Chapter 20 Havoc
HAVOC
“Church,” I tell the boys once everyone’s gathered in the clubhouse. “Now.”
Diesel’s the first to get up and saunter over to our private meeting room, the rest of the members right on his tail.
I pull Sasha closer one last time, gently kissing her forehead. “You gonna be okay without me, baby girl?” I ask just loud enough that only she can hear. No need to embarrass her.
Her cheeks flush anyway, her head turning to where the other old ladies are chatting at the bar. Viper told us how protective Lucy was. Maybe I should talk to Stray, see if he’d wanna patch over to Briar Fork and stay on permanently.
“I’m fine. Actually, I want to go see Bluebell. If that’s alright?” she asks timidly.
“Of course that’s alright,” I answer immediately. “You can go anywhere you want on this compound. And we’ll handle this shit, I promise you, Sasha. You’ll be able to live a normal life outside here as well.”
She gives me that look. The one that tugs at a heart I thought was hollow until she walked into my life. Or rather, back into it as an adult. It makes me feel like I can fucking slay a dragon for her.
“I know. I trust you, Daddy,” she murmurs, pressing her lips against mine.
I growl, my fingers digging into her soft flesh where I’m holding on to her. Just one word in that sweet tone and my dick’s ready for anything she wants to give it.
“I’ll find you after church,” I say, making another promise I intend to keep.
Her clear blue eyes meet mine. She bites her lip before nodding. “Okay.”
“Stray,” I call out as I walk to where my brothers are waiting.
“What’s up, Havoc?” the nomad calls from the bar, his beer frozen halfway to his mouth.
“Join us,” I say simply, holding the heavy carved door open.
The beer bottle hits the bartop with a loud clank as Stray sets it down without hesitation. He’s a good man, has joined us on quite a few runs in the past. I’m surprised he’s still nomad after getting hitched to his old lady. Can’t be easy for her going from clubhouse to clubhouse, always a guest.
At the table, I meet each of my brothers’ eyes.
“They went after my old lady,” I say grimly. Tank growls, Gunner slams his fist down, and Viper grumbles about killing every Forsaken in the state. “But I’m not convinced Bishop knew about it.”
“What?” Trig asks, looking at me like I’m joking. “Why the fuck would they make a move like that without their president knowing?”
I run my hand over my chin, making my stubble rustle in the sudden silence. Everyone’s waiting for me to explain.
“When I asked them about Vike today, Bishop damn near flinched with surprise. They said it’s ancient history.”
Viper cuts in. “But, Prez, Sasha said the guy who grabbed her had an FK tattoo with a crown. Unless it was a fake tat?”
I slowly shake my head. “I don’t think it was fake.”
“So what you’re saying,” Diesel begins, tone cautious, “is that Bishop has a mutiny on his hands.”
“Maybe,” I ponder. “Switchback had a thing for Savannah, didn’t he?” I look at Diesel, Tank, Bone, Preach, Riot, and Trig—members who had hair on their balls when everything went down.
“Prez…” Bone rumbles. “You think Switchback got an entire MC killing and abducting people just because he lost out on some pussy years ago?”
Bullet nods, agreeing with Bone. “There has to be more to it.”
“It was Vike’s bullet that killed Grim,” Tank reminds us, his voice even.
“Think they revived the grudge?” Ryder asks.
I close my eyes, pondering.
Yeah, Viking shot and killed the Forsaken Kings’ former President during a turf dispute two dozen years ago.
But after a car bomb meant for Vike got Savannah instead, they buried the hatchet.
Vike couldn’t deal, gave me the gavel, and focused on keeping Sasha safe while performing limited club duties as a nomad.
And now we’re here… Viking’s dead, and his daughter is my responsibility.
I owe it to both of them to get to the bottom of this.
“Bishop’s open to a sit-down,” I tell the club.
“Seriously?” Viper asks, leaning forward. “Doubt he’d be offering to chat if he was planning on taking your old lady.”
I grunt. “Exactly.”
“So let’s make that happen,” Riot says.
I stare down my sergeant-at-arms. “Yeah. But no SAAs.”
“What?” he snarls. “I’m at your back, man. Always.”
“I can’t fucking demand he leave Switchback behind if I bring you,” I explain. “It’s gotta be Prez to Prez.”
“I don’t like it,” Ace mutters. “Then at least bring Ryder and me.”
“He’ll have me,” Diesel says with finality. When I turn my head in his direction, he gives me a look that lets me know he won’t take no for an answer. “I trust your gut feeling, Hav, but I don’t trust Bishop. I’m going.”
I sigh with exasperation. “Fine. It’s settled. I’ll call him and set it up somewhere on neutral land.”
Tank breaks the tense silence. “Whatever Bishop knows or doesn’t know, Prez…”
I pick up when he trails off. “I know, brother. The person who pulled the trigger on killing Vike and taking Sasha is going to pay. We gotta vote on that?”
The members shake their heads, like I knew they would.
“Good. But we’re voting on something today. If he’s interested, of course.”
Stray sits up straight, like he knows it’s him I’m talking about.
I smirk at him. “You ready to set down some roots, brother?”
“Hell yeah,” Bullet cheers. He went to school with Stray, and they like working together. “Say yes, man.”
Stray grins at him. “Lucy does like it here, and, well… No good riding around all the time with a baby on the way.”
“No shit?” Diesel asks over the hoots and hollers. “You gonna be a daddy?”
“I need to have some Wicked Sinners onesies made again,” Tank mutters to himself. “Been years since we had young ones in the chapter.”
Trigger snorts. “I think you have some time, old man. Lucy can’t be far along if Ruth and Carol didn’t sniff it out.”
Stray shakes his head, a giant grin on his face. “No. We were waiting until we told my parents, but I couldn’t resist. But it’s a yes from me, Prez. If everyone’s in, of course.”
I don’t manage to even call for a vote, everyone speaking over each other, drowning me out. So I just slam the gavel out of tradition and find a Tennessee rocker for him to replace the nomad one.
An hour later, I finally manage to get away from the clubhouse.
It’s the middle of the day, but everyone’s well on the way to getting drunk.
There’s a lot to celebrate—a patchover, a baby on the way.
But I got a shit ton to think about as well.
Someone tried to kidnap my old lady today.
Our prospects are bruised but will bounce back in a day or two.
And I set up a meet with Bishop and Rook tomorrow evening.
Then there’s the fucking Wicked Sinners onesies. Does Sasha want kids? Maybe once she’s done with her online classes. Do I want them? My hair turned silver early—I like to joke that it’s the stress of being president to a bunch of heathens. But will people think I’m the kid’s grandfather?
Fuck. I never thought about this shit. Never had to. Kids weren’t in my future. Neither was love.
Wait… love?
I stop in my tracks, looking down at the dirt path leading to the old stables and Bluebell’s pen.
It’d make fucking sense, wouldn’t it? This feeling in my gut, in my chest. Every time I think about Sasha, it’s like a suckerpunch. Yeah, she makes my dick hard. And, yeah, it started out as a sense of duty toward her old man. But fuck… she’s my whole world now, isn’t she?
I clench and unclench my fists as I start walking again, my boots raising puffs of dirt as I stomp to where I spot my old lady leaning against the old wooden pen.
Hearing my approach, she looks over her shoulder.
As soon as she spots me, a giant smile overtakes her whole face, lighting it up.
Hell, lighting me up. It’s like she’s the fucking sun.
I pick up my pace, heading right for her. Sasha’s smile slips a bit, and I realize I probably have a weird expression on my face.
“Havoc? What’s wrong? Why are you so serious?”
Instead of replying, I grab her face and bring her in for a ferocious kiss. Her breath catches in her throat, but she wraps those slim arms around me, holding on to my cut. It feels as natural as if we’d been doing this for years. When I’m done with her mouth, I pull back and stare her down.
“I fucking love you, Sasha Halvorsen,” I say, my voice ragged. “And one day soon, I’m gonna put a ring on your finger, if you’ll have me. Give you as many babies as you want.”
Sasha’s eyes widen, then fill up with tears. Her lower lip trembles, still pink and wet from my kiss.
“Well?” I prompt, shaking her a bit. “Fucking say something. You’re killing me.”