in Heaven… Lord, we thank you for letting us share, together, in this special moment with my dearest friends, Hunter and Sarah. We thank you, o Lord, you who hath reunited these two lost, loving souls after such long time apart on this Earth. I beseech thee, as your humble servant, to bless them, and their child, in your gracious love… you, o Lord, who hath seen fit to mold them for each other, to make them whole when together, who hath shaped their lives and made them beautiful in union. Thank you for your love, for your grace, for your conviction and your blessings…
“Amen.”
“Amen,” the room resounded in a hush.
Hunter couldn’t resist pausing the ceremony. After we all lifted our heads from prayer, he turned to our close confidante and trusted friend with a touched smile.
“That was beautiful, Grizz.”
The Bible biker merely grinned. He quietly turned back to me with his pale, thoughtful eyes.
“And who is giving away the bride?”
My father smiled. “I am.”
“And against all odds, too,” Grizz respectfully nodded to him before addressing the crowd. “Are there any present among us who would object to this union?”
The room remained quiet.
I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder at my father, who merely shook his head with a proud look on his face. As I looked back to Hunter again, I realized that he’d done the same.
Grizz smiled into the microphone.
“Well! That’s certainly a good sign…”
There was light laughter from the crowd.
“Now, as I understand it,” he continued, “the two of you have written vows. Hunter, I believe I’ll start with yours…”
He held the mic to Hunter’s face.
“Written? Not really… thought I’d wing it.” He locked eyes with me. “Sarah… you amazing, incredible, beautiful woman, I’ve loved you from the moment we first met. I always felt whole with you in my life. You saw things in me I would have never believed about myself, and all that I’ve done since has been out of my grief from losing you…”
Hunter paused, reflecting distantly.
“I remember…” he hesitated, before pulling his gaze back to me. “When we were young, you always told me I was better than the man I thought I was. For the many painful years without you, I clung to those words. They drove me forward. Even without you, I was determined to live up to that ideal, that man you thought I was. When you came back into my life, I knew I couldn’t let you go again. There isn’t another soul in this world I’d rather have standing by my side…
“I vow to protect you, to support you, to put you first through thick and thin…” He shook his head with a chuckle, staring into my weepy eyes. “You mean the world to me, Princess. You always have. You always will. And I vow, most of all, to spend every day for the rest of my goddamn life proving it to you.”
I could have sworn Hunter’s eyes were wet.
Grizz pulled the mic back as I dabbed at my own eyes, grinning like a total goof. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of notecards in my handwriting, but I instead took the mic out of his hand and held it in front of my face.
“My dearest, sweet Hunter… I have dreamed of the day I’d marry you since we were teenagers. For far too long, I thought this day would never, ever happen…”
My voice started to tremble. I held back overjoyed tears as I went on.
“Every girl wants their Prince Charming, and I was blessed to find mine so early. You’ve always been so brave, so strong. I would have never admitted it back then, but I knew, the day of very our first date, that you were the one...
“Hunter, you’re my hero. You’re my best friend, my one and only, and the only man that I could ever trust enough to marry…”
My fiancé was beaming as he listened.
“…And for as long as there is air in my lungs, I’ll be the best wife you could ever have. I vow to stick by your side no matter the dangers we’ll face, fighting for our marriage and for what we believe in. I give my heart to you, Hunter Hargreaves, forever and always.”
I thrust the mic back into Grizz’s hands as the two of them looked at me with the deepest love and compassion.
“Then the moment has come…”
My father followed the cu
e, stepping up on his cane. He reached into his pocket and produced the ring case, opening it and holding it up.
Grizz looked upon both of us, still holding his Bible as he spoke into the mic.
“Are you ready?”
We nodded together.
“As we are brought together to witness this moment of beauty, we reflect on bright times, dark times, and all that guides us on our paths. Hunter, take your ring and claim your bride, then repeat the following words after me…”
My fiancé took the first ring as I kept Connor curled close in my arm and lifted my left hand. With hard, passionate eyes, Hunter held my gaze as he slid it onto my ring finger.
“I, Hunter…”
“I, Hunter…”
“Take you, Sarah…”
“Take you, Sarah…”
“To be my wife…”
“To be my wife…”
“To love, and to cherish for eternity…”
“To love, and to cherish for eternity…”
“To honor, and to serve…”
“To honor, and to serve…”
“Through trial, victory, and defeat…”
“Through trial, victory, and defeat…”
“And to keep you beside me…”
“And to keep you beside me…”
“For as long as we both shall live.”
“For as long as we both shall live.”
Hunter radiated pride and tenderness as he spoke the words, his eyes only for me. It was the most powerful moment of my life, and to be here, supported by all our friends and loved ones…
“Good job,” Grizz quietly noted.
“As we behold the sharing of sacred promises, we think upon our choices, our priorities, and the honor of our word, forever shaping our futures. Sarah, take your ring and claim your husband, then repeat the following words after me…”
My father held up the box, the final ring there and awaiting my touch. Still protecting our baby, I plucked the ring from its case and lined it up with Hunter’s shaking, fanned fingers, sliding the band over the knuckles to where it belonged.
“You’re shaking,” I whispered.
“Of course I am,” he grinned. “I’m excited.”
