He reluctantly turned his gaze to mine.
“When you get back from your fun trip, do you want to pick out a paint color for your room?”
“Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah. We’ll paint it whatever color you want. I promise.” I bent down and hugged him. “You’re stuck with us, kid. Don’t think of leaving us.”
He let out a nervous laugh, but I could tell it was laced with fear.
I pulled back, scratched Captain behind his ears, and then shut the car door. I went to help Darcy who was still loading the back of the Range Rover with sleeping bags, food, and clothes.
“Thanks for looking out for him,” I said.
“No problem.” She peered at me. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No.”
She smiled slightly. “The boys are gonna be pissed when they find out you didn’t get in my car.”
“They will thank me when all this is over and our boys are out in the world again.”
“Promise me you’ll tell me everything that goes down?”
“I’m not supposed to talk club business,” I said with a wide smile.
“So you’ll tell me and the girls at our next girls’ night?”
I hugged her. “Can’t wait.”
“Be safe.” She embraced me back hard and then let go. “And if you can, keep my husband out of trouble.”
I held my tongue, not divulging that I had plans to use her husband and his skills. I knew what I had in mind would work, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to convince Gray and Torque to help me.
I went to Joni and Rachel to say my farewells. Allison was already gone, having said goodbye to Torque earlier. She’d taken her younger sister and gotten out of Waco fast. Joni looked pale and shaken up, despite Rachel attempting to crack jokes. Even she looked worried.
“It’ll be okay,” I told Joni, my voice soft.
“How can you be sure?” she demanded.
“Because I won’t let anything happen to any of them,” I vowed.
Maybe it didn’t mean a lot coming from me, the woman who had brought wreck and ruin with her to the club and nearly destroyed their way of life, but the Blue Angels were family now and I would be damned before I let anything happen to them.
I was the daughter of an MC president. I was related to the O’Banions as well as the Capones. My bloodlines did not lie and I was born for this life.
By choosing Colt, I accepted it.
I squeezed her hand and then stood back so she could get in the passenger seat.
I waved to them as they drove out of the gate to Louisiana.
To safety.
I sat at a large wooden table in between Torque and Gray.
The other seats were occupied by Flynn and Ramsey, Knight and Bishop, Sanchez’s man Franco, and the Jackal club president, Pike. We were in a private room at The Rex in Dallas; Flynn had graciously offered to host the assembly. It was fairly neutral ground for all concerned.
“Why is a woman sitting in on our meeting?” Pike asked, his glare directed at me.