Chapter 21
Mad Dog
“Hurry up and start Church son, I got places to be.” I grin at Marx.
I know we have to cover some heavy shit in Church, but I don’t care.
Not today. Today is for me and Willa and she’ll be given her official patch.
My name on her back. I have a surprise for her too.
I spent last night while she was sleeping at her place for the last time, stitching a patch with her name on my cut.
We haven’t seen each other today because I’ve been out on a run and she’s been moving her things with help from Niko so the first time she’ll lay eyes on me is at the party itself.
Marx beats his fist against the wall, throwing me a wink. “Church open! Wire, you start.”
Wire nods, tapping some keys on his laptop before looking at the projector on the wall. “The plan is to take out Thompson. Previously we’ve been trying to dismantle his organization, but as we recently found out, that’s a little harder than we thought.”
Marx nods. “That’s why we’re going in with a three pronged attack. We’re pulling in all our resources.”
“Such as?” Rhodie asks, brow raised.
“Moss, Fox, Nitro and a small team of trusted men. Tombs’ wider security. The Keep if we need them. Dima has already reached out as has Lexi. And last but not least, big brother.” Marx smirks.
Rider whistles, “Shit’s serious when you’ve got two MC’s, law enforcement, a psychic and the Russian Bratva involved.”
“If need be we have links at Saint’s Outlaws and Kings of Anarchy MC too.” Marx adds, watching Rider’s reaction.
“Kings? Really? Look man, I know Deacon, he ain’t got nobody’s back but his own.”
“We’ve been communicating. The Kings of Anarchy BC have already identified compromised containers through their ports,” Chewy says, fingers clacking away on her keyboard.
“It’s only been like 48 hours since he rode outta here? What the fuck?” Rider looks around the table, shock evident on his face.
“You ever think that he may have changed?” I ask Rider, curious to know what he thinks.
“No. Nope. No way. I grew up with that asshole. He was marginally better than my other asshole brother and leagues better than my asshole parents.” Rider bitches. “So to answer your question, no. We don’t have the genes for us to grow up to be good people.”
“How do you explain yourself then, brother?” Rhodie asks, staring at his oldest friend.
Rider’s gaze lowers to the table. “I had you.”
Tank slaps Rider on the shoulder, shaking him a little. “And we got you.”
Nods go around the table and Rider rolls his shoulders out. “OK. Drama done. You got contacts with Kings of Anarchy now. Continue.”
“As I said, we got three prongs. We’ve been trying to dismantle parts of his organization for months now. So the plan is we wait for the Computas to flag a big Thompson contract. Then we hit distribution, suppliers and then the head himself. One day. One coordinated attack. He’s done.”
“About fucking time,” Jules mumbles under his breath.
“When do we hit?” Judge asks, leaning his bulk on the table.
“When Chewy and the team give us the word.”
We all sit quietly. We’re close, so close to putting down a bad bastard.
I know that he won't be the last bastard we’ll have to contend with, but this guy has fingers in so many pies that getting rid of him will become very inconvenient for a lot of wealthy people with abhorrent tastes. And that shit tickles me.
“So, be patient, keep your head on a swivel and lets fucking enjoy Mad Dog officially claiming his woman!” Marx beats his fist on the table, the rest of my brothers following suit.
“Church done, get outta here, assholes!”
I don’t wait to be told a second time. I’m out of my chair, striding to the door. The Ol Ladies will have decorated the clubhouse, Debs will have whipped up a feast, the kids will be hopped up on sugar and my woman will be waiting for me.
I head down the hall, the thundering of my brothers’ boots on the wood floor following me. Turning the corner I freeze in my tracks, blinking once. Twice. A third time, even.
“Is that a giant dick dressed like Lindsey Buckingham?” someone asks from behind me.
“Who the fuck is Lindsey Buckingham?” Gus grumbles.
“Oh he was Stevie Nicks’ on again off again boyfriend.
They have a tumultuous history. You should watch Stevie singing Silver Springs to him live in 1994.
If you thought that woman was a witch beforehand, you’ll definitely think so in that footage.
She damned hexed that man.” We all turn our heads to stare at Tank.
The man who hardly ever utters a word. “What? I like Fleetwood Mac,” he grumbles.
The room is dead silent. The Ol Ladies don’t even jump out and yell surprise. Instead I almost shit myself when the head of the giant cock explodes in a sea of confetti to reveal a drag queen dressed like Stevie Nicks. Her sash aptly naming her as “Stevie Dicks.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Tank whispers.
“Surprise!” The women all yell jumping out from behind furniture and doors.
There's whooping and yelling over the karaoke singing of Stevie Dicks and in the middle of the chaos my woman steps up to me, pressing a kiss to my lips.
“Hey you.”
“Hey you, back,” I murmur, my lips still on hers.
She giggles, then pulls back, snuggling in under my arm to watch the fucking nutty scene in front of us. “So, were you surprised?”
“Surprised at the giant phallus decorated to look like Lindsey Buckingham that a drag queen named Stevie Dicks exploded out of? Nope. It’s to be expected around these parts.”
Willa laughs, leaning more of her weight into me. “You happy?”
I look down at her like she’s lost her damn mind. “Am I happy? Baby, you’re more mental than whatever the hell this all is if you have to ask me that question.” She smiles wide and I press a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll be even happier when I slip your cut onto your shoulders.”
She slaps me in the gut. “Then what are you waiting for? Get to it old man!”
I give Marx the eye and he nods, then lets out an ear splitting whistle. “Mad Dog has something to say!”
Everyone settles down and for some reason Stevie Dicks steps up next to me and Willa and holds the microphone for us. I stare at it, then at her, and think fuck it.
“Willa, babe, it was a bit of a ride getting here.” She grins up at me, her hands in mine.
“It was a helluva journey for me. I had to rein in my asshole ways and sit back and let you do what you needed to do. You’re not some damsel in distress.
You’re the hero in your own story, babe, and I’m just here to cheer you on.
Although I will spill the blood of anyone who makes you cry.
I’m a reformed caveman, but I still have some of those traits.
” She laughs huskily, eyes bright, shining up at me.
She mouths “I love you” and I mouth it back.
“Today I claim you in front of my brothers, my MC, my family, as my woman, and I’m your fucking man.
I love you, and I’ll have your back as you have mine. ”
With that I gently turn her from me, pressing a kiss to the base of her neck.
“Dad.” Rhodie holds out the box containing Willa’s cut and I take the lid off slowly, wanting to savor this moment.
I’ve only done this once before, with my Molly. She was my love, my life. She’ll always have a place in my heart. But since I met Willa my heart doubled in size to be able to hold another wonderful woman who has questionable taste in men, luckily enough for me.
I slide the soft leather over Willa’s arms until it rests on her shoulders. There, in black and white: Property of Mad Dog. She turns in my arms and leans forward to kiss me but stops suddenly and pulls back a little, her eyes on my chest.
“Does that say ‘Property of Willa’?”
“It sure fucking does, babe.”
“Have I told you today that I love you?”
“Not yet.”
“I love you, Miles ‘Mad Dog’ Paxton.”
“And I love you, Willa ‘Willy Wonka’ Sutton.”