Prologue
Buck
Buck, I have to talk to you.” Ax walked into the barn with his headhanging.
I pointed to our chapel room where we could have a little privacy. “What’s up, kid?” I asked as we both tookseats.
“Cass is pregnant. I’m going to be a father.” Watching as my VP pulled his cut off and started to hack away at the patches, my heart sunk a bit. Throwing them into the middle of the table, relief washed overRyan.
With a shaking hand, I tried to reassure my young brother. “We have to call a vote, but if you want to patch out, I understand and support your decision. You have to do what is right for you and yourfamily.”
“She said she’ll marry me. I have to do this for her. She deserves for me to choose her and put her first.” His voice shook as the words filled theroom.
“You’re making the right decision. Cass is worth it, and we will always be your family. You’ll be under our protection for the rest of your life. You will always have a homehere.”
It didn’t take long for me to make the calls needed and to fill the table. With a heavy heart I slammed the gavel to call our impromptu meeting to order. “Brothers, we have something to address that I want you all to take to heart. Please hear Ryan out and take his situation into consideration when making your choicetonight.”
They all looked from me to Ax as they mumbled curiosity as to why I had gather them. “This is a proud moment for me.” I added before turning the flooring over to myVP.
Ax stood to my left, leaving his seat empty as he addressed his brothers. He’d made a hard choice, but it was the right one for his new family and I respected the shit out of him for it. In all my time at the head of the table, we had never had someone boldly stand up for his family like Ryan had just done. It took balls and I needed to be as supportive as I could be. I’d known he was going to do great things with his life since the first day he put his cut on, I just always thought it would be a life as an outlaw. People do have a way of surprisingyou.
Ax puthis hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, brother,” he whispered before clearing his throat. “This decision was not made lightly, but I must ask you all to vote me out of the charter. I need to leave the Unacceptables as I can no longer effectively do my duty and fulfill my responsibilities to this club to the full extent this organization deserves and requires. Buck will also be talking to you all about who will take myplace.”
After setting the patches he’d just cut from his leather in the middle of our table, he walked from member to member, hugging each of them. His head hung low as he silently exited the chapel room in our bar, leaving me to call thevote.
I lit a cigarette, taking a few seconds in anticipation of one of the hardest votes I was ever going to have to call as a president. “In light of the recent attack, Ax has asked to be voted out of our club. Cassidy is pregnant, and Ryan has decided it is the best decision for him and his growing family. All in favor of letting Ryan Axston step away from the charter in goodstanding?”
Each member slowly agreed, most with reluctance, as I went from man to man sitting at the table. Slamming my gavel, I yelled, “Aye!”
Grabbing the vice president square from its resting place on the skull and bones on our table, I handed it to Riley MacLean. “Mac, come take your new seat and be my vicepresident.”
Standing, I wrapped my new VP in my arms before holding out Ax’s old seat. All of the members drummed their fists on the table in celebration for Mac’s newposition.
“I’ll go get Ax,” Mac said before opening thedoor.
Ryan came in and sat in the back of the room, water welling in his eyes. “Thank you,guys.”
“There is one issue we need to discuss while Ax is still here with us—who the fuck hit our club the othernight.”
A shooting could not go without retaliation. The threat of an unknown enemy was real andlooming.
“It felt too impulsive for it to be the Sinners,” Axmuttered.
“Agreed,” Buck grunted, slamming his fist onto thetable.
“I’ve put the word out with our other charters and have reached out to all my sources. Nothing yet. But, we will get to the bottom of this sooner than later.” I hated admitting it, but there were no leads, no information on who would have been fucking stupid enough to do a drive-by at thebarn.
Chapter 1
Almost a year later
Ryan
Standing in the steam-filled shower, I sank to the floor, letting the scalding water loosen my tired back and neck. With how many times I had jumped out of airplanes and choppers, ridden through the night on my bike, fought for my life, and nearly been blown the fuck up, my body ached daily, a constant reminder of the warrior I used tobe.
My mind tripped back to the last night Cass and I had been at the barn. The threat of losing her that night assaulted my every thought, consumed every minute of my day. That guilt would never subside, and I didn’t want it to. It was my motivation, my drive, my purpose, to never let my wife know terror like she had in my arms that night everagain.
Turning off the water, I heard the baby wailing through the monitor that rested on the gray granite counter in the bathroom. I jumped out of the shower as fast as I could and turned the volume down. With only a towel cinched around my waist, I tiptoed out of our bedroom. I glanced over at my wife sleeping peacefully in our bed and a small smirk played on my lips as she snored quietly, curled up in the plush whitecomforter.