I strolled down the hall until I was stood outside of the Prez’s office. I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Yeah?” he shouted. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Drake, what are you doing up? Shouldn’t you be resting?” He folded his arms across his chest and leant back in his seat.
“I’m feeling fine, I needed to talk to you.”
“What about?” He pointed to the seat opposite him and I walked slowly towards it, wincing at the pain in my side from where I had my spleen removed.
“Ashlyn.” Just saying her name caused an ache in my chest, I wanted to be with her and knowing that I didn’t save her from him made it worse.
“She’s fine, she’s safe,” I exhaled in relief. I felt better hearing it straight from the Prez. “She’s with her brother.”
“Her brother?” I asked in confusion. I didn’t think she had any contact with anyone from her family.
“Yeah, it seems her family thought it was a bit suspect when she disappeared, so he started looking for her. He heard that some people in Devon were looking for a blonde woman with blue eyes called Ashlyn. It was the Satan’s, so he decided to prospect with them and see if they led him to her and bingo, it did.”
“Where are the Satan’s now?”
“Dead. Owen, her brother drugged them all and burnt down the clubhouse with them all in it. It’s over. She can go back to her life now.”
“Oh.” I flexed my hand that was in the cast, I would get a pins and needle sensation through it every so often.
“Was that all you wanted?”
“No, actually there is something else,” I looked him in the eyes. “Ashlyn and I, well, we, um… I love her.” His nostrils flared and his chair creaked as he sat forward, leant his elbows on his desk and asked;
“And does she love you?”
“Yes sir.” I didn’t know whether it was best to tell him about us being married. It was better to get it all out in the open. “We got married when we were at the Cheshire Crusaders.”
“Fuck!” he shook his head and pursed his lips together. “You went against your club? Prospect,” he sneered at me, clearly unhappy. “You prepared to hand over that cut? Or cut her out of your life? Which will it be?”
I knew this was coming, I knew that it would have been wishful thinking to think I could keep my club, my family and the woman that I was madly in love with. A woman that hadn’t been in contact with me since she was rescued, now that she had her family did she not want me? Was I about to lose everything? Was she worth the risk?
I stood up, pushing the chair back slightly and slipped my arms out of my cut, handing it over to my Prez.
“I guess I had better go and pack.” I had no idea where I would stay, I would have to find a B&B, until I could find a way to get into contact with Ashlyn.
“You know I have to bring this matter up at church. Stay until a decision has been made. Should be a couple of days.”
“Thanks Prez,” I sauntered out of his office, I didn’t like the feeling of not wearing my cut, I almost felt naked without it. I aimed for the bar, the next couple of days would be torturous and I planned on spending them drunk. It was the only way that I could function without Ashlyn and my cut.
Ashlyn
I WAS NERVOUS, my knee bounced up and down and my hands were clammy as Owen drove the three of us back home. We only lived thirty minutes away from the DD clubhouse, but I was unsure how my parents were going to react to seeing me again. It had been several months. I felt guilty for staying away for so long, but knew that I would have brought danger straight to their door and if anything had happened to any of them, I would never have been able to forgive myself. We rounded the corner and staring straight at us was the medium sized detached house that I grew up in. The front garden was neat and tidy, with finely cut grass and flowers lining the pathway that led up to the yellow front door.
“Do they know we’re coming?” I asked Owen, not taking my eyes off the house.
“Yeah.” Just as he said that the front door opened and my mum and dad stood there, holding hands. My dad was well over six foot tall, with thin grey hair and glasses, my mum looked a lot like me, blonde hair, but hers was in a short bob and her blue eyes were covered with a pair of thin rimmed glasses, she took them off to wipe away a tear and I only realised that I was crying too when I felt wetness drip onto my hands. I startled when my car door was opened and Owen stood there with May by his side.
“Come on, you ready?” I nodded and he helped me out. As soon as I began walking up the path I heard my mum sob, which had my feet moving faster and faster until I was jogging towards them.
“Oh, Ashlyn,” mum cried as her arms flew around me and pulled me closer to her. We both cried and dad joined us as he wrapped his strong arms around the both of us.
“It’s good to have you home, sweetheart.” Dad exhaled as if he had been holding his breath.
I didn’t know how long we stood there before mum pulled back and wiped away my tears.
“She’s in there,” she pointed to the living room. I took a deep breath and walked slowly, trying to calm the rate my heart was beating at. As I rounded the corner there she was, sitting on the floor surrounded by toys. A sob broke out of my chest and her head whipped around.
“Mummy!” she cried happily, pushing herself up to her feet and running towards me. I sunk to my knees and caught her as she launched herself into my arms. I burst into tears and held her as close to me as I could get her, rocking her back and forth. I was so scared that she wouldn’t remember me or that she wouldn’t want anything to do with me. She was the most precious thing in my life, that I never wanted to hurt her, if Switch had ever found out about her and hurt her I would have died.
“Missed you, Mummy,” she smiled pulling back and looking at me.
“I missed you too, baby.”
“Look, I got baby,” she ran off until she picked up a small pink doll and brought it back to me.
“Hey, kiddo,” Owen said.
“Uncy O,” she called out and her little legs carried her over to him. He picked her and threw her in the air, she screamed with laughter and I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest. I don’t know how I ever managed to keep myself away from her. All I needed now was Drake and I’d be complete.
“I need to see Drake,” I announced, climbing to my feet.
“That’s not a good idea,” Owen said as he passed my daughter to me.
“What? Why not? What’s going on?” I frowned, why was I not allowed to see him? Contact him?
“He’s just come out of hospital…”
“Exactly, he needs me,” I cut Owen off. “I need to see that he’s ok.”
“Who are you talking about, honey?” Mum asked.
“Drake, he’s my husband.” Mum gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Owen led me off to the side of the room, so everyone couldn’t hear.
“Ashlyn, I spoke to Holes. Drake handed over his prospect cut, he’s waiting to see if he’s going to be kicked out or not.”
“No, why did he do that?”
“Because he loves you, he told the Prez everything. I don’t think it will be a good idea you showing up there. Let the club sort it out first and once the decision has been made I’ll even take you to him. Just give it a couple of days, ok?”
I nodded my head, it killed me that I couldn’t be there for him, but I knew that his club meant the world to him and I didn’t want to mess anything up by heading over there, I could survive a couple more days without him, especially if that meant we got the rest of our lives together.
Drake
IT HAD BEEN a long two days, I was still short of a cut and I hated every moment of it. The thought of having to get used to it every day made me question the decision I made, especially when I still hadn’t had any contact with Ashlyn. If I didn’t have the club, my patch, I’d have no income, no place to live, what could I offer her? I hadn’t been able to get in contact with her as I didn�
�t know where she was and having this cast on my arm meant I couldn’t hop on my bike to try and find her.
“Drake,” I looked up from where I was perched at the bar, alone, to see Prez standing by the door to church. He angled his head towards the door and then disappeared inside. I downed the rest of the whiskey I had poured myself and climbed to my feet. Here it was, the moment that would change the rest of my life.
I pushed the door open and all my brothers eyes landed on me, they weren’t giving anything away, they had all plastered on blank expressions.
“Drake.” Prez clamped his hand down onto my shoulder as I stood at the head of the table beside him. “We’ve made a decision,” he looked at Holes, the VP. “Cut.” Holes handed him my leather cut and the Prez laid it onto the table as he dug his pocket knife out of his jeans pocket. He flipped open the blade and sliced into my patch that read prospect. My head fell in defeat as I knew what that meant, I was out.
“Good job you already got an Old Lady, she needs to get sewing this on.” My head rose as my brain registered what he had said. I looked at my cut to see that he had thrown down a patched member patch on top of it. “Book some time in with Tat, to get branded.”
“Good to have you, brother,” Holes said as he held his hand out to me.
“Am I hearing this right?” I laughed.
“Yep, party this weekend. Bring your Old Lady,” Holes said. Prez slammed the gavel down and the room emptied as I stared at my Cornish Crusaders patch, I was a proper brother, a patched member. I couldn’t quite believe it.
“Iron,” I looked up at Prez as he spoke. “Road name, Iron. I think it suits all this muscle you got going on.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
“Now you’re lucky I’m a family man. As soon as you picked Ashlyn over your club I admired you. That you would give up the only family you have for the woman you love. But break another one of my rules, any of my rules and I won’t hesitate to kick you out or worse.”
“You got it, Prez. I’ll never break another rule.”
“Get out of here,” he slapped me on the back. I grabbed my cut and new patch and headed towards the door. “Iron?”
“Boss?”
“Take the new prospect, Tyler. Here’s where Ashlyn is.” He handed me a piece of paper and I unfolded it to see an address in Devon. This turned out to be a great day, I got my patch and now I was going to go and claim my woman for good. I just had to make a stop on the way.
I AMBLED down the path to the CC tattoo and piercing shop, I needed to get my ink done. I wanted it to show Ashlyn. I had done a piss poor job of sewing on my new patch, but it was there and that’s all that mattered.
I pushed open the door and a bell chimed above me.
“Hey Drake, oh sorry, Iron. That’s gonna take some getting used to,” Cammie smiled as she rocked Harley in her arms.
“Hey Cam. Is Tat about?”
“Yeah, he’s out the back. You getting inked?”
“Yep, my patch,” I smiled at her.
“You mind if I watch while I wait for Mason?”
“Not at all.” We both walked to the back of the shop where Tat’s tattoo room was set up.
“Hey, man. You ready for your ink?” Tat asked.
“Sure am, I’ve been waiting a year for this.” He patted the dentist like chair and I sat down.
“Where you having it?”
“Calf muscle, please.”
“Alright, drop your trousers.” Tat started gathering everything he needed and he positioned the couch so I could lie down.
“Sorry, Cam.” I smiled as I opened my jeans and pushed them down my legs, thankful that I decided to wear boxers. She waved her hand as if it wasn’t an issue.
“Have you seen Ashlyn?” I asked her, trying to distract myself as Tat got to work on the outline.
“Not since the night she turned up at DD and I was there.”
“Have you spoken to her?” she nodded. “Is she ok?” she hesitated. “What is it?”
“She’s confused and upset,” I frowned at her. “She told me what you two did… Getting married,” she exhaled and shifted Harley so he was laying against her shoulder. “She hasn’t heard anything from you, Dra, Iron.”
“I’ve had no way to contact her. Prez has finally given me her address, I’m on my way to see her as soon as I’m done here.”
“You could have asked me for her phone number.”
“Yeah, I could have. I wanted to… But I wanted to know where I was at with the club first, so I knew what I had to offer her. I couldn’t have rocked up there like ‘hey, here I am. We can live on the streets’. I couldn’t do that to her, Cam. She deserves more than that.”
“Yeah, she does.”
“Why the hell are you laying there in front of my wife and son in your boxers?” Holes growled.
“Getting my club tat,” I pointed to my leg. He moved around the couch until he could see it better.
“Looks good, Iron.” All three of us looked towards Cammie as Harley let out a small sob. “He hungry?” VP asked his Old Lady. She looked at the clock on the wall.
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“Come on, you’re not feeding him here in front of these idiots.” He wrapped his arm her back and began leading her away.
“Come and let me know how it goes with Ash,” Cammie said over her shoulder.
“I will do. Hopefully I’ll have her with me.”
“Hold still, man.” Tat complained. I laid my head back down, just wishing that he was done already so that I could get to my woman. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen her, held her in my arms and kissed her soft lips. I needed to stop thinking about her before Tat seen it all through my boxers.
Drake
“THANKS FOR BRINGING ME, MAN,” I said to Tyler as he turned left onto a quiet street, I looked up and down the road to see most of the houses were detached with neat, tidy and colourful gardens. It was a hell of a lot different from where I grew up, living in a small two bedroom terraced house with no front garden and where our door opened up right onto the pavement.
“No problem, Iron. I’ll do whatever it takes to get my patch.”
“How long you been a prospect?”
“Two weeks now,” he smiled with pride.
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.” I thought he looked young with his blonde hair that was cut short and baby face. “Here it is.” He snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked out of the car window at a detached house with freshly cut grass and bright flowers edging the path.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“No problem, the Prez told me to wait for you.” I looked at him to see him pull his phone out of his pocket and he immediately logged onto Facebook. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. I was excited and nervous to see her, I hoped this was going to be a good surprise for her. I walked slowly up the path keeping my eyes focused on the yellow door. She was only on the other side of that door. I rang the doorbell and stood back as I waited for someone to answer it, it was strange to think this could be the first time I meet my in laws.
“I’ll get it,” I heard being called from inside. Ashlyn’s voice rung out and my body heated at the thought that I was going to be face to face with her in seconds. I held my breath as the door handle turned and I looked up as I heard a gasp. My beautiful girl was standing in front of me in a pair of black leggings, a long grey jumper and pink slippers.
“Drake?” she smiled.
“Hey, darlin’.”
“Ah, I can’t believe you’re here,” she screamed with excitement and threw herself at me, pressing her lips onto mine. I held her up with my good arm and kissed her back. “Are you ok?” she mumbled against my lips. I lowered her back to the floor and took in the slight blush that had crept up her neck and face. Someone was very pleased to see me.
I was about to answer her when a little girl pushed her way through the door and stood by Ashlyn.
“Mu
mmy, who that?” Was I hearing that right? Mummy? She called Ashlyn mummy? Ashlyn hooked her hands under the kid’s arms and lifted her until she was sitting on Ashlyn’s hip.
“This is Drake, can you say hi?”
“Hi,” she whispered and then hid her face in Ashlyn’s neck.
“Drake, this is Lacey, my daughter.”
“Hi Lacey, how old are you?” She didn’t remove her face from Ashlyn’s neck as she held out three fingers.
“She’s two and a half,” Ashlyn giggled, tickling Lacey’s tummy. She let out a little shrill and I couldn’t help but smile. “Go and find grandma, ok?” She told Lacey as she placed her on her feet. As she ran away her blonde hair bounced around her shoulders. “I’ve missed you so much,” Ashlyn smiled as she took a step towards me. I took one back and her face fell.
“You’re my wife,” I muttered.
“I’m well aware of that.”
“You didn’t tell me about her.”
“I didn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t risk someone finding her or hurting her.”
“Where’s her dad? You all playing happy families together now?”
“What? No. I…”
“I gotta go,” I cut her off taking another step back.
“Dray,” she pleaded as I turned around and began walking down the path. “Please?” she called out, a sob escaping her. I didn’t turn around, I couldn’t. I almost gave my whole life away for her and she was keeping a huge secret from me. What else was she keeping from me? She had me questioning everything, did she really want me or was it just because I was there at the time? Did she have a relationship with Lacey’s dad? If so where was he? Who was he?
“Get driving,” I demanded as soon as I sat in the passenger seat. Tyler fumbled with his phone, dropping it on the floor. He was searching for it when a knock came at the car window. I looked to my left to see a guy standing there. I rolled the window down.
South Coast Brothers Part 1 Page 62
