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“What do you think of Dog City?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking for your thoughts on the progress of us stepping out into the city?”
“It’s strong. The relationship with Darius and his boys is growing in the right direction. I feel like they need us more than we need them, but it’s a good place to set up a new charter.”
“How hard should we approach our arrival?”
“As hard as we can,” he answers without hesitation. “We need youngins joining who’re prepared to prove themselves.”
“If you had to choose a brother from here, who do you think should wear the president’s patch?”
“For sure, one of the sons. You’ll need someone they can connect with. Put one of the old-timers in there, they won’t do things how they need to be done these days.”
That’s a fair assessment.
“I’m going to put you forward and give you my full backing.”
This shuts the little shit up. I almost laugh when he stares over at me, his eyes wide with shock. It takes a full minute before he finally clears his throat and says, “I’m not ready for that, Dad.”
“I think you are. You’ve always known when your brother was born, I had a vision for the club. I saw him wearing my patch, leading my brothers. And then you came along, and my vision was altered. I saw you beside him, the two of you shoulder to shoulder, heads about everyone. Strong.” Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “Then you sat at the table, and everything changed again.”
“It did?” he asks sceptically.
“Do you know what’s stronger than a president and his VP?”
“What?”
“A president bonded to another president, not only by patch, but by blood too.”
Angling my body so I’m facing him, he keeps his eyes on mine as I continue. “You’d grow as a president as the chapter grows—you’d get stronger. It’s in your blood to lead, and you have my full trust and support. Especially with Angel at your side. Watching the two of you work together reminds me of Sparky and me.”
“I made one suggestion.”
“A suggestion that’s gonna change everything. It already is.”
Breaking eye contact, he takes a moment to process what I’m saying, and as he does, I watch him carefully.
“Not everyone can lead or make the hard decisions it takes to survive. Not only you, but to keep everyone around you alive. You have it, Luca. I wouldn’t say it if I wouldn’t put my life on it, and I do.”
“Are you losing your mind?” he asks.
I bark out a laugh. “For once, I’m thinking more fucking clearly than I ever have.”
“Dad, Tor loves this town, her family…”
“She loves you more,” I interject. “Be honest with yourself. You know you’re not a follower, even if the one you’re following is your old man. Or, in time, your own brother.”
“It’s what I patched in to do.”
“Don’t play me. You patched in because you thought it was what you needed to do for Victoria. You weren’t ever planning on patching in, were you?”
When he can’t meet my eyes, I know I’m right. It’s why he’d never give me a straight answer when I asked. He had his head in the clouds, wanting to chase down that skirt who ran out on him years ago.
“But I did, and I’m glad I did. This is who I am.”
“You’re wrong. Leo’s my firstborn son, and as so, the gavel falls to him. As close as you two have gotten lately, I don’t think it would work with you both being in the same charter.”
