Is this what I want? My mind drifts to Beast, Zero and Piston, and I'm not even just thinking about the sex. Beast and his bad texting and silly sense of humor. Piston and his protectiveness and passion for animals. Zero's commanding nature and sharp insight. No wonder they're a team, and together they make me feel like I'm something special. Something worth protecting.
Heck, even Natalie is starting to approve.
Speaking of whom, she puts her hand up in the air. "Everyone! It's announcement time! Gather around."
Faith laughs. "You beat me to it. But go ahead, you first."
Shelby pushes her way in. "You'd think we'd arranged this, or something. I guess I'm third."
The three of them stop to look at each other, each one trying to figure out what the other two are hinting at. Natalie points at both of their bellies. "You guys aren't…"
Shelby lights up. "You too?"
The three of them crack up while the rest of the party slowly figures it out. I know Nat’s secret so I have a bit of a head start. But three at once? Yikes!
"Alright, I'm just going to say it." Faith raises her voice. "Charlotte's going to have a little sibling! We’re just past twelve weeks and we aren’t sure if we want to know the gender so don’t start asking!" A cheer goes up, and after a brief bow, she steps back and gestures at the other two.
Shelby and Natalie exchange glances, but Natalie nudges Shelby forwards.
Shelby smiles ear-to-ear as she takes her turn. "Well, it must be something in the water. Mia’s going to have a little sibling, too. She’s already obsessed."
And then it's Natalie's turn. Like everyone else, she's all smiles. "So much for going first! Sheesh, guys. But I guess all good things come in threes. I'm about thirteen weeks along and Clark’s mostly annoyed that he’s getting a sibling instead of a lizard."
I'm pulled right into the celebrations, like I've been part of this group forever. Everyone's happy for the expecting moms, even the kids, though I'm not sure how many of them caught what's actually going on. When I get a chance, I throw my arms around my pregnant big sister to give her a squeeze. "I know you know I know, but congratulations again anyway."
“Thanks.”
“Moooooooom!” Someone yells. It’s a little boy, about ten, and he’s holding onto the end of a leash with Junkyard happily running ahead of him.
Behind him is a girl about the same age, walking an older boxer. That must be Issy.
“What happened, Liam?” Emily asks.
“Jupiter and Junkyard were playing and they started fighting!” he explains.
Issy rolls her eyes. “They weren’tfighting.”
“Well then what were they doing? Why’d Alpha yell?”
Issy tugs on Emily’s arm. Emily leans down and Issy whispers something to her. Emily’s face goes still and she looks my way.
Oh boy. “Jupiter’s been fixed, right? Right?”
25
BEAST
Eagle-eye’s sittingon the bar, scanning the common room with King, our VP, next to him. King’s leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest. One day he’ll take the spot of honor, but he doesn’t seem to be in any rush, and Prez isn’t heading anywhere anytime soon.
Chef, our resident bartender, puts down an opened beer bottle next to Eagle-eye, then finds a seat.
"Okay, fuckers, listen up! Church is in session!" Eagle-eye's gravelly voice echoes off the high ceiling, and gradually the clink of beer bottles and the clack of billiard balls dies out as everyone finds a spot and focuses.
From the outside, a lot of people think we’re a chaotic mess. That we’re all a fucked up bunch of assholes with no respect for law or authority who spend their lives drinking, fucking and fighting. They’re only partly right. It’s not a mess, it’scontrolledchaos. Successful MCs like the Eagles get to where they are because they don’t just recruit every idiot who wants an excuse to hurt and steal. They collect people like me. The ones who crave camaraderie and structure, but who would rather put a bullet inour skulls than pledge their loyalty to anything, king or country, without knowing the loyalty goes both ways.
We don’t follow Eagle-eye because he’s got a patch that says ‘president’. We follow him because he’d never ask anything from us that he hasn’t given himself. So when he calls us to Church, we listen the fuck up. Every blooded member who’s able to attend is expected to be here, and no one else. It's when decisions that affect the whole club are made, and when threats are addressed.
Kozlov is officially a threat.
