14. Showdown （Dust）

14

Showdown (Dust)

I brought two guns to settle score. My trusty nine, which saved my life ten times over, and still might tip the balance for my crew when harvest time came. The other pistol hadn't been fired for a hundred years and...well, fuck, Dom would find out why soon enough.

I turned off the road, roaring into that beat up parking lot, as soon as I saw the two vans. Crawl pulled ahead, doing a quick survey, and radioed his confirmation.

They were there.

Very few businesses had tinted windows on their shit, especially out here in the sticks, where nobody cared if tools weren't strapped down according to code.

The cold rain picked up when we surrounded the main entrance. My boys fanned out quick, covering the soon-to-be battlefield like we'd done a hundred times, getting in between the fuckers and their vehicles so they'd have to go through us to leave.

Joker stood at my side. I turned to him, one hand on the nine tucked in my belt, ready for hot death if any of those doors in front of us popped up. “You go talk to the owner, Veep. Find out what room they're in. Tell them to take cover, and that there's ten big in cash waiting if they listen.”

He took off running. This place wasn't huge, and probably hadn't been remodeled since the seventies. Maybe a dozen units, more than half unoccupied. I walked up to the one on the corner, just a few paces from the slots where the vans were parked crooked, giving the assholes the fastest escape route 'til we'd arrived.

Where the fuck's Joker? Firefly and I shared a look across the lot when the Veep didn't show. We were about to go after him when a maintenance door popped open. He stepped out with a gun to his back, clenched in the hand of a nasty looking fucker in a rumpled button down shirt.

Shit! As if worrying about my woman and kid being hostages wasn't bad enough.

The whole crew pointed their guns at the asshole's head, too close for comfort to Joker's. “Let him fuckin' go,” I growled.

“We're just here to talk!” Crawl yelled, pushing his thick black hair away from his eyes. “Just wanna give your boss a message.”

“Fuck you, Pistol cocksuckers. Why don't you tell him yourselves?” He yelled it, and the door we'd been swarming around opened a second later. “Anybody fuckin' shoots, this asshole's getting one right through his head.”

Dom and several more mean looking motherfuckers came out through the new door. I kept my eyes trained on the asshole shoving his gun into Joker's head. Veep looked at me, angry resignation all over his face, silently telling me not to take any shit .

Fuck him, too. He didn't get to be so reckless. The boy had a wife and kid to worry about, same as I did. Even if he was damned near ready to give up his life, I wasn't gonna let that happen.

“Gentleman, gentleman, why don't we all lower our weapons and talk this out like men?” Dominick Barone was shorter and slimier than I expected. The evil glint in his eye was familiar, though, something I'd snuffed out in evil bastards like him dozens of times.

Before the day ended, I'd be doing it once more.

He walked toward me, ignoring the gun I kept aimed at his heart. Stupid sonofabitch practically walked into it before I lowered it. He stood in front of me, too damned close for comfort, a sickly sweet fruit smell rolling out his mouth each time he exhaled.

“You know why I'm here, capo, ” I said, his mafia rank bleeding sarcasm on my tongue. “Give me back my Veep, bring me my wife and kid, and maybe we can walk away from this alive. Ain't asking you again, motherfucker.”

“Funny,” he said, a sly smile curdling his lips. “I'm not hearing much room for negotiation, biker trash. And this is a negotiation instead of a straight up shootout, correct?”

No, fuck face. I imagined ramming my nine into his jaw, knocking him on the ground, and burying a bullet deep in his brain. Too bad the people I loved would die if I went loose cannon.

“Name your price, and show me you ain't killing my Veep before we talk about anything.”

“Three million, and not a cent less,” he said coldly, before slowly turning to the man at his side, holding his gun to Joker's head. “Will, you know what to do.”

His chokehold on Joker came off. For a second, I thought the fuck was showing good faith. Fatal mistake, considering I always should have remembered animals like him had no honor.

No sooner than Joker got several paces, moving next to Firefly, the asshole who'd been holding him hostage fired.

Fuck! I watched my boy drop, blood coming thick.

Veep went down, screaming, falling into my Enforcer's arms while his leg gushed from the wound.

Everybody's guns were back up, primed, and half a fuckin' second from going off.

Goddamn, it'd feel good to finally pull the trigger on this bastard's skull, even if it was the last thing I ever did.

“Careful,” Dom said softly, not even flinching when I rammed my nine's barrel into his temple. “I'm taking insurance. Your man is merely wounded. We could've killed him if we'd wanted.”

“Asshole!” Joker screamed behind me, spitting through his teeth, while Firefly ripped through his jeans and bundled the denim tight, forming a crude tourniquet.

“Let's not have any hard feelings over this, Dust. This isn't about ego, whatever you think's happening between you and me. I want to talk.”

“So fuckin' do it,” I snarled, trying to keep my finger off the trigger. “No more violence. If one more bullet flies when it ain't meant to, I swear to Christ, I will kill you where you stand. Consequences be fucked. ”

“You want your woman and your son, and I named my price. Bring everything here in the next forty-eight hours, or there's nothing left to discuss.”

Son? Fuck, my grip on the trigger weakened, temporarily taking my mind away from this psycho staring me in the face.

I had a son.

Four simple words that shocked me to hell and back, amping my consciousness to new heights when I got my shit straight, because now I had to live to meet my boy.

“We don't have that much, and I think you know it, asshole,” I said. My eyes shifted to Skin.

“He's telling you the truth. I'm the club's Treasurer.” Skinny boy stepped up, backing me up, neither of us knowing if we were digging ourselves deeper. “We might be worth three and a half or four with all our assets, but only half of that's liquid. It's taken all year to get back on our feet after our coffers ran dry.”

I nodded. “We'll give you a million cash, and make payments, you piece of shit. You can come to Tennessee yourself to collect if you think there'll be any hangups.”

The last part was a lie. I had no intention of letting this vampire drain the club dry and coming anywhere near my family ever again.

I'd find a way to kill him. If it didn't happen today, then several months down the line, when the fuckheads came for their money. If we had to part with a cool million to get him off our backs today, to let us all walk away alive, we'd deal .

Dom smiled, too dark and knowingly for anything good to happen next. “Ah, so you can just murder us later, right? I know how biker trash works, Dust. Your friends out west in the Grizzlies and the Devils up north have set too many traps, and I know you're working with them.”

“I ain't Blackjack,” I growled, secretly wishing I had some of the old man's magic right about now. The Grizzlies Prez made a fortune and kept his crew alive against the odds. “I'm a man of my word. You help us find some way where everybody walks away from here without more death or hurt, then we can do business.”

Hurt like hell to say those words because I meant it. Fuck, I'd let them live to fight another day, if I just got Hannah and my son back in one piece.

Joker groaned behind me. Crawl leaning down with them now, applying extra pressure to the Veep's messed up leg.

“You're braver than I expected, but you're just as stupid,” Dom said, yawning as he finally pushed away from my gun. “We have the upper hand. See that room back there?”

He laid his disgusting hand on my shoulder, squeezed it, and pointed. “That's where you'll find your wife. She's very sick. We delivered the kiddo just fine, but we don't have the fancy antibiotics and hygiene like you'll find in a hospital. Her baby seems healthy, for now. Whatever happens to him after today isn't our responsibility if we can't make a deal. That's on you, Mister Prez.”

“Let. Them. Go.” The words barely sounded human when they left my mouth.

This time, I grabbed the motherfucker, shoving my nine against his ribcage, straight at his heart. Every one of his crew trained their guns on me.

Seriously contemplated pulling the trigger. I could kill him here, and give my boys a good fuckin' chance while they cut his crew to pieces, too busy filling me full of lead to fight back.

“We have the upper hand, Dust. Already told you. Don't be a fool,” he said, digging his gun into my chest, too. “We gave our demands. You meet them, or everybody dies, including Hannah and the brat. We set the conditions. We set the timetable. We say fucking jump, and you do it. That's law when one group has more guns than the other. Remember: we're a multimillion dollar, international syndicate. You're a shit stain, drug dealing biker gang stuck in the hills. No fuckin' contest here.”

For a second, I let my eyes wander, looking over the whole ugly scene. Joker continued bleeding on the ground, several brothers protecting him, aiming their guns at the mafia cocksuckers who had their arms trained on me.

Dom sneered in my face. Probably thinking he'd kicked me square in the balls.

That shit-eating smile on his lips didn't last long once I started laughing. He shoved his gun harder into my chest, his hand shaking slightly.

“What?! What's so damned funny?”

“You mafia assholes are all the same. Goddamned know-it-alls who never figure out they're in over their heads 'til the very end.” I grabbed his gun, and pushed it off me. “You wanna fact check and tell me the lay of the land? Let's do it. You've got two fatal flaws in what you think you know, Dom.”

His eyes were wide and rolling now, angrier than ever. He backed up, pointing his gun in my face. “Don't do anything stupid, redneck asshole. Are you high from that shit you push on the streets? Your little family won't make it out of here alive if you –“

“I don't deal junk. That was my old man, and he ain't been in charge for awhile now. That's mistake number one, and it proves you're pretty fuckin' out of touch,” I said, walking forward, keeping the asshole on the move. He took a couple steps backward before he planted his heels in the pavement again, regaining his poise. “You talk a big game about your friends on the coasts and over in Europe. It's like you're clueless we've been making lots of new buddies, too.”

“What? More biker trash out west?” He snorted, shaking his head. “You're really comparing the Grizzlies and the Prairie Devils, more worthless MCs, to a world class organization that's been doing business for the better part of a century? Listen to what you're saying, Dust. It's like you don't realize that even if your men get away untouched – and they won't – that they won't be putting their own lives and their families under the gun as soon as news crosses the ocean. There'll be a price on your heads so fucking high every bounty hunter on two continents will want to collect.”

“Nah,” I said. He stopped, and I put my hand on his gun again, holding mine near his guts. “I'm talking about our friends further abroad. Trust me, the Irish and the Russians are real fuckin' happy with the money we're bringing in from the new gun routes going to the coasts. So happy, in fact, that they're not letting our little dustup spread to their home turf. Your Sicilian brothers overseas are smart. They cut a deal last week, told my friends they wouldn't interfere, whatever happens here. You're on your own, asshole.”

Dom's face twisted angrily. Finally, my turn came to wear the ugly smirk, and I did proudly.

“Don't be mad, asshole. You've still got plenty of leverage. Just a lot less than you thought, considering you've been cut off at the balls by your own family.”

“Fuck!” One of his men lowered his gun, off to the side, pacing in a panicked circle. “He isn't giving us the truth, is he, boss? Tell me he's lying through his fucking teeth!”

“It's true,” Firefly said, standing up and moving over to the man. “I was there myself on the call when we heard your brothers give you up. Sure evens the odds. Our Prez is a genius.”

“Shit...shit!” I saw another one of Dom's men turning pale out the corner of my eye. It was Will, the nasty looking fucker with the dark hair who'd put a bullet in Joker's calf. “Didn't know we were dealing with the Irish, or the Russians! Christ, I didn't sign up for this. I –“

“Shut the fuck up!” Dom spun, turning his gun away from me, aiming it at his own man. “It's a trick, you stupid, spineless cocksuckers. He'll say anything right now to stop us from marching back in there and feeding that fuckin' bitch scraps of her own dead kid. Fuck the negotiating, it's –“

Over? Yeah, it fucking is, I thought, finishing it in my head for him.

My gun went off before the asshole could say the final word. Not the nine in my dominant hand, but the old antique pistol I'd grabbed from my hip, hurling a fat ball of civil war era lead into the demon's spine.

Dom went down instantly, howling in pain. Several more guns barked, and I hit the pavement. Everybody fired at the bastard who'd tried to back up his soon-to-be dead capo boss.

The others took off, running as quick as their polished little feet would carry 'em. “Don't shoot! Don't shoot!” they screamed back at us, dropping their guns along the way, all but surrendering.

Sixty, Crawl, and Skin were on their bikes in ten seconds flat, revving them up, ready to give chase down the highway.

“No!” I screamed, putting my foot on the asshole's shattered back, making Dom squirm harder as he bled. “There's too many cops tooling around. They'll be all over the fuckin' place if we don't get out of here. We'll take the vans, too, if we can find their keys.”

My boys gave me a sharp look. “You really want to let those cowards go, Prez?” Skin raised an eyebrow.

“No, no, he's right,” Joker said weakly, struggling to pull himself up with the trunk of somebody's car. “Tried to talk to that owner before the asshole ambushed me. He looked pretty spooked, like the type who'll call 9-11, if he hasn't already. That shithead from their crew ambushed me, hiding behind his desk, but there's nobody watching him now.”

Fuck. We had something else to worry about, and we had to move fast.

“You heard the Veep! Let's find the damned keys, get them out of that room, and haul some ass.”

Nobody second guessed me. We burst into the room a moment later, and the rest was a blur.

I ran to the bed as soon as I saw her passed out, severing her handcuffs with one blow, pulling her up into my arms. Firefly walked out holding a bawling infant, the most beautiful fuckin' sound I ever heard in my life.

One second. That's all I gave myself to savor the moment, holding Hannah tight in my arms, thinking about how I'd finish the fuckface out front if his blood didn't run out first for keeping her in this dirty gown.

The boys were running in and out, finding the keys, loading up everything they could. Vans and bikes started out front, their engines rumbling together in a steady growl.

“Dusty?” she said, her eyes barely open, as if it took all her strength just to do that.

“Sleep, darlin'. We're bringing you home, and our kid, too. It's over, babe. It's all –“

We heard the sirens blaring in the distance about a second before Sixty came racing up and kicked open the door. “We need to go now, Prez! Hurry!”

Never ran so fast in my life. My heartbeat roared in my ears, harder than any bastard slamming my head into the floor.

We were too fuckin' close to give up now.

I pulled Hannah into the back of the waiting van and held her tight. Firefly sat across from me, the baby carrier next to him, his big hands keeping it from moving too much while the vehicle jerked forward. We got about half a mile down the road before it rolled to a stop.

Then I saw the cherry lights blinking through the tinted windows, and I knew we were fucked.

A minute later there were voices outside. Men talking, cops shouting, probably negotiating our goddamned surrender.

Hannah was burning up in my arms. Still slipped my hand into her fingers, let them clench, and dipped my face to hers.

It wasn't a perfect kiss by any stretch. Her with a fever. Me and my boys about to be arrested for trashing several savage killers the law should've put away long ago.

Firefly's tense, frightened eyes were on me when I finally broke the kiss. Nothing like seeing a big, strong man who'd already been through hell several times crack to make you come undone.

“Prez, I can't go to jail for this shit. Cora, Lucy...” He drew a deep breath, the words he wouldn't say choking him.

“Forget it, brother,” I said, grabbing his hand. “I'm stepping outside as soon as they give the word. Won't put up a fight. When they take me into custody, and start asking questions, it's on me. Everything. ”

His eyes flew open. Wide with disbelief, he looked at me while I turned my attention to my son, the fragile little infant I'd never get a chance to raise proper. He shifted in his blankets, somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

“Take care of my boy, whatever the fuck happens.”

“Prez, he's my nephew. I'll back him up with my life, just like my Lucy.”

“Yeah, fuck yeah,” I said, giving his hand one more squeeze while I stood. “I know you will.”

Every second ticked by, more precious than the last, because they were my last as a free man with my family and my brothers.

I kept counting in my head, expecting those doors to swing open any time, clearance for a dozen cops to pull me out and throw me on the ground with my hands behind my back.

Got to a hundred and twenty before I looked at Firefly. He was just as confused as me, whispering in the darkness while he stroked Hannah's brow. “What the fuck?”

The cops never waited this long if they suspected something was up. And with our biker convey roaring out on the road, in a town that just had a murderous rampage at the hospital, they had to by now.

What. The. Fuck?

I repeated it as soon as the van started moving. We were on the road again, heading down the highway.

For once, the prayers I hadn't even said were answered.

We drove on through the night, only stopping for gas a couple times before we hit the Arkansas border, still a long ways to Tennessee. Didn't bother asking why we'd gotten away 'til we were filling up, roughly halfway home.

Found ourselves a hospital out in the sticks, where nobody would ask too many questions. Carried my girl in, told them to get on her, and waited with half the brothers in the lobby, holding my son for the very first time. The other boys helped Joker in, making sure he got patched up good and proper, faking a story about a hunting accident.

“Anybody gonna tell me why we ain't sitting in a cell right now?” I asked, trying my hand at giving the little man some formula.

“Bribes go a big way in the boonies,” Skin said. “So does smooth talking truth.”

“Truth?” My eyes narrowed, and I pulled the bottle from my son's mouth. “What'd you tell 'em?”

“That the bastards they were looking for fled on foot, up the road. Had them do a quick check on the Sicilian Brotherhood. They'd never heard of our MC before, but there was plenty online about the mafia for anybody to see. Every Sheriff and his boys in these small towns wants their chance to play hero. I told him he'd find one dead bastard back in the parking lot and some property damage we'd be happy to pay for. Said we were no angels, and asked him if it really mattered who the fuck we were, long as we kicked a global crime syndicate outta their town.”

I frowned. What he'd just done...crazy didn't begin to describe it. He'd effectively given them a full confession, something that would bite us big if the cops took the initiative to get the Feds involved.

“Wait. You're telling me they took the bait and agreed to keep their mouths shut, Skinny boy? How fuckin' lucky can we get?”

How much can we trust them to follow through? I thought, keeping it to myself.

He shook his head. “They didn't promise anything, Prez. But the older one, he said he'd seen a lot of shit before – used to be on the force in Baltimore. He'd heard about the big wolves running on his turf, seen plenty of evidence, and never caught any 'til now. Only took a few minutes for his men to head up the road and get the assholes who'd fled in custody. As for us, he didn't seem too interested, especially when I dropped fifteen-K for them to share.”

“Christ, Skin. Bribery. You got any clue how damned –“

“Risky? You bet it was. And it saved your ass, Prez. Saved all of us.”

How could I argue? We'd rolled the dice for the tenth time since we went off on this mission, and our winning streak held one more time.

“You know I wouldn't have gone this crazy if I thought there was another out. Didn't see any, especially with Joker bleeding in the backseat, next to that sick fuck still waiting for us outside. I wish there'd been another way, Prez. Really.”

“Quit wishing. Come here, brother.” I shuffled the baby over to one arm while I threw the other one around Skinny boy, hugging him tight .

We'd saved each other's asses plenty of times. This was one more, and I'd lost track of the tab a long time ago.

Skin pulled away, smiling, rifling a hand across the top of my kid's head. “Looks like he's gonna be strong, Prez. He's got your eyes.” He paused, leaning in closer, lowering his voice. “What the fuck are we gonna do with mafia man, anyway? Wait 'til we're home to figure it out?”

I looked down at my son, who'd had his fill for dinner, sucking on the bottle just a little while ago. Hugging him tighter, he squirmed a little in my arms, slowly easing into a heavy sleep.

I'd get him checked up as soon as some doc had an opening. He seemed healthy enough, at least. Thankfully, the jackals we'd downed hadn't done any lasting damage. But fuck, the scare they'd given everyone, plus the scars they'd left on my girl...

“Let me make sure my boy's ready for bed. Then we'll go out to the van, drive up the road, and finish this shit once and for all.”

Less than five minutes later, I rode with Skin while he drove the other van we'd commandeered, sitting in the passenger seat. We found ourselves a farm field about twelve miles up the road – abandoned, judging by the overgrown road leading up to the broken buildings.

“Stay put. Watch my son,” I said, handing the sleeping baby off to Skin. Firefly took my spot in the passenger seat a second later, ready to play big uncle, pulling double duty so my kid would never be leaving our sight again.

I motioned for them to drive down the road. Not too far, but enough so there was no chance of my son hearing any screams.

Not like there was a lot of risk out here. We had wide open spaces, plus the walls of these vans were pretty thick. It wasn't a battle anymore, with Dom chained up like a dog in the back, awaiting his fate. Sixty and Crawl stood next to the van, near the back. They swung the doors wide open as soon as I nodded.

“No more. Please.” Asshole raised his hand, still conscious and strong enough to protect his eyes from the flashlight I shined in his face, stepping inside.

He looked white and clammy. He'd lost a lot of blood. His legs didn't seem to work quite right from the nerve damage my shot did.

“It's not too fucking late,” he said, speaking with a jagged rasp. “Don't be an idiot, Dust. We can forget all about the debt, the blood that's been shed, the stupid goddamned girl. I'll give you anything you want. There's almost eleven million in the bank and plenty more offshore. Easy to grab out of my Virgin Islands accounts. It's all yours, if you'll just let me go. Your club, your family...you could all be rich. Very, very comfortable.”

I looked at him for a long, hard second. Never seriously considered the offer before I stomped his hand, pressing down with my boot, splintering several fingers.

“How many times did Hannah beg?” I growled, increasing my weight while I crouched down on my knees, switchblade in hand. “You think money even fuckin' matters at this point?”

Behind me, the boys gently laid down the tools I needed to give this prick a one way ticket to the next world. Dom stared at me in the darkness, his eyes wide and watery.

No surprise. The biggest, most merciless bastards always became dickless cowards in the end.

“It's never too late to negotiate, Dust. Come on!” He blinked slowly, licking his cracked, dry lips. “We've both been in this world for a long time. I made you name your price when I had the edge. It's yours now. Please, just tell me, how much to make this right?”

I brought out my pipe, gave it a light, and pulled it to my lips. Pushed smoke into his evil face 'til he coughed, while I reached for the pliers tucked behind me.

“Let's get one thing straight, motherfucker,” I snarled, moving my foot on his hand 'til he groaned. “Soon as my bullet hit your back, you were done asking questions, or making demands. That's my job. I'm only gonna ask you about my girl begging one more time before I rip out your tongue – how many times? ”

I needed to know how much he'd made her suffer. Had a damned good idea the answer was too much. And I'd make him pay for all of it, one meticulous, cruel inch of flesh at a time.

“Dozens, okay! Maybe hundreds. Honest. Now, can we make a fucking deal?”

I smiled grimly in the dark. This was gonna be good because he still had hope .

Half the demons we'd killed before went out defiant. They knew they were done, and they died like men. Went down snarling, fighting, spitting in our faces to the very end.

The rest whined like bitches, having their sick egos smashed before their bodies were bent and dead.

I thought about my son sleeping with my brothers, about a mile down the road. My woman, too, back at the hospital, slowly working herself up from hell with all the medicine they'd pumped in her system. They'd noticed the kid, the bruises all over her, the obvious signs that she'd just popped out a baby. We'd be paying plenty to shut the doctors up once we were done.

Primal anticipation churned in my blood, but it felt different than it always did before.

Sure, I wanted to kill this fuck. Make him suffer for everything he'd done, but I also wanted to wrap it up because it'd become a damned chore.

The last thing keeping me from my love, my family, was the pathetic, whimpering mess at my feet.

Fuck, this asshole would be crying for his mama before the night was through if I left his tongue intact, guaranteed.

I tilted the heavy pliers in my hand with a heavy sigh, turning my head behind me. “Give me some privacy, brothers. Start the bonfire for this asshole's bones where nobody going down the road can see.”

Smiling, Sixty and Crawl nodded, then slammed the door shut.

I held the freak down who'd nearly ripped it all away from me, shoving the steel pliers past his filthy teeth, grabbing his tongue.

No sense in mentioning what came next. A southern man doesn't torture and tell, even when it involves the most deserving sonsofbitches in the entire universe.

Dom suffered mightily with just the pliers and my raw knuckles. By the time I brought out my switchblade, the battery with the wires, and the acid shit they poured down factory farm drains to dissolve animal fat, the asshole was crying, screaming, blubbering one thing he couldn't pronounce with his fucked up mouth.

Mama.

Hours later, after we burned Dom's body and scattered the ashes to the Arkansas winds, we were back at the hospital. I'd cleaned up at a quick pit stop on the way, and now I sat next to my woman, holding her hand, our son cradled in my other arm.

Outside, the first rays of dawn blinked through the cold, grey horizon. I was nodding off in the dead silence, next to Firefly, when her fingers stirred on mine.

“Dusty?”

“I'm here, darlin'. So's the kid.” I picked her hand up in mine, brought it to my lips, and savored her skin. She already felt cooler, healthier than she had a few hours ago.

“I'm sorry I took off. I never should've ran. I was scared, terrified of hurting anyone. You, Huck, the baby I found out was growing inside me. I – “

“Forget it, sis,” Firefly said next to me. “You need rest right now. We've got nothing to discuss.”

“He's right,” I said, laying my lips on her fingers again. “Past is the past, babe. Dom and his boys are gone. Ain't never gonna bother you again, and neither will anything else. Your job's getting well for me so we can go home. You rest, and we'll talk about the things that matter when you're good and ready, like naming our boy.”

She smiled. It was one of those slow burning lip curls that would've caused any man's heart to do a dive, seeing it on his woman's face. Especially when the waterworks came a second later.

I brushed away the hot tears rolling down her cheeks with my fingertips. She'd cried enough for ten lives, dammit.

“Hank,” she said softly. “That's what I want to call him.”

“Hank,” I repeated, rolling it over in my mind. “Hank Daniel Grayson's got a nice ring to it.”

No lie. It was a good name, a strong name, and it lined up with a couple of my favorite country singers, too.

“Shit, darlin', it's supposed to be tougher than this. Now, what're we gonna knock around when you're well enough to have lunch?”

She laughed softly. Must've taken all her strength because one quiet minute later, I felt her slipping away again, back into the peaceful, happy place she went to for healing.

When I turned around, Firefly had a smile on his face, staring off into the distance. “What's the word, brother?”

“Good old Uncle Hank kept everything afloat when Ma ran outta money. Huge honor if you're giving your boy his name.”

“Didn't know him,” I said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “But if he had anything to do with you and Hannah growing into the people I love and trust, I'm sold. We're brothers by blood. Not just patch anymore.”

“Prez, a week ago, I still wanted to punch your fuckin' eyes out for dragging my sis deeper into this life. Just want to say, I was a damned fool. She belongs in this club. Same way she oughta be with you, Cap'n.”

I gave his shoulder one more firm squeeze before I brought both my big arms back around the baby, snoozing softly on my lap. Little Hank was part of this family, too.

I had a chance to give him the good, without the bad.

I'd shelter this boy from the violence, the evil, all the dirty shit that stained a man's soul. I'd watch him grow up with Lucy, Bingo, and Joker's Alex. All the brothers, their kids, their friends, and all the new women and babies to come for the boys who hadn't settled down yet.

Yeah, this boy in my arms was one tiny, beautiful blank slate who'd walk away from this life with nothing but the very best written all over him. Right now, all he had scrawled on him was love.

Two Months Later

Winter loosened her grip. Bones and bruises healed. Dom's ashes blew to the seven winds, meaning nobody ever had to think about his evil ass again .

We were a family. Finally.

Nothing made me happier than coming home to that woman and my son, helping her along as much as I could 'til she healed up all the way.

Always heard babies were a lot of work, and the people who told me weren't lying. Still didn't feel like much after what we'd gone through to get here, changing dirty diapers and rocking him to sleep, holding my boy on the sofa with my woman curled up next to me.

Heaven? Fuck yeah, I'd arrived.

Only thing missing was a proper entrance. I set everything up in secret, rounding up Ma, the boys, and their old ladies.

It was just a couple weeks after we'd finished cleaning Hannah's massive house, and passed it over to the new buyers at closing. She'd let the mansion go to liquidate her debts and restart her career. She'd made off with plenty, and we'd be comfortable as hell once we found something nicer, without the stress.

For now, she didn't mind my place. It was familiar, easy to manage, somewhere she could focus on what really mattered, and who the hell was I to argue?

When I came in that day, winding down the icy streets through town, straight from finishing business at the clubhouse, she wasn't expecting a thing.

“Oh, great timing. I was just about to leave to get Hank from your Ma.” She gave me that sass, perfectly timed to showing off the curve of her ass that made me want to forget everything, push her against the counter, and take her then and there .

“Forget it, darlin'. He's spending all night with grandma.” I stared at her, propping myself up with one arm, leaning on the wall.

She froze. Turned her little eyes my way, the laughter all gone, studying my pose. Couldn't figure out why I sounded so damned serious, when I looked so casual.

“What's going on? We're not on lockdown, are we?”

I shook my head, hiding the smile trying to infiltrate my lips. “Go upstairs and change into your best that'll still let you on my bike. Meet me outside.”

Didn't say another word. I left her standing there while I went outside and had a quick puff off my pipe.

This is it, boy. Biggest fuckin' day of your life, if tying the knot the first time and seeing your kid wasn't enough. You ready?

Hadn't heard that voice in my head for months. Early's ghost deserted me ever since I used the last few months' blood and tears to smooth things over.

I saw him coldly in the corner of my eye, looking as somber as the day he died in that wreck, propped up in his coffin, the hard demon edges he'd lived by subdued for once in his life. My old man looked on sadly, like he couldn't believe I'd done what he couldn't, and now I stood to reap the rewards forever.

“Ready? I've been waiting my whole life. Went through hell to have it, and I'll work like hell to keep it.” I stubbed my pipe out and tucked it into my pocket, half a second before I heard the garage door opening behind me.

“Who were you talking to?” She stood at the edge of the driveway, several feet from my bike, looking good enough to devour with her high brown boots, short black skirt, and purple top clinging to every raw inch I wanted to claim again. Preferably over and over.

“Nobody who matters, darlin'. You ready?” I reached for the spare helmet on my bike and pushed it toward her.

“I guess. Still can't say I'm a fan of the mystery going on here,” she said, eyes narrowed playfully. She took the helmet from my hands, strapping it onto her head.

“It'll be worth it, babe. Trust me. There's a lot of shit I didn't do right when I should have. Today, I'm fixing it.”

“Dusty...” She laid a hand on my back when we were both seated, my key in the ignition. “You don't need to impress me anymore. It's not like I'll ever forget you saved my life several times over.”

She leaned in, pressing her lips to my neck. I didn't say anything, just revved my engine and slowly took us down the driveway.

Pretty fuckin' cute, really. She thought I was about to make her heart throb for the millionth time because I had some crazy obligation.

Bullshit. Love ain't work, and it ain't never a chore.

When we got to the clubhouse, she'd see how wrong she was. She'd see the only thing I ever wanted was to light up her face like the moon 'til she begged me to stop.

Sure, I'd saved her life, and put my own ass on the line to do it. Wouldn't stop 'til I went into my grave either, if any wolves were ever dumb enough to come sniffing around her ever again .

Salvation went both ways.

I saved her from psychos with knives and bullets. She saved me from myself. Put my life on the straight and narrow I'd sought for forty years without realizing it 'til I woke up to a woman I wanted in my bed, and a son carrying our blood.

Loving Hannah wasn't a chore, dammit. And if she thought it might be, I'd send those nasty thoughts spinning from her head so fast they went all the way to Jupiter.

Took every muscle I had not to start grinning like a fool when we were halfway to the clubhouse.

My poor, precious, clueless wife didn't have a hint what was about to hit her. If there was one thing I appreciated after surviving several ambushes, it was surprises that put a smile on people's faces.

I parked the bike and put my hand on her back, guiding her round the side of the clubhouse, toward the back patio. Used my own money the last few weeks to have it fixed up, real nice and special for this occasion.

“Why's it so quiet here?” she whispered, flashing a cautious look over her shoulder.

“Darlin', you keep on walking. No questions.”

“No? Not even if I'm going to guess I'm walking into some kind of surprise party? I know you do these kinda hijinks in the spring. Huck told me.”

“Keep. Walking,” I growled, shaking my head, prodding her forward a little more firmly with my hand .

She had the party right, at least.

“Give it a push,” I said, putting my hand over hers when we got to the latch over the new gate. It towered over us, giving the club the privacy we'd always wanted, thick reinforced wooden doors attached to a ring of brick that'd stop anyone from coming in who wasn't supposed to.

Music started blasting the second the gate creaked open. My boys were all standing, and they came to attention the second we walked in, standing by the makeshift altar.

A neat row of fold out chairs formed an aisle. Cora, Meg, Summer, and Ma all smiled in unison, holding a whole new generation of kids born under our patch in their arms.

“Jesus.” Hannah's knees locked up as soon as we stepped through, taking in the scene.

Bingo sat up next to us, and brushed her legs, happily wagging his tail. I reached down and stroked the big wolfhound's head, sharing a look even a dog could understand.

“What'd I tell you, darlin'?” I whispered in her ear. “Just keep walking. We ain't home yet.”

Only had about fifteen steps to go to get to the altar. By then, she was turning red, hot tears raining down her cheeks when she realized the meanest version of Here Comes the Bride anybody ever heard was tearing out those speakers.

“But...we're already married!” she sputtered. Standing across from her, I grabbed both her hands in mine. She looked at the ring on her finger in confusion.

“It's called renewing vows, darlin'. Also gives me a chance to do things right, the way they should've gone down the first time, and have ourselves the reception we missed.”

I let her cry it out, squeezing her sweet fingers in mine, while the music faded behind us. Preacher man stepped up to the podium, looking a lot neater than he had that first night I brought her in to make it all official.

Little Hank cried out in the chairs. His grandma hugged him tight, happier than I ever saw her.

We weren't the only ones up here with plenty of reason to smile. Lord willing, I'd give my Ma a few more grins before the evening was through.

“Let's go,” I told preacher man. “I've got my part ready.”

“Friends, family, and brothers of the Deadly Pistols MC. Today we stand here to honor a husband and wife who hold the meaning of sacrifice heavy on their hearts...”

His spiel went on for a couple minutes. I let his flowery speech wash over me, too busy staring my woman in the face to care about poetry.

Hannah cried softly the whole way through. I held her hand, watching each tear roll down her cheeks, sweeping up my free hand each time to catch them, kiss them away.

Today, I did tender. Tonight, I'd do rough.

I'd do anything and everything that set her heart on fire, and I let the whole damned world know who did the kindling.

“...and if I may, I'd like to invite each person to say a few words. Dust, you have something you'd like to read?” Preacher man looked at me, genuine respect glowing in his eyes .

“It's all up here,” I said, tapping my temple with two fingers. “Been memorizing this all week, so here goes...”

Hannah's fingers tightened on mine. Thought she'd rip my hand off before I finished, so overwhelmed with emotion. Off to the sides, all my brothers were smiling, elbowing each other like they couldn't believe I was pulling out my heart, showing it to everyone.

Wasn't doing this for them, much as I respected their shit-eating grins.

The only one who counted was looking back at me, waiting, and I wasn't holding her up any longer.

“Darlin', you're standing there, beautiful as the day we met, wearing my ring and my ink. Helluva lot happened these past few months. I gave you a second chance at life. You gave me a son. Love that boy with all my heart.” I paused, watching Ma tear up out the corner of my eye, hugging Hank closer to her chest. “It's hard to offer much after we've given each other the moon, so I'm gonna make a pledge. Hannah, I'm not done yet. I'm gonna keep it coming. Gonna keep that smile on your face 'til we're both so old we barely remember what smiling's all about. Gonna keep you in my bed, on my bike, and in my heart. Gonna pull you close, hold you every night, just like I'm about to do now, and wash every tear off your cheek 'til there's nothing but room for that beautiful fuckin' smile.”

I stepped up, bringing her into my arms, tugging her hand close to my heart while I put my lips against her cheeks, and then on her mouth. Pure, hot emotion flooded my tongue. Awesome and irresistible .

When I broke the kiss, I had to hold on tighter because her knees were shaking. Behind us, a couple of the old ladies sniffled, either remembering their own weddings, or wondering when their boys would do something similar for them.

“I ain't much for speeches,” I said, staring deep into her ocean blue eyes. “So I'm gonna keep it brief, with just one more thing everybody standing here with us oughta hear. I love you, darlin'. Simple as that sounds, it ain't even close. It's the biggest, most bewildering, goddamned beautiful statement I've ever made. And I'll keep making it 'til the end of my days. Love you, baby girl, and you'll remember how much every time I move mountains to taste your lips. I've done it before, and I'll do it again. Every day I need to just so you remember – you're mine. ”

I wasn't looking for a standing ovation. Got one anyway, a chorus of thundering claps and wild whoops ringing out around us while we locked lips.

Fuck, she tasted sweeter than before. Sweeter than ever.

I'd told preacher man several days ago not to put her on the spot. She wouldn't be saying much after the L-bomb I dropped on her heart, and I didn't want her to be embarrassed.

Still, the formal bastard prodded her. He laid his hands gently on our shoulders, easing our mouths away from each other, gently whispering in her ear.

“Hannah, if there's anything you'd like to say...”