Chapter Thirteen
Hatter
The dim light of the garage flickered as I held the small silver charms in my calloused hands. Each one a symbol, a piece of the Underland MC -- my family. “Damn, these are perfect,” I muttered to myself, running my thumb over the intricate details.
A skull with a hat, for me -- Hatter -- the leader. Fitting, given my history and the scars I wore. The others were there too, each charm representing a brother: A cat for Cheshire, stopwatch for Rabbit, a playing card for Knave… Each of my brothers had a symbol on the bracelet.
My heart thumped in anticipation. Jo, the woman who’d somehow found her way into our lives, and into my soul, deserved this. Deserved to feel like she belonged. I wanted to see her face when I gave her the charm bracelet. Would she understand its significance?
“Hey, Hatter!” called a voice from outside the garage. “We got work to do, man!”
“Coming, Shake,” I replied, tucking the bracelet into my pocket. This surprise had to wait. We had bigger fish to fry. But soon, I’d give it to her. Soon, she’d know how much she meant to me, and to the Underland MC.
I followed Shake through the clubhouse and toward the kitchen. It smelled like heaven. Jo’s handiwork no doubt. I pushed through the door, my heart hammering in my chest. The bracelet, heavy with meaning, weighed down my pocket as I approached her. I’d thought I’d have to wait to give it to her, but here she was…
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual. “What are you cooking?”
“Spaghetti Bolognese,” she replied, stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon. “I hope it’s okay.”
“Everything you make is great,” I assured her. My nerves were getting the best of me; I wasn’t used to this feeling. It was like going into battle for the first time all over again. Steadying myself, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the charm bracelet.
“I got something for you.” I held out my hand, the silver charms glinting in the warm light of the kitchen.
Her eyes widened as she took in the delicate symbols that adorned the chain. “Hatter… what is this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Each charm represents a brother in the club,” I explained, pointing to each one in turn. “Cheshire, Rabbit, Tweedle, Knave, Mock, Absolem, Carpenter, March… and this one’s me.” I tapped the skull with the hat. “It’s a symbol of our bond, our loyalty. And I wanted you to have it.”
Her fingers traced the charms with reverence, tears welling up in her eyes. “This means so much to me,” she said, her voice trembling. “Thank you, Hatter.”
“You deserve it, Jo. You’re part of us now,” I murmured, watching as she fastened the bracelet around her wrist.
As it settled there, a perfect fit, I knew I’d never seen anything more right in my life. Might not be a ring, but I thought this was better.
The way Jo’s eyes shimmered with tears as she looked at the charm bracelet warmed my heart. Knowing she was mine filled me with a fierce protectiveness. “I want you to know how much you mean to me, how much you mean to all of us,” I said, my voice rough and low.
She looked up at me, her eyes shining even brighter, and I could see that she got it. She understood. And that meant everything to me. I leaned in, pressing my lips softly against hers, letting all the love and loyalty I felt for her pour into that one kiss.
“Thank you, Hatter,” she whispered when we broke apart, a smile dancing on her lips.
“Every time you wear it, just remember, you’re one of us now.”
With that, I turned away from her and walked over to the table where the mercenaries and my brothers gathered, their voices low and determined. They were talking about how we were going to take Eddie down, and I needed to be part of the conversation.
“Any new ideas?” I asked as I sat down, my eyes locked on the map spread out before us.
“Still working on it, brother,” Cheshire replied, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Let’s brainstorm some more. We’ll find a way,” March said, his focus unwavering.
As they kept discussing it, my gaze drifted back to Jo, who was still standing by the stove, the charm bracelet glinting on her wrist. It was a reminder of the love and trust that bound us together, and I knew that whatever we faced in our fight against Eddie, we’d do it as a family. That was the only way we knew how to do things in the Underland MC.
The tension in the room wrapped around me like a damn noose, thick and suffocating. Cheshire, Shake, and March hunched over the table, brows furrowed, working out how we were going to deal with Eddie. My thoughts were so consumed with the woman standing nearby, and the moment we’d shared earlier, that I had trouble focusing.
“Hit them hard and fast. Take out their guards first,” Shake suggested, his voice low and steady.
“Too risky,” March countered. “We need a more calculated approach. And we need to discuss every possible variable. We may not survive another surprise.”
“Damn it, we can’t wait around forever!” Cheshire slammed his fist on the table, making the map shake.
“Keep it together, brother,” I warned, my eyes fixed on his.
“Surveillance,” March said suddenly, his gaze locked on mine. “Gather intel, find their weak spots, then strike when they least expect it.”
“Sounds good to me.” I nodded. “Except we’ve been trying that and look where it got us before. I have a feeling time is of the essence.”
“Let’s get to work then.” Shake slapped the table and stood up, ready for action. “My men and I will figure out where Eddie has holed up and gather as much info as we can.”
“I’d like to strike tomorrow if possible,” March suggested, his voice steady and confident. “Gives us time to gather intel and prep our gear. Not to mention, it won’t give Eddie enough time to pull in more reinforcements. He lost some men, so we need to hit him while we have the advantage.”
“Agreed,” Shake said.
“Tomorrow night it is,” I confirmed. “As long as we can all agree we have a decent shot at getting this handled once and for all.” I leaned back in my chair as the others stood and dispersed.
“Good luck, Hatter,” Jo whispered, suddenly at my side. Her eyes were wide and worried, like she knew something was up. And here I thought she hadn’t been listening to us.
“Thanks, darlin’,” I replied. “We’ve got this.”
“Be careful,” she murmured, giving me that sweet, heartbreaking smile of hers. And with that, she turned back to her cooking.
She stirred something on the stove, probably the sauce. The scent was filling the air and making my mouth water.
“Jo,” I said, my voice rough as I stood up and walked toward her. She didn’t turn, still focusing on her cooking, but I could see her shoulders tense up a bit. I reached out and tugged her gently away from the stove. She looked up at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers, filled with worry and love all at once.
“Wha --” she started to ask, but I didn’t let her finish. I crushed my lips against hers, pouring every ounce of love and desire I felt into the kiss. She gasped, but then melted into me, her arms wrapping around my neck.
When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers, breathing hard. I lifted my hands and cradled her cheeks as I looked deep into her eyes.
“I love you, Jo,” I whispered, letting the words tumble out. “More than anything. I don’t care if it’s too soon. It feels like I’ve waited for this moment forever.”
“Sebastian,” she whispered, her own voice shaking with emotion. “I love you too. So much.” Her eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled all the same, like she’d just found the one thing that had been missing her whole life.
“Promise me you’ll stay safe, no matter what happens.”
“Sebastian, I --” she started, her voice catching in her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I promise. I love you too, Sebastian. I mean it.” Her voice trembled. I could feel the weight of each syllable, heavy with all the hurt she’d been through. “You have no idea how much.”
“Jo.” It felt like we were standing on the edge of something big, and I knew there was no going back. Not that I wanted to. Right now, I had everything I wanted.
She reached up, touching my face with trembling fingers, and I could see the fear fighting to break through her resolve. But I knew Jo -- knew she was strong, stronger than anyone I’d ever met. And I would be damned if I let anything happen to her.
“It’s your turn to promise,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. “Promise me you’ll come back to me.”
My gut twisted with a fierce protectiveness that made it hard to speak. “I promise.” The words were a vow, and a prayer. “You’re my world.”
I could feel the tension in the room. I knew promising her such a thing could backfire. There was no guarantee someone wouldn’t get off a lucky shot and take me out, but if that’s what she needed to ease her fears, then I’d give it to her.
“Sebastian,” Jo murmured. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone like you. You’re the most honorable man I’ve ever met, and the kindest. The night I stepped out in front of your motorcycle was fate. I can’t think of anything else that would bring us together like this.”
I held her closer, breathing in her scent. There was a silence, heavy and real, as we clung to each other.
“Jo,” I whispered into her hair. “You didn’t have to do anything to deserve me. And neither did I. Life just has a funny way of throwing shit at us when we least expect it.”
She laughed softly against my chest, the sound humming pleasantly against my skin. “Well… if this is life throwing shit at us, then it’s at least the good kind.”
Her teasing remark made me chuckle, a warm rumble in my chest that seemed to relax her further.
“Only you could describe us meeting as ‘the good kind of shit’, Jo,” I replied, my hands sliding down to hold her tighter against me. The soft smile she gave me made me want to haul her off to my room and do wicked things to her.
Just then, the door burst open, and March barreled in, Rabbit and Cheshire trailing behind him. Their faces were grim, instantly killing the intimate bubble that had formed around Jo and me.
He didn’t have to say anything. The way he held my gaze spoke volumes. Jo stepped back from me, her face composed, but I could feel the maelstrom of emotions inside her. She turned off the stove. “I’ll be in my room,” she murmured, giving me one last lingering look before exiting the room.
As soon as she was out of sight, March turned to me with an intensity that told me I wasn’t going to like what I was about to hear. “We need to act now, Hatter. Eddie’s reinforcements are closing in. He’s pulled in everyone from lower-level mafia to street thugs. They’ll be in town in less than twenty-four hours, according to what Absolem was able to find.”
The room seemed to darken at the mention of Eddie’s name. I clenched my fists tightly at my side, my muscles coiling in anticipation. I didn’t know what would happen after we confronted Eddie. As many connections as he had, this might very well come back to bite us on the ass one day. Even if we were victorious this time, a day, week, or even year from now, someone could seek vengeance. There was no way to guarantee it wouldn’t happen.
“I’m ready,” I said, needing to put that fucker six feet under.
There was no going back now. This was it -- the moment we’d been preparing for. The tension in the room was palpable as we gathered around the table to discuss our plan of attack. Yet all I could think about was Jo’s promise to stay safe… and mine to come back to her.
Every cell in my body thrummed with determination as we began our final preparations. Jo’s safety was all that mattered now… and if I had to go through hell and back to ensure it… then so be it.