CHAPTER 1

NAVY

October 2012

I was going to be dragging the entire MC out to a charity event in London run by my family. Snickering silently at the looks on their faces as I handed out the invitations. Their confusion was comical. The only ones not surprised were Hawk, Reaper, and Abby. Abby had always known about my background because Reaper had asked me if he could tell her when I first joined.

It wasn't that I kept my background a secret on purpose, it was just not something I considered important. This was the only event my cousin ever wanted me to be involved in and as I loved him and his wife, I did as asked. It was always a boring night for me, but I could put on airs and graces when I chose, and I could press the flesh with the best of them. My grandmother had taught me well. I didn’t enjoy the fakeness of it all, but I'd do it. Just like I’d done most years since my cousin had taken my place. For my family, I'd don a tux for the evening and be seen.

I'd known the ladies of the MC would enjoy it but my brothers not so much. I figured if I was going to suffer an evening of boredom, then they could join me. That's what brothers were for! Wasn't it?

I’d had to disclose my family background as I handed out all the invites and explained what they were for.

“So let me get this straight. You are from one of the wealthiest families in the country. You had a Title but gave it away. Yet your family still insists you attend this ball every year. Why?” Bull questioned with a stunned look on his face. Bull was still hurting from the loss of his wife, but with the support of all of us and Noni having him go to Zambia earlier this year for months had helped. He was slowly losing that haunted look and coming back to being himself.

Shrugging a little, I let the fakeness of my other persona come through when I snapped out in very proper English, “I will have you know, Samuel. My family is amazing, and I love them. I’ll hear nothing bad about them. They don’t ask for much except this.” I let the fake persona drop because it was exhausting to keep it up.

Continuing to explain, “My cousin and his wife are good people. I kind of forced them to take on the role because I didn't want it. He still insists on giving me updates on the estate and quarterly financial reports. He doesn't have to do that because I removed myself. He's a good man. This charity is important to them, and it’s the only one they ask me to attend, so I do when I can. I don’t always manage to go every year because I’ve had other commitments. Now, I know it will be boring for us men, but I thought the women would enjoy it.”

Turning to Bev, I smiled, “And Maura will be there with Thor. I know you have met up since she got back, but as she normally doesn’t come to this event, I got in touch and extended an invite. She'll be sitting with us.”

“Thank you, Navy,” Bev beamed, blowing a kiss at me, making Gunny growl. He scowled at me for good measure. I winked at her, knowing it would piss him off more.

“What about dresses?” Abby muttered, a panicked look in her eye. “We'll need gowns, you guys will need tuxes.”

I could see her panic start to spread through the room. There was no need for it, I had everything in hand. Standing up, I walked around the table and rested my hand on her shoulder giving it a slight squeeze.

“Relax, Abby, I have it organised. Next Tuesday, you ladies all have fittings with a designer my cousin’s wife Hope uses. The dresses are my treat for all that you ladies have done for me over the years. The brothers are coming with me to get fitted for tuxes.”

At that news, the women were off. I gave Avy Hope's number to set everything up. They didn't even wait for Reaper to close Church; they all left in a hurry, voices raised in excitement.

Reaper rolled his eyes and shook his head at me.

“Jesus, Navy, I've known you for ten years and this is the first time you've mentioned any of this,” Rogue says, and I hear the slightly hurt tone in his voice.

“Rogue, brother, it wasn’t intentional. It just isn't that important to me. The last couple of years have been rough for all of us and I thought this was something the women would enjoy, otherwise I probably would have continued to not say anything. The people here in this room and the rest of my MC family are what are important to me, not a title that doesn't belong to me. But I love my cousin and his family too, and this is important to them.”

Leaving it at that, I nodded at Reaper, who called the meeting to a close and we headed into the bar area where the women had their phone call on speaker. I smiled when I heard Hope on the other end co-ordinating everything.

Grinning wide when she called out excitedly, “Alan, I'm so happy to meet your MC family. And so excited we get to see you. You need to plan a trip back here so the kids can see you.”

“Yeah, Uncle Alan, we miss you,” I heard my niece Violet call out. Well, she wasn’t strictly my niece in the traditional sense, more like a third cousin or something twice removed or some shit like that. But she was as close as I was going to get to a niece.

“Please come soon, Uncle Alan, Mum and Dad don't let us do fun stuff like you do.”

Her words caused amused smiles, chuckles, and some outright laughs from the surrounding MC members. They knew me well.

Hope heaved a very put-upon sigh; it sounded like she was shooing the kids out of the room all the while muttering, “I’m thinking of grounding you and your Uncle Alan, if you do anymore crazy stuff.”

Laughing at her words, I started to say my goodbyes but paused at her next words. My heart was full of love for my family when she continued, “We really do miss you, Alan, not just the kids. Please plan a visit once the ball is over. Bring your brothers and their ladies, you know we have room.”

My voice was soft with affection, “I will, Hope. I’ll give your address to Rogue, he’s our Road Captain so he can plan a route for us. It will be good to spend some time with you. Love to you all and I’ll see you soon. Give the kids hugs from me. Oh, also, before I forget they should be receiving a package from me this week.”

“Ugh,” Hope groaned, “stop sending them shit, Alan. George terrified everyone for months with that bloody fake snake that you sent until I burnt the bloody thing and then had to lie about it.”

I howled with laughter, “Hope, you didn’t.”

“I bloody well did,” Hope grumbled. “I thought Aggie was going to have a heart attack when she found it in the kitchen, for fuck’s sake. I can’t have her die on me, Alan. I’d be lost without her.”

Hope’s swearing had me laughing even more. I couldn’t help it, she always sounded so prim and proper when she did.

“It’s not a snake, I promise you,” I assured her.

“No, knowing my luck, it’s probably itching powder or fake dog shit.”

“It’s not that either,” I told her.

“It better bloody not be, Alan Goode, or I swear to god I’ll find you and make you pay,” Hope cried out, her laughter fading out when the phone got taken away from her.

“Hey, Alan. What’s got my wife in a tizzy?” my cousin Sebastian greets me, amusement clear in his voice.

“Hi, Bas, I told her I’m sending the kids a present.”

“Ah, fuck me, man, give me a bit of warning so I can ensure the women of my household don’t leave me with the holy terrors when they run away.”

Laughter rang out in the clubhouse at his words. I felt bad. I should have combined my two families long ago. They’d all get on like a house on fire.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” I told him. “I was going to call you anyway because they’ll need your help setting it up. I’m sending them paintball guns and a drawing of how to set up a course for us to use. When I next come visit, we can have a competition.”

There was no hesitation from my cousin, just pure glee in his voice even if from the background I could hear a loud groan from Hope at my words.

“Ah, man, that sounds fucking awesome. Where were you thinking of setting it up?” Bas replied, ignoring his wife, who’d continued to mutter in the background.

“Round the back of the stables, there’s trees and shit there, plus the old tractor and trailer for cover. It’s also close to the small barn that I thought we could convert and lock everything up in.”

“Fuck yeah,” Bas agreed, “Derek and I’ll get that started tomorrow. You know Hope is going to kick your arse when you get here, right?”

I laughed, “I know, tell her to get practicing and we’ll have a little shoot off when I get there.”

Bas cackled, “My man, she still practices every day. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, “maybe I’ll bring Hawk with and the two of them can see who outshoots the other.”

Just then Hope comes back on the phone telling me, “Don’t be a pussy, Alan, take your licks like a man.”

I snort with laughter, “Woman, just you wait. Bas, control your wife.”

Their joined laughter rang out over the phone line. Rubbing my hand over my beard as I waited for the two of them to stop laughing, I caught the amused eyes of the Old Ladies that were patiently sitting, waiting for me to finish on the phone, “Alan, man, it’s like you don’t even know her.”

“Hey,” Hope shouts, “I’m a delight.”

“Yes, dear,” Bas laughs at her.

“Give me back my phone, you neanderthal; just you and your cousin wait. I’ll get you both back.”

“Bye, cuz, give me a call when you can. I’ll look out for the delivery. I’m handing you back to my delightful wife before she sets me on fire with the look she’s giving me.”

“See you, Bas,” I tell him.

“Give me that, you big ape,” Hope just about growls, taking her phone back from Bas. “His biker family is going to think we’re crazy and they won’t want to meet us.”

“As for you, Alan, just you wait until you get here. You and I’ll be having words,” Hope mutters darkly.

Still laughing at her, I tell her, “Bye, shorty, love you. I’ll hand you back to the ladies to sort out dresses and shit.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hope laughs, “love you too. Now go away so Abby, me, and the girls can make plans.”

Still smiling, I leave them to it and ignore the flurry of questions being thrown at Hope. I wasn’t going to live this one down and by the looks on my brothers’ faces, I was about to get an in-depth questioning about my other family.

‘ Fuck my life,’ I thought, ‘you do one nice thing and your whole world implodes.’

Holding up my hand, I say to my brothers, “I need a beer first before you start interrogating me with your questions.”

Once I had a beer in hand, I tilted my head to the back doors and the area with the fire pit, the brothers trooped out after me. As the pit was set up and ready to go, I lit it and waited while they all found seats.

“What did Hope mean by she’s going to kick your arse and why do you need me?” Hawk asks curiously.

I grin at him, “Hope and I have a friendly rivalry going; she’s a crack shot. She’s been shooting competitively since she was a kid. She was good enough to enter the Olympics, unfortunately she didn’t place as she came fourth, but she’s still a fucking good shot. You guys will love her set up. She’s built a complete range on the property. Bas can shoot, but he’s not fussed about it, so when I go visit them, Hope and I always have a little competition. She regularly beats my arse.”

“Why’d you wait so long to introduce us?” Gunny asks.

Shrugging, I mull the question over, but I don’t have an answer, “I don’t really know, Gunny, there isn’t really a reason. I’m sorry I didn’t, it’s just not something I’ve ever thought about. It’s a shame really because they’ll fit right into the MC. You heard them on the phone. They may both have been born into money, but they aren’t arseholes. I’m godfather to both their kids. You’ll meet them at the ball and then we’ll make a plan and ride down to them and spend a week there. They still live in the family monstrosity, although they have closed up some of the rooms because heating that building is a killer. But they’ll open them up again for all of us. I’ll ride down the week before and help out.”

“We can go with,” Cairo offers, with a look at Reaper, who nods. He, like most of us, has seen that our younger members from this generation are getting restless. They don’t have women to keep them grounded and tethered like Skinny has.

Reaper nods, “Sounds like a plan. The week after the ball, Blaze, Bond, and Cairo can go with Navy and help his family get the house set up for us to arrive.”

With everything settled and a plan in motion for the next few weeks, the brotherhood settled back to talk shit and bond until the women were done making plans.