"I need someone I trust completely. Someone who'll tell me when I'm wrong. Someone who thinks before he acts. That's you."
Tommy's quiet for a long moment. Then: "What about Joker?"
Joker holds up his hands. "I'm good where I am. Sergeant at Arms suits me. VP is politics. Tommy's better at politics."
Blade nods. "Tommy's the right choice."
"Agreed," Colt adds. "He's got our respect."
Tommy takes the patch from me, turns it over in his scarred hands. "Never thought I'd wear this again. Had it back in the '80s under Jackson."
"You were VP before?" Rope asks, surprised.
"Long time ago. Gave it up when my son died. Didn't want the responsibility anymore." Tommy meets my eyes. "But someone's gotta keep this club together. Might as well be me."
"Thank you, brother."
"Don't thank me yet. I'm gonna be up your ass about every decision now. That's what VPs do."
"I'm counting on it."
Joker bangs the gavel. "Tommy is now Vice President of Iron Talons MC. All in favor?"
Every hand goes up. Even Torch and Diesel, who voted against me minutes ago.
"Congratulations, VP," Joker says. "Try not to let it kill you."
Tommy's smile is dry. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
The meeting breaks up slowly. Brothers approaching, offering congratulations, reassurances. Blade claps me on the shoulder. "For what it's worth, you're a good President. Ghost is just bitter."
"Yeah," Colt agrees. "He wanted your position since you got it. This was just his excuse."
Rope stops on his way out. "My kid's alive because of Lena. Whatever Ghost says, I owe her. I owe you."
"Appreciate it, brother."
After they leave, it's just me and Tommy in the Church room. He's pinning the VP patch onto his cut with the careful movements of someone who's done this before.
"You handled that well," he says.
"Did I? I just lost my VP and made an enemy for life."
"You kept the Presidency. That's what mattered."
"Ghost was right about one thing—Santiago is a target now. Anyone who wants to hurt me has an easy way to do it."
"Then we protect him. All of us. Iron Talons protects its own. That includes your kid."
"He's two days old and already in danger because of me."
Tommy finishes with the patch, looks up. "He's also alive because of you. Lena chose you. You gave her that baby. You're building something good. Don't let Ghost's bitterness poison that."
"What if he's right though? What if I can't be President and father effectively?"
"Jackson was President and father to three kids. Died in his bed at seventy-two. It can be done."
"Jackson didn't have a baby with the enemy's sister."
