Chapter 30
Ace
I grin, pure happiness filling me as I guide my wife from the courthouse, my finger still tingling from her sliding the black ring on my hand less than ten minutes ago.
Fuck, I never thought I’d see this day. After the shit with my mother, I used to believe moments like this weren't made for me—but here we are, walking out hand in hand. The fear I once clung to fades as happiness takes its place. We’re two people who once swore off settling down, and now it fills me with awe and relief knowing she’s mine.
I thought seeing her walking across that stage made me proud, but the look she gave me as she repeated our vows before my pres, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew while wearing my property patch on her back, fuck me…
The words just don’t capture the wave of elation that grips me. Even now, the surge of pride and love hasn’t faded, shifting seamlessly from overwhelming joy to a steady current in my chest.
“Did we really just do that?” Pidge whispers as I walk her over to her mustang, and I chuckle.
“Yeah, Pidge, we really did,” I reply with a grin, the fear of the unknown, of fucking up and hurting her nowhere in sight.
The moment I slid that cut on her back and the ring on her finger, my doubts vanished. I knew she was mine, and I’d never hurt her.
“Who knew the woman you’d demand pay off a debt that wasn’t even hers would become your world, huh, brother?” Dirty mentions, and I roll my eyes, hearing the amusement in his voice, while Pidge grins.
“I’m not even sorry,” I admit, and Pidge giggles as she wraps her arms around my waist and looks up at me with nothing but love, though I do still see a hint of fear.
She’s still scared of the unknown, but I know I’ll help her through it, just like she’s helped me.
“I love you, prick,” she whispers, and I grin wide.
“I’m not going to live that name down, am I?” I confirm with a sly smirk, and she shakes her head while everyone laughs, but my smirk soon dies down when mine, Dirty’s, and Doc's phones go off, and I swallow hard.
“It’s Stone, emergency church involving the whole club, including the fucking old ladies, to discuss the fact that our council brothers have ended the cocaine business without a full meeting.
Some brothers have noticed their money drop by a couple of hundred this month, and want answers,” Doc mentions, and I stiffen, causing Molly to squeeze me tighter around the waist, and we lock eyes.
We never did do a full brotherhood vote to end the cocaine business. As soon as Dirty and Trigger figured out what I did, what I had to do to run from the pain, they demanded it shut down without the vote because some brothers loved the extra cash and would veto it.
They didn’t want the risk of me falling again, like I almost did after Pidge announced through terrified sobs that we were expecting.
Must admit though, I’m still a proud peacock that my jizz beat the odds.
Jackass thought? Maybe, do I care? Not one bit.
“Are you ready?” she asks softly, and I give her a slight smile before caressing her lips, cupping her cheeks, and murmuring, “With you by my side, always.”
She grins, though her beautiful eyes still show concern, so I kiss her harder, making her melt into me like she always does, before I pull back and open the passenger door for her.
I would love nothing more than to ride onto club property with my girl on the back of my bike wearing my cut, but alas, she’s carrying precious cargo, so I won’t risk her or our boy.
I lock eyes with Dirty, who climbs into his truck next to Pidge’s mustang, and he gives me a reassuring nod. I swallow hard before climbing into the driver's side of the Mustang, and I start her up, the engine purring beneath me.
Taking a deep breath, I put the car into drive. Then, placing my hand between my girl's thighs I drive off as I fucking pray my brothers don’t hate me for the truths I’m about to spill.
***
Twenty minutes later, we walk into the clubhouse, and I raise a brow at the loud scene before us as Doc curses.
Several brothers are shouting at Stone, demanding to know why their money has been cut without a proper meeting, while Stone, well, he stands without a care in the world, his arms crossed over his chest.
Fuck... Everything feels like it's coming to a head all at once.
“Where the fuck is Doc? We know he isn’t working today!” my dad growls with anger while Mama glares at Stone, and I roll my eyes.
Of course she’s pissed some of her money has gone down.
“I’m right here,” Doc sighs as he descends the stairs causing everyone to look our way, but eyes don’t go to him.
They go to Pidge and me specifically, where my arm is wrapped around her waist, the leather around her shoulders, and the baby bump, and everyone quietens in shock while Dad smiles softly at Pidge, but Mama frowns in confusion.
Here we fucking go.
I take a deep breath before stating, “Brothers, I’d like to introduce you all to my old lady, my wife, Molly Lee, who is expecting our baby boy, Sean Scott Lee, in just under four months’ time.”
Dirty grins wide hearing his nephew have all our middle names, which if after Dad whose eyes tear up while everyone looks at us in shock.
Mama’s eyes narrow with anger, her glare sharp and unwavering and Pidge grips my cut tightly, burrowing into my side for comfort, and I tighten my arm around her, steadying both of us.
“You got married?!” Mama grits, her voice trembling and Dad tilts his head in understanding, but you can see the pain in his eyes because I didn’t involve him.
“I did,” I admit without remorse, “half an hour ago to be exact, right after I got to watch my woman walk her graduation stage with honors.”
Mama takes a small step back while the brothers stare with pure shock. I get it, the playboy of the club has settled, something I swore I’d never do, but when a woman like Pidge falls into your life, quite literally, you hold onto her even if you feel closed off.
“Does this mean you lost the bet?” Shadow asks with glee.
Pidge lets out a shocked giggle, and the brothers look at her softly as I kiss her forehead.
“I did,” I admit with a grin, looking at the brother, before confirming, “Every brother that was in church has had money transferred into their accounts.”
The non-officer brothers instantly complain about not being part of the bet, making me chuckle, while the officers whoop in celebration, but my body soon tenses when Mama accuses, “She trapped you for your cut!”
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I won’t ever trust her again.
She knew I fell in love, she knew I was pushing Pidge away, and fuck me, she begged me not to give her up because of the mistakes she’d made, yet here she is, instantly thinking about the club and the money that comes with being with a brother.
Everyone quietens while Dad and Dirty drop their heads in defeat because she has royally screwed up, and Pidge tenses, which just heightens my anger.
“Nah, Mama,” I say coldly. “That is something you did to keep my father’s patch—you know, when you threatened to abort me if he didn’t stay with you!
” She flinches and moves towards Dad, but he steps back, shaking his head.
I growl, “I fell in love with my woman despite both of us pulling away from each other, so why don’t you keep your snide little fucking comments to yourself where my wife and son are concerned! ”
Mama flinches again, and Pidge grips my cut, getting my attention. As soon as our eyes lock, I instantly calm down, and she gives me a small reassuring smile, and I can’t help but smile back.
“Fuck, she just instantly calmed him…” Thunder mutters, then wonders, “Do you think she’ll convince him to move back onto club land? Because I really cannot afford to trash my bike again.”
Pidge’s lips twitch while the brothers chuckle, but not Dirty, no, as soon as we lock eyes, the fucker pouts as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“He’s not moving back onto club property,” Dirty announces. Everyone tenses as he adds, “He’s redecorating Molly’s family home. It’s where they’ll be living and bringing up their kids until they outgrow it.”
The room instantly protests, brothers shouting over each other while Dad looks down with sadness, and Mama just blinks, Dirty’s words not hitting home for her.
“That isn’t fucking right, you both should be here, where you belong!” Thunder booms while Phantom echoes, “This is your home, Ace!”
One by one, the brothers shout, demanding I sell my wife’s family home, which only makes her further move into me, and my jaw ticks as my anger takes hold again.
None of them are asking me why, none of them are looking at my wife and seeing how uncomfortable she is. All they are thinking about is themselves, and enough is enough.
Losing my call, I boom, “I got hooked on cocaine!” and everyone shuts up and looks at me with complete shock, their mouths open.
Dad takes a step back, shaking his head, just as Doc's head swivels my way so fast I swear he’s just given himself whiplash.
“What?” Hailey, Stone’s mama, chokes, and I swallow hard as I look at my wife, who gives me an encouraging nod.
I turn to everyone in the room before locking eyes with my mother’s teary ones and I admit, “After hearing your own mother who should love you unconditionally confess to using you as a pawn to keep the cut on her back, it does something to you,” her tears fall and I look around the room, “I couldn’t cope with it, I felt unwanted, un-fucking-loved and the picture I had of wanting the same love and marriage my parents had was washed away within minutes because of her words and I just wanted the pain to stop,” I swallow again and I admit, “I was the one taking the cocaine out of the warehouses and even though it doesn’t make it right, I was putting the money back into the club. ”
“The sudden decision to cut the cocaine business?” Shadow asks softly.