Chapter 30
30
Sienna
I was surrounded once again by biker old ladies, only this time, there was nothing but love pouring off of them.
For me. A stranger. A former old lady from a rival club. Someone they should have disliked immediately. Guilt by association and all of that. Instead, they all left the comfort of their homes to rally for me, bringing food, no less.
It didn’t take me long to clue in on the hierarchy. Baylee was married to the President of the Phoenix Chapter, Hunter. Lydia was married to the biggest biker in the room named Tiny. And Lulu was married to Grumpy, who was the guy who drove us in the van from the hotel.
Biker code dictated that we didn’t share club info beyond that, but I had no loyalty to any of it. They could set fire to Diesel for all I cared. I just wanted to get my dad back, hopefully in one piece.
I could see why Asher’s brother was with this crew. They were one huge family of misfits, all joined together by the kind of brotherhood Diesel’s club could only dream of.
It was sort of ironic in a way how both Asher and Liam found their own extended families. While these folks were clad in leather, Asher’s group all wore their fire department number. All the kinds of people who would show up at one in the morning with sandwiches.
I sort of knew what was happening upstairs. Club business also flowed through their hierarchy, and everything had to be voted on before the club did anything. All men had to be on board with decisions or it didn’t happen. Diesel often rubbed his men the wrong way with his opinions on which way the club should go which is one of the reasons we fought so much. His direction came with drug addiction—something I wanted no part of.
It felt like my fate was up to these kind strangers, and I wasn’t holding out any hope. The women around me were sweet, but while they all probably voiced their opinions without the fear of getting hit, their ability to sway decisions often didn’t matter.
I just wanted to stop shaking. I kept picturing Diesel stabbing my dad. His screams kept replaying in my head. I eyed the door numerous times, wanting to take my problems off of these people. Diesel only wanted me dead.
I stood up, ready to bolt upstairs and call this all off. Demand that Asher give me my phone so I could just end this insanity. No one needed to die because of me.
“Oh shit,” one of the women said behind me. Lulu stopped in front of me. “Hold on there, girl.” She was an older woman, chunky, sweet as pie, but I was pretty sure I could take her.
“No one is gonna die for me. They need to stop this. You all need to collect your husbands and take them home.” I glared at her. “Please let me pass.”
Lulu was good at blocking. “That’s no longer your decision, sweetie.”
Asher’s brother, Liam, came to the top of the steps, looking quite unhappy. My gut sank. I knew it. They’d voted no.
I had to blink because he and Asher looked a lot alike, with that brooding bedroom eye thing and solid build.
He clomped his motorcycle boots down the steps, never taking his eyes off of me.
Lulu stepped aside as if Liam was parting the Red Sea. He stepped right up to me, making me have to tilt my head to look up at him. Just like Asher.
“You need to calm, woman. Your man is up there right now, working to sort your shit. He’s doing that because he loves you. I’m here because you are a part of my family. These men are all wading in to support that effort. As a former old lady, that concept is not foreign to you, so grasp it again. Tomorrow, you make that call. You have an entire club taking your back. They did not take that decision lightly. But your shit also happens to be their shit, just different reasons. So, you will calm the fuck down and trust what is happening here.”
I glanced up at the top of the steps, catching Asher leaning on the railing, watching all of this transpire.
“Nod if you understand me,” Liam ordered.
I nodded.
“Good. Now we have some business to discuss and then tomorrow is a new day. Shit doesn’t go well with your dad, you have my brother”—he pointed up at Asher—“to help you through it. Respect that.”
Nothing comes close to getting a dress-down from an angry biker. I nodded again.
“I can bring up the sandwiches. If it helps.” They were all still in one box.
Liam squinted at me before turning all that manly biker bullshit into a grin. “Fuck, I get why he loves you.” He glanced up at Asher, gave him a biker nod, and walked off back up the steps.
It was close to three in the morning when Asher came into the room. Baylee was lying in bed with me, telling me about her story, how she and Hunter used to share this room while he was busy sorting her shit.
This bedroom was nice. Soft bed. A killer attached bathroom. It was at the far end of the hallway, down from where all the men had been congregated. Several other bedrooms took up this area of the second floor, but most were unused.
Zip would be staying in the room next to ours. I had to get used to calling him that as it was disrespectful to use a real name when they had a club name instead.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Baylee said, giving me a small touch on her way out.
Asher closed the door and kicked his boots off, before taking Baylee’s spot. This was all too much. Seeing him exhausted. Knowing what he’d just subjected himself to. Joining forces with biker strangers.
I curled into him and said the only words that ever fit: “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you got on a plane to Fiji right now.”
He shifted his body, making room for me to snuggle in his arms. “Fiji?”
I nodded. “It’s the place Imaginary Sienna goes when I want to get away from it all.”
Asher brushed my hair back. “Babe, you gotta know something.”
I quickly glanced up to read his face.
“I would burn down this world for you if that’s what it took. These men are going to help me do that. We have a battle ahead of us, and it’s gonna get messy, but no matter what, you never have to say you’re sorry.”
My eyes started to blur up again.
I didn’t want to think about losing Asher. But if I did, I would burn down the world for him too.