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“Yes, like the snack. I consider myself a tasty little treat.” The man joked, but he wasn’t someone I’d want to fuck with. Bigger than Bull in both height and girth, he was taking up a three-person bench himself. His belly was huge, but he was clearly strong, like a sumo wrestler. Pure mass, he was like a juggernaut.

Seeing the room full, the large space packed with leather and boots, did give me a sense of security. We weren’t just rebuilding; we were growing, morphing. Resources, preparation, and brute force were our allies.

We had brothers scouring every corner of the country for a trace of Crow or his band of merry men. While they were on the road, we were fortifying the home front.

Increased security, protection, backup plans, and bunkers were discussed, as well a growing list of weapons and artillery.

“Atlas, want you on Seph’s Trail still. You’re the farthest from Crow, and we need that distance. You’ve seen him, you know what to look out for. Keep working on the new trail, but for every protection you put up, I want three more. I want this impenetrable.”

“Fury is former Air Force. He’s going to lead up emergency extraction. Dare and Bull, I want you with him.”

More details were hashed out, plans expanded, and morphing as the newer brothers shared their various skills. By the time night fell, I was exhausted. It had been a long day, draining on every level. I felt almost drunk when I stumbled out of Church, spying Lilah seated across the room with Charlie and Fee.

“You ready to head out?” I asked as I approached, and Lilah eyed me closely. I knew I looked like shit, that I was running out of steam, but I just needed to finish the day. We had buried a brother and we were preparing for war. Both of those would still be true the following day, but that night, I just wanted Lilah.

The ride home was quiet, her hand wrapped in mine the whole time. Walking into the house, we didn’t turn any lights on. Locking the doors and setting the alarm, I finally made my way to the bedroom. Lilah was already in PJs and under the covers. Stripping down, I climbed in next to her. As I pulled her closer, she rested her head on my chest, her body draped over mine.

“I know I said you could have six months to plan the wedding, but I don’t want to wait to get married.”

“When were you thinking?” she asked, not hesitating.

“As soon as possible. I’d marry you tomorrow, but I want to do this right. You can pick the place. I’ll make it happen,” I told her.

“Can’t we just go to the courthouse? Beth and Bull can be our witnesses. Then maybe a little get-together at the clubhouse? Something casual. Small.” I didn’t think I could love that woman any more, but each moment of each day, she proved me wrong. There were a lot of unknowns ahead of us, but Lilah and me? That was solid, real, and I was grabbing hold of it and never letting go.

She was my forever.

Chapter 38

Scythe

After everything that happened in Canada, each new day at home felt different, foreign. We’d gone to war before, lost brothers, but never faced a traitor attacking us from the inside out. While the day-to-day grind kept going, our foundation had been rocked.

Lilah was my bright spot, and I still couldn’t believe I had managed to find her. My ring on her finger and a vest in the making gave me some comfort, but I still wanted more. All that was left was tying her to me legally—which was happening in less than a week.

“You ready for tonight?” Charlie asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“You’re coming?” I asked, surprised, and she looked affronted.

“Coming? Bitch it was MY idea. Wait till you see what I have planned.”

“No strippers.” That had been my only response when the guys brought up the idea of a bachelor party. The girls had a spa day planned for that weekend, and I imagined the two events would have very different vibes.

“Did you forget that we grew up together? Cut me some slack. You’re gonna enjoy this. Trust me.” She waggled her eyebrows, and I found the entire conversation unsettling.

“You got that look, C…We gonna have to bail you out of trouble later tonight?”

“I plead the fifth,” she said, looking at her nails, her face wiped of emotion. I shook my head at her antics. Charlie was over to show Lilah some houses she wanted us to see. I couldn’t stay. Security was getting amped up at every location. Keys and I had a long day ahead of us. We spent the day rewiring the guard booth and updating the clubhouse perimeter. Between the work and the endless jokes about the mysterious night ahead, the hours passed quickly.

Unfortunately, no amount of work was enough to stop me wondering what Charlie had planned. That feeling only got worse when I walked into the clubhouse that evening and found every one of my brothers looking far too pleased with themselves. I stopped just inside the door.

“No.”

Bull barked out a laugh.

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Don’t need to. I know that look.”