Chapter 7 Joseph
JOSEPH
Prez bangs the gavel on the table, and the chatter in the room dies down.
Twelve sets of eyes turn to face him, ready for our weekly meeting.
We’re sitting around the thick pine table, felled and carved from a tree in the local forest. The club meeting room is out the back of the Wild Taste Restaurant and overlooks the courtyard where the brewery and mechanic shop are.
The colorful flags hanging outside Danni’s gallery brighten the place up.
She opened it a few months ago, and it’s a hit with the tourists.
Danni is Colter’s old lady, and the entire club got behind the venture.
“First order of business. We’ve been asked to help Angie with renovations to her bar.”
Angie lives on the other side of the mountain and runs a restaurant and bar the same as we do. Her husband died in active service a few years ago leaving her with two kids. It was a hell of a sacrifice and we’ve helped her out over the years, when she lets us.
“Isn’t her husband’s best friend sniffing dating her now?” says Barrels.
He eyes Hops as he says it, still not comfortable with the fact that his best friend is with his sister. There are murmurs around the table and angry mutterings.
I swear this place is like a gossip house some days, grown men giving their opinion on whether a woman should stay true to her husband after he passed in the line of service. It’s an uncomfortable thought, but it’s been seven years. You can’t expect her to stay celibate for the rest of her life.
After some discussion, we vote unanimously to help Angie. It doesn’t matter what her current circumstances are. She lost her husband to this country and spent the last seven years raising their children on her own. She deserves all the help she can get.
Marcus offers to supply any timber she needs from his family sawmill, while we all pledge to help with whatever labor she needs.
There are a few other points of business, info about a charity run we’re doing in a few weeks, and then Specs goes over the accounts.
Maggie brings in a plate of pastries from the kitchen and scurries back out as quickly as she can. Our shy pastry chef is one hell of a cook but timid as heck. I notice Arlo’s gaze following her out of the room.
It’s when Prez asks if there’s any more business that I clear my throat.
All eyes turn to me. I haven’t said anything in the meeting which isn’t unusual. I’m an observer and keep my opinions to myself unless asked. But this is something I need the entire club to help with.
“There’s a woman staying with me.”
The Prez’s eyebrows shoot up his head, and some of the other guys look surprised. The fuckers. They probably think I kidnapped her or something.
“She’s fleeing a bad situation, her and her baby.”
My fists clench when I think about what Trish told me yesterday. How anyone can hurt a woman is beyond me, and I stayed up all night thinking about it. I promised I wouldn’t go after the fucker, but I’ll do all I damn well can to make sure no more harm comes to her.
I give a brief rundown on the last few days, how I found Trish, the marks on her neck, and the story she told me about her ex.
I leave out the warm feeling in my chest every time I see her with the baby, the way her smile makes my insides flutter, and the way the curve of her neck makes my dick hard.
But even so, there are knowing smirks around the table. Maybe I’m not as hard to read as I think I am.
“What do you need?” asks Prez.
He’s not questioning me or my actions, and I’m thankful for my MC brothers’ unconditional support.
“Club protection for Trish and Rose, the baby.”
Vintage shifts in his chair. “Why don’t you bring them in here to stay in the clubrooms?”
The thought of sharing Trish makes me tense. I like her in my cabin where I can keep an eye on her, where I can pretend she’s mine.
I shake my head. “Too many people coming in and out, and she can’t keep the baby quiet. Someone might get wind of her being here.”
“Is her ex looking for her?” asks Badge. He’s the Sheriff of Wild and handy to have in the MC.
“Dunno,” I say. “He might be happy she’s gone, or he might come looking for her.”
“I’ll ask my team to keep an eye out.”
It’s hard to track strangers on the mountain when we have tourists coming and going, but I appreciate his offer.
“She’s Hailey’s sister, right?” asks Hops. “When are they back?”
“No one can get ahold of them.” I don’t mention that I’ve stopped trying so hard. They might be back any day now, and my time with Trish is limited. I don’t want to think about giving her up.
“But even when they’re back, I want us to protect Trish.”
Hops gives me a sideways smile. “You got a special interest in this woman?”
I pull at my beard and look down. I’m not ready to admit my feelings, not even to my MC brothers. But by the smirks on their faces, I can tell it’s too late to hide.
“Yeah.” It feels good to say it out loud. “Once I’ve dealt with this guy, she’ll be my old lady. If she’ll have me,” I add.
Trish has been through a lot, and I’m not sure how she feels about me. Apart from the sweet kisses I planted on her neck yesterday, there’s been no more intimacy. After what she’s been through, I don’t want to rush her, even though I’m aching to hold her.
There are broad smiles from around the table, and Hops slaps me on the back.
“Nice one, brother.” He’s grinning from ear to ear. “Love will change your life, I swear.”
Barrels scowls at him. “Another pussy-whipped club member, that’s all we need.”
Vintage shakes his head at him. “You wait, brother. It’ll happen to you one day too.”
“Not likely,” says Barrels. “I’ve got a brewery to run, and that’s all I need.”
Prez brings the meeting to order, and I leave the room while they vote. It’s unanimous. The club will protect Trish and Rose like they’re family. Relief settles over me knowing I have my brothers at my back.
The guys are staying for a drink, but there’s only one place I want to be.
I’m about to leave when Prez calls me over. “I need you on the next run.”
I nod and follow him to his office. It’s the first time I’ve ever been reluctant to help with club business. But my brothers have my back, so I need to do my part.
Prez closes the door behind him, and we go over the details for the run.