CHAPTER 13
KADE
I’ve known Lucifer my entire life and the way he’s able to go from the man who is like a father to Prez has always blown my mind. I’m not entirely sure who I’m sitting in front of right now. His eyes are soft as he looks at me, but his jaw is clenched.
After spending all night wrapped up in my woman, reveling in how she stood up for me, I didn’t want to let her leave today. If she didn’t have appointments booked I’m sure I could have convinced her to stick around and stay in bed with me.
The feeling of finally having her right where she belongs—in my arms and trusting me—is indescribable.
“You look happy, Driller,” Lucifer’s words pull me away from thoughts of my woman.
“I am,” I admit with a smile. “I have my woman back in my life, right where she belongs. I just need her cut to come in and then I’m going to claim her officially and slide my ring on her finger.”
He chuckles and nods, his eyes sparkling with warmth. Just because he’s looking at me with affection and understanding doesn’t mean he’s not a man to be intimidated by. He is and I respect the hell out of him for being able to straddle the line and be whoever he needs to be for the club, his brothers, and his family.
When we met for Church the last time, one of the things I wasn’t going to wait on was claiming my woman at the table. There isn’t usually a reason for anyone to push back against the claim, and I didn’t think there would be any in my case but bringing it to the table is about respect.
I was nervous, honestly. Not because anyone would object, but because of the gravity of what I was about to do. It might sound wild, but I swear I felt my father’s hand come to rest on my shoulder with pride and a squeeze of support.
In that moment, with him not there to meet my woman or see the beautiful young women my sisters grew into, I missed him with an intensity that made me breathless. He should have been there to experience everything with me. He should have been there to ride out surrounded by his brothers, laughing and watching as the club expanded and strengthened the bonds of our family.
When Lucifer gave me a nod once we were all assembled and had already gone over the normal updates about the state of the businesses, I cleared my throat and found everyone’s attention swinging toward me. “I’m claiming Emery as my old lady,” my tone was firm letting everyone know that even if there was an objection, I wasn’t going to hear it.
“Fucking finally,” Feral growled, one of the old timers and Tack’s father.
“Here fucking here,” Loot added on with a tease in his voice.
I glared at Loot, remembering how close he is to my woman and the fact that he has her art inked on her skin. Hell, I hadn’t gotten around to getting her to put something on me. Yet.
I won’t be able to wait much longer. I want her art on my skin. I need it, crave it, almost as much as I do her.
Everyone banged on the table, the movement starting out quiet before growing in intensity and fervor. There wasn’t a single objection, only smiling faces and excitement that we were going to be welcoming one more kickass woman into the fold who could handle the intensity of our lifestyle and the big ass bikers that go along with it.
Church was before Emma’s graduation and considering how many people came out to support my sister and watch her achieve such a big accomplishment along with Emery standing up for me, I have no doubt that their respect for my woman has only grown. I know mine has.
I never expected her to stand up to Mom and put her in her place, but I can’t say it wasn’t a welcome surprise. Having her in my corner makes me a stronger man.
“You have a damn good woman at your side,” Lucifer’s voice pulls me away out of my memories.
“The fucking best.”
Lucifer chuckles and shakes his head, his eyes glinting with a challenge, “I think we’ll have to agree to disagree. She’ll be a great old lady for you, but Cherise is the fucking best.”
I smirk and jest, “What about Wrenley?”
Laugher booms from my Prez before he chuckles, “She’s a close second.”
I shake my head as nervousness fills me because I don’t believe that this conversation is the only reason Lucifer has pulled me into his office. He must read the hesitance on my face because his smile fades from his face, but not his eyes as he leans back in his chair.
“Are you going back out on the rig?” There’s no judgement in his words, only curiosity.
My head is shaking before he can even get the entire question out because I’ve already put far too much time into that job. I can’t do it anymore. Not only because it was killing me slowly, but because I can’t leave my woman for that long. Hell, I don’t think I could go even 24 hours without her.
If I’m being honest, I’m already twitching to go and see her, and it’s only been a few hours.
“Hell no,” I grunt. “Can’t leave my woman for that long and it was hell on my body.” I sit up a little straighter with the realization that this is my chance to have a real conversation about my future and the role the club can play in it. “It’s time for me to do what I’ve always want to do. It’s time for me to open a tattoo shop. I hope the club can be involved, but if that’s not possible then I’ll figure it out on my own.”
Lucifer smirks but before he can say anything there’s a knock on the door. “Come in,” Lucifer calls out.
I’m surprised when Apostle and Hammer walk into the office and settle into seats. I glance between the three men, unsure about why they’re here. They run Devil’s Construction and I talked to them not long ago about getting on the schedule to get a house built in the compound.
But I can’t imagine they’re here about that.
Lucifer steeples his fingers with an intense look in his eyes. “I’m glad you’re not going back out, Driller. You deserve to have both feet firmly on dry land and you’ve sacrificed far too much to your mother and her selfish pride.”
There was a time in my life when I would have bristled at his words and tried to defend her. That time has long since passed.
“What you did was admirable,” Lucifer continues without really giving me a chance to say anything, not that I have anything to add. “I tried to step in and get her to listen, but she never would.” Regret clouds the man’s features, but he has nothing to regret. Mom does and maybe one day she’ll realize it. I won’t be holding my breath for it though. He picks up a folder on the desk in front of him and hands it to me. “I’ve been sitting on this property for a long time.”
As I look at the papers in the folder my heart starts to hammer inside my chest. The space will be perfect for a tattoo shop. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and fucking more.
“I want this,” I say without even realizing it.
“It’s been yours from the time the club bought it.” My head snaps up with Lucifer’s words. “It was always going to be yours. You put your sisters first, which I understood, but I wasn’t going to allow your sacrifice to be for nothing. I made sure that when you were ready, when you could walk away from the mind games of your mom, we’d be able to support you and your future.”
I swear there must be dust in this damn office or something because my eyes well up. I blink rapidly and push the sensation away. I’ll be damned if I cry in front of my Prez and brothers because of this.
“Thank you,” my voice is thick with emotion.
Lucifer smirks but doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. And he sure as fuck didn’t do it for my thanks.
Not only is he giving me a space to live my dreams, but the club will benefit as well.
“I’ll be bringing Emery on. I want her to have some sort of stake in the business. She’s talented as fuck and I’m going to need her help to make this work.”
Lucifer nods toward the file where contracts that I barely skimmed over are sitting alongside pictures of the building in question. “Already in the contract. You will have equal claim on the business and equal say. The club is more than happy to give up some of our cut to ensure Emery gets what she is due.”
“Fuck yeah,” Apostle chimes in for the first time since he came into the room. “What she said to your mom yesterday was fucking amazing. Hell, she might have earned a few more percentages just for that.”
“You found a good one,” Hammer agrees. “I thought your mom’s head was going to explode.”
It hasn’t escaped my attention that no one refers to her as my dad’s old lady or even by her name. Not anymore. That would be too much respect being given. The only respect she has in the eyes of the club is in terms of being the woman who gave me life and even that doesn’t hold much weight considering how she’s used me.
“I know you’ve already talked to Apostle and Hammer about getting your house started, but they’re also going to help get this building ready so you and Emery can open the shop of your dreams,” Lucifer informs me.
I look at Apostle and then Hammer, a little stunned and a whole lot excited. “Fuck,” I whisper before running a hand over my face. “This is,” I swallow hard, “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say shit, Driller,” Apostle grunts.
I know I don’t, but this is huge. I know it’s huge. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and now that I have Emery, I can make her dreams come true as well.
Lucifer reaches across his desk and slams down a set of keys on the wood. “Grab your woman as soon as you can, go on out to the building, and talk about what you need to make this happen.” He pierces me with a stare before he turns it on Hammer and Apostle. “I want you open within two months.”
“You got it, Prez,” I assure him while grabbing the keys and standing.
Hammer and Apostle stand, and I give them both bro hugs before I practically run out of Lucifer’s office. I can’t fucking wait to tell my woman about this. The only thing that could make this day better was if I had her cut already.
It’s already been hard enough not to slip my ring on her finger since she let me past her walls and forgave me for the morning when I fucked everything up.
I’m not sure I deserve the love Emery gives me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to soak it up. I couldn’t let her go now even if I wanted to. But that’s the last thing I want.
I barely pay attention to who is hanging out in the clubhouse as I head through and out to my bike. It’s time to let my woman in on the news. Then she’ll be able to leave that fucking shop.
They don’t deserve her talent or her light.
I might not either, but at least I appreciate her.
With the wind wrapping around me and the sun shining down on me, I’m one step closer to having everything I’ve ever wanted. Hell, I have even more because I wasn’t sure that I would really find an old lady.
But I have and I’m never letting her go.