Chapter Seventeen
Morgan
I sat in church, my mother on one side of me and my brother on the other. My father and Uncle Mac stood behind us. Guards that weren’t necessary inside these walls.
“Chasm isn’t coming,” my brother said, his voice cold.
There were so many questions left unanswered because I let my pride get in the way. I should have listened; let him explain before I kicked him out.
Like why didn’t he tell King he was alive?
Why didn’t he just tell me he wanted a divorce after I lost the baby? I would have understood. I knew he only married me because I was pregnant. But I loved him, so I took advantage of his need to be a better parent than his father was.
“Why was he here?” Gunner asked. “Why didn’t he stay the fuck dead?”
I winced at the anger in Gunner’s voice. He didn’t get angry often. Unless someone threatened Sarah. Jude hadn’t done that, but he did threaten his relationship with his wife.
Coming here and confronting Gunner was unnecessary and stupid. He could have just asked me about it.
“Chasm took over as president of the Little Rock Chapter. He was going through Steele’s office and found some files with women’s names on them. They were empty, so whatever information he had, Stone took with him when he left.”
“Morgan was one of those names,” Romeo explained. “We don’t know if they knew she was married to Chasm. We assume they knew she was O’Malley’s daughter. And by extension, King’s sister.”
“But you don’t know for sure?” my mother asked.
“We don’t,” my brother answered. “Chasm came to Rosewood to check on Morgan. He said he wasn’t going to make contact. I don’t know what changed.”
“He got jealous,” I said softly.
“What was that, baby?” my father asked, leaning over my shoulder.
I sat up straight and looked around the table. “He saw me at the Tavern with the girls when David Gearing tried to dance with me. He’s been trying to get me to go out with him for years. Jude got jealous and broke into my house. He was there when I got home.”
There was a sound behind me similar to that of a rabid wolf. I didn’t look over my shoulder. I knew it was my father. My brother reacted much the same way. His hands clenched into fists on the table and only relaxed when Grace touched his arm.
“Then why did he leave?” Frank asked.
I’d always liked Frank. When people met him for the first time, their reaction was always the same.
Fear.
But he was a big teddy bear.
At least to us women.
“Because he’s a stupid, stubborn son of a bitch,” my brother answered.
I couldn’t stop the smile. He wasn’t wrong. Jude was stubborn. And because of that stubborn streak, he often made stupid decisions. Like the time he got us stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service.
Seven years ago...
“You could have stopped for directions,” I said with a grin, knowing he’d think that was absurd.
“I didn’t need directions. We aren’t lost.”
“Then why are we sitting on the side of the road?”
Jude mumbled something I couldn’t understand, and I asked, “What was that?”
He mumbled a little louder, and I still had trouble hearing what he said.
“One more time?”
“We ran out of gas,” he admitted.
I stared at him for a moment, my eyes blinking rapidly as I tried to process what he’d said. “We... ran out of gas?” I asked, wanting to clarify that I’d heard him correctly.
When he nodded, I laughed. The more I thought about it, the louder my laughter became. Before I knew it, I was bent over, holding my stomach as tears slipped from my eyes.
“What is so fucking funny?” he asked, his arms crossed over his chest as the corners of his mouth twitched.
“How long have you been riding a motorcycle?” I asked between coughs as I tried to pull myself together.
“What difference does that make?”
The look on his face had me laughing all over again.
“You didn’t know you were getting low on gas?” I asked, expecting his answer to be an excuse. But when he glared at me with a smile on his face, I knew the answer.
“You stubborn fool.” I shook my head, and he grabbed me around the waist, pulling me closer. My hands flattened on his chest, and I smiled at him. “Did you avoid stopping for gas because you didn’t want me to ask for directions?”
“I didn’t stop for gas because I can’t fucking think straight with your tits pressed up against my back and your thighs wrapped around my hips.” His voice vibrated against my neck, and my laughter died off as arousal pooled between my legs. “You make me forget how to breathe, Morgan.”
We had sex on the side of the road as we waited for someone to come along. Thankfully, it wasn’t the highway patrol, who no doubt would have arrested us both for public indecency.
“Morgan?” King called out. I couldn’t think of him as Callum, not even in my head.
“What?”
My mother tapped my arm and gave me a smile. “Honey, Kingston is worried about you being here unprotected. He offered to take you home to Nebraska with him. And of course, I’m sure your father would love for you to go to Boston.”
“I can’t leave,” I said, looking at the men in the room. “I have a business to run.”
“Honey, I can take care of the business.”
“Morgan, until we know what Steele had in that file, you’re not safe.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If Steele had anything, why would he wait so long? Why didn’t he come after me years ago?”
My brother looked away and took a deep breath. “Steele was working with the Death Dogs. He was part of the group that attacked our clubhouse. He was also responsible for the warehouse explosion Jude was in. You aren’t safe here. Come home with Grace and me; let me keep you safe.”
“Jude doesn’t want me. My connection to him is gone.”
“But not your connection to me,” my brother said. “Or Sal.”
I looked over my shoulder at my father. “What do you think?”
“I want you safe. Unfortunately, Boston isn’t safe.”
King turned to look at our father. “Why not?”
“Just before the attack on your club, we learned that Sylvia St. James is still alive.”
“How is that possible?” Pyro asked.
My father shrugged. “She slipped through the cracks. Regardless, she’s out for blood. She almost killed one of my men.”
“Who?” my brother asked.
“Cian,” Mac answered. “Turns out Cian was adopted. St. James is his birth mother.”
“She tried to kill her own son?” Priest asked.
“It wouldn’t be the first time. She was responsible for her daughter’s death in Arizona.”
I turned to look at the president of the Sons of Hell. His words silenced the room. How could a mother kill her own children?
“Then Nebraska isn’t safe either,” Indie said. Drawing attention to herself. She’d been quiet through the meeting. She and Mimic stood in the corner, watching and listening.
I noticed the cut on her shoulders and smiled at how progressive my brother was. It wasn’t just an old lady cut. It had a patch that said Prospect above her name.
“Then what’s the answer?” Banks asked.
“Devlyn.”
“What?” my brother asked.
“I’ll go to Louisiana and see Devlyn. The Bourbon Kings will protect me.”
Romeo grinned. “Road trip.”
“I don’t think—”
“King,” Grace said, her hand on his arm. “It’s a good idea.”
“Son, take her to Louisiana. I have men there. She’ll have plenty of men to watch over her.”
My brother looked at Romeo, his shoulders dropping in defeat. “Call Gator. Tell him we’ll be there in two days.”
“Come on, honey, let’s get you home so you can pack.” I stood up with my mother.
Looking at my father, I asked, “Are you coming too?”
“I have something I have to take care of.” He glanced at my brother, who nodded. “But I’ll see you soon.”
He kissed my cheek and Mac hugged me tight, then they both said goodbye. It wasn’t until they disappeared down the mountain that I understood.
“Where is he going?” I asked my brother.
“He didn’t tell me.” My brother shrugged, but he wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“Bullshit. You know where he’s going, don’t you?”
“Morgan, he’s your father.”
I grabbed his arm and begged, “King, you need to call him and warn him.”
My brother kissed my forehead and said, “Not a chance in hell. Let’s go get you packed.”
“King, thank you,” he said as he shook the hand of the Sons of Hell president.
“Take care of our girl,” he told my brother.
I smiled as he pulled me in for a hug. One by one, the brothers and their wives from the Sons of Hell said goodbye as if they thought they would never see me again.
I spent the evening getting to know my brother again and Grace, whom I absolutely loved, especially for him. My mom and I talked with Indie and Mimic, though Mimic didn’t do much more than grunt or nod.
I packed what I needed, and we spent the night with my mother. She had a guest room for King and Grace. My brother refused to let me stay home alone.
I slept in my mother’s bed with her, and we talked until the early morning. We cried when we said goodbye. I begged her to come with us, but she said no, explaining that someone needed to be there for the spa.
The ride to New Orleans was quiet and long; we stopped overnight, King not wanting Grace to be in the SUV that long. Romeo led the way, and by the following evening, we were parked in the French Quarter in front of the Bourbon Bar.
The air was humid as we climbed out of the SUV. The music from the bar could be heard on the street through the open windows. King looked around, skeptical that the area was safe.
“Leave the bags. Let’s go inside first,” he said, taking Grace’s hand. I followed behind him with Romeo and Grace’s father, Popeye, on either side of me. Mimic and Indie taking up the rear.
The smell in the air was a mix of jasmine, magnolias, and fried food. The scent of sugar being the strongest.
We stepped inside the bar, and Gator called out, “GRACIE!”
King stopped short, and I ran into his back, as Grace let go of his hand and was engulfed in Gator’s arms. One by one, the Bourbon Kings stepped forward to hug my brother’s girl.
“I’m impressed with your restraint,” I whispered. “I expected you to be a jealous asshole.”
“Oh, I am. I fucking hate this, but at the same time, I’m so fucking proud of her.
Grace worked here for a while when she was younger.
These men, the ones who are hugging her and kissing her head, are among the few she has let near her.
As much as I want to yank her back, this is a huge step for her. ”
“I love you, big brother,” I said.
He looked down at me and pulled me against his side. “I love you too, little sister.”
“MORGAN!”
I smiled so big as Devlyn came barreling down the stairs. I rushed over and threw my arms around my best friend.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “The babies are sleeping.” She held up the monitor in her hand. “But as soon as they wake up, I want them to meet their godmother.”
“Dragon Lady!”
“Romeo!” Grace smacked Romeo on the back of the head.
“Ouch! What was that for?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Grace scolded, and I laughed. So did Devlyn.
“You must be Grace. These guys haven’t stopped talking about you since they found out you were coming. You really made an impression on them.”
Grace smiled and looked over her shoulder at Gator and the boys. “They were the best big brothers a girl never wanted.”
“Hey!” Gator protested as Devlyn laughed.
“I like her!” my best friend said.
I do too, I thought as I watched my brother wrap his arms around Grace, holding her close. But I couldn’t help being just a little bit jealous.