Chapter 2
Razor
Duke slammed the gavel and hardwood met hardwood. My insides quaked along with the reverberations, but I held my emotions in check so no one would scent them.
“Razor gets the floor first.”
He nodded to me, and I leaned back in my chair.
“Wanted ya’ll to get to know me before I told you too much about my personal life. You’ve seen me spank the sweetbutts and you all know I’m in the leather lifestyle, but you should know I’m what’s called a leather daddy or a bear.”
“So, you’re gay?”
I’d known I’d get the most kickback from Dozer. It also didn’t escape my notice he was familiar with the terms.
“Yes. I could argue I’m bi, since I can enjoy fucking women, but I don’t do relationships with them, so I consider myself gay.”
“Duke and I knew when he came,” Brain said.
“He asked for some time to let everyone get to know him before he told everyone, and we gave it to him. He’s still on loaner to us from Memphis, but he likes it here and wants to stay, if we’ll have him.
I think he’s a valuable addition, and I’d like to keep him around. ”
“If he stays,” Duke said, “he won’t be in the closet when he starts dating. If things get serious with a guy, Razor’ll bring him to the clubhouse. Likely won’t fuck him in front of us, but I’m guessing they’ll cuddle and shit.”
“I’m good with it,” said Dawg. “Dude knows what he’s doing with the laundromats.
We’re making money on the first two inside six weeks of opening.
” His gaze met mine. “You’re my brother.
Don’t care what kind of hole you like to fuck.
It’ll be strange having a man as someone’s ol’lady if you get serious with someone, but we’ll figure it out. ”
I nodded. “Thanks, brother.”
“I want him to stay, too,” Bash agreed. “He fills in at the bar and the gun store like he works them every day. I’ve watched him defuse situations on patrol like a pro peacekeeper, and having someone around with medical skills comes in handy for the humans we keep close.
Also, I’ve grown to like the son of a bitch. ”
“The RTMC is about men. Not faggots.” Dozer’s voice dripped with disgust, and I knew better than to respond. He’d made a statement, hadn’t asked a question. It’s impossible to reason with homophobes. Best not to engage at all.
“Pretty sure leather daddies do the fucking,” said Gonzo. “They aren’t the ones taking it up the ass. I’m not sure, but I think that means he isn’t a faggot. I mean, I don’t really care one way or the other. I’m with Bash — I like him, even if he is a bird.”
Gonzo surprised me. The modern-day use of faggot signifies gay men in general, but its origins referred to the younger men who were fucked. I didn’t argue with Gonzo though. He was on my side and there was no reason to correct him.
“Is that true?” asked Dozer.
“My boys don’t fuck me. I fuck them. Yes, that’s true.” I didn’t mind their tongue in my asshole if they were supernatural and couldn’t get sick, but they never fucked me. Figured that’d be more information than this crowd needed though.
“Boys?” Dozer looked like he wanted to come across the table and pummel me.
I tried not to take offense and answered the question as neutral as possible.
“It’s a designation within the lifestyle and has nothing to do with age.
There are fifty-year-old men who identify as boys.
I’d never fool around someone underage, and I’d beat the shit out of any man I caught messing around with a kid — no matter the gender. ”
“I’d like him to stay, but we’ll need to have more discussion when and if he finds someone he’s serious enough with, he wants to bring him to the clubhouse or take on road trips,” Viper said, choosing his words carefully.
“Especially trips where other clubs will be present. I’m all for keeping him here and making him one of us, but we’ll need to be careful lest we end up in a war with another club because they attack him or his… boyfriend? Partner?”
Viper looked to me wanting clarification, and I shrugged.
“Depends, but probably boy. Think of how Cam is to Frisco and Isaac — not a partner, right? Duke knows ya’ll are used to them, and told me he thought things might work out here since you accept them.
He didn’t make promises, and I’ve been careful to teach the men working with me how things are set up, so they can take care of the laundromats if I have to leave.
Your accountant has detailed notes, too. ”
“I asked him to stop and check on Gabby when he left the gun store after using the range the other week,” said Horse.
“Her voice didn’t sound right when I called, and she’d been out of sorts that morning.
I still had to teach a class, but she had me worried.
Turned out, she’d scared herself and was in bed with her gun, reading a rom-com to try to get her body to settle.
He sat with her in the living room and they watched comedy specials until I got home.
She was fine when I walked in the door. Not a scent of terror at all, but I could still smell it permeating our bedroom. He more than has my vote.”
“Is this why you asked me to hold off on scheduling you to teach Krav Maga?” Nix asked.
I nodded. I’m a certified instructor, and walking away from the business I’d grown in Memphis had been hard.
I didn’t want to begin to set things up here and have to leave students again.
Nix was looking forward to adding classes.
He and Horse had plans to add a room onto the back of the gun store, and had talked with Sam and Ethan Levi about possibly teaching self-defense classes a few times a year as well.
“Fuck, dude. Doesn’t matter who you like to fuck.” Nix looked to Duke. “When can we vote on this shit, so we can get started on scheduling and advertising?”
“We’ll vote next week. It has to be unanimous.” He looked around. “Unless it’s unanimous now, but if not, we’ll take the week so everyone can have time to think it over.”
The entire room looked to Dozer.
“No one else has a problem with it? If we vote him in and someone jumps him because he’s kissing his boyfriend, we’ll have to fight them on his behalf.
We’ll have to stand up to them like we agree with his…
” He cut himself off and shook his head.
“Viper had it right. We risk war with another club over it, if he flaunts it out of town around other clubs.”
“I’m not interested in staying in the closet,” I told Dozer, “but there’s a time and place for everything, and I’m not gonna be a dick about it.
We won’t know how to handle the details until I find someone I want to date long-term.
Ravens mate for life, same as wolves.” Well, not exactly like wolves, because we aren’t opposed to sharing, but we’re loyal and honest, once we find our mate.
I looked around the room at my brothers and continued.
“I’ve spent time with men long-term who I knew weren’t my mate, and I can’t say whether I’ll do that in the future, but I’m ready to settle down.
If I’d have wanted to keep playing, I’d have gone to a bigger city with more of a leather scene.
However, participating in the leather community as a leader takes a lot of time and responsibility, and I long ago gave that time to the RTMC.
I chose Chattanooga, and I hope ya’ll will choose me.
” I’d gone off course. I took a breath and clarified.
“I’m not going to lie about who I am, but I won’t flaunt it where it isn’t appropriate. ”
Dozer’s eyes narrowed. “You fucked Chigger’s ass while I took her cunt. Our dicks touched through the wall.”
I had to fight to keep from laughing. “Dozer, you are the exact opposite of my type. Under no circumstances am I attracted to anyone in this room.”
“I’m hurt,” Viper said. “I can be pretty.”
I laughed. “Sorry, but you’re way too tall and bulked to be my type. The eyebrows are nice, but not enough to sway me.”
He touched his brows and chuckled. “The girls at the shop insisted — said no employees could have untamed brows. I figured if it was awful I could just change and get them back, but it turns out they were right and I kind of like the look.”
“And now he has us talking about waxed eyebrows during church!” said Dozer, as if this was the final straw.
“Brother,” said McGyver, “chill. Your dick was a few millimeters from a gay guy’s dick, and you’re pissed. Mine has been too — we double-teamed Peanut. No biggie. I know I’m a heterosexual man. If I had doubts, it might bug me.”
Dozer came out of his chair and leaped towards McGyver, but Bash was to him in an instant.
Dozer has a hundred pounds of muscle and eight inches of height on Bash, but he was on his back with Bash over him and his hands around Dozer’s neck before any of us could blink.
Bubbles moved in to help Bash, but he wasn’t needed so he stood to the side in case he was.
“No fighting in church, asshole,” Bash growled, his wolf close to the surface. “We use our words. I’ll let you up and Duke will impose your fine. Blink twice if you can control yourself when I let you up.”
He stood and stepped away from Dozer, who went to his hands and knees to gasp for air and dry heave a few times before he could breathe again.
“Five hundred dollar fine to be handled with a check, not cash,” Duke said as Dozer stood.
They’d brought me in because they needed more ways to launder ill-gotten funds.
Most of the older club members are swimming in cash we can’t just spend willy-nilly lest the IRS starts asking questions.
Making him pay with a check would hurt a lot more than allowing cash.
Dozer already hated me, and this wouldn’t help.