23. Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Jokester
I tilt my head as every brother looks my way with hesitation and apprehension while my dad and Butcher huddle with Bullet near the bar, most likely trying to figure out how to get my patch back on my back.
And no, I did not miss the fact that said patch was sitting on the bar in front of them.
I sigh. I feel like I’m a fucking fish in a fishbowl with everyone looking at me.
“I can’t believe my girl and Adam convinced me to do this,” I mutter and cross my arms over my chest as I lean back in my chair and Hammer who is sitting opposite me grins.
“Did I ever mention how much I like your girl?” he asks, and I snort while some brothers – Slick and Acid to be precise – scowl. While they know her, they haven’t had proper discussions with her each time they’ve gone into the bakery, and now they’re pissed and more so at me because I’ve not only iced them out for five months but also because I never told them about her.
“Once or twice,” I mumble as I lean forward and grab my beer, taking a swig.
“You know I gave you a bad reference, right?” He confirms, and I shake my head because of course he did.
“Really?” I huff, and he shrugs and admits, “I won’t lose my best employee because my best friends are fucking idiots.”
I shake my head and return, “Well, lucky for me, Robyn’s Tats didn’t take note because they’ve offered me a job, and there is a nice two-bedroom house up for sale down the road from Adam’s that I’ve booked for a viewing.”
Hammers's face reddens as he stands and shouts, “Butcher, let's start this fucking thing right now!”
Fuck, I should have seen that coming.
Everyone looks at him, and I wince and lock eyes with Bullet, who sighs and states, “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t tell Hammer about the new job until we’ve all had this meeting.”
The room becomes tense more so knowing he was aware of my new job and didn’t say fuck all, and I reply, “I didn’t even want this meeting, Bullet, you know this,” his jaw ticks, but I ignore his frustration and remind him, “I’m still going to be taking the job, and moving on with my life. You know I’m only here because my girl and her father, sweet-talked me,” I look around the room, “You are all my family, something precious to me, and I don’t want to have regrets. Essy lost her mom nearly four years ago, so I’m here for her.”
Bullet shakes his head as the men huff. I open my mouth but soon close it when Butcher says, “You are our brother, the jokester of the club, and more so since finding Essy, meaning you found yourself again. You are Levi and Hannah’s uncle in every way except blood, their favorite person after Essy that is–”
I cut in and scoff playfully, “I’ll win that position back,” making the brothers chuckle because I most likely will not. Those kids love my girl, and I can’t really blame them.
Butcher grins and continues, “You are loyal to no end. Dating Bethany is proof of that, and you also know when enough is enough. You are our family, Damian, and I can’t apologize enough for the pressure I put on your shoulders, proving I wasn’t deemed fit to wear the presidential patch,” I swallow at the truth he shines with as Butcher sighs, “You made me open my eyes to the error of my ways, showing me I can’t just brush what Bethany was doing underneath the rug like I was doing, not wanting to disappoint my old lady.”
“We want you back where you belong. We want you here, being a part of something you dreamed of being a part of,” Stone finishes, and I look down, not sure what to say.
Has every brother in this room, and the prospects, tried to contact me in the five months I haven’t been here? Yes, and have I ignored them all? Also, yes, but that is because I needed a break.
What Dad and Butcher did was hard for me to process. I looked up to them, and they let me down more than once. Even being here is hard for me, but I know these people are my family, and if my girl has taught me anything, family is to be cherished.
I don’t have to wear the cut again, but I can have a relationship with everyone in this room, except the clubwhore. I won’t put that shit on my girl.
Bullet groans, “Fuck’s sake Bethany, we told you to stay the fuck away from the club today,” as the front door opens and I look towards the door and roll my eyes as she struts in, her eyes lighting up seeing me, but they dim when she notices I’m not wearing my cut.
She’s here in front of all the brothers wearing a see-through top and the shortest fucking skirt I’ve ever seen, giving the clubwhores a run for their money without a care in the fucking world.
Stone shakes his head and turns away, already having fucked up where she is concerned to the point his old lady left him who he is trying to get back especially since she found out she’s pregnant, but I do not see her forgiving him.
Infidelity is hard to overlook.
Bethany opens her mouth, most likely to say shit none of us want to hear, but clamps it shut when Butcher states, “This is your second strike. You are banned from the clubhouse, so fuck off. Third strike and you’ll be banned off club property, meaning you’ll have to find somewhere else to live and get a job to support yourself!”
Her eyes widen, and she gasps, “Daddy this is my–” but he cuts her off and growls, “Get the fuck out, Bethany, and go put some actual clothes on, you look like a hooker!”
She flinches as she looks around the room, looking for her mother but huffs when Louise shakes her head and the brat stomps her foot before walking towards the backdoor but slows when she passes me, her eyes eating me up, making me curl my lip and sneer, “Keep fucking walking, Beth!”
Her nostrils flare when I don’t eye her up back, and she picks up speed, but as she reaches the door, she screeches when Butcher demands, “Cleveland, escort her back to the house now and stay on guard until the meeting is over.”
The prospect rushes to her when she tries to rush down the hallway where Butchers office is and physically drags her out of the clubhouse.
She screeches, “Get off me, you fucking asshole!” as the door closes then slams shut and I shake my head, look at Butcher, and say, “Can’t you just be happy seeing me at Jacobs Bakery? Or even the tattoo parlor. I’m willing to work on things, willing to stay there, and to try and see you as an uncle again because, yeah, I’ve seen the pain my girl goes through every day without her mother while working to stay positive for her little brother. The thought of anything happening to any of you here,” I look around the room, “it is terrifying because you are all my family, but I don’t need to wear a cut or come here to have that relationship with you all.”
“You do,” Slick cuts in, making me look his way, and I blink as I take in his hair.
What the fuck?
“Why in the fuck do you have a pink and purple mohawk?” I ask, then mumble, “More importantly, why am I only just noticing?”
Acid grins from beside him and he rolls his eyes and admits, “I lost a bet with Acid.” I nod because, okay, that would make sense, but I soon scowl as he states, “I’d bet you would be home last week, and I fucking lost,” he holds his arms out, “This is who you are,” he shakes his head, and I just blink and state, “Dude, I can’t take you seriously with that hairstyle.” I furrow my brows, “Is that pink glitter?”
The brothers chuckle and he growls, “Yes it is now stop trying to distract me, you are punishing all of us for what Butcher and Pitbull did, and that is not fucking fair, especially when you know for a fucking fact if you’d had even mentioned one word of their plan then all of us including his own son would have started a coup against Butcher.”
“You belong here, Jokester,” Acid continues, “You should be going on club runs and fun runs, things you fucking missed out on because of their threats if you didn’t give Beth your patch.”
Cannon speaks next, gaining my attention, “We grew up together, taught how to ride together, let pigs loose and got into shit together,” he holds his arms out to Slick, Acid, and Bullet, “We are your family, and honestly, I’m fucking pissed you never confided in us what they were forcing you to do. We never fucking questioned your relationship despite it being out of left field. We knew you weren’t yourself, weren’t happy, and not confronting you is on us, but you not confiding in us is on you. You are punishing your brothers and your family for two idiots' decisions that all of us had no part in, fuck, even Victoria, who wanted nothing more than to have Bullet’s patch, said what they did was unforgivable and cursed up a storm.”
I raise a brow at that because, well, her mama and Bullet’s tried their fucking hardest to get them married, but they never threatened Bullet’s patch or his place within the family.
Hammer sighs and says, “The club is who you are, who you were always meant to be, Bullet’s right-hand man, his VP. We’ve allowed you five months to breathe, to have a life you wanted, but it is time to come home, back where you belong, ready to learn to take over from me. And the bonus? You’ll be bringing that sweet girl and her adorable brother with you along with all her baked goods.”
Bullet holds up my cut and opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, my phone rings, and Butcher demands, “Do not answer that. Whatever client is waiting, can continue to wait. We’re not leaving here until you put that cut back where it belongs!”
I roll my eyes and state, “It could be Essy,” And he groans, knowing there is no way my girl would be calling because she is well aware of what today is but knows I’ll use this as an excuse to have a reprieve from them, making me smirk.
Shaking my head, I grab my phone out of my jeans pocket but furrow my brows and confirm, “It is Essy,” with confusion. I show my screen a picture of my girl and Aiden grinning at the camera, flour covering their faces, and Bullet steps forward with concern.
I don’t think much of it. I put the phone on the speaker as I answer, “Angel?”
A throat clears before Cody speaks, “It’s not Ess, it’s Cody.”
Bullet moves towards me, and I tense and demand, “What’s happened?”
The brothers tense and become alert, and Cody sighs, “She’s officially hit her limit.”
Hit her limit? What the fuck?
I frown and demand, “Tell me what happened, Cody!”
He clears his throat again and mumbles, “Fine, but I need you to promise me to listen to what I have to say and not fly off the handle.”
My anger spikes and Bullet quickly says, “Unless you want to be the target of his now extremely red face, you may want to explain what has happened to Essy, Cody.”
Cody groans, “Ah fuck,” then admits, “Esmerelda had a little visit today,” I tense further at his pause before he states, “Your ex Damian not only told her she was two months pregnant with your child, but if she didn’t end things with you then she’ll slice her throat. Bitch even showed her a hint of a knife in her bra.”
I lock eyes with Butcher, who slowly closes his eyes, knowing full well that everything the brothers have just said to try and convince me to come back has gone down the drain because like fuck am I allowing his shit show of a daughter anywhere near my girl, if anything I’m going to kill the bitch.
I growl, “Where is my girl, Cody?”
Gut instinct and past actions tell me she ran, I know it. That is how Essy works, life gets a little too much, she leaves for some space, and I swear if she has, I’m going to spank her ass. She’s pregnant, and I need her close.
If she wants space, then fine, I'll build a fucking pillow wall between us in bed until she's asleep, but not fucking miles away.
“She took Aiden away for a few days,” he admits, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my anger in even if I tried.
Roaring out, I turn and smash my foot through the chair I was in, sending wood flying making the women gasp and Cody quickly says, “She knows it isn’t true, Damian. She’s not stupid. She loves you, she does.”
“She knew I’d talk her out of leaving,” I confirm, and Bullet winces while Cody admits, “She did, which is why she had me call you. She has my phone if there are any problems, but she knew you’d try to track her on her phone. She just needs some time, that is it, and she also said she’s giving you and the club time to sort Bethany out otherwise, she will hit her with a baking tray, so she’s trying to be respectful of your family.”
I shake my head and mumble, “I need to go,” then hang up on Cody, not giving a shit that he’ll chew me out when I next see him before I turn on my heels and head for the front door before I go after Bethany and kill the bitch.
“Jokester?!” Slick says, and I just hold my hand up and walk out the door, my anger ready to take over.
As I climb my bike, Bullet walks over and states, “Meet me at the club ring. We’ll spar so we both don’t go and kill my sister.”
I nod, not bothering to decline because, honestly, hitting someone is something I need.
“One week, angel, that is all you get,” I mumble as I start my bike and rev it before spinning out of my spot.
Fucking Bethany!