Chapter Twenty-Nine
~ BEAST ~
The party was in full swing when we arrived. It was noisy and busy and Belle clung to me like her life depended upon it. It was sweet as hell watching her see this place with new eyes. Witnessing it as I did—as a safe place and as a home.
“Beast,” Gauge said as he came close to shake my hand.
I slapped his back as we shook. “Everything okay?” I asked, and he nodded.
“We’ve been waiting for you to arrive. We’ve got a meeting in church,” he replied. “Got some things that need clearing up.”
I scowled. “Things?”
Belle’s grip on my hand tightened, but I didn’t look away from Gauge, my mood growing darker.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, brother. Just club business and shit, nothing else.” He glanced down at Belle. “You good?”
She nodded.
“Hungry?”
She nodded again.
“You lost your fucking tongue?”
I snarled, the hairs on the back of my neck bristling at the way he spoke to her.
“Leave her alone, you fucking pig!” said Laney, his daughter and Shooter’s soon-to-be wife, coming to a stop by Belle’s side.
“You watch your fucking mouth!” Gauge yelled, and Laney laughed in his face. “Cunt.”
“Sorry, Daddy,” she said, rolling her eyes at him before turning back to look at Belle. “Ignore this sack of shit, he has no manners whatsoever. I think he was raised by animals or something.”
“It was wolves—dangerous and sexy,” Gauge snarked.
“More like warthogs. Fat and greedy.” Laney laughed again. “Come on, Belle, come and help me in the kitchen.”
Laney started to pull Belle away with her, and Belle and I reluctantly let go of each other. She glanced back briefly before Laney ushered her into the kitchen where all the other old ladies no doubt were.
“She’s such a bitch,” Gauge sighed with a shake of his head.
I smirked, my anger dissipating. “She gets it from you.”
Gauge dragged a hand down his beard and took a swallow of his beer. “Don’t I fucking know it. Come on, let’s get in there.”
Everyone was already sitting and waiting for me to arrive when Gauge and I walked into church, and I sat in my usual seat, looking over at Shooter with a hard scowl. I didn’t like this. Something felt off, but I wasn’t sure what.
My jaw ticked, my teeth grinding as a prospect shut the door from the other side and left us all alone. The club noises faded away and silence surrounded us before Shooter finally spoke.
“Firstly,” he began, “I want to say thank you to Beast and his old lady for bringing vengeance for Echo. You did your club and your brothers proud today. Echo would have been happy with how that shit went down. You made ’em pay, and the club got justice. But more importantly,yougot justice.”
Every one thumped the table repeatedly, offering words of agreement, but I was still lost on his words—old lady. It hadn’t occurred to me that that was what she was now. I smiled at that realization.
“I also want you to know that we all know what a huge ask it was of your old lady to do what she did, and I know that don’t come easy. Whatever happened previously is forgotten. Whatever happens in the future, the club and every man around this table and out that door has her back. You feel me?”
I nodded and the table thumps began again. “Appreciate that, Prez.”
“She doing okay? Can’t have been easy on her,” he asked, sipping at his whiskey. “Think I saw her limping when she came in—she hurt?”
