Thirty-Three
After church.
Walking into the main room, it’s packed to the gills with old ladies and kids. It’s organized chaos. Our ol’ ladies are some of the best and most respected among LSMC's ol’ ladies. Being the mother chapter, we hold women to a higher standard, which shows in how they come together to get shit done. Rarely do we have a rotten apple in the bunch, and thank fuck for that. The last one reeked fucking havoc on the club, and it’s clear her daughter has picked up where she left off.
Watching brothers interact with their families has me searching for my woman. At thirty-six, I’m ready. I’ll probably become a lunatic if I find out my little swimmers did their job. Finding my woman at the bar talking to a few of the brothers, I squeeze her to me and look down at her. I’m such a fucking pussy for this girl. It’s damn ridiculous. Thinking about her body changing and swelling with my kid. Fuck, that shit has me hard as shit.
Bell leans into my side as she talks to Pike and Whistler, our Road Captain and Secretary. Something prickles in the back of my neck. Turning my head, my eyes connect with Princess, who is staring daggers at me. Holding her stare with a glare of my own that’s filled with warning, she realizes this and turns away.
The night continues, and I shuffle my woman around the main room, introducing her to brothers, their old ladies, and kids.
Prez catches my eye. The glare he sends me makes it clear he isn’t happy with me. When he gives me a chin lift, I know what’s coming. And I’m ready for it. Walking away from my girl, she doesn't know her father is about to beat my ass. With a sigh, I make my way to Prez and follow him to his office. Neither of us speaks. Closing the door behind me the second I turned to face him, he was on my ass. Fuck.
“You fucked her? You claimed her. And said not a fucking word? Didn’t have enough fucking respect for me to come to me, you motherfucker?” He bellows, glaring down at me as I work my jaw, not from a hit but to keep my cool and not retaliate.
“When you fucked around with Princess, I understood the circumstances. I didn’t like it. But I respected you for coming to me about it. I know that girl and how she has been sniffing after you for years, But I let that shit go because I knew the type of man you were. You have had my trust and respect for nearly two decades. But then… My daughter, whom I’ve never met, shows up, and what? Your priority was to see if you could fuck over BOTH MY DAUGHTERS.” He seethes.
Now hold all the way the fuck up. I’m up and off the ground and in his face so fucking faster than he could blink. I don’t give a fuck that he is my president. He will not diminish what Bellamy and I have, relegating it to some petty shit. Fuck that.
“Prez, you want to ream my ass for claiming your girl? I'll take that shit. I knew it was coming. But what you are not fixing to fucking do is diminish what is between Bellamy and me. Not in this motherfucking lifetime or the next. That girl knocked me on my ass the second I saw her. She will be nothing less than fucking everything to me, my fucking queen.” I band my fist over my heart as I glare at my friend and Prez. “I never, and I mean fucking never, saw Princess as anything but your daughter, and that is it. The night that shit went down with her, I was fucked up, things were shit for me, and I was fucked off about it and drank my ass into oblivion. But I knew Princess was not who I needed and stopped it before shit went too far. Yeah, she tried with me a few times, and I shut that down every time. But never, not fucking ever, did I want Princess, and I never fucking will. So don’t you fucking dare diminish who my fucking woman is to me! DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE! PREZ OR NOT, I WON’T FUCKING HAVE IT.” My breaths are choppy. My hands clenched at my side. I will go to fucking war for my woman. I’m dead ass serious, he can be pissed about me claiming Bellamy, but he will not compare my relationship with her with the shit that went down with Princess. No fucking way, no fucking how.
We stood glaring at one another, breathing hard like fucking bulls, ready to charge. I refuse to fucking back down. I know my mind, and I know what I want and what the fuck I deserve. And that is Bellamy. Prez stares at me for a little longer before his face breaks into a smile. Fucking Christ.
“Well, shit. All right then, just wanted to make sure.” he says with amusement in his eyes. This motherfucker. Shit, my ribs goddamned hurt. He chuckles. “I stayed away from your pretty face for my benefit. Don’t need another reason for my daughter to hate my ass.” His eyes soften, and a sadness shines in their depths. “If I leave any bruising on your pretty little face, it would put me back at the top of her shit list. As your Prez, I know you are a good man and will treat any woman you claim with respect and be devoted. But as her father, I’m telling you.” He steps closer to me, his voice lowers, and his eyes are clear and full of fatherly determination to get his point across. “I will bury you if you hurt my girl. Bellamy may hide the hurt I caused her. But I see it, and I don’t want her hurting any fucking more. You got me, VP?” he says, expression showing me he means every fucking word. He may not have been her father for long, but Prez is her father and will protect her, even if she doesn’t want or need him to.
I give him a nod, and once I can calm my ass the fuck down. I answer.
“I got you, Prez, and I would die before I’d ever hurt my woman. Hell, she and Blaze would take me out long before you could.” I say in all seriousness but with amusement lacing my voice.
Prez lets out a bark of laughter, stepping away from me. “You’re right, that son of mine is a hell of a man and protective as fuck,” his face sobers, and I know.
Before he goes down that dark road of regret, I speak up, “He is coming around. Give the kid time. The more he’s here, the more he learns about you and the situation. He’ll learn you aren’t the bad guy. So keep doing what you are, and shit will work out.” I clap him on his shoulder. And he gives me a nod and takes a breath.
He stares at me momentarily, walks around his desk, grabs two beers from his mini fridge, pops the tops, and sits. He takes a swig and puts the other on the desk for me. And that is how we end up sitting and talking about shit that has gone on over the last few weeks with Beverly, Princess, Bellamy, and Blaze, just like old times as old friends.
In chapter seperator
After the Joke.
She pissed me all the way the fuck with her smart-ass comment about us being buddies. Fucking buddies. There is no way in hell the way I feel for that girl is anywhere on a buddy fucking level. Fuck that. She has lost her rabid ass mind. And she will learn that shit A.S.A. fucking. P best believe that.
I needed to calm my ass down before I said something to piss my little tornado off. I walked the fuck away. She may have played nice, but I know enough that her little jokie joke was to put me in my place. She didn’t appreciate my claiming her without talking to her first, which wasn’t my intention. My claiming her in that moment felt right, the heat of the moment and all that. So for me to do it in front of her father, brothers, and damn near the entire club, I knew it wouldn’t go over well. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Drinking solo in my office, sulking like a fucking teenage boy because my girl is mad at me. I know I’m being a pussy, and I see that, but fuck, this shit with her has hit me hard and fast. She is not like any woman I’ve ever met; she’s strong, deadly, independent, mouthy as fuck, frustrating, determined and mine. I can never forget that last part, even when we piss each other off. With all the shit going on in her life, I know her head is all over the place, and me being a broody fuck over a joke isn’t helping.
Downing the rest of my beer, I get my ass up and head back out to find my woman so I can tan her ass.