Crickett followed on Raine’s heels, trotting down the front steps. “Fuck.” I heard her say it as she cinched the belt of her dark blue robe tighter around her waist. “Everyone get the heck inside now,” Crickett yelled and by the look on her face, she meant fuckingbusiness.
Abel spun around, ready to pick a fight with his old lady. She threw one hand in the air. “That means you too, Abel. I have fucking had it with all this bullshit. We’re going to settle it now, because there is far bigger shit going on than who your twenty-one-year-old daughter decidestolove.”
Reluctantly, we all filed into thehouse.
Crickett poured cups of coffee while we all sat around the dining room table, silently waiting for all the shit to finally hitthefan.
“Start talking.” Crickett glared at her husband, armscrossed.
“There ain’t anything else to say. They cannot be together. And that is fucking final.” He slammed his fist onto thetable.”
“That’s crap, Abel. You’re just scared that you won’t be her protector forever. It’s not Ryder; you would feel this way aboutanyone.”
I stared at my hands, gripping the steaming mug of black coffee. Raine was sitting next to me doing the same thing. After a few seconds of chewing on her lower lip, Raine spoke up. “Dad, have a fucking heart.” Raine flew up from the table and started to pace. “Don’t you see how much Ryder caresaboutme?”
With wide eyes, Abel shoved up from the table and grabbed his daughter, midstride. “Nothing gets in the way of taking care of this family.” He growled. “Especially not something as fucked as myheart.”
Crickett put her hand on Abel’s shoulder. “Look, he’s still here.” She pointed over to me where I sat like a coward, slumped over. “After everything he has gone through. His fucked up home life with his mom, moving in with his dad—who, until a few years ago, was a stranger—and now he’s finally finding his place in the club and this family. Doesn’t that sound fucking familiar? If Ryder doesn’t deserve to be part of this family, I have no right to be hereeither.”
Abel’s shoulders fell and he took a seat at the head of the table again. “There’s a fine line between being a club member and being a fucking criminal.” I could feel his gaze boring into my skull but I neverlookedup.
I nodded. “Iknow.”
“You’re going to have to prove to me that you’re an outlaw, but notheartless.”
“Done.”
“All right then.” Abel got up, his hand outstretched to me. I grasped his hand and we locked eyes for the first time in days. “I still don't like this shit onefuckingbit.”
“I know, sir.” It was the breakthrough I had thought wouldnevercome.
Raine ran to us, hooking one arm around each of our necks. “Holy fuck. That is not how I thought this was goingtogo.”
“Thank your mom,” Abel whispered into hisdaughter’sear.
Crickett stood leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. “Tough guys, my fucking ass.” She let out a chuckle and poured herself more coffee. “Don’t y’all have some damn club business tohandle?”
Abel looked down at his phone, lighting up with message after message. “We need to get to thetable.”
“We?” I pulled myjacketon.
“Don’t make me think twice about this. We voted last night.Congratulations,kid.”
* * *
Itookmy seat at the table with my brothers hooting and hollering around me, yelling their congratulations for me finally being patched in. I had been waiting for this moment for so long, I couldn’t believe it wasfinallyhere.
My father handed Abel his gavel, and he slammed it down onto the mahogany. The crack of the wood on wood pierced the room and everyone shut upinstantly.
“All right, men. Yes, it’s exciting that Ryder finally made it, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry. Jesse was able to sweet talk that skutbag that helped get Trent fucked up last night. He’s doing fine. The doc decided to keep him overnight to detox and he will be released later today. In the meantime, I need Ryder and Red to head over to a Sinners’ hideout in the next town over; that’s where the son of a bitch should behanginglow.”
The group rumbled like they knew exactly what was going on and why the fuck the Sinners member would have drugged our guy. My eyes darted around and Abel tooknotice.
“I’ll fill you in a little more after all this is said anddone,kid.”
I nodded once in response and Abel continued with the meeting. Once everything was finished and discussed, Abel took me aside before sending me off on a wild goose chase with Red, an older club member that had barely said two words to me since I’d ridden up the mountain three yearsbefore.
“Are you ready for this, son?” Abel took a long drag from his cigarette, walking me out thebackdoor.
