“Okay. I’ll wait. I get you’re keeping everyone safe, and honestly, I was so surprised to see him that I couldn’t think how to explain I was sitting with the supposed parents who were pushing me toward a forced marriage.”
Mace nodded. “I’ll always do what’s best for the group whether you like it or not.”
Britt nodded and headed into the control room. She was going to keep an eye on Twist even if she couldn’t be in the roomwith him. She wondered who Mace’s contact was.
Movement on the screen that showed the driveway of the clubhouse caught her eye. She checked Twist’s monitor, then headed up. She counted at least five bikers, possibly more, because a car pulled in right behind the bikes in the parking lot. She jogged up the stairs, grabbing her cut from the hall as she walked out onto the porch. Mace, Axel, and Guru were meeting the men and what turned out to be two women, one closer to her parents’ age.
Raven walked down the stairs and waited for Mace to speak.
“We appreciate you making the drive. We would have been fine with a verbal okay,” Mace said, then noticed her. “Pit, this is Raven, who Twist said he was looking for. Raven, this is the Saint’s Outlaws MC, Kansas City Chapter’s President, Pit, his VP, Justice, Stinger, Tack, and Crux.”
“Nice to meet you. Who are the ladies with you?” Raven asked. Mace gave her a frown, but if he thought she was going to have the ladies treated as second-class citizens like some people did, then he’d be disappointed because that wasn’t happening.
“Aww, this is Justice’s mom, Ruthy, and my wife, Ariel.”
“Nice to meet you,” Raven said, shaking hands with both ladies.
“Let’s head in and we can discuss the situation,” Mace said, leading the group intothe clubhouse and into the room that was set up as Church.
Raven’s eyes about bugged out when she saw the sign. Mace had gone round with his mother because she’d argued that church was what she attended on Sundays with a sermon. He told her they were a One Percenter MC and that they called their meetings Church. He’d had a sign made for it, and his mom had painted over it. Mace had ordered another one made and just installed it yesterday. Raven wasn’t sure when it happened because earlier today the sign had been fine. Now, the sign still had the C and the last H from Church. The other letters had been painted over, and then someone had meticulously lettered MACE’S HUDDLE.
Raven tried to hold in her laughter, but Axel saw it first, chuckling and smacking Mace on the back.
“Shouldn’t ever piss off our mother. She doesn’t give up or give in,” Axel said, helping everyone find seats.
“I have to ask. That sign looks freshly painted. There has to be a story,” Ariel said, sitting down at the table.
Raven smiled along with all the other members as Mace sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Ruthy, I don’t want to offend you as a mom, but honestly, I don’t know any other way to explain this. You know, I can be the President of the club and everyone listens to me when I make a decision. But our mother,” Mace motioned to himself and Axel, “has decided that we are not to call this Church. I disagreed and thought she was onboard. However, this is the second sign I’ve had made that she has defaced in the first twelve hours it was up. I’m not giving in, but I’m not sure exactly how I’m supposed to deal with this,” Mace said.
Raven enjoyed Mace’s irritation because she’d told him how to fix it. What did it matter to the outside world what they called it when they met? If it kept the peace with their family, then so be it. Sometimes Raven wondered if Mace’s mom was just doing it to lighten the atmosphere.
“Fierce women are amazing. I should know, I married one and was lucky enough to have two, my mom and my aunt, in my life growing up. I get the need to be in charge, but you know the saying happy wife, happy life?” Pit asked.
Mace nodded.
“We coined one growing up. Cheerful Mom, Cheerful Calm. As long as we kept my mom and my aunt, who is Justice and Tack’s mom, happy, things were a lot smoother. And I am not ashamed to admit that I may wreak havoc on those who hurt my family, I still adore my fierce mom,” he said.
His VP laughed while looking at his mom.
“Appreciate that. Now, Twist. We know he has a YouTube channel as a storm chaser. I’m just going to put it out there. He interfered in a sticky situation we’d planned. Is there any way that he could be working with human trafficking?” Mace asked.
The Saint’s Outlaws were quite vocal about disagreeing with Mace’s question.
“No. I trust Twist. He’s a nomad for Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC. They’re one ofour ally clubs, and my wife grew up in that club. There’s no way Twist would actively fight against it,” Pit said.
Raven watched Mace’s face for indications of what he would do. His facial muscles had relaxed at the group’s loud support of Twist’s intentions. Mace tapped his index finger, which meant he wasn’t quite convinced.
“Why should I trust you? Somehow Twist found Raven when he shouldn’t have been able to place her with the Honey Creek Badgers MC,” Mace said.
Ariel smiled, shaking her head. “He called my sister and brother-in-law, who run the tech for Bluff Creek. If you don’t want your members tied back to the club when you’re running an op, then you should make sure the tag on the vehicle doesn’t tie back to a club business,” Ariel said.
Raven could feel Mace’s glare from across the room. “Listen, I planned for all contingencies except a knight on a steel steed. The tow truck was not on the list of approved vehicles. When the plan changed, someone here decided to send the tow truck for me.”
Raven wasn’t taking the blame for this, but it was good to know that it was a simple thing that had caught them and that it wasn’t her fault.
“I sent the tow truck and didn’t think about the tags. Sorry, Mace. I scrambled when the issue wasn’t on Raven’s list of contingencies,” Axel said.
