Chapter 6 — Holt #2
"No. The brothers are going to take their cue from me. I respect you, they'll respect you. Clint might be intense but that's just how he is. Tate will probably make a comment. Cain will assess you and then approve. The rest will follow."
"What should I wear?"
"Whatever you're comfortable in. You're not performing for them. You're just meeting them."
"Okay."
We talk for another fifteen minutes.
She tells me about the book she's reading. I tell her about a rebuild I'm working on. It's ordinary conversation and it feels significant because we're having it at all.
When I hang up it's almost three. Louis is still watching his movie. I sit on the porch thinking about Wednesday.
The last woman I brought to church was my ex-wife and that was eight years ago. The brothers are going to understand what this means. They're going to know Katherine is permanent.
They're also going to understand the strategic implications. If Marrow retaliates for the warehouse, Katherine is now protected. Touching her means going through twenty armed men who will not hesitate.
Sunday I take Louis to the park. Katherine meets us there around ten with coffee for both of us and hot chocolate for Louis in a thermos.
She brought donuts. Louis talks non-stop about a show he watched and shows her how high he can climb on the equipment he is technically too old for.
She watches without hovering and when he falls and scrapes his knee she is there with a bandaid from her bag before I can move.
We stay until noon. Louis asks if she can come over for dinner later and I look at her and she says yes and something about the ease of it makes my chest feel tight.
She comes for dinner. We make spaghetti.
Louis falls asleep on the couch at eight-thirty.
I carry him to bed and when I come back downstairs Katherine is doing the dishes.
I stand in the doorway and watch her move through my kitchen like she belongs there and I do not say anything but I think it might be true.
Monday and Tuesday blur together the way weekdays do.
I work at Ray's. Katherine teaches. Louis has homework.
We text in the evenings after Louis is asleep.
She sends me a photo of a mug that says "World's Okayest Teacher" that she found at a thrift store.
I send her a photo of Louis asleep on the couch with a book open on his chest. She asks what we are reading.
I tell her we just finished Hatchet for the third time and started The Giver.
She says Louis has good taste. I tell her he gets that from me.
She sends back a laughing emoji and I stare at my phone for thirty seconds because I made her laugh and that matters more than it should.
By Tuesday night when I text her that I am picking her up for church tomorrow, it feels like we have been doing this longer than five days.
Wednesday evening I pick her up at seven. She's wearing jeans and a burgundy sweater that hugs every curve and boots and her hair is down. When she opens the door I have to remind myself we're going to the clubhouse and not staying here.
"Hi," she says. Her voice is nervous.
"Hi. You look beautiful."
Her cheeks flush. "Thank you. Are you sure about this?"
"Completely."
The drive takes fifteen minutes. She's quiet and I reach over and take her hand halfway there. Her fingers are cold. I run my thumb across her knuckles.
"They're going to like you," I say.
"You don't know that."
"I do. You're with me. That's all that matters."
We pull up to the clubhouse at seven-twenty. Eight bikes are already there. Several trucks. I park and look at Katherine. Her face is pale but set.
"Ready?" I ask.
"No. But let's do it anyway."
We get out and I keep my hand on her lower back as we walk to the door. The main room is full when we enter. Conversations don't stop but people notice. Clint is at the head of the table. Tate is near the bar. Cain is in the corner with his laptop.
I guide Katherine into the room and everyone is watching now. Clint stands and walks over and his face is unreadable.
"Clint, this is Katherine Hayes," I say. "Katherine, Clint. Our president."
Clint looks at her for a long moment. Then he extends his hand. "Katherine."
She takes it. "Hi. Thank you for letting me come."
"Holt's call, not mine. But you're welcome." He glances at me. "She teach Louis?"
"Yeah. Music. Third grade."
Clint nods. Looks back at Katherine. "My son's daughter is in kindergarten. Ava. Talks about music class."
"Ava is wonderful. She has perfect pitch."
Something shifts in Clint's expression. "That good?"
"Very good."
He nods once. "Good to meet you."
Tate appears next, grinning. "So this is why you've been useless for a week."
"Tate, Katherine. Katherine, Tate."
Tate shakes her hand. "Finally. Thought he'd sworn off women entirely."
"Watch it," I say.
Katherine smiles. "Nice to meet you."
"You teach his kid?"
"I do."
"Good. Means you already know what you're getting into."
She laughs at that and I watch Tate's grin widen. Cain approaches next. Doesn't say anything at first, just looks at Katherine with that assessment he brings to everything. Then he nods.
"Cain."
"Katherine."
"You're the one from the parking lot. Wednesday."
"Yes."
"That's why you're here?"
I step in before she can answer. "She's here because she's mine. Anyone who touches her answers to the club."
The room has gone completely quiet. Every brother is listening now. Clint's expression doesn't change but I see the acknowledgment in his eyes.
"Understood," Clint says. "Welcome to Vigil protection, Katherine."
"Thank you."
The other brothers introduce themselves one by one over the next ten minutes. Some are warm. Some are reserved. All of them are respectful. Katherine handles each one with that warmth and directness she probably uses with difficult parents.
Church is brief. Clint runs through Marrow updates. Sully spotted in home territory, still recovering. Crane has been quiet which means he's planning. Stay alert.
After church breaks, Katherine and I stand near the bar. Clint appears at my side.
"She's good," he says quietly.
"Yeah."
"You're serious."
"Completely."
"Good. We'll cover her."
He walks away and I watch Katherine talk to Cain near the corner. Whatever he's saying is making her smile. I watch his expression shift. Cain doesn't smile often but he's close.
Tate comes over. "She's fitting in."
"Yeah."
"Marrow's going to notice."
"That's the point. Let them know touching her means going through all of us."
We stay another hour. Katherine meets everyone, holds her own, and by the time we leave every brother in the room knows she matters.
I drive her home and walk her to her door. We stand on her porch in the October night.
"That went well," she says.
"Told you."
"Clint is intense."
"That's just him. He liked you. Told me after."
"How could you tell?"
"He said you were good. That's high praise from Clint."
She smiles. "I liked them. They're protective of you."
"They're protective of family. You're family now."
Her smile fades. "Just like that?"
"Just like that. I claimed you. They respect that. You're under Vigil protection now which means if Marrow comes for me through you, they go through twenty armed men first."
She's quiet. "That's what this was really about."
"Partially. Also about making sure you know you're not alone in this. That there are people watching out for you beyond just me."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. It's what you deserve."
I kiss her then, deep and claiming, and when I pull back we're both breathing hard.
"I need to get Louis," I say.
"I know."
"I'll call you tomorrow."
I force myself to walk to my truck. Drive home with my hands tight on the wheel.
Louis is asleep when I get there. Ray's nephew says everything was fine. I thank him and lock up and check on Louis and then sit on my back porch in the dark.
Eight years since I brought a woman to church. Eight years since I wanted to. The brothers know what it means. Katherine knows what it means.
She's mine now. Publicly. Officially.
And I've never been more certain of anything.