Page 51 of Patchover Fright Night

“Reacher, you got a second?”

He nodded and moved away from the crowd with me, Ally taking his seat beside Sophie, as their heads leaned together and Ally hugged her. It made me feel like a fucking king to know that woman was mine, and we were building a real life together, and seeing her being accepted like that? It was even better than feeling that acceptance myself.

“What’s up?”

I leaned against the wall of the dorm building, since you know, there was no office to go to, but this was far enough from prying eyes, or ears, at least.

“Just wanted to thank you for giving me this chance, and putting your faith in me. I won’t let you down.”

He nodded, leaning against the wall beside me. “I guess I always wondered if I could trust you again, but in the end it wasn’t that hard to do. You literally put your life on the line last night to save the club, and to protect your old lady, which I respect. I wasn’t much use, and you held this shit together. We’ll still be watching, but now it’s more of a ‘keeping an eye on our investment’ kinda thing, rather than spying on you as a figurehead. You get the difference, right?”

I grinned. “Aka the cameras stay up, because you’re all nosy bastards?”

Reacher laughed, shrugging a shoulder. “I guess we can discuss some of them being switched off at this point, but security will always be important, regardless of who’s monitoring it.”

Didn’t I just fucking know it?

“So, about a VP…”

“Harley, by any chance?”

The fucker always knew, didn’t he?

“Yeah. I think he’s a good all rounder, and he’s really had my back since we took the Rogues down. I trust him, and I think he’s got the club’s best interests at heart, ya know?”

Reacher snorted.

“You know you don’t need to ask my permission or something, right? This is your chapter now. Decisions like that are under your purview from now on. All I ask is that we work together on all things financial and criminal. That’s how we’ll all stay safe, and keep the club going. I foresee a lot of meeting up to discussshit like that in the future, but it’ll be on a more even footing now.”

“And Grease?”

He sought the fucker out with his eyes, grinning as he watched him bantering with Ice, who, for some reason, he really liked. I so didn’t get it, but whatever. Someone had to like him, I guess.

“At some point, Rossi will recall him, but for now, keep making use of him. Rely on him. He’s fucking solid, and despite the fact that he was meant to be reporting on you to us, he always had your back. I have a feeling he’d rather stay with the club, but that’s probably not up to him, any more than it’s up to us.”

Who could blame him though, because club life was the fucking shit. Anyone who thought differently just didn’t understand the freedom, and brotherhood, it provided. It wasn’t just about being into motorcycles, or even drugs and violence, it was about having a huge extended family, who’d always fucking be there. Who’d work together toward any outside threat, and who’d have each other’s backs no matter what. That’s club life, and I’m so fucking glad I got a second chance for it. This time I wouldn’t fuck it up.

THE END