Chapter 20 Ash #2
“Then we raise that baby knowing it’s ours. Mine, Ghost’s, Titan’s. Yours. It doesn’t matter whose DNA it carries. It matters who loves it. Who raises it. Who protects it.”
She kisses me again. Deeper this time.
A knock on the door interrupts us.
“Come in,” I call.
Ghost and Titan file in. They both stop when they see Bonnie in my lap.
“We interrupting?” Titan asks with a grin.
“Yes,” Bonnie says, sliding off my lap. “But I’ll leave you boys to your meeting.” She heads for the door, pausing to look back at me. “Tonight then?”
“Tonight,” I confirm.
The door closes behind her. Ghost and Titan take the chairs across from my desk.
“So,” Titan says, leaning back. “What’s the plan, boss?”
I look at my two closest brothers. The men who’ve had my back since the beginning. The men who love the same woman I do.
“First,” I say, “we’re making some organizational changes. You’re both doing VP-level work. Time to make it official.”
Ghost raises an eyebrow. “Both of us?”
“Both of you. The club needs strong leadership. I can’t do this alone.” I lean forward. “Ghost, you handle intelligence and strategy. Titan, you handle enforcement and security. You both report directly to me. You both have equal authority under my command.”
They exchange glances.
“That’s not how it’s usually done,” Ghost says carefully.
“We’re not usual. And these aren’t usual times.” I’ve been carrying around the two new VP patches for a week, waiting for the right moment. “What do you say?”
Titan grins. “Hell yes.”
Ghost is quieter, but he nods. “Honor to serve.”
I slide the patches across the desk. “We’ll make it official at church tonight. Same meeting where I announce Bonnie’s pregnancy.”
“She agreed to go public?” Titan asks.
“She’s scared. But she agreed.” I lean back. “We’re also getting a paternity test done after the announcement.”
“Makes sense,” Ghost says.
“What happens after we know?” Titan asks.
“We keep it to ourselves. Let everyone think the baby’s mine.” I look at both of them. “It’s strategic and strengthens my position as president. Shows legitimacy.”
Ghost’s jaw tightens slightly, but he nods. “Whatever you think is best.”
“What I think is best is protecting our family.” I lean forward.
We spend the next few hours reviewing territory reports, patrol schedules, and plans for counterattacking Marcus. The afternoon bleeds into evening. Brothers start filtering back from patrols, filling the clubhouse with noise and smoke.
By seven PM, the common room is packed. Every patched member who’s not on duty is here. About forty brothers, plus some of the old ladies who know church nights mean business.
I catch Bonnie sitting on the couch near the back, picking at her nails. She looks up when I enter, and our eyes meet. I nod once.
She takes a breath.
“Church!” I call out. “Let’s go.”
The brothers start filing into the meeting room. It takes a few minutes for everyone to find their seats around the long table. Ghost and Titan flank me at the head. Barnes closes the door and throws the latch.
The room settles into silence.
“First order of business,” I say, looking around the table.
“Ghost and Titan have been running VP-level operations for weeks now. Time to make it official.” I pull out the two patches and slide them across the table.
“Effective immediately, we have two vice presidents. Ghost handles intelligence and strategy. Titan handles enforcement and security. Both report directly to me.”
Murmurs ripple around the table. Some brothers nod approval. Others look uncertain.
Miller speaks up. “That’s not traditional.”
“Nothing about this situation is traditional,” I say. “We’re at war. Our former president is in federal custody. We need strong leadership at every level. Ghost and Titan have earned these patches ten times over.”
“All in favor?” Barnes asks.
Hands go up around the table. More than three-quarters of the room.
“Motion passes,” Barnes says.
Ghost and Titan accept their patches without ceremony. They’ll sew them on later, but for now, the message is clear—the leadership structure just got stronger.
“Second order of business,” I say. I let the pause stretch, making sure I have everyone’s attention. “My wife is pregnant.”
The room erupts.
Brothers pound the table, shout congratulations. A few whistle. I let it go for a moment before raising my hand for silence.
“We’re announcing this now because I want everyone to understand what we’re fighting for. This isn’t just about territory or pride or revenge. We’re building a future. A legacy. This club will outlive all of us, and that starts with the next generation.”
The room erupts again in agreement.
“Marcus Stone is going to hear about this,” Miller says. “He’s going to come for her harder than ever.”
“Let him try.” My voice cuts through the noise. “Anyone who comes for my wife or my child dies. No exceptions. No mercy. We will make an example out of every single one of them.”
The brothers roar in approval.
“Savage Legion has been hitting our businesses,” I continue. “That ends now. We go on the offensive. Ghost will coordinate intelligence. Titan will lead strike teams. We hit them where it hurts, and we don’t stop until Marcus Stone is in the ground.”
More shouting. More fists pounding the table.
“The club comes first,” I say, and the room goes quiet again. “But family is part of the club. My wife is your sister. This baby will be your nephew or niece. Anyone who forgets that answers to me.”
No one argues.
“Church is adjourned,” I say. “Get back to work.”
Brothers file out, clapping me on the shoulder as they pass. Offering congratulations. Promising protection.
I find Bonnie in my office, sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chest. She looks up when I walk in.
“I heard the shouting,” she says.
“They’re happy for us.”
“They’re happy for you. They don’t know the truth.”
“The truth is, you’re carrying a baby that three men are willing to die for. That’s all that matters.” I cross to her and pull her to her feet. “How are you feeling?”
“Terrified.”
“Me too.”
She laughs, a shaky sound. “You’re not supposed to admit that.”
“I’m not supposed to do a lot of things.” I kiss her forehead. “But I do them anyway.”
She wraps her arms around my waist and presses her face to my chest. I hold her, feeling her breathe.
“What happens now?” she asks.
“We’ll call the doctor and get the paternity test done.”
She tilts her head back to look at me. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Even if it’s Marcus’s?”
“Even then. But it’s not.” I cup her face. “I don’t know how I know, but I know. It’s not his.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” I kiss her. “Now come on. Let’s go to bed.”
She lets me lead her to my room. Our room now, really. She spends more nights here than anywhere else.
I undress her slowly. Taking my time. Memorizing every inch of her.
Her body is changing. Subtle things most people wouldn’t notice. But I notice everything. Her breasts are fuller. Her hips are slightly wider. And her stomach—there’s the smallest curve there now. Barely visible. But real.
My child. Or Ghost’s. Or Titan’s.
But mine to protect either way.
I lay her down on the bed and cover her body with mine. She sighs and pulls me closer.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“For what?”
“For not running. For staying. For loving me even when this is complicated.”
“It’s not complicated.” I kiss her. “You’re mine. That’s the only thing that matters.”