Ashes Chapter 16

I was somewhat surprised to get a call earlier from Vicious telling us about Daredevil and the need to speak to as many of our brothers as possible to test the waters on how they felt about a reverse harem and, if it was negative, see if we might be able to change their minds. I did talk to Rampage. I walked away, unsure of his stance.

In the end, by the time I returned to the compound, there had been a conversation with Rampage, Torpedo, Trident, Bullet, and Phalanx. The last three, of course, were all for it, and according to Vicious, our triad brothers planned to help get the others to accept it and vote to make Micaela our old lady. Bullet and Phalanx even offered to have Raine come over and talk to Micaela about how she manages the two of them. Dragon had talked to Trident since he had a longer connection with him and thought he'd understand and support us. He was right.

I often wondered how Raine did it. She seemed to be quiet, meek, well, until you riled her. Case in point, when all the shit was happening with her sister Piper, Raine had shown her claws. When I tried to prevent her from leaving the compound, she throat-punched me. I never expected it. When she did it, I admit it pissed me off, and I said some shit I shouldn't. Along the lines of women should learn to behave and need to be spanked. When I cooled down, I wanted to retract my statement. I wasn't into punishing women, at least not in a non-sexual way, and only if they agreed.

For a good hour, I wondered if our Micaela would like to be punished and disciplined. The subsequent hard-on had me sitting, hiding it under a table, and fighting to think of something work-related to make it go away. All thoughts of sex vanished when we got to the clubhouse.

It was where we were now, ten minutes before eight. The common room was full of people, not just the guys. Women and kids were there, too. We'd debated whether to bring Micaela with us or not. Ultimately, she said sitting alone in the trailer would be too nerve-racking, so she came with us. We were happy to see Sara, Raine, and Piper come over to her as soon as they saw her, and they whisked her off to a table where they were sitting together. Their heads were bent together. I was a tad worried about what they were possibly plotting.

As for us, we were at another table. Bullet, Phalanx, Trident, Torpedo, and Rampage sat with us. The last two had more questions to ask us. We freely answered them if we were able. I thought they were on our side. Time will tell.

While we sat with them and her with Piper, Sara, and Raine, Daredevil was on the opposite side of us. I caught him glaring in our direction several times. I also saw him eyeing Micaela, but he must've known better than to try and corner her. Shain appeared miserable. She kept glancing between her man and our woman. She was unhappy with the whole situation.

Sin and the other officers were huddled together at another table. They were talking low and intently, so no one approached them. The room's tension was high, and everyone except the kids could feel it. The bigger ones were playing and laughing as usual. Babies were sleeping or being fussed over by their parents and the rest of the club.

A piercing whistle got my attention. It was Sin. He had stood up. When he got our attention, he circled his finger. We knew it meant "get your asses in church." No one hung back. It was almost a traffic jam at the door. Once in the room, the three of us took our usual seats and waited for our brothers to settle down and our president to start the proceedings. My hands were sweaty. I wiped them on my jeans. Vicious was looking grim. Dragon was less so but still not his usual confident self. I wondered how much of my thoughts were written on my face.

This was one of the most important moments in my life. I'd refused to consider that she wouldn't be voted in as our old lady. I didn't like the negative energy out there, but now it had crept into this room. My stomach was so jumpy I felt nauseated. Don't puke. Don't puke , I chanted in my head.

I jerked when Sin pounded his hammer on the table, bringing us to order so he could start the meeting. Dragon, V, and I sat up tall. Others were alert but not rigid, except Daredevil. He was sitting up tall and paying attention like us.

"Glad you all made it. I know it's not our typical night, but this was something I and the other officers felt shouldn't wait. It needs to be resolved one way or the other tonight. I don't know if you noticed or not, but there was tension and coldness in the common room before we came in here. There's division in the club, and I won't fucking have it. We're brothers, that means we have each other's backs. Sure, there will be times we disagree with each other, but those times need to be handled immediately." He paused after saying this. To let it sink in, I think.

"Yesterday, most of the officers and I had a meeting. We met with three of your brothers: Vicious, Dragon, and Ashes. They came to us to plead their case and ask the club to take a vote. We listened and agreed. As part of the agreement, I spoke to the other party involved. He's opposed to what is about to be presented to you. What I want, no demand, is for you all to listen with an open mind and consider both sides before you cast your vote afterward. V, Dragon, Ashes, I want you to go last. While Daredevil is talking, you cannot interrupt. When it's your turn, the same applies to him."

I hated the idea but knew Sin wouldn't change his mind, so I stayed mute. Vicious shifted in his chair, and his eyes narrowed more while Dragon tried to portray calm, but I saw his leg bouncing under the table. We all nodded our consent, not trusting our tongues. He shifted his gaze to Daredevil.

"Daredevil, you'll go first. For everyone's clarification, Daredevil opposes this proposal. You have the floor, Devil," he lowered his head once to him. Sin sank into his chair and steepled his hands beneath his chin as he finished. You could've heard a pin drop.

"I doubt there's a single person in this room, hell in this club, who hasn't seen those three panting after my sister since the moment she arrived. Knowing what kind of men they are, I've tried to warn her to stay away from them, but she's stubborn and won't listen to me. She's headed toward ruining her reputation and having her heart broken. Those of you with sisters know how it is. You try to protect them, but they don't always listen.

"I know you've seen Micaela hangin' with and leaving the compound night after night with those three. I confronted her with my concerns. She refuses to comment on their closeness, but people are talking. Whether she's sleeping with any or all of them, people think she is with all of them. She told me she didn't care what anyone thought. Amid this, I had talks with her and then them. I asked my brothers to leave her alone, but they refused." He glared at us before continuing.

"When I did talk to them, they informed me they wanted to all be with her, and according to them and later her, she agreed. She supposedly is attracted to all three and can't decide which one she likes the most. I warned her that they weren't serious about settling down and that they'd end up hurting her. They'll dump her when they get bored and won't be faithful while they're with her. They spouted some nonsense about being in a reverse harem. That stuff is fine in one of Sara's books, but it's fiction, not real life. I won't let her ruin her life and reputation to be the temporary plaything of these three. They want you to vote on making her their old lady. Can you believe it? They barely know each other, yet these three told me they're half in love with her. Bullshit. They're fucking using her, and for whatever reason, they picked my sister. Please, help me to save her. Vote no." As he finished, he shot us a sneer and then went silent.

Suffice it to say, there was a rumbling of voices around the table. Expressions were so varied and quickly changed that it was hard to keep up. I caught a word here and there. They all cast glances at us from time to time. The only ones not doing it were the officers. I wanted to stand up and refute all the shit Daredevil spewed, but I couldn't. We had to follow the rules set down by our president. Our turn was coming.

"How do we want to do this? One speaks for us all, or we each speak?" Dragon asked me and Vicious in a whisper. We hadn't talked about this in all the talking we did beforehand.

"I think we all should speak," I said immediately.

"Me too," Dragon responded.

We waited for V to answer. He was thinking. A couple of moments later, he nodded. "We all speak. Dragon should go first, then you and I'll be last."

Not having an objection, I gave a chin lift of consent. Dragon shrugged. "Whatever. I'm good with it. I'm telling you, if this goes south, I'm beating the ever-loving shit out of Daredevil."

"If this goes wrong, he better thank his sister that he won't disappear. That's the only thing preventing me from doing it," Vicious muttered darkly. He meant it, too.

Sin let everyone talk for ten minutes, which was excruciating, before he called them back to order and handed the floor over to us. Dragon began.

"We all plan to speak because this affects us all equally, but there are differences. It's true. We did notice Micaela the moment she arrived. Who wouldn't? She's a beautiful, smart, and fun woman, to just name a few. We were attracted and felt there might be something there if we gave it a chance. Daredevil wants you to believe it's all about sex, and we're not capable of desiring a committed relationship. Well, he's full of shit. First, he isn't a mind reader. He doesn't know. We told him point blank that we wanted a permanent thing with his sister. We're not using her for sex. Second, why is he assuming we're unable to commit? All of you have. You love your women and don't cheat. Why would we? Even Daredevil, who we all saw was no virgin before Shain, has stopped sleeping with other women. Is he implying it won't last? If a man like him can be monogamous, so can we. If we cheat and we're the same as him, then he will, too."

This got a reaction. Daredevil came to his feet and slammed his fist down on the table. "I will never cheat on my old lady! How fucking dare you say that?"

"Daredevil, sit and shut up. You heard the rule," Sin snapped at him. Daredevil reluctantly sat.

"Exactly, why the fuck would we say that? Just like, why would you? You have to smear yourself with the same brush you smear us, brother," Dragon responded. This was why Vicious wanted Dragon to go first. He had a way of speaking that I thought stuck with people. He was better at articulating himself than me on any day.

"She can be stubborn, especially about things she believes in. I have no damn idea why she feels the same deep attraction and desire to know and be with us. All I can tell you is I thank God she does. She isn't headed for heartache. We won't use her or anything else. We plan to cherish her. Yes, it isn't a traditional relationship by any means, but since when do bikers care about tradition or society's norms? I'm asking you to please help us to keep the woman we're more than half in love with already. We want to make her our old lady."

When he said nothing more, I took the cue to begin our next plea. "I've always wanted a wife and kids one day. Never knew if I'd get them or not. Yes, I've been around, but so has every one of you. The things Daredevil is objecting to are the same as what happened with him and all of you. The only thing is, in our case, three of us love his sister. We want her to be our only one. We won't cheat. We will cherish and love her like you do your old ladies. The fact there are three of us is a moot point in my book. Think what you'd feel like and do if your brothers had said no to your claims." I kept it short and to the point. Dragon had covered most of it.

Vicious had his head bent. I gently elbowed him and whispered, "It's your turn, V. Don't fuck it up." He took a deep breath. I knew he detested being the focus of attention, but this was too important. I wondered what he'd say that we hadn't.

"I'm in the same boat as Ashes and Dragon. No one has ever made me want to settle down and have a family until now. For me, I doubted I'd ever have either. Micaela is like a dream that you didn't know you had that comes true. I love the damn woman, and nothing would make me happier than if she was voted mine."

Taking a moment to inhale, he kept going. "Daredevil talked about how short of time it's been. I don't recall those falling for their old ladies, while I've been around, having sat on your ass for months before claiming them. Why should we? I haven't had much love in my life. In fact, growing up, it was a ton of abuse. The kind of mental and physical abuse that sticks with you even when you're a thirty-eight-year-old man. A man who has to go to counseling at the VA because he has PTSD that's mainly about childhood, not what he did in the service. And when he gets a flashback that makes him go back to his nightmares, he gets violent. Ask Sin and the other officers. They got to see an episode up close and personal. That bruise on Ex's face is courtesy of me. Why am I telling you this?

"Because the thought of losing her triggered it, but when I'm with her, I get such a sense of peace. I forget about those terrible times. All I can think about is the future. This club means the world to me. I fought hard to get patched in. However, hear me now. Say we're denied Micaela because her brother or others are uncomfortable about our living arrangement and sexual practices. In that case, you leave me no choice. I'll walk in order to have her. End of story."

He quit right there and left the threat hanging in the air. Based on what I was seeing, no one was happy with it. I made them more unhappy. "I second that. I'll walk to be with her too. No one here kept Bullet and Phalanx from claiming Raine. This is no different other than there's one more man in the equation."

"I've got to stick with my brothers. I, too, will pick her. It's not because I don't love the club. I do. But the club can't keep me warm at night or give me children. She can, and that's what we want. To grow old with Micaela."

With us three done, the chatter was rising. Sin pounded on the table to quiet them. "Thank you for telling us all this. I think it's best if you guys and Daredevil step out and let us talk. There may be those who won't feel as free to speak their mind or honestly vote on how they feel if you're in here. I know what your votes are. They need to give me the rest, but we'll keep it anonymous. I don't want hard feelings toward the ones who vote no," Pres explained.

It sucked to leave, but I got his point. Rising to our feet, we gave him a chin lift and then walked to the door. Daredevil was still in his chair. Ignoring him, we opened the door and left. Entering the common room caused a stir among the women. Micaela was up and practically running over to us as soon as she spotted us.

"What did they say? Where are the others?"

"Sunshine, they need time to talk and then vote. We're in a wait-and-see period," Dragon explained. While he did, Daredevil came out. He went to a couch and plopped down. Shain got up and was with him within seconds. They had their heads together. Watching them covertly, I saw Shain kept glancing over at us.

"Tell me what was said," Micaela begged.

We told her what Sin said and what we said, which earned us a kiss each. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her brother watching and his scowl became ferocious. He tried to get up, but Shain held on to his arm. I was done with him. If he came over here or said anything to her, his ass was getting laid out.

"What did my brother say?"

"Essentially the same thing as before and tacked on the end pleading for the others to help him stop this," Dragon told her.

"I don't understand. Why is he so against this? He seems fine with Raine and her men. Is it just because it's me? I can't help but think it's more than that. Something he hasn't shared. I—"

Her phone ringing cut her off. She pulled it out of the pocket of her shorts. "It's Mamá. I need to take this."

"Why don't you find an empty room and take it there? It'll be easier to hear than in here," Vicious suggested.

"I'll do that. Be back as soon as I can," she said in a rush as she headed for the hallway with the phone to her ear.

"When we get this nonsense over with, we've got to talk to the rest of her family about us," I said.

"We do. Daredevil must've kept his mouth shut to them, thinking he'd get her away from our terrible influences. We're corrupting her," Vicious stated with a loud snort. He said it louder to be heard over the noise of the voices, especially the kids. However, at that exact moment when he did, the room got hushed, and his voice carried. Daredevil heard what he said and came bounding to his feet. Shain's attempt to hold him back failed. He shook her off like a flea.

"You're goddamn right you're corrupting her, and I'll do whatever I have to to protect her from you. I don't know how you've convinced her to go along with it. You've brainwashed her." He was coming closer. The fuel that lit the fire to explode was Vicious.

"Or maybe it's all the amazing sex she's getting."

A roar came rumbling out of Daredevil as he charged our table. We barely got up and away from it before he was there. He went for V first. It was no surprise after that comment. He came in swinging. Vicious was waiting for him and ducked the fist he threw successfully, then followed through with a punch to his side, in the ribs. Daredevil grunted but landed a solid punch to V's stomach. The women were yelling. Dragon and I stood back. I wasn't about to break it up. I was waiting for my turn to beat some fucking sense into her brother.

They slugged out for a few minutes before the brothers came hurrying out of church just as Micaela returned from taking her call. When she saw what was happening, she was horrified. Executioner and Rampage were the ones to pull them apart. Both were worse for wear, though I thought Vicious hurt Daredevil worse. They were breathing a bit hard.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Sin bellowed.

"He started it," Daredevil shouted back.

"I made a remark he overheard that he took exception to. However, he threw the first punch. I only defended myself," Vicious calmly told Sin.

It was his calmness that clued me to the fact he might've said it to make Daredevil throw the punch. It might seem dirty, but if it made people question his response to us as over-the-top, they might reconsider their choice if they had voted against us. Hell, maybe I was grasping at straws or imagining shit that wasn't happening.

It was deep sobs which broke the tense standoff. Turning to see who it was, while dreading that I already knew, I saw Micaela crying. Instantly, Daredevil was forgotten, and we converged on her. It was hard to all get our arms around her, but we managed to get our hands on her as we crowded into her.

"Shh, I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have fought back," Vicious whispered softly.

"Please don't cry. You're killing me," Dragon told her.

"Sweet Thing, don't. It'll be alright," I crooned to her.

Kisses landed on her cheeks, the top of her head, and her mouth. I was in front of her. When she pushed on my chest, I moved out of the way. She marched over to her brother. When she reached him, she began to yell at him.

"How dare you? How dare you think that running to Papá, Mamá, and the boys to tattle on me would force me to change my mind! You called them and told them this big tale, which was from your distorted perception only, of how I was being used and was going to be ruined and an outcast because of these three. How I was going wild with sex and wouldn't listen. Oh, and how they should all come as soon as possible so you could stage an intervention and get me back to Florida. I just got a call from our parents, lecturing me as if I were a not-so-bright child. Marco, Diego, and Renzo were in the background adding their two cents' worth, too." She was screaming at this point, and her whole body shook. I saw some old ladies ushering the last of the kids out of the common room as fast as they could.

"Mic, I had to. You don't understand," he told her, sounding as if he was pleading.

"Bullshit! You didn't need to. It was you thinking you know best. Newsflash—I'm not ten anymore. I'm a grown woman. I determine who I fuck or anything else I choose to do with them. What is it? The thought of a woman being with three men offends you? Or is it because it's your sister? Surely, you know I'm not a virgin."

"I don't need to hear this," he muttered.

"Or is it the idea that I might take it in all three holes at the same time that bothers you? It's not as if you haven't been in all three holes on a woman and done it with at least one other guy at the same time," she hissed.

Jesus, it was getting ugly. We needed to stop this before something was said that neither of them could take back. As one, Dragon, Vicious, and I moved up to put our hands on her. She snapped her head around to see who it was. She relaxed a fraction when she saw it was us.

"Baby, that's enough. Don't say anymore. You're mad, and we understand why, but don't say something you don't mean or can't take back," Dragon warned her.

She stood there, inhaling deeply for a good minute or more. Her body was tense and shaking. Eventually, it eased a little more. When it did, she faced Sin.

"Sorry about that. I take it because you're all out here, that means the club has made its decision. I think I need to get out of here. I'd like to know the decision before I do. It affects my next steps, as you can imagine."

"I do understand. First, I want my brothers to know we'll be dealing with this fighting shit at a later date. Fighting among members is to be done in the appropriate place. This wasn't it. There were kids and women present who could've inadvertently gotten hurt. That isn't acceptable. Period." His displeasure was more than obvious by his tone and his expression.

"Understood," Vicious said right away.

"Yes, Pres," Daredevil uttered next.

"As for the decision, it's final. There will be no revoting or arguments. Am I understood?" Sin scanned all four of us members who were impacted by this. While nodding my head, yes, my stomach bottomed out. Oh fuck, was he saying this because they ruled for us, or was he about to tear out our hearts? It would be terrible to leave the club, and we had no idea what we'd have to endure to leave, but losing her would be ten times worse.

"The decision of the club is… Micaela Torres will be welcomed as Dragon, Ashes, and Vicious' old lady."

I felt lightheaded with relief. I vaguely heard Daredevil's cry of no, but I didn't care. I was too busy joining my best friends in kissing our old lady. After each of us gave her a passionate kiss, we stood with her to receive congratulations from the guys. I wished the women had still been in here, but I understood why they left. I couldn't determine who might've voted against it by their response to the announcement, but it didn't matter as long as they were civil to us, especially her.

She was still upset over the call and her fight with her brother, so it was hard for her to join in wholeheartedly. I caught sight of Shain practically dragging Daredevil out of the clubhouse. His face was twisted up in a look of utter devastation. What the fuck was that about? Something was up with his adamant denial of our relationship, but I'd have to work that out another time. Tonight was all about celebrating our old lady.

I had to give it to Micaela. Despite her swollen red eyes, she did her damnedest to socialize with everyone. We watched her, though, and after about an hour, we knew she had had enough. I signaled my brothers, and we got up and made our excuses to the others. By then, some of the women had returned to offer their congratulations. Everyone was nice about letting us leave. She was exhausted and needed time to vent and wind down after the night she had. As for me, I was so fucking happy I wanted to shout. Micaela was mine, well, ours.