Chapter 1
Hawk
“You fuckers ready?” Eagle shouted.
“You gotta get it off first!” someone yelled.
Eagle laughed and clapped his hands together. He was seated in the middle of the room, dressed in a tux. We all watched as Lacy walked up to him in her white dress and lifted her leg. Eagle grasped her ankle delicately, running his hand slowly up under the skirt.
Music blared over the speakers of the rustic wedding venue, similar to that in a cheesy retro porn movie. Women crooned and men egged him on. I sipped my Crown as I watched the crowd.
It had been a few months since Butch met his destiny and it had been quiet. No more ambushes, no reports of women missing, no sign of any Hellbound Heathens. We had ears to the ground and the word was the few that were left alive had left that night, seeking refuge with other clubs.
It almost seemed like things had gone back to normal, but something still didn’t sit right with me. Butch wasn’t working alone, but he never gave up who he was working for. I should have known that fucker wouldn’t give me the satisfaction. But I did take solace in the fact that he died by my hand.
Ma made me promise she could have her turn with him, but I knew she wouldn’t make the final blow. That was for me. Watching her stay strong and get her revenge reminded me just how amazing she was. After everything that happened, she deserved to be part of his end. Pops was my dad and my president, but he was her soulmate. I watched for months as she mourned his loss but carried on at the clubhouse because that’s what he would have wanted. She was still playing the part of club mom, and I thanked my lucky stars every night for her. My brothers and I ran the club, but she ran the clubhouse. She was the strongest woman I’d ever met but I caught her in a few moments of sadness. Letting her do to Butch what he did to her was the least I could do. Nothing that happened would bring Pops back, but we did right by him.
Seeing how badly she was torn up only made me certain that my decision to steer clear of the fairer sex, besides taking care of my physical needs, was for the best. Pops would be torn up to see her this way, and I never wanted a woman to go through that for me. In this life, there were no guarantees. I used to think we were invincible, but then Pops was betrayed and was gone for good.
For years as I was groomed to step into the role of president, I always envisioned a strong and beautiful woman at my side thanks to watching the relationship of my parents. Now, I knew that would be foolish.
Looking around, I was happy for my brothers, but worried about them and their Old Ladies all the same. They deserved to be happy. I just hoped I didn’t live to see the aftermath if one of my brothers went down. Pops always took care of the Old Ladies that lost their man, and I’d do the same. But making sure they had a roof and a meal wouldn’t replace what they’d lost.
Still, things seemingly had calmed down. I just wish I could put this nagging feeling behind me. Who was the crime ring? Who had Butch been working for? And where the fuck were they now?
It didn’t make sense for an operation like that to close up shop. Maybe they moved, but they were somehow tied to what happened to Butch, so I couldn’t let it go, even though on the surface the worst seemed to have passed.
“Hello, my friend,” Petrov said as he took his place next to me.
He came back down for the do-over wedding, having already paid for the venue again without speaking to me first. His father was my father’s oldest running business partner, and he was our main arms dealer. I had to be professional and cordial, but we did have words about his interference in my club.
He took it well, explaining he was only trying to help, and Lacy and the ladies were pretty upset after everything went down. It was an impulsive response to the emotions of women, apparently. His father agreed he had overstepped, though, and personally called to smooth things over with me.
Petrov, Sr. was having some health issues that nobody else was privy to, so Jr. had been doing more business with me than usual. That’s also why he sent his son a few months ago to assist, and once again wasn’t present for this shindig.
“Finally got this over with,” I said, sipping my drink.
“I do love weddings. So happy, and hopeful.” Petrov sipped from his glass of clear liquid. He did love his vodka.
“Very public,” I replied. Even though it had been business as usual for the last few months, I still worried about having another gathering. But we already had plenty of security in place at the venue from last time. And the clubhouse was more secure than Fort Knox.
“You need to learn to relax when the occasion calls for it, my friend. Look around,” Petrov said, opening his arms wide. “It’s a party.”
“I’m not good at relaxing. Part of the gig.”
Petrov chuckled. “I suppose. But there are times we can enjoy ourselves. And we should celebrate our friends.” He lifted his glass in the direction of Eagle and Lacy.
He finally got the garter off but was busy playing with it. Lacy was dancing around as Eagle circled the room, spinning the garter on his finger and the cheesy music kept playing.
“Since you’re already so serious, now may be a good time to propose an idea,” Petrov said.
Still watching Eagle act like a fool, I couldn’t help the small grin that finally cracked. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“I know our families have done business for a long time, but my father and I agree it’s time to solidify it.”
Dropping my grin, I looked at him. “What are you talking about? We’ve been loyal partners since you and I were in diapers.”
He nodded, grinning. “Very true. But this year, we’ve extended our hospitality and resources more than once. Plus, while you’ve been a valuable asset, the loss of your father was a blow to us all. A sign of good faith is all we are suggesting.”
Pushing off the wall, I fully turned to fully face him. “Come out with it, then.” I knew this was coming, I just didn’t know he’d hit me with it in a public place with mixed company. They had been providing assistance outside of our usual dealings, so I expected some kind of demands. But he was cunning. I couldn’t explode here.
He looked up at the lights, then around the room. “We were thinking, a union.”
As my jaw tightened at the thought of him touching my sister, something smacked me on the side of the face and cheers erupted around us.
Petrov shouted, “Za Lyubov!”
Looking down, I realized the thing that hit me in the face was Lacy’s garter. Eagle was laughing and Lacy was cheering and clapping, along with everyone else in the whole fucking room. Every bunny was eyeing me like a steak. Jackal’s brows were raised, and Falcon held a beer up with a grin. Ma was the only one in the room who wasn’t jumping for joy. Looking back up, Petrov was grinning ear to ear.
Shit.