Chapter Ten
Taylor
Sitting down on the couch, I pull Knox sideways onto my lap.
When I pulled into my driveway and saw Knox sitting on the swing next to Reynolds, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I ignored my yard full of bikers and headed straight for my man. I wasn’t expecting to be gone for three days, and I hated being away from him every second. The phone updates weren’t enough, and I needed to touch him. So, my lap is the perfect place for him to sit.
“Grab chairs from the kitchen unless you want to sit on the floor,” I call out. Between my men and the Obsidians, there are about fifteen people in my house.
“Where’s Colt at?” Knox asks. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.
“His mom’s sick,” Madeline answers. “He’s not even sure that he will be coming back.”
“Oh,” Knox says quietly. “I’ll have to call him later. I haven’t been a very good friend lately.”
Leaning in, I whisper, “Don’t blame yourself, baby. I’m sure he understands.”
He smiles softly and leans his entire weight against my chest, which I accept graciously.
“Remember that issue we discussed before the tornado hit, Knox?”
Sitting back up, Knox gives Ghost his full attention.
“I do,” he says, not elaborating. “I’ve been looking into it and might have the method of which it’s happening but not the one responsible.”
Not everyone here is an Obsidian yet, and Knox is making sure that club business stays inside the club. I respect the hell out of that.
“Good,” Ghost nods. “Before we inform the rest of the club, we need to have a vote on something. Taylor?”
“Sitting in this room are two separate clubs,” I continue. “Therefore, there will be two separate votes. Ghost and I have had several meetings about our clubs combining.”
“You mean, all of us becoming one club?” Jax asks.
“I have no interest in being club president,” I admit. “I only took over the Dark Sentinels because the previous leader was using his club to strike fear in the people around him. Ben was the only one still loyal to the old president, and he’s gone.”
“If the vote is unanimous,” Ghost continues. “The Sentinels will become patched Obsidians. They will not be patched in as officers, but if that’s something any of them are interested in, then we will have a club meeting and figure things out. We still have a few officer spots that we’ve never filled.”
“As you know,” I gently caress Knox’s arm as I talk. “My men and I run a business called Sentinel Security. If we vote to join with the Obsidians, we will still be in charge of the business and switch the portion we use for the club to the Obsidians.”
“We don’t ever spend the club’s money until the entire club votes,” Ghost says. “And if at any point you want to see the transcript of what we purchase, you simply have to ask Knox, and he will print you off a copy.”
“Easy peasy,” Knox smiles.
“We don’t deal in drugs or weapons,” Ghost says. “We’re not innocent by any means, but we only want to do good for our community. Which is what I will expect from each of you as well.”
“We want you to go home and take a few days to think it over,” I tell the room. “We will all meet back here on Friday for an official vote.”
“In the meantime,” Ghost stands. “Get to know one another. Ask questions. Or ask Knox. He seems to know everything about everyone. Now, one more thing. As you all know, the Obsidian clubhouse is gone. The tornado destroyed the entire building.”
“And we haven’t even started a discussion on where to build a new club for the Sentinels since I took over and we moved here,” I add.
“Building our new clubhouse will be our first vote as a group if we vote to join clubs.”
“Pops and Ma have already been informed,” Venom adds. “They think it’s a good idea.”
“I don’t think I need to wait to vote,” Reynolds smiles. “I fuckin’ hate being a Sentinel. I was going to suggest a name change, but this works better.”
“Yeah, none of us are officers for the Sentinels anyway, except Taylor,” Hayes adds.
“It’s not like we don’t see their ugly mugs every week anyway,” Blaze says. “If they’re not at Oasis, they’re at the Cage. I don’t think I need to wait either.”
The room echoes with their agreements, and I can feel my heart settle.
“What about you, baby boy?” I ask Knox as the men around us speak amongst themselves. “What do you think?”
Knox takes his time looking around the room. Both clubs are laughing and joking about their own things. Even King is smirking as he holds Madeline against his chest. Blaze digs through my fridge as if he owns it, Sophia and Emily talk about her shelter, and Ghost leans against the wall with a soft smile on his face. Reynolds, Mitchell, and Venom are talking about their tattoos, and Sullivan and Hayes are explaining to Jax how to do a proper chokehold to make someone pass out.
“I don’t think a vote would even matter,” Knox smiles. “It looks like we’re already a family.”
“Guess we don’t need a vote to know where we stand then,” I say, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Feels good to be part of something real.”
Knox looks back at me and blushes.
Yeah, he fully understood what I was saying.
“Regardless,” Ghost calls out, halting everyone’s conversations. “We need an official vote. Is anyone opposed to voting today?”
Silence.
Ghost holds the silence for several minutes, most likely giving everyone time to step forward if they wanted.
“Alright,” he says minutes later. “Let the record show that the obsidians are voting to allow or not allow Anthony Taylor, Jacob Reynolds, Ryan Mitchell, Nathan Parker, Christopher Sullivan, and Alexander Hayes to join as patched members if they choose to do so. All opposed?”
No one moves to raise their hands.
“All for?”
When each Obsidian’s hand raises, a weight is partially lifted from my chest. I squeeze Knox as his hand reaches for the ceiling.
“Knox, mark it in the files. The vote was unanimous. Including Pops and all the females.”
“Got it, Prez,” he says, pulling his cell from his pocket.
I lean Knox back against my chest so I can see everyone.
“Men,” I start, taking time to look at each of my friends. “I know I bulldozed myself into your lives and flipped everything upside down five years ago. Since then, we haven’t really been much of a club. But I’d like to think that we’ve become family.”
Knox, finished with what he was doing, places his phone on his lap and tucks his face into my neck.
Wrapping my arms around my boy, I hold him tightly.
“We’re bikers through and through,” I continue. “And, if you want to rebuild the Dark Sentinels, I will stand by your side, and we will make it something to be proud of. Or we can leave it behind and join the Obsidians. Become something new.”
With Knox’s comforting presence, I feel a surge of determination. “But whatever path we choose, we do it together,” I declare, meeting each of my friends’ eyes. “The bonds we’ve forged go beyond any patch on our backs. We’re a brotherhood bound by loyalty and love. So, what do you say, brothers? Are we ready to ride into the future, united as one?”
“Where you go, I go, brother,” Reynolds shouts, his hand raised high. “Always.”
“Awe,” Knox whispers against my neck.
One by one, the rest of my men raise their hands, followed by Blaze.
“Put your damn hand down, Blaze,” Ghost sighs. “You’ve already voted.”
“I can’t help it, Ghost,” he sighs. “Taylor’s speech was so heartwarming that I needed to vote again.”
“Fucker,” I laugh.
“Knox,” Ghost says, and I feel him smile against my skin as he reaches for his phone. “Let it be known that the vote for the Sentinels was unanimous and that the Obsidians, on this day, have patched in seven new members. Order the patches. Six for the men and one Obsidian Lady patch for our newest woman.”
“And the beer,” Venom shouts. “Time for a party.”
Everyone cheers, but Emily’s smile is the brightest in the room.
“Me too?” she asks.
“You too,” Ghost tells her. “We haven’t ordered the women’s cuts yet, but when we do, you’ll have one with your Lady patch.”
“Awesome,” she whispers.
“Do you have a grill, Taylor?” Knox asks.
“Sure do, baby,” I answer. “Wouldn’t be much of a man if I didn’t.”
“Pops is really good at grilling steak,” he says loud enough for everyone to hear. “Want to see if he and Ma will come over for a cookout?”
“Hell yeah,” the room erupts.
“Don’t forget the…”
“Already ordered, Venom,” Knox laughs. “We can…uhm…eat outside if you all want.”
Steel walks over and cups Knox’s face. He leans down until they’re so close that even I can feel the heat from Steel’s body.
Everything in me reels at another Dom touching my boy, but I know Steel and Blaze mean a lot to Knox, so I’ll just sit here and deal with it.
With a look in my direction, Steel knows the battle I’m fighting. Then the fucker smirks before looking back at Knox.
Asshole.
“I am so proud of you, little one,” Steel says. “I knew that you would fight through your battles. You’re so very brave.”
“Thank you,” Knox smiles shyly.
Letting go, Steel walks back to his twin’s side.
“Can you stay with me when we go outside?” Knox asks his hands.
“Eyes, boy,” I demand.
Sighing, he looks up.
“Good boy,” I praise. “And it would be my absolute honor to be your anchor.”
“You don’t have to stay with me every time,” he says quickly. “I can do it on my own. I know you want to hang out with everyone.”
“I do,” I admit. “And they can hang out with us on the porch. I’ll pull the grill around front, too.”
“I just feel like I’m taking advantage of you, and I haven’t even known you that long,” he says, lowering his head back down.
“You’re not taking advantage of me, Knox,” I say, gripping his chin and raising his head back up. “I’m a Daddy Dom, baby boy. The more you need me, the more you lean on me, the happier I feel. I crave your need. I so desperately want to take care of you and make you feel safe and loved. It’s not a burden; it’s a privilege.”
Knox’s eyes soften at my words, a mixture of vulnerability and gratitude shining in them. “I’ve never had someone like you in my life,” he admits quietly.
“Well, you do now,” I reassure him, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “And I’m not going anywhere. We’ll take things at your pace, okay? No pressure.”
He nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Thank you, Papa,” he whispers so quietly that I almost didn’t catch it.
Almost!
“You’re welcome, Pup,” I reply, returning his smile. “Now, let’s go enjoy some time outside with our friends. And remember, I’ll be right by your side every step of the way.”
If only this man knew that the more he needed from me, the more I wanted him.
Knox’s whispered words send a surge of warmth through me, his trust and vulnerability hitting me right in the heart.
As we step outside, I can’t shake the feeling of pride and affection for this man. His strength, resilience, and the way he trusts me, it’s all so damn beautiful. And that whispered “thank you, Papa” echoes in my mind, igniting a fire within me.
I lead him to the porch, surrounded by friends who’ve become family. I see his strength, laughter, and beauty with every glance. And I silently promise to cherish him, to be his anchor in this chaotic existence. To help him learn to leave fear behind as he steps back out into the world.
Because being his Daddy Dom means everything to me. His trust, his need—it’s not a burden, it’s a privilege. And as we relax among friends, I vow to always be there for him, to protect him, to love him.
To fuckin’ dominate him.