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Shadow grins. “Don’t be an impatient fuck,” he snaps. “Gotta wait till you get back to the clubhouse.”
I smirk. I’ve never been one for patience. That’s just not me. I climb into the SUV as Shadow slides into the driver’s seat.
“Ask me,” he says after a few minutes of silence.
“What’s goin’ on, Shadow? Preach hasn’t been to visit and he’s not here. What the fuck?”
He shakes his head. “Brother, trust me, we’re all pissed at him for that shit, but the truth of the matter is, he’s drowning in guilt. Has been for the past four years. You know what happened when he beat Jerry to a pulp, and then he did the same to the man’s brother. You took the rap for him, something that we all appreciate. You didn’t have to do that. You shouldn’t have had to do that.”
I lift my shoulders carelessly. “It was that or Preach goin’ to jail. Had he gone instead of me, he’d have been serving a fucking long sentence, brother. He’d have gone down for at least ten years, if not more.”
Shadow nods. “Know that,” he mutters. “Preach is Preach, brother. He’s got a bleeding heart. Doesn't mean it’s bad, just means he’s different.”
“What would you have done had it been Storm?”
Storm and Shadow are practically brothers. They joined the Vipers together, and from what I know, they lived together as kids. Not sure what happened. That’s not my business. But whatever it was, it brought the two of them together.
“I’d have done the same as you did. I’d have taken the rap. That all being said, Preach knew that asshole wanted a fight, and he gave him one. He should have walked the fuck away.”
I nod in agreement. “We would have dealt with it at a different time. That cunt set Preach up, and he fell for it.”
I don’t give a fuck about doing the time. It’s over and done with. What I do give a fuck about is Preacher letting his guilt eat away at him. The man needs to sort his shit out. No one died, but the way he’s carrying on, they may as well have.
We arrive at the clubhouse, and I notice there’s a fuck of a lot of cars. I grin. The brothers and old ladies went all out and threw me a party. I rub my hands together in glee. Now this is a fucking welcome home.
I enter the clubhouse and cheers ring out, everyone shouting, “Welcome home.”
I notice the drinks are already flowing as Shadow claps me on the back. “Welcome home, brother. It’s been a fuckin’ long time.”
I smile. It fucking has. Four years and it’s as though nothing has changed. I look around and see the faces of my brothers and their women. They’ve all been to visit with me, taking it in turns to come.
The women rush at me, all wrapping their arms around me. I grin, my gaze searching for my brothers as I hold them tight. “Now this is a welcome home,” I say.
“Get the fuck off my woman, Reap,” Mayhem snarls.
The ladies pull back, all grinning at me.
“Welcome home, Reaper,” Andromeda says with that raspy voice of hers. “We’ve got your room ready for you. There’s enough drink to keep you boys going until morning and there’s food to feed the five thousand,” she says with a grin.
Andromeda is Ace’s old lady. Being the old lady of the prez puts her at a higher ranking than the rest of the old ladies, but Andromeda is probably one of the sweetest women you’ll ever meet. She’d never use that rank against anyone. No doubt her and Octavia have been working their asses off getting everything ready for me.
“I appreciate your hard work, ladies,” I murmur as Kinsley presses a kiss against my cheek. “How you doin’, Kins?”
She’s Ace’s sister and a biker brat through and through. She grew up in this club, but unfortunately for Kinsley, her father was a cunt, and she suffered at his hands. Thankfully, she has us and Stag, and she’s now thriving.
“I’m good, Reap. Even better now that you’re home,” she tells me with a smile. The darkness that plagued her for years isn’t present in her eyes anymore. Being home with us is where she belongs, where she’s always belonged.
I glance around the room, my gaze searching for my brother, but to no avail.
“He’s drunk and sleeping it off,” Kinsley whispers quietly to me. “He’s a fucking wreck, Reap.”
I shake my head. Christ, it’s worse than I thought. “I’ll straighten him out.”
She laughs. “You’re the only man who ever could. Go easy on him, though. It’s not easy living with guilt.”
I sigh. “I know, but I also know that the shit he’s got runnin’ through his head is bullshit. If I could get my hands on his parents, I’d fuckin’ kill them.”
She nods in agreement. “I’m right there with you. Those assholes have damaged him far more than he’ll ever let anyone see.” She sighs. “But you’re home, and right now, we’re celebrating that. Go have fun, enjoy your evening.”
