“You’re wrong,” I reply, watching as the other guys hold him back. “The president of this club is determined by our patched-in members. So it only seems fair to take a vote.”
“Fuck you,” Silver growls, pressing his lips together and spitting at me. My lip curls as I snarl at the motherfucker whose saliva drips slowly from my chin. Reaching up, I wipe it away on my arm.
“Sit down,” my father instructs, tugging on Silver’s arm. “Let’s get this shit over and done with.”
Nodding, I look him in the eye. “And who are we passing the gavel to? Silver?” my father asks, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
“No,” Zane interjects. “I think we all agree that Nate is the best man for the job.”
My father laughs so loudly that it reverberates around the room. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
“Ain’t no joke, man,” Davo adds. “We all agree he’s the best this club has to offer.”
My father snorts, running his tongue over and over his bottom lip like he has no idea what the fuck he’s going to do. After a short pause, he says, “So let’s take a fucking vote. All those in favor of Nate being the next Savages President, say yay.”
“Nay,” Silver spits out, no surprise.
But as he goes around the table, the room is filled with one yay after another. Zane, Davo, Matteo, Roach, Gus, Duke, Angelo, Jimmy, and Chuck, are all for the change.
“And you.” My father narrows his eyes on me until I can barely see his eyes anymore. My mind is racing and my heart beats out of my chest. Pulling my lips inward and pressing them together, I lean forward, resting my elbows on the huge table.
“Yay,” I say with a nod and the room bursts into cheers.
Dropping the gavel, the thud rings out as he steps up from his seat, sliding off his cut. We all watch, awaiting his reaction. My father is a volatile man, and I know the rest fear him. But fear didn’t win today. He places it on the table, reaching into his sheath and drawing out his knife. He cuts at the patch, tearing it from his cut, before throwing it down on the table in front of me.
“You’ve fucked up, boy.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Just you fucking wait.” He points his knife at me, as he makes his way out of the room.
“Don’t go far,” I shout after him. “We have the Savage vote to take yet. Ozzie, watch he doesn’t leave. Not just yet, anyway.”
Ozzie looks back at me from over the bar, confusion written all over his face. His head snaps between me and my father, but he nods anyway, offering my father a beer.
“I’ll be right here,” he says, sliding onto the bar stool. I turn making my way back inside, closing the door after me and stepping toward the huge chair at the head of the table. Then I tremble a little as I can’t quite wrap my head around what just happened. I run my hand across the back of the chair, taking in every second of this moment. Slowly, I pull out the chair, dropping into it, all eyes fixed on me.
I did it.
I became President. President of the Savages MC, whose future rests solely in my hands.
I reach for the wooden gavel, my eyes meeting those of Zane. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“So, guys, we need to take a vote. We need to know how to deal with Jeffries after the death of Jarvis.”
“You have no evidence to say he was involved in his death,” Silver argues. “You can’t call Savage on something that has no proof.”
I nod, knowing full well that we can’t vote on this shit without any evidence.
“You’re right,” I reply, “but I will find out if this was orchestrated by Jeffries. And when that time comes, we vote.”
Resting his hands on the table, he scrapes back his chair, standing and turning to leave the room.
“Silver,” I shout after him. “I’m gonna need the VP patch, man.”
Following my father’s lead, he drops his cut down on the table, cutting the patch free and dropping it in front of me.
“Big mistake, boys,” he says, shaking his head. “BIG fucking mistake.” Drawing his gun, he holds it to my head. “Let’s see if you can lead this group of fucked-up misfits from the grave,” he says, cocking the gun. I freeze, the rest of the guys pull out their guns, all pointing at Silver.
“Put down the gun,” screams Davo.
“Yeah, man,” Zane adds. “You don’t wanna do this.”
“Oh I do. I really fucking do,” he snarls through gritted teeth. “This cocksucker needs to be taught a lesson.”
The sound of a gunshot rings through my ears and I jerk away from the gun, only to see Silver with his hand on his upper arm.
“You fucking shot me.” He looks at Zane, then back at his hand, blood pouring from his arm.
“You’re lucky it was just your arm,” I say, rearing back my fist and punching him square on the jaw. His head whips to the side and he drops the gun to the floor. Shaking my fist, I step closer to Silver, pressing my hand to his chest and forcing him back against the wall.
“You ever pull a fucking gun on me again and I’m going to fucking gut you. You got that?”
He starts to laugh maniacally. But I don’t let it faze me.
“You want to remain a part of this club, you accept me as President. You can’t do that, then leave your cut on the table and we remove the tattoo and you’re free to go your own way.”
“I have laid my life on the line for this club. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
I press my forearm against his neck, applying force. Watching the color drain from his face, my eyes are focused on him and my nostrils widen as I show this prick who is running things around here.
“Let him go,” Jeffries roars. I snap my head to look at him, his pistol pointing right at me.
“Put down the gun, Jeffries,” Davo yells at him, but my father doesn’t flinch. The room is full of men all shouting at each other.
“Enough,” I snap, dropping my arm from against Silver’s neck. “Everyone needs to calm down.”
Silver gags and stumbles away from the wall and over to my father.
“I’m giving you one hour. You need to decide your future in this club. But things will be my way. You can’t deal with that fact, then it’s time to hang up the cut.”
My father and Silver glare at me.
“You have an hour, or the decision will be made for you.”
Walking back over to the table, I pick up the vice president patch, and step toward Zane. “I want you by my side, brother. What do you say?”
“Fuck yes!” he sings, pulling me into his embrace and patting me on the back.
“Tonight, we party,” I say parting from Zane and addressing the other guys. They all cheer and we make our way out of church and into the main room. We step over to the bar where one by one the crew congratulate me. Quickly glancing, I watch as my father and Silver skulk out of church, through the bar, making their way out.
Zane stands by my side leaning against the bar and speaking quietly into my ear. “We should keep an eye on them,” he suggests. “I thought we planned on finishing Jeffries today.”
“Sorry, man,” I say, looking at his sad eyes. “We will get our vengeance, I just gotta have the proof before I can sentence him to death. Our charter won’t let it happen.”
“When though, brother? We owe it to Jarvis,” Zane says, taking a gulp of his beer.
“I have someone working on getting intel on the Deathseekers. I’m also going to set up a meet with the son. The one I spoke to at the deal. I think he’ll give me some answers.”
“Fuck, that’s risky, Nate.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Zane nods and I give him a heavy pat on the back.
“Thanks for having my back, brother. I can’t wait to work with you by my side. The fucking dream team.”
“A-fucking-men to that, brother.” I grab a bottle from the bar, and we knock the glass together.
* * *
I check the time, and
the hour I’d given Jeffries and Silver is up.
“Hey, Davo,” I shout to him. “Go fetch Jeffries and Silver, time is up.”
“Sure,” he says, leaving his bottle on the bar and heading out of the room. I pull out my phone, stepping away from the men, dialing Brax’s number.
“Hey,” he rushes out. “How did it go?”
“I’m in,” I say in a hushed voice. “The vote went my way.”
“And Jeffries?” he asks.
“He got out of the Savage vote, but we are just waiting to see if he wants in the club or not. He didn’t take the demotion so well.”
Brax chuckles. “To be expected.”
“Nate, man…” Davo yells, eyes wide and locked on me.
“Hey, I gotta go,” I say, quickly ending the call. “What is it, man?” I rush over to where he stands in the doorway.
“They’re gone. His room has been emptied, and they trashed your studio, man.”
“Jesus Christ,” I yell. I dart down the hall, heading over to the studio. The whole room is trashed. All my equipment is on the floor. The couch and tables completely ruined.
“We have to find them,” I yell back over to the guys standing behind me. “I want new locks, new gates and security. This whole fucking place is going to get a face lift.” I storm out of the room, ready to put the wheels in motion. I will make this club mine, starting right now.
Pulling out my cell, I have one call I have to make before I can do anything. I dial her number, placing the phone to my ear, listening to it ring out.
“Hello,” she croaks.
“Baby, it’s me.”
“Hey,” she replies sweetly. “Is everything okay?”
“Couldn’t be better,” I tell her. “I want you here, with me. Tonight.”
“What?” she screeches and I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “He’s gone? Your father?”
“I did it, baby. I’m President.”
The sound of her crying is all I hear. “What is it?” I ask, making my way up the stairs, my eyes glancing at the clubhouse I now call my own.
“I’m just so happy… I finally feel free.”
“He’s still out there, baby. That’s why I need you here, with me. I need to keep you close.”
“Shit…”
“It wasn’t meant to be this way. He and Silver have packed their shit and disappeared. We have to find them. We have to make things right. They carry the mark of my club and they forfeited the right to wear it when they walked out.”
“He’s coming for me, isn’t he?” Her voice gives out and I hear her sniffling down the phone.
“Why would you say that?”
“This is your father we’re talking about. He’ll want to hurt you and the way to do that is by getting to me.”
“No,” I bellow. “I won’t let that happen.” My heart thuds in my chest as I feel the rush of protectiveness over what is mine. I didn’t come this far to lose her. “I will have Brax bring you here and I’m upping the security. You’ll be safe here with me, baby.”
“Okay,” she sniffles.
“Trust me. Everything will be okay. We got this. You and me. Together.”
“Always,” she replies sweetly before ending the call.
* * *
I spend the rest of the afternoon making calls and getting things in place for when Tara arrives. To be the president of our club means a great deal of responsibility. But nothing compares to keeping her safe. She’s my number one priority.
Sitting at the head of the table, I try to get a handle on everything that I have to fix. I need to find my father and Silver before they do any real damage. Because I have no doubt he will want revenge.
A faint knock at the door catches my attention. Lifting my head, I see Emily peering through the small gap of the door. “Hey,” she says, offering me a smile. “Just wanted to let you know I’m all moved out of your room. The sheets are changed and I’ve even burnt some of those fancy scented candles. I know how girls love those.” She pauses at the door, but I beckon for her with my hand.
“Come in. We need to chat.”
“In here?” she asks; her eyes roam the room with uncertainty.
“Yes,” I say with a chuckle. “I’m not my father.”
She squeezes through the small gap, slowly closing the door behind her like she’s sneaked into a room she shouldn’t be in.
“Come sit,” I instruct, pulling out the chair next to me. Quickly making her way over, she drops down in the seat beside me.
“What’s this about, Nate?” Her hands rest on her lap as she nervously shakes her leg.
“It’s about you being here,” I say, sitting up straight and leaning back in the chair.
“Oh, great!” she snaps, her knee tapping more than before.
“No… I mean… of course you are welcome here. I will still offer you the same protection as before, not that I think you’ll need it now. But I wanted you to know that you are free to leave. You decide this isn’t the life for you and I’ll support your decision to leave.”
“I have nowhere to go. I like it here with you and the rest of the guys. I have a good feeling about being here, Nate. Especially since your father and Silver left.”
I smile and shrug my shoulders. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Really?”
“Of course. You have become a good, loyal member of this club, Emily. And I know I can trust you. Tara is going to need your help. This whole MC lifestyle can be rocky. I think you two could really help each other.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s letting herself in for, does she?”
“No idea,” I say, clasping my hands together and leaning on them. “I’m fucking terrified that the minute she realizes what a car crash I am, and exactly what it takes to be an old lady, that she’ll panic and run.”
Leaning forward, she grabs my clasped hands, pulling them away from my face. “No way,” she blurts out. “That girl has got it bad. Doesn’t look like the kinda chick to bail.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Tara
I’m in the car and I can’t help but clutch onto my bag of belongings. I swallow the lump of nerves that have formed in my throat.
This is happening.
This is really happening.
We drive down the familiar road, Brax driving and me in the passenger seat. The whole ride has been silent. Because I’m utterly lost for words. I’m not sure if it’s the fear of knowing that Jeffries is out there on the rampage, or the fear of not knowing what is waiting for me at the club.
Pulling up, we stop just outside a huge gate that now blocks the entrance.
“Well, this looks different,” I say, finally breaking the silence.
“Must be part of the extra security Nate asked me to set up for him. Remember, you did the same for me?”
“So I did,” I reply with a smile. But one that soon fades.
“Hey,” he says, squeezing my knee gently. “I have my men looking for them. If they are anywhere near here, they’ll be found.”
“But what if they’re not, huh? I’m going to be looking over my shoulder until they are found. What if they get to me before you get to them?”
“Ain’t happening,” he replies casually. “We’ll have them before the end of the week. I have my best men on this.”
The gates slowly open and we drive through, parking in the space just in front of the huge clubhouse. My stomach knots at the thought that the exact place where I was abused will now be my home. I blink hard, clearing the awful memories from my mind. I refuse to be that girl. The victim. The girl whose life is forever affected by what one man did to me.
I’m stronger than that.
Reaching for the handle, I can’t help but notice the amount of workmen on the site.
“He’s taking this seriously.” Brax nods with approval as he strolls toward the entrance, like he can no longer wait. I throw my arms in the air, grabbing my bag and slinging it over
my shoulder.
“Yeah, thanks a lot,” I mutter as I watch him walk into the distance.
“Let me take that for you.” A voice startles me, and I let out a shriek.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” He holds up his hands, backing away from me in surrender.
“You startled me, that’s all,” I try explaining, laughing a little, dropping my huge duffel bag to the ground.
“Shall I take that for you?” he asks, pointing to the bag.
“Thank you,” I say with a smile, offering him my hand. I focus in on his cut, noticing the prospect patch sewn to the front. “Looks like I’m not the only new one around here.”
“I’m Ozzie,” he replies, taking my hand and shaking.
“It’s nice to meet you. How are you finding it?” We walk toward the entrance, Ozzie beside me with my bag in his hand.
“Good,” he says with a nod of his head.
“Tara,” Nate calls me. As soon as I hear his gravelly voice, the butterflies flip over and over in my stomach. He barrels toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me from the floor. He turns on the spot, his lips crashing against mine. My lips tingle with excitement and my heart flutters to life. And in this moment, all the doubt about being here, with him, suddenly disappears. We are surrounded by cheers and the sound of applause.
Slowly, he stops spinning and my feet are back on the ground. “Welcome to the club, Tara.” He smiles in a way which is different from every other time I’ve seen him smile. His eyes light up, the smile reaching from ear to ear, and I see the happiness on his face. Overwhelmed with emotion, a single tear falls over my cheek. With a swipe of his thumb, he removes the tear, leaning in and pressing his nose to mine.
“Can’t believe it, right?”
“I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long. Of that single moment where we could be together and tell the whole world.” I shudder, goose pimples covering my skin. “It’s all so surreal.”
“I know,” he whispers. “Come inside, I think you have a bunch of outlaws waiting to meet you.” He reaches down, intertwining his fingers with mine and holding my hand so tightly, like he’s never letting go.
The complete scars series: Books one-four Page 63
