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Today, though, we were about to start our trek home, and with more than twenty hours on the road ahead, I was already mentally preparing myself for the pain my body was going to be in by the time we rolled into Athens in a couple of days.
“Tate’s okay,” Stella answered, and I could hear her feet scuffing the footpath as she walked home, the rhythm of her steps a little slower than usual.
I’d learned that about Stella—she moved through life to a beat.
Whether it was while she was cheerleading or just walking, everything she did was in perfect time, and whether that timing was fast or slow would often be my clue as to how she felt that day.
Today, it was sluggish.
And while I knew she’d been through a shitstorm at school, there was a twisting in my gut telling me that wasn’t the only thing worrying her.
“What is it you are not telling me, Stell?” I questioned, and there was an immediate pause. Her footsteps stopped. “There something else goi?—”
“Jaxon!” Blizzard’s call had me pushing off the wall and rounding the clubhouse, his eyes scanning the yard for a second before settling on me. “We need to go in a minute. Something’s come up, and we need to be back by Friday. They’re saying another storm is coming through, so it’s important we beat it before the waters rise again.”
“Got it,” I replied with a nod. “I’ll be in in a second. My stuff’s already packed, so I’m ready when you are.”
“Good. Meet me out front.”
He disappeared back inside, and I turned my attention back to Stella. “Sorry, babe, I have to go. We’re about to get on the road home.”
“Thank God,” she said, her voice picking up a little. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Same here.” It was killing me to be away from her for this long. More than a few of my Montana brothers and their old ladies during the past week had asked whether I had someone special. But when I told them she was still at high school finishing her senior year, they were quick to blow it off as puppy love. I wasn’t convinced, though. I felt something more. Something different. And I was sure she did too. “We’ll be on the road for a couple of days, but I’ll give you a call tomorrow and update you on how we’re doing.”
“Okay, ride safe.”
It was clear to me that she had more to say, but if Blizzard said we needed to go now, there was no arguing. I hurried back inside, gathered my pack, thanked the club members and their families for housing and feeding us, and said goodbye. Then I met Blizzard out front, where he was loading his Harley with his things. “You said something had come up?” I questioned as I did the same.
He nodded. “Your sister’s coming into town, and she wanted to make sure you were around. Think she maybe has some news.”
I scrunched up my nose. “You don’t think she’s going to try to introduce another boyfriend to Dad, do you?” During Harlyn’s teen and college years, she’d had her fair share of relationship disasters. The disaster being that Dad scared away almost every guy she tried to bring home.
He scoffed loudly. “You think she didn’t learn her lesson the first three times? I’m pretty sure she’s making better choices in men these days. And by better choices, I mean busting more balls to really weed out the weak ones.”
He wasn’t even exaggerating.
My older sister was the definition of fuck around and find out. She was independent, tenacious, and had bigger balls than most men I knew. But that was to be expected given she was raised by a clubhouse full of outlaws and our father was Optimus, Brother’s by Blood MC president.
Dad had a reputation.
He was hard but fair. That’s how he ran his club and had for more than twenty years as its president—a presidency which, one day, I hoped would be entrusted to me, just like his father had to him.
Which is why I’d been eager to take this ride in the first place.
Montana had just patched in a new president, Tag, and it was customary for each club to send a representative to witness the patch over and celebrate a new leader.
While I was still a prospect, I’d started offering to take on extra duties and join patched members when they went on important runs. Each job was another chance to prove to Dad and the club that I could meet their expectations and be the man I needed to be, which honestly, hadn’t always been the case.
I’d done my fair share of stupid shit and had my head pretty far up my damn ass during my teen years, thinking I was untouchable, invincible. I was the son of one of the most notorious men in the MC world, and for a long time, I thought that had given me a free pass to act like a fucking idiot, spending my time drinking too much and fucking anything that moved.
The slap in the face I needed was having to watch my twin brother be handed his prospect cut while my father told me I wasn’t ready.
I had to earn it.
To fight for it.
I needed to prove to my family and the club that I was worthy of their respect instead of demanding it.
