I blew out a long breath, looking around the empty space.
“Even Four, he’s our fucking VP, and he built a house off compound for Dani and rarely brings Cal around…”
“How is he?” I ask, not sure what else to say. Everything he is saying is true.
“Cal is shaken up; he heard the entire conversation with his mom the night they took him. Dani is talking with someone Mara recommended, looking for someone to help him. Four is pissed; his ex is in the wind and he is still being watched by the DA suit.”
Once again I wish she were here; she would know exactly what to do, what to say. I think about all the changes that have already taken place. I asked Angel for all the pieces of Bex’s cut. I don’t know why, but I needed to have it close to me.
“Well, we are going to have some soon…” The words bubbled out of me, before I really thought them through.
Angel looked at me, and raised an eyebrow.
I scrub a hand over my face, “Babies, kids… families. We will have them soon.”
I looked around the empty space again, maybe we don't rebuild what was, but we create something new… “They don’t feel safe,yet. But Mara came back, she came back for Bex. But I think part of her came back because this is home to her.”
Angel grunted and then took another sip of his beer. Ledger came around the corner, didn’t say a thing, just slid up beside Angel, cracked a beer and stared out into the open space with us. Like he knew exactly what we were talking about. Then slowly Torch joined and a few other brothers. No one went past the bar. Like a line had been drawn.
I took a deep breath knowing this is the only way we move forward, “You already started making changes when you told the Ol’ Ladies they could patch in. So we keep going, we throw out the old and we listen, we adapt… we make this a place where families can grow andeveryonecan feel safe.”
I heard grunts of agreement and then Torch chuckled and said, “I want to give Meg her road name.”
Brothers start talking over each other, humour and a lightness filling this space that has been missing for a long time.“What about Bullseye?” “Oakley.” “Phantom.”
Ledger laughs louder than I have probably ever heard him, slapping his hand on the bar like he is a part of his own private joke and then chokes out, “Cupcake…”
Cypher walks up to the bar, clutching his laptop tightly. “Cupcake?” he asks.
Torch snorted and then shook his head, “Ledger wants that to be Meg’s roadname, but I already called dibs…”
Cypher growled and I swear I heard something crack, at the same time I heard Meg come up beside us saying, “Cute but if I patch in I want something menacing.”
The brothers turned in her direction, welcoming her, celebrating that she was cleared from the doctor. Ledger passed her a beer dipping his head in her direction.
Torch walked over to her, and slung an arm over her shoulder saying, “Oh, you are menacing alright…”
Cypher cut him off, “I have what you asked for, Angel.”
Angel perked up, “Everything verified?” He asked.
Cypher gave him a curt nod, his whole body radiating tension.
Angel turned looking across the brothers and sister gathered in the room. “Tomorrow we accompany Clutch. As a club we will start righting our wrongs. We will make it safe…” His eyes trailed back to me, “... forherto come home.”
Murmurs spread around the room. Then Torch looked down at Meg, “You wanna ride with me?”
Meg looked surprised, I am not sure if it was the offer to ride on the back of his bike or the offer for her to join us. She looked like she was going to answer him, but Cypher stormed over looking like a 6’3 toddler about to have a fit. “She is not fucking riding with you.”
Torchfuckinglaughed at him and Meg elbowed him, stepping out from under his arm. She gave Cypher her back, looking up at Torch, “I am not cleared to ride on a bike yet.”
The tension in the room was palpable. Cypher looked like he was about to blow a gasket staring over her head, with Torch ignoring him smiling down at Meg.
Feeling like maybe this should be de-escalated, I offered, “I am not cleared to be on my bike yet either, you can jump in the truck with me.”
Meg smiled at me and then looked over at Angel who tipped his beer to her, “Up to you, Meg. I am going to go and make some calls, and let Four know we are moving on Bex’sparentstomorrow.”
He went to walk away but stopped and tapped the bar with his hand, “I heard from some sources that Preacher confirmed he had no involvement with Razor. Says he has enough problems on his hands without messing with our club.” and then he walked off towards his office.