He looked at the baby one more time, then at me. “Congratulations, Prez,” he said. “You did good.”
“Get outta here, Hellsing,” I said, but there was no bite in it.
He nodded, turned, and walked to the door.
“Was that Peter?” Sadie asked.
I turned. She stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, wiping her hands on a towel. Her long hair was pulled back, a few strands loose around her face. Her eyes went to the patch in my hand.
“Yeah,” I said. “That was him.”
“How is Grace?” she asked.
“Grace is six weeks pregnant,” I said.
Her face lit up. “Oh my God,” she said. “She is going to be such a good mama.”
“Yeah,” I said. “She will.”
I sat back on the couch, adjusting the baby on my lap again. Sadie came over and lowered herself onto the other side of me, close enough that our shoulders touched. She leaned over and cooed softly at our daughter, running a gentle finger over her small hand.
“You did the right thing,” she said.
“Which part?” I asked.
“Letting Peter step down,” she said. “Let Sinnerman take the Chaplain role back. Peter needs to be with his family. He has done enough bleeding for everybody.”
I took in her soft features. “You think I did?” I asked.
“I know you did,” she said. “You are not just a President, Jameson. You are a father now. You are a partner. You saw a man who needed permission to choose his own family over a patch, and you gave it to him. That is what a real leader does.”
I let that sink in.
“I still don’t trust Sinnerman’s whole story,” I said. “There is somethin’ in his eyes that says he is holdin’ back.”
“There is,” she said. “But who isn’t? The man lost his wife and his child. If he did something ugly out there, that is between him and whatever he believes in. You will find out what you need to know when the time is right.”
She leaned her head briefly on my shoulder and I continued to tell her about the clubhouse. She had a way of pulling this stuff out of me.
“Hoax has been restless,” I said. “He’d been spendin’ more time in the city. He says he’s tracking members that were a part of Rancid’s crew, but I think he is distractin’ himself from his own shit. I’m keepin’ an eye on him.”
She nodded. “And Ajax?” she asked.
“Ajax is fine,” I said. “Cherry Smoke has been pullin’ in good numbers. He has been workin’ overtime, booked out most weekends.”
“Here’s somethin’ you’ll enjoy. Bullet has been actin’ like a guard dog when it comes to Seraphine,” I said. “He snarls every time her name comes up. He stands too close when other men look at her. He picks fights with her for no reason. Something is definitely going on with those two. It’s a mess.”
“Good,” Sadie said. “They deserve a mess.”
My jaw tightened. “I sent Legion to New York,” I said.
“Oh,” she listened quietly, stroking my neck.
“The Royal Harlots have been too quiet. Duchess has been sendin’ clean reports, but there are gaps. She says business is good, girls are safe, territory is holdin’. No trouble. Which is bullshit. There is always trouble. Colt’s sister is smart, but she is stubborn. I get the feelin’ she is keepin’ somethin’ from me. I need Legion’s eyes on the ground. He knows how to dig without lettin’ anyone see him.”
“You think Duchess is in over her head?” Sadie asked.
“I think Duchess is tryin’ to handle somethin’ alone,” I said. “And that never ends well. She is President of the Royal Harlots. She has earned that seat. But this patch on my back does not let me ignore the signs. If she is holdin’ back, I gotta decide whether I let her ride or whether I yank the reins. Legion will tell me which.”
