I watched from afar as Aiken, now known as Lift, showed off his brand new cut. The leather was shiny and fresh, completely unmarked, unlike my own which was worn, scratched and darkened with wear. That was the way I liked it though. A Brother’s cut was his identity. It showed who he was, what he represented and his pride in part of belonging to something bigger than himself. We treated our cut with the respect it deserved. No other man could take it from us bar the president of the club, and if for some reason it needed washing or patches sewn you did it your damn self.You didn’t know how to sew?You learned fast because no one was taking that cut from your hands.
I saw Harmony approach Lift, feeling a twinge of jealousy in my stomach, but knowing that she felt as though she needed to tell him how much she appreciated what he’d done for me, for the club and for her. She didn’t even realize that doing just that was proving to me and everyone else how perfect she was to be a president’s Old Lady.
I watched as she spoke to him, her face sincere with gratitude. The young kid caught my eye over her head, he was checking to make sure I was okay with the interaction. I gave him a small nod just as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. He smiled, but I sensed the discomfort in the interaction.
“Harmony!” I called as I laughed. “I think the kid’s had enough thanks.”
She turned and poked her tongue out at me before turning back to him and continuing her conversation. The Brothers at my side laughed.
“Well, she’s come out of her shell,” Loose commented.
“Yeah, a little too much maybe,” I said jokingly.
Mix skulled back his beer, motioning for the prospect behind the bar to bring him another. “She heading back soon?”
I frowned, Harmony was meant to have started classes last week. She’d managed to worm her way out of them so far. There was only so much time she could have off due to ‘family emergencies’ without failing her course completely and having to re-sit a whole semester. She needed to go back, but I wasnothappy about the situation.
Daniel Ashley had been quiet since our meeting at Glow. There had been no word from him, no whispers through town. That alone made me nervous. That whole saying aboutno news being good newswas a load of bullshit. No news was always bad news.
“I’m not sure,” I told him as I took a sip of my beer, the cold liquid coating my dry agitated throat. “She needs to be there for another semester or they might fail her, but even with all our feelers out, we haven’t been able to catch jack shit on this asshole.”
Loose nodded. “Guessing you don’t think he got the point and gave up?”
“Not in this lifetime,” I scoffed.
I wanted to be able to go back with Harmony, but the bylaws of the club stated I had to be there for a certain amount of time a year or else I forfeited my right to my president’s title. The rule was fair enough, presidents needed to be around to direct their club and its members. Without a leader, who knows what the hell would happen.
“How long does she have left?”
“Twelve weeks, then she can graduate.” I rolled my beer bottle on the bar top. Harmony and I had gone over every possible option. Online classes, driving back and forth, transferring to the local college. Everything had either come up as too dangerous or ended in her having to re-sit which she was determined not to do. I didn’t blame her for it. She had put a lot of work into getting where she was today. Although it was within my rights to tell her to stay, I knew she would be unhappy and I didn’t want to put us back in that place we were with her resenting me.
“You know the boys up there will watch her,” Wreck commented. Harmony had grown on him. Her and Del had become very close which meant Del was around the club more, so he was able to spend more time with his Brothers and his woman.
I knew Optimus would do whatever he had in his power to keep my girl safe, but it wasn’t just that. I’d become accustomed to having her around in my bed every night, her body mine to admire and appreciate. With her a few hours away, visits would be few and far between, especially with the workload I’m going to be taking on. The club here dealt big with marijuana and our personal crop was ready for harvest. We limited ourselves to one harvest a year to avoid unwanted attention, but our shit was the best and there was a fuckload of it to distribute. Which meant, for the next couple months we would be making a lot of runs.
Some of my Brothers moved off, in search of their women, or just a woman.
Tally shifted up beside me. “Scared she’s not going to come back?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What?”
“You scared she’s going to get back up there and fall into old routines?”
The thought hadn’t crossed my mind and it pissed me off that he would even suggest it. “The fuck she will. She knows who owns her and so do the assholes up there. They wouldn’t dare,” I growled.
He held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I was just asking.”
“Next time, don’t ask.” I stormed past him, the sudden urge to remind my woman who she belonged to. I found her laughing with my father, not even in the mood to take the time to revel in the fact that my parents saw her for what she was, perfect Old Lady material and already loved her. I plucked the glass from her hand and placed it on the table. Before she could protest, I dropped my shoulder into her stomach and lifted her off the ground. She squealed in surprise and the rest of my family erupted in laughter and catcalls as I carried her away in search of our room.
“Kit!” She banged on my back, demanding that I let her down, but her laughter caused her words to become almost indecipherable.
I kicked my door open, pausing only once to slam it closed again with my foot before dumping her body onto the bed. She bounced, almost falling off but managed to catch herself only aiding in making her laugh even more.
“Was that necessary, you caveman?” she asked, still smiling once her laughter had calmed.
“Tell me who you belong to,” I said sternly as I stood at the foot of the bed.
“Come again?” she asked, confused.