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Both Deacon and Alex lean forward, and I cough.
“Man, I wish I could have that beer right about now.”
When Deacon holds an unopened one out to me, I shake my head again.
“I have to hear this,” Alex says while lacing his fingers together on the tabletop. “How did Avery save your life?”
“Well,” I start. “You know I went to USC after high school with a full-ride scholarship for football.”
Both of them nod. Deacon had actually been at my party to celebrate, so I know I’m just rehashing the beginning.
“Both me and LJ. We played together all four years in college. Refused the draft until we were seniors. Wouldn’t even enter. But man, we were good. They called us Golden Boys for a reason. And when we were drafted together, we went out to celebrate.”
I sigh, rubbing my forehead, and take a deep breath, needing to go back in time to tell the story.
“When we graduated high school, Avery came running out of the house as I picked Deacon up. I’ll never forget it. All frowns and frustrated shouts. She told us we were stupid and scoffed at our plans to party, refusing to come with us or to invite any of the other girls in her class. That’s what caused Karen Zucker to firebomb her car, but she held firm.”
I hold out my hand, raising my fingers while I list off the rules she’d given us that night.
“One: no bringing home skanks. You’ll regret it in the morning.”
Both the men in front of me laugh.
“Two: no drinking and driving. If you crash and die, everyone will hate you secretly.”
I think about the rage and hate I still have for LJ, even years after he died.
“Three: no stupid decisions when you’re not home and safe. If you want to do something crazy, stay home and do it there.”
Both of them know my history, what I’ve gone through, but I still replay it.
“Four: wear a seat belt at all times, because they’ll hurt but they won’t kill you.”
The picture of LJ from that night, dead on the side of the road, replays itself like a movie. I see his lifeless face, almost as clearly as I see my brother’s when I close my eyes.
I can't stop now, though. I still have a story to finish.
“We got drafted together. LJ and me. We went out that night, but I made him swear to follow the rules. Because little Miss Avery James made me promise years before then to bring her brother back alive. To follow her rules. And those rules stuck with me, all that time later. But LJ didn’t listen. He broke the rules, got in a car with a drunk woman, and she killed them both.”
I swallow, forcing the emotion down and squeezing my hands together to the point that my bones ache.
“Avery James saved my life before she ever really knew me. Before she knew that I’d spend my life trying to find a way to thank her. And then she just popped back into my life. Over and over again. First, with the Bellwort flowers in our field. Then with the Johnson farm. LJ’s buried there, you know. Under a tree. I couldn’t let it go to a stranger, and Mr. Johnson told me about the little troublemaker who lived in the fields during the summer. I knew it was her. So I bought the farm. For her, even though I didn’t know if she’d ever love me.”
Yes, I embarrass myself, telling them everything. But I have to. They have to understand, because their world will never be the same. Being connected to the police will destroy their club, and I need them to knowwhyI had walked into their club and told them what would be happening.
“I’m going to marry her, and I’m going to make her happier than anyone else possibly could.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“And you’re telling us because of the club.” Deacon nods. “I get it. You want to make sure that we have time. Plus, if we present a united front from the very beginning, there’s less of a chance that someone is gonna try to take you out to prove a point to us.”
“Exactly,” I add. “There was a lot of time when I worked in California, where people underestimated the MC’s influence on the area they occupied. I won’t make the same mistake. Especially not where Avery is concerned.”
“Makes sense.” Alex nods. He holds out his hand and I take it, thankful that he doesn’t shoot me. “Welcome to the family, Carter.” Alex squeezes my hand tightly. “If you hurt her, I will cut out your eyes and feed them to my dogs. I won’t kill you, though. I’d want you to live with the fact that you’d lost everything.”
I stare him directly in the eyes, unwavering. “Sir, if I ever hurt Avery, I mean truly hurt her, I’d swallow my gun. We’re going to fight and argue, and there are times that she’s going to cry, because that’s just who your daughter is. But my mother didn’t raise an idiot. I know that your daughter is the best thing that could ever happen to me. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Damn.” Deacon laughs. “The man’s got balls, that’s for sure.” I let go of Alex’s hand when he smiles at my response, and I turn to face my friend.
Alex pushes himself back away from the table. “I’m headed home to your mother, Deacon. She’s gonna beat my ass for staying out late and not telling her why. I won’t say a thing, though.” He walks toward the door, stopping only once. “And Carter? You’re family now. So, if you need it, we don’t care that you bleed blue. We’ll be there. Club family, too.”
