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I was stronger. I was smarter. I’d fought it once already.
And I knew I had it in me to do it again. I just needed to dig deep and find it.
“When your cake’s done, we’ll make a run to the hospital, then head to the clubhouse.”
I was sure I’d told him the hospital had given me a week of leave to recover—not ideal since I’d promised Ali I’d help him out with some cash this week. “But I’m not worki—”
“You need those ribs checked.” He poured the almost-black liquid into a cup and leaned back against the counter, a smug grin on his face as he took a sip. “You can try to fight me on this, but you won’t win.”
I pursed my lips and scrunched up my nose. “Fine.”
Usually, I wouldn’t have a problem arguing with him about something so small, but I was exhausted, and there were only so many things I could fight at once—the most important was my mind.
Chapter Fourteen
BISHOP
“All right, sit down,” I called, banging my gavel on the worn, wooden table.
Hawk sat to my right, Blue and Cain to my left, and my sergeants surrounded me while the rest of my men took their seats at the table.
Nothing compared to the energy that filled the room when we were together or the honor I felt every time I sat in front of these men.
They voted me into this position, and I’d never taken that lightly, completely aware they trusted me to lead them and the club into the future. Everything I did was to make sure my club thrived into its next generation, and that my men and their families had everything they needed.
I owed the club that much, given they were the reason I was still alive.
That day was one of the only times I asked them to stand by a choice I’d made out of pure selfishness.
The room quieted quickly, and I nodded to Blue.
He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “I think all of you at this point know Rafe,” he announced, a wave of bobbing heads moving around the room. Blue had done what I told him and spent the past week making sure every club member had some kind of introduction and interaction with the kid so they could all have solid grounds for their vote. “Bishop gave me permission to put him forward to start prospecting. I’m gonna sponsor him, and you can trust that Rafe is all in when it comes to the club. He wants this family. He needs it.”
A soft chatter filled the room, and I let the men talk among themselves for a few minutes before banging the gavel again to bring the room to silence. “I’m behind this decision. I’ve spoken with Rafe about what is expected of him and believe he could be a great brother if given the chance. Majority rules on this decision. Yays?”
A collective yay filled the small room, and while I already knew the answer, I called for objections anyway.
“Nays?”
Silence.
“Yays have it.” I banged the gavel, the sound lighting up my brother’s face. “Blue, get a cut and some patches sorted and bring the kid in tomorrow.”
Blue grinned as he fell back into his seat. “Fuck yes, Prez.”
He was relieved.
Rafe wasn’t the first teen Blue had taken under his wing—Cash patched in under Blue a couple of years ago—and I doubted he would be the last.
Both Blue and I were affected by Rook’s decision to do the same for us, to bring us into a fold that had no obligation to accept us. But the club did. It changed the direction of our lives and gave us something we’d never had before.
Purpose.
“Before you all head out, there’s something else I need to make everyone aware of,” I announced, even though I was sure the word had already spread through the clubhouse. These men were worse than gossiping old women at bingo some days, but I had to make sure they all heard it from me. “Shay came across Alice Hersh in the hospital and managed to get her away from the guy who had her. Unfortunately, that guy ended up being Vince Martelli. To say Vince was upset is an understatement, and his men went after Shay, shooting up her and Calli’s apartment.”
I curled my hands into fists and rolled my shoulders back, fighting the anger settling in my muscles.
“Yesterday, I went and spoke with Frank, letting him know the situation, and when he said there was nothing he could do, I took matters into my own hands to make sure Shay was protected. I claimed her as my Old Lady.”
