Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
I dropped my head.
Ky’s hand came around my head, and he pulled me to his chest. He kissed the top of my head. “You ride up front today, for your folks.” I fought the fucking lump in my throat. “Today, you fucking show the world that they ain’t forgotten. That we all fucking remember them.”
I turned, pulling out of Ky’s way, and put my hand on the wall behind us. Cowboy came to my side, and then I recognized Sia’s hand taking mine. I just fucking breathed, failing to keep my shit together.
Family, Styx had signed. Family.
When I could finally fucking function, I turned and saw Styx and Ky had taken their seats on their bikes . . . behind mine and Cowboy’s. Mine at the front. Cowboy’s slightly behind, but still fucking there right beside me.
I walked numbly to my bike. As I sat on my saddle, Lil’ Ash brought over a black armband for me, and Zane took one to Cowboy. Ash tied it around my arm. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that black piece of material. For what it meant. What it truly represented.
Styx’s loud whistle jarred me from my thoughts. I glanced behind, seeing Styx’s hand in the air. I turned on my engine. Just before we rolled out, I caught Cowboy’s eyes . . . they were fucking shining too. He nodded at me.
I stared at my friend and then looked across at Sia. Tears tumbled down her cheeks as she held Lilah’s hand tightly. She kissed her fingers my way. A peace I’d never known until this moment filled me, settling demons that had been denied rest for so fucking long.
Then I led us out of the compound and onto the open roads. The roar of engines was the soundtrack to this moment. And as we drove through downtown, all of Congress Avenue stopping to watch as the Hangmen rode out for a fallen brother and sister, I couldn’t have been prouder to wear the Hangmen patch.
Because they were my family.
I finally belonged . . . after all this time.
After fighting my demons for so long, I let myself accept the truth . . .
I belonged.
*****
One month later . . .
Church had been moved to the bar. The room was filled with every prez and VP from all the southern states. Styx sat at the front of the room, Ky beside him. A large table had been brought in, big enough to accommodate the sea of men. I stood at the back with the rest of the Austin chapter. Only the prez and VP got a seat at the table. We were the only non-leaders allowed here today.
Cowboy was beside me, but his eyes weren’t on Styx; they were glaring at the cunt across the table. Titus sat next to Crow. Crow had met our eyes when he arrived. He shook his head. He still had nothing concrete on the asswipe.
The gavel slammed down on the table. All eyes moved to Styx. He lifted his hands and, as always, Ky spoke for him. “I’ll cut straight to the fucking chase.” Styx met the eyes of everyone in the room in turn. “We had some club shit several weeks ago, with the Quintana cartel. We knew when it all went down that the chance of war was high.” He paused, and Cowboy looked at me. I breathed, understanding now why this meeting was going down. I felt the tension seeping from my brothers around me. The adrenaline was beginning to build. “As of five days ago, the Quintana cartel has declared war.” The silence in the room became thick and heavy. “The Quintana family is in partnership with the Klan. They’ve declared war on us too.”
My breathing grew faster; bitterness, hatred, and everything I’d harbored toward those fuckers for years came rushing to the surface. “Hell yeah,” Vike muttered under his breath. I could hear Flame growling behind me, could hear the clenching of fists and fast breaths of excitement.
“We go on high alert,” Styx signed and Ky spoke. “I’ve only called on the southern states. But if this war gets messy, all chapters will be moving to Texas until it’s through.” Styx sighed, then added, “The last war took many lives.” He let that sit with us all. I looked at Cowboy. He looked at me, both of us feeling the gravity of Styx’s words. I faced Styx again. “I don’t expect this to be any different.” Styx looked around the room. “Some of us won’t be coming back from wherever the fuck this war takes us.”
“If we fall for the club, it’ll be a fucking honor,” Suede, the prez of the Arkansas chapter, said with pride. Brothers nodded. Styx nodded back in approval.
“We gotta be strong,” Styx signed, Ky his mouthpiece. “Only the most dedicated brothers fight.” Styx looked at Tanner. My brow furrowed. What the fuck was happening? Tanner ducked from the room. Then Styx looked at Titus. I stilled. Cowboy reached out and took hold of my arm.