Bull (Kings of Mayhem MC 6)

But eventually, even my strong biker king needed his rest. He left when it was very late with the promise to be back in the morning. And as he kissed me goodbye, I was filled with a ferocious love like I’d never known.

Now my daughter lay soundly in my arms, and I let the contentment wrap itself around me.

Life was perfect. Ten months ago, the love of my life had draped his crown pendant around my neck in a wedding ceremony watched over by our friends and family, and members from every chapter of the Kings of Mayhem.

Now we had our beautiful daughter, and my life was finally complete.

I didn’t like the girl I used to be. But she’d stepped up when I’d needed her to help me get my brother back, and in doing so, made me realize that instead of running from her, perhaps I could learn to accept her. Learn to forgive her. She was a product of her past. While I was a product of my choice. We weren’t two separate people like I had tried to convince myself we were. She would always be a part of me, and I needed to accept that so I could move on and heal.

And we both deserved that.

BULL

Ten Years Later

Little fingers dug into my scalp, forcing my head upward until I was looking into a pair of big brown eyes.

“Look, Daddy, look at Noah,” my five-year-old daughter, Angel, said. She was on my shoulders, wriggling with excitement. My second daughter was adorably enthusiastic. “Look at him up on the stage.”

We were at Noah’s college graduation. And when I say we, I mean half the outdoor auditorium was full of Kings of Mayhem bikers and their families. We stood at the back of the crowd, respectfully leaving the seating to the other family members because there were more of us than them. Nearly all of the Kings of Mayhem original chapter were there because Noah was a big deal to all of us. Since joining our family a decade ago, he was a permanent fixture at the clubhouse, always studying, always helping out with his nieces and nephews.

Next to me, my wife of ten years snuggled into my chest, her face wet with tears as she watched her brother receiving his college degree.

Shaking the hand of the college dean, Noah started to laugh when the crowd of excited bikers started cheering and whistling with ear-bleeding enthusiasm. He paused for the photographer to take a photo, and then he waved at us, signing thank you before walking across the stage to join the other graduates.

“Can you believe it?” Taylor said through her tears. “He’s all grown up now.”

It was the same thing she said when he graduated high school, and again, when he’d moved into the college dorm. He was a well-adjusted kid who was looking forward to exploring a career in mechatronics.

I had a feeling we were going to see more tears when he eventually moved to New York. Which wasn’t too far away. Two weeks ago, a renowned robotics company had offered him a job following his graduation, and the kid had accepted it.

It was just a hunch, but I was pretty sure I was going to see a lot more of New York than I’d ever cared too. I didn’t like going too far from Destiny, from my family, and my club. But I was going to miss Noah, a lot. And if I complained about visiting the city later, it would be all bark and no bite because I was going to miss Noah like crazy.

My other daughter, ten-year-old, Eden, was walking toward us with her eleven-year-old cousin, Will. They were born exactly twelve months apart, almost down to the hour, and were best friends. Where you found Eden, you found Will.

Walking beside them, was Axel, my son. At seven years old, he was my very own mini-me, right down to the bright blue eyes, but thankfully without my acute color blindness. He also had a shock of dark hair and the cutest damn dimples you ever saw on a kid.

“You guys ready to party?” I asked.

“Yay! Party! Party! Party!” Angel cried, wriggling on my shoulders again.

Back at the clubhouse, we held a mammoth celebration for Noah and his classmates. He was a popular kid on campus, and he and his friends filled the lawn of the Kings of Mayhem compound as they celebrated their graduation.

While Cade and Caleb fought over how to barbecue steaks on the grill, I sat back and watched the celebrations.

Across the lawn, a band belted out Led Zeppelin and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs.

The compound was full. Humming with life and celebrations. Beer kegs were flowing and the aroma of barbecue filled the sunny afternoon air.

On the makeshift dance floor, Grandma Sybil was tearing it up with Yale and Animal, while Cade’s teenage son, River, danced with one of Noah’s college friends, clearly smitten with the older girl.