PRES/ PIABB – You want me to call church so you can make Jeanie your old lady.
ME – What I say.
PRES/ PIABB – JesusChrist, okay. I hope you’re safe. Call me if you need me.
ME – Love u piabb. I good.
That was it. It’s coming back to me now. I look up from deciphering my messages.
“I remember now,” I tell the brothers. “I want to make Jeanie my old lady.”
There’s a beat of silence when Brass asks, “Do we even need to put this to a vote? I mean, we kind of figured out you would anyway.”
“We vote same as always,” Coal says. “Anyone have an issue with Jeanie becoming Bolt’s old lady?”
I’m not sure why I’m nervous, but I am. And the fuckers know it. Because they make me sweat by waiting to pass their votes.
“Fuck’s sake; vote already,” I growl when I can’t wait any longer. All I want to do is get out of here and go sleep away this hangover from hell. I don’t care what Jeanie says, I’m sure her dad tried to poison me.
Laughter rings out when I lose it, and the votes come in. It’s unanimous. They all voted yes.
“Congratulations, brother,” Coal says, putting a box on the table in front of me. Taking the lid off, I stare at it in surprise and pride when I see Property of Cobalt on the patch.
“How?” I ask. I mean, it’s only been two days.
“Mom did it yesterday while you were out having the scan. She knew you’d want it sooner rather than later,” Coal explains. “We all knew, Bolt, as soon as we saw you two together that first night. All of us could see your connection. And with youannouncing the pregnancy and then you both going to see her family, we knew you’d want it.”
“Plus, son,” Dad starts as I turn to him, “only a man serious about his woman takes a beating like that from her dad. I don’t say it often, but I’m proud of you.”
“Fuck,” I say, blinking so the tears that prick my eyes don’t fall. Clearing my throat, I look down at the cut one more time before lifting my head. “Thanks, Dad. In fact, thanks all of you. I know I haven’t always been the best brother, but I promise I’ll keep working on changing that.”
“We know.” Nickel squeezes my shoulder. “Now how about you give that to your woman.”
“Before we do that,” Coal says, picking up the gavel. “Tell me, little brother, what does PIABB stand for.”
Standing, I pick up the box and tuck it under my arm before replying with a cheeky smirk, “Pain In The Ass Big Brother.”
“You little fuck,” Coal shouts, banging the gavel to dismiss church and lunging for me. Laughing at the look on his face, I run out of church and into the common room only to be taken to the ground by Coal tackling me.
The box holding Jeanie’s cut goes flying and ends up under the Christmas tree as the two of us wrestle much like we did as children. Finally, when my hangover gets too much for me and not wanting to spew on the clubhouse floor, I call uncle. Coal andI lay laughing and panting on the floor under the Christmas tree lights while my niece Shea climbs over us, using us as her own personal climbing frames. Not that either of us mind. Our family crowds around, laughing at us. Few motorcycle clubs would see their president messing around like this. I know the US chapter definitely wouldn’t, and it makes me happy that we were given this chance to have our own. Our club has more of a family feel to it than the US chapter. I prefer this.
If anything, messing around today reminds us that not everything is about finding traffickers, worrying about a brother who’s undercover, and the danger that brings.
And it’s good to let off steam. It helps remind us that our brotherhood is much more than just a brotherhood. We’re also a family. I was lucky in the family I had been born into and even luckier in the men who chose to be part of our brotherhood.
We’ll protect our family always.
CHAPTER 10
JEANIE
The men come out of church in a rush, with Bolt leading the pack, carrying a white box that goes flying as Coal tackles him.
“What the feck,” I growl as I stand only to have Maggie pat my leg.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. That’s brothers messing around, not club brothers fighting. Bolt must have said something to set Coal off. Look, they’re laughing.”
Sitting back down on the couch, I take a longer look and realise that she’s right. The two of them are messing around much likeI’d seen my brothers do. The rest of the brothers crowd around, jeering and teasing. There may have been money exchanging hands, but I’m not a hundred percent sure as it all disappears when Bolt calls uncle.
