Chapter 25 #2
Since Crow was spitting out some truth, Rage did, too. “It’s why none of us in my generation left. Why none of us hesitated to accept our prospect cuts. It’s why the Shadows’ kids joined, too. They saw what the DAMC had and wanted the same.”
“Yeah. Sittin’ at the table like you do, it’s in your hands, as well as the other officers, to keep improvin’ this club and to keep our family strong and safe. It’s up to you, Rage, to keep this club together for our generation, yours, and the next.”
Damn, this conversation was a bit heavier than he’d like. “Take that job seriously.”
“Just like your pop and your uncle.”
Rage took that compliment to heart. “Learned from the best.”
“Six months,” Crow reminded him.
“Six months,” Rage acknowledged with a chin lift.
When they clasped hands and bumped shoulders, Rage’s tension eased. While Crow wasn’t one to make a scene, that didn’t mean he couldn’t put a kink in Rage and Lyric’s relationship.
Respect was huge between club brothers and not approaching Crow first could’ve been taken as totally disrespectful. Rage knew that.
He was lucky as fuck Lyric’s father gave him some grace. Rage was also damn sure if he’d been an outsider, things would’ve gone differently.
Rage watched Crow head toward Jazz where she sat with a plate in her lap but with her eyes on them.
His gaze sliced from Jazz through the courtyard to see where Lyric was. She was looking his way, concern on her face. Since they both knew this talk with Crow would be coming, she’d kept her distance so as to not interrupt them.
Lyric started to head over to him but abruptly stopped.
Fuck. What now?
Rage spotted his parents working their way through the crowded courtyard from the clubhouse to where he stood.
Jesus. He couldn’t even get a fucking break to grab a damn beer. And fuck if he didn’t need one.
But what caught his attention the most was the lines in his mother’s face and the gray highlights in her blond hair. Age was finally catching up to her.
He couldn’t imagine not having his mother in his life. She had been the fucking best. Seeing his father walking by her side with his hand curled possessively around the back of her neck made it clear his parents would love each other to the end of time.
Rage had always held everyone else’s relationship up to theirs. Now he had the chance to use them as the perfect model for his own.
Kiki went toe-to-toe with him, cooed, “Oh, my baby boy!” and cupped his cheek. “Finally becoming a man!”
“For fuck’s sake, Mom,” Rage muttered, while Hawk barked out a laugh.
“You know I always have to try to embarrass my only son, who not only towers over me, but decided to use Rage as his road name.”
Yeah, she made it clear she had hated it when he picked it over a decade ago and still did.
“Mom…”
“I had no idea you were interested in Lyric,” she said more seriously. “But if you want my opinion—”
“Always, Mom.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled. Her personality complements yours. We’ve known forever how she can calm you down when no one else can. Since you two have always been close, this is no surprise.”
That sounded familiar.
“Gonna take that as your approval.” Not that he needed it. Technically, the only person required to approve was Crow. But it was still good to know his parents accepted his choice.
“Now, I need to go find my new daughter and squeeze her tight.”
“For fuck’s sake, Mom.”
“I have to do what I can to humble my six-foot-three, built-like-a-brick-house son.”
Rage shook his head and noticed his father grinning. One thing that Hawk loved about Kiki was how she didn’t take life so seriously. And that was despite the trauma she experienced due to him being a part of the club.
Kiki pinched his cheek. “My big, bouncing baby boy has become a man. You see that, Daddy?” she asked Hawk with a sparkle in her eyes.
“Hard to miss, baby.” Then Rage’s father pinned his lips together, probably to keep from busting out laughing.
“All right, time to go embarrass your other half.” She turned, spotted Lyric, and beelined over to her next.
Even after Kiki walked away, Hawk’s eyes followed his ol’ lady. It was difficult to miss how much his father would be affected if anything happened to his mother.
It would literally kill him.
“Dad,” Rage groaned.
“You know she’s just fuckin’ with you, son.”
“I know, but hopefully she don’t scare Lyric away.”
“If you ain’t done that yet, nobody fuckin’ will.”
That was a piece of truth he couldn’t argue with.
Rage said, “Bring it on.”
“Bring what on?”
“You’re ‘bout to fuck with me, too.”
Hawk’s lips twitched. “Yeah, but got plenty of time to do that. Don’t need to do that tonight.”
“Or you could just get it over with and let me live in peace for the rest of your life.”
“Fuck that. That ain’t no fun.”
“You approve?”
Hawk’s amusement quickly fled. “Of Lyric? No fuckin’ doubt. Can’t see you claimin’ anyone else. Always figured she’d be right for you. You finally realized it yourself.”
“Yeah. But…”
Hawk lifted a brow.
“The club’s dealin’ with some shit right now. Worried what happened to Mom might happen to Lyric. Scares the fuck outta me, Dad.”
“Don’t ever want you experiencin’ what I did when those motherfuckin’ Warriors took Jazz and your mom. Thought my life was about to end. Thought the Warriors ripped my heart right the fuck outta my chest and stomped on it ’til there was nothin’ left.”
“They paid for it. Swear the Souls will pay for it, too, if they do anythin’ like it.”
In reality, they were going to pay no matter what.
Hawk slapped him on the back. “Know you got a shit-ton weighin’ on your shoulders. We’re here to help relieve some of that shit. Just know, you can come to any of us OGs to tap into our knowledge and experience.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
“All right, gonna go stuff my face, then go home and have your mom sit on my face.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” Rage muttered, dropping his head and shaking it.
Deep laughter filled his ears until he heard the loud rumble of a group of sleds rolling in through the gate.
He knew who it was even before the women filed through the break in the bushes separating the rear lot and the courtyard.
“Shoulda know they’d show the fuck up.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything different. They might pretend they ain’t DAMC property, but they are. That ain’t ever gonna change,” Hawk said. “Let ‘em have this little fantasy of theirs.”
The women in the Angels of Fury wanted to be independent but sure liked to use the DAMC’s clubhouse as their own, stuff their traps with their food, and drink their booze.
But they weren’t the only ones crashing the party. Not two minutes later, Reaper appeared in the courtyard.
Had he ridden with them? Or was it just coincidence?
Either way, it was funny how the Shadow was getting comfortable around DAMC’s church.
“Plan on patchin’ him in?” Hawk asked.
“Thinkin’ so.”
“Heard he don’t wanna prospect. That’ll have to go to the membership.”
“Yeah. What d’you think?”
“Don’t know him enough to give you an answer. But just know, if it goes for a vote, better have some compellin’ reasons to convince us.”
Watching Reaper take out those four Souls with clean headshots was enough to convince Rage.
“Think he’s got a thing for Vi.”
Hawk snorted. “Good fuckin’ luck to him. Would say he needs to worry about Diesel, but honestly? Thinkin’ he needs to worry more about my niece.”
“No doubt,” Rage murmured. “All right. Wanna go have some words with him.”
“Thinkin’ if he wants our votes, he better have some words with all of us.”
“Will let ‘im know.”
With that, his father disappeared.
When he turned to see Reaper headed his direction with a red plastic cup in hand, Rage waited him out.
When Reaper got to him, he drawled, “Quite a fucking shindig,” before swallowing a mouthful of his freshly poured beer. He surveyed the courtyard. “Have these parties often?”
“Yeah. One thing you’ll learn, if you stick around, is we don’t need much of a reason to throw one. A club run’s a good reason. After we get back, everybody shows up, as you can see with the women’s MC rollin’ in.” Rage shook his head. “Want their own club but sure like to piggyback off ours.”
Reaper chuckled before tipping the red plastic cup to his lips again.
“The kids are usually here for shit like this, too. Occasionally, the party’s smaller, and for reasons.” Rage raised a single eyebrow in a silent message. “No kids are allowed.”
“Bunch of debauchery.”
“Yeah. We try not to corrupt the kids before they’re eighteen, but that’s no guarantee. Our prez’s a good example of that.”