Viking and AK pulled chairs round the table beside us. Rudge, Hush, Cowboy, Tanner, Tank, Bull and Styx came next. Beau was there too. He was the new prospect. He was patched in last week along with Samson and Solomon. They weren’t prospects like Ash or Zane. Styx had given Beau, Solomon and Samson more responsibilities. They were allowed to take part in church. They didn’t have to do any of the grunt shit.
Beau sat next to Tanner. Tanner said something to him, and Beau smirked. I watched them. They were brothers. Samson and Solomon sat down next. They were brothers too, twins. Samson said something, I didn’t hear what, and Solomon laughed. Brothers. Beau and Tanner. Solomon and Samson. They were brothers. Was that how brothers were meant to be?
I didn’t ever laugh with Ash. He didn’t laugh with me. Looking just like someone we both knew, brother… You gonna hit me, Josiah? I heard Ash’s voice in my head. He said I was like my poppa. I didn’t think I was like my poppa. But he thought I was. I didn’t want to be. Poppa hurt my mama. He hurt me and Ash and Isaiah.
Maddie turned her head to look at me. Her eyebrows were pulled down. That meant she was worried. She placed her mouth at my ear. “You are fine, baby. I love you.” I love you… I held onto her tighter. I froze when I suddenly wondered if my poppa had flames in his blood too. If that was why he was always angry, why he hurt everyone.
Solomon and Samson laughed again, Samson holding onto Solomon’s arm. I watched them and realized I knew fuck all about how to be a brother. How did they laugh like that? I didn’t ever get anyone’s jokes, could barely tell when they were telling a joke. I didn’t laugh. It never felt right when I tried. My laughter was forced, and I always laughed at the wrong thing or at the wrong time and people would stare. I wasn’t a brother to Ash, like Beau and Tanner, or Solomon and Samson were to each other. I didn’t fucking know how to be. Ash was fucked having me as a brother. Isaiah… I killed Isaiah. But I’d have been a shit brother to him if he’d lived.
“Jesus!” Vike shouted and shook his head. “Are we old as fuck or what? This the kind of fun we gotta have in the bar now? Babies and cups of tea, like we’re the fucking Queen of England. Where’s the pussy and whiskey?”
Ky closed in behind Vike holding one of his kids and smacked him upside his head. “Vike, shut that ugly mouth or I’ll shove my size thirteen boot up your ass.”
Vike smiled, waggling his eyebrows. “That a promise, Veep?”
“You need to get yourself a woman, Vike,” AK suggested. “You’re one of the fucking oldest brothers in the chapter. Middle aged now, yeah?” AK smirked.
Vike’s mouth dropped open. “I’m aging like a fucking fine wine, brother.” He lifted his shirt to show his muscled stomach. “You ever seen an old man with a body like this?”
Vike stopped talking and stared at something across the room. I watched Ky holding his kid. I tried to imagine holding my kid that way. I couldn’t even see it in my head. My blood rushed through my ears. I could never hold them that way.
“Heard congratulations are in order,” Ky said. He was looking at me. My lungs froze. Maddie stilled on my lap. She gripped my hand and turned to face my brothers.
“Thank you,” she replied to Ky. She kissed my hand and leaned against me again, stroking her finger along the back of my hand. She did that when she tried to help me calm down. I liked it. It normally always worked.
Viking shuffled forward on his seat. “Anyone else ever noticed how fucking hot Rider’s mama is?” I looked to Ruth who was sitting with Bella and Rider. “She never comes to the bar, so I haven’t seen her much. But SHIT! I fucking love me an older bitch. Sister fucking Ruth is looking all kind of hot. Who knew that tight fucking body was under those long dresses the cult bitches all used to wear?”
“Don’t think she’s that much older than you,” Tank said. “Maybe a year or two. Fuck, she might even be younger than you. She had Rider and his twin when she was twelve or thirteen or something, didn’t she? You’re practically the same age.”
“Really?” Vike mused and whistled loudly. He smiled and his eyebrows danced. “Rider!” Rider lifted his head to see Viking across the tables. “Get the fuck over here!” Rider got up and walked over slowly.
“What?” He ran his hand over his shaved head.
“Your mama,” Vike asked. “How old is she? She seeing anyone?”
“Why?” Rider asked. His eyes narrowed.
Viking shrugged. “Enquiring minds want to know.”
Rider was quiet for a while, then he leaned in and warned, “Stay the fuck away from my mama, Vike. I mean it. She’s been through too much to deal with your shit.”
Viking smirked. “Don’t be like that, Doc. Don’t you want a new daddy? Someone to fix your booboos and read you bedtime stories?” Vike slapped his lap. “Come on, son. Me and your mama just want to make you happy, that’s all.”
“I mean it. Stay the fuck away.” Rider walked off.
Vike bit his lip and pushed his hand against his crotch. “I suddenly got a real fucking boner for Sister Ruthie over there. Forgot she was so fucking young.” His head cocked to the side. “Christ! We’ve had a perfect ten living amongst us, and the anaconda has only just noticed.” Viking looked down to his crotch, patting his hand over his cock. “You’re slacking, bud. You’re meant to seek out potential pussy like her.”
“Fucking dumbass,” Ky said and shook his head. “How the fuck was he ever let in the club?”
“I’d fuck her,” Rudge agreed, nodding.
“Ain’t sure that’s a ringing endorsement,” Hush said and took a swig of his beer.
“Says the guy who double teams the VP’s little sister every night, then finishes off spurting white ribbons on his boyfriend’s chest,” Vike said, then pointed at Cowboy, who was smirking at him. “Oops. Forgot we have to pretend that y’all aren’t fucking each other too. Don’t know why though. Everyone has their kinks. Yours are just pussy and dicks.” Vike held out his fist out to Ky. “Equal opportunity lovers. Right, Veep? We all know the Hangmen gotta keep moving with these modern times!”
“You’re lucky I’m holding my daughter, Vike, or I swear to Hades I’d fucking skin you alive. Right now. Not caring who the fuck was watching.”
Viking laughed, shook his head and got to his feet to grab a whiskey and what looked like a glass of wine from Zane at the bar. He moved across the room to sit next to Rider. “For you, M’lady,” he offered to Ruth. Ruth took the wine off him. Her eyes were narrowed and her eyebrows were pulled down. I didn’t know if she was happy, but when people frowned it usually meant they weren’t.
“Rider will kill him,” Tank said. Ky’s daughter suddenly started crying and my body immediately fucking tensed. The crying sliced into my brain like a bullet, like torture. It echoed off the fucking bar’s walls. My hands started shaking. I closed my eyes to get my shit together. But the darkness took me to the cellar. Maddie’s hand tightened in mine. I held on, trying to push the memory away—
“Quick!” The sound of Ash’s voice made my eyes snap open and sit forward. I wrapped my arm around Maddie’s chest, keeping her close. “Y’all need to come to the barn. Fucking now!”
Styx was on his feet, signing. “What?” AK voiced the Prez’s words, as Ky handed his kid to Bella.
“There’s fire. Fucking fire and a bitch… a dead bitch strung up. You have to see it.” Ash started shaking his head. I started breathing fast. Fire. There was fire.
Ky moved next to Prez, reading his instructions aloud. “Mae, get the women in the back room and lock yourselves in.” Mae got to her feet, carrying Charon, and led the bitches into the back room. I held onto Maddie. She wasn’t going anywhere without me.
“Flame?” Maddie said and stood up.
“Flame, you’re fucking coming with us,” Ky ordered. I wasn’t letting Maddie fucking go. “Flame! Get Maddie to the fucking back room! You’re needed!”
“I will be okay,” Maddie said. “You must go.”
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