At one point, the clubhouse fills with green smoke as he throws some concoction into a small fire in a cauldron. The coughing eventually dies down after the door and all the windows have been opened.
Then he and Joker do some sort of dance involving waving rubber chickens around, slapping each other with them. I notice Maya with her head in her hands, but her shoulders are shaking.
“Hey, Lady. Where’s the fuckin’ taking place? In here, or..?” shouts Marvel.
“I’m putting fifty on the prez!” yells someone, I think it’s Shooter.
I preen for a moment, glad there’s one person who’s got faith in me, before coming to my senses fast. “There’s going to be no fuckin!” I yell out.
“What’s this about fuckin’?” I turn to greet Hellfire. He’s still a striking figure for a man of his advanced years, his wife too, though she seems a lot shorter than I remember.
“Yeah,” Amy tugs my arm and repeats, “What’s all this about fuckin’?”
Olivia’s by her side and glaring, as Hawk replies, “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
“Prez? VP? Got a minute?”
Mouse is waving from across the room. I waste no time going to him, Hawk right there beside me.
Mouse indicates his office. Once inside, he fast lays out what he’s picked up. While he talks, my hands clench. When he’s finished, I stand, kick over a chair, and swear loudly. “That’s it. The wedding is off.”
“We can’t just send everyone home,” Hawk says reasonably. He indicates the stash on Mouse’s desk, and, at my brother-in-law’s nod, unusually for the VP, starts to roll a joint. A sign his voice might be calm, but he’s just as worried as me. “Think Prez. If they’re already assembling, then anyone riding could be picked off on the road.”
Yeah. He’s right. “Best they all stay here. But no wedding. I want all eyes focused on where a threat might come from.”
“Know you’re worried, Wiz, but all I’ve heard is people grouping together. Not even a mention of Archangel.”
“But white supremacists, yeah?” At Mouse’s nod of confirmation, I carry on with my thoughts. “Timing’s too coincidental to ignore, and it’s happening in Arizona?”
“Tomorrow,” Mouse affirms.
I bow my head, then indicate Hawk. “Thoughts, VP?”
He rubs the side of his nose, then his lips press together. Finally he speaks, “We get Prezes, VPs and SAAs briefed tonight, they can start spreading the word. No excess drinking tonight or tomorrow, everyone stays sober, or those that haven’t gone past that point yet. Everyone to be on their guard.”
“I’ve already gotten the scanners working and the exclusion range for drones is in place. It’s impossible to fly something in.”
“We’ve got our own up?”
Mouse points to the screens. “Monitoring them now. Got Nathan and Butcher with their eyes glued to these and the other cameras in the control room. With the sensors and laser beams, and info back from the drones, nothing should be able to get close without us knowing.” Thank fuck we’ve modernised our security over the years.
Hawk takes over again. “We’ll get married as planned. Have the fuckin’ reception, but do it in shifts so we’ve got as many men as possible armed and ready to take on whatever we might have coming for us.”
I weigh my options. There’s no benefit in cancelling the wedding now. Even sending people home tomorrow could be dangerous and leave me weakened without additional support here. If we’re in Archangel’s sights, I’m fucked whichever way I look at it. My only option is to keep everyone here and put up a united front.
I roll back my head and stare at the ceiling. This is all my fault. Should have been happy with Amy just as my old lady, or insisted we wait to tie the knot until we knew what trouble we were facing. Let Olivia have her way and just sneak off to the courthouse. But there’s nothing to be gained by cancelling.
“I’ll be here all night,” says Mouse. “I’ll keep my ear to the ground, see if there’s anything more I can pick up.
“I’ll stay…” I start to offer.
“Nah,” he shakes his head, making his long hair fly around his face. “It’s your wedding day eve. Yours too, Hawk. Go fuck your old ladies, and get some sleep. Rely on your brothers for once. First sniff of trouble, and I’ll let you know.”
How the fuck will I sleep? How the fuck do I keep this from Amy?
As we leave Mouse’s office, ready to start gathering the top officers together, quietly and discreetly so the women aren’t spooked, Hawk shows he’s on the same wavelength. “Olivia’s going to be able to tell something’s up.”
“I feel you, Brother,” I tell him. “Just say it’s pre-wedding nerves.”
He shoots me a look, I shrug. Our women know us better than that.
Word quietly spreads around so soon the people we need are headed for our meeting room. Once inside, I let them in on what’s going on, and what we fear is coming for us.
After I’ve had my say, it turns out my way of thinking which side is up is agreed on by everyone. The meeting with the prezes and their ranking men was surprisingly quick, and no one wanted to abandon ship and find safer havens. A warmth started to grow inside me as the reason for me being part of the Satan’s Devils MC was demonstrated yet again. Doesn’t matter what chapter we’re from, the patch we all wear on our cuts unites us. God help Archangel if he thinks he can take us on. All he’s got are men brought together by a common desire for mayhem and violence, what I’ve got is a loyal family at my back who’ll stand shoulder to shoulder to protect each other and their way of life.
After our short meeting, Demon has the last word, though I doubt he expected it to ring out so loudly in the sudden lull in conversation. “Some things never fuckin’ change, do they? We’re always helping Tucson out.”
His words break the tension. Truth be known, we help the other clubs just as much as they help us, but there was a time in the past when we had to ask for more than our fair share of support. After Beef initiates a final shout of, ‘Ride Satan’s Devils, Satan’s Devils ride together,’ the meeting breaks up.
I try to find Amy, but I can’t see her around.
“If you’re looking for your old lady, she’s gone to bed.” Hound’s standing beside me. “You should go up too.” As I open my mouth, he says, “Know you’re the prez, but you’ll have enough to deal with tomorrow. There’s nothing to suggest they’ll even be thinking of coming for us tonight, so you need to take the opportunity of having some downtime. We need you fresh and thinking straight in the morning.”
“Should we have gotten the women out?” I ask him, wondering whether there’s something I’ve missed.
“Leave them unprotected? Split our men to protect them?” Hound shakes his head. “We can circle the wagons better here, Wiz.”
For a second, I wish Amy was still living in Phoenix. Was I selfish making her my old lady? Should I have left well alone and not interfered between her and Xander all those months back? No, I can’t think like that because I am a selfish motherfucker. Danger coming for us or not, I want her here.
Hound’s right. I’ve got to at least try to switch off and recharge my batteries. Tomorrow’s going to be one fuck of a day, and not in the way I’d originally hoped. Now I’m just praying we’ll all be alive at the end of it.
I clap my hand on his shoulder. There’s no need for words.
Most of the women have gone by now. The sweet butts are around, doing what they can to keep visiting single men happy, at least they’re smiling while they work, having a large pool to choose from tonight.
Now word about the danger heading for us has spread, as I make my way across the crowded clubhouse, instead of ribaldry about my forthcoming nuptials, men just offer me chin lifts, or words of encouragement. A few clasp my hand and tell me they’ve got my back. I can’t help wondering if any who I bumped shoulders with may not be alive come tomorrow night. Or even, will I instead of being married by a Satanist, end
up face to face with Satan?
I enter my suite, the prez’s hat never having felt so heavy on my head up to now.
Not yet in bed, Amy’s standing at the doors looking out at the starlit sky, only a bedside light illuminating the room behind her. She turns as I close the door.
“What’s going on, Drew?”
“We’re getting married tomorrow.”
“It’s more than that. Are we in danger?”
“Amy, you know I can’t tell you that.” I lean my head back against the door. “We don’t know anything. But we’re taking precautions in case.”
“Is it my fault?” she asks. “Should I never have agreed to have the wedding on the compound? Has bringing everyone here put us at risk?”
“Fuck no.” I decide to tell her a little of the truth. “The compound is the easiest place to defend. Should there be any danger, that is.”
The thoughts in my brain are bouncing this way and that, going between wanting to make my old lady happy and give her a day she’ll never forget for all the right reasons, and trying to recall whether I’ve done all I can to keep all the men I’m responsible for safe. Not just my Tucson brothers, but those who wear Satan’s Devils’ cuts and who tonight are under my roof, together with the property they’ve brought with them.
I feel my shoulders slump under the weight and try to draw them back up. But watching her, I see her straighten her back, then she comes over. “Can I take this off, or are you going out again?”
“I’m staying here with you.”
She checks, then at my nod of permission, removes my cut, taking as much care of it as I do myself. Then she removes my tee, but I stop her when she gets to my jeans.
“I’m leaving them on.”
“In case you’re needed?”
“In case,” I agree.
She leads me to the bed. “Just hold me tonight, Drew. Tomorrow, let me know if there’s something I need to do.”
Fuck, but she’s going to make a fucking good first lady. No demands to know what’s going on, no fussing about anything at all. She’s just giving me an oasis, a place of safety and calm, an escape from the chaos around me, and the turmoil in my head. Surprisingly, I sleep.
I’m shooed out of the suite almost immediately upon waking. The girls have got a fuck load of prep it would seem to get themselves and Jayden’s kids ready. Amy will be heading up to Drummer’s house as that’s where they’ll be dressing and having hair and nails sorted.
I go immediately to Mouse. He yawns when he sees me and stretches. “Nothing more.”
I didn’t even have to ask him.
I go back out into the clubroom.
“What time’s the ceremony?” Red, still president in Vegas, calls out.
“Noon,” I reply.
He nods and goes back to discussing things with his crew who are standing around him.
“Fuckin’ hate this.” Heart comes over. “Amy and Olivia’s special day and it’s being ruined.”
“We’ll do our best to make sure they enjoy it, a wedding to remember.” Wraith comes across.
I just hope it’s because their day was special, and not that it all went wrong.
Men wander in coming to fill their stomachs having been on guard duty during the night, others go out to take over. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing.
“Just checking it’s going ahead,” Lady comes across to ask. His joking demeanour totally missing.
“We’re doing this,” I confirm. “I, er, don’t rush it, Brother. The girls deserve…”
“I know,” he says. “I’ll give them no cause for worry.”
I’m rushed off my feet, making sure everyone’s where they should be and all know what they should be doing. Most important of all, those who should witness our wedding organised with replacements for when they come back here at noon.
It seems no time has passed at all when a voice sounds from beside me. “Better get ready, Prez,” Hawk advises. “It’s eleven-thirty now. We need to get changed and be there before our brides turn up.”
I allow myself a moment to remember why we’re here. Bumping his arm with my fist, I ask, “We really doing this, Brother? Getting hitched?”
“We’re really doing this.” His smile is broad as he replies.
“Prez! Prez!” I’m halfway across the room when Mouse calls me back.
I’m at his side in a flash. “What you got?”
“A location. Flagstaff.”
My eyes crease. Flagstaff?
Mouse talks to me like I’m a kid, saying each word carefully. “No idea of the target, but Flagstaff’s fuckin’ hours away. If they are assembling there, there’s no way we’ll be taking a hit.”
It still takes a moment for it to sink in. Other men are faster and there are hollers and shouts. “We keep security tight,” I tell Mouse, and Hound who’s come up, my brain unable to process the threat may be removed. “Don’t want to let down our guard.”
“We won’t, Brother,” says Lost and Red together. “But some of the pressure’s off and isn’t it about time you went and got hitched?”
Well, thank fuck. As I realise the pressure has indeed lifted, my shoulders already feel lighter.
Hawk puts his hand on my back and pushes hard. I stumble forward, but turn around to him and bark a laugh. Me and my VP, getting married. Who’d have believed it?
We make quick work of stripping our clothes off and putting on those hated tuxes, Hawk’s grimace matching mine. Then we’re ready to go.
Outside, the yard has been decorated with a normal wedding arch. But there’s not much else normal about it. Instead of white or pink roses, it’s adorned all in black flowers interspersed with Harley badges and patches. Chairs, picnic tables and benches are a sea of black leather, with the women all wearing their property cuts, except for the youngsters from our chapter who are family but not otherwise associated with the club. Hawk and I go to stand at the altar, Hound’s my best man, Throttle is Hawk’s. Together we wait.
Joker says in a loud aside, “I don’t think the brides are going to turn up.”
I give him my middle finger.
Then Lady appears. Today he’s not wearing a mask, but is dressed all in black with a black satin robe, his long hair tied back with a black velvet bow. His expression is serious as he carries a solemn looking tome, placing it on a lectern. I can’t resist leaning in for a closer look. Well fuck me, it really is a Satanic bible. I crack a smile and nudge Hawk, who stares at it then laughs.
Then music starts playing.
I turn to see our brides.
Fuck me, but I’ve only got eyes for Amy. Both girls are in white, but that’s about as much as I notice about Olivia, I can only focus on the woman who’s mine. Her dress is short, just shy of indecently so. The colour might be virginal, but not the style. It suits her perfectly.
The ceremony itself passes in a blur. Lady takes his job seriously, taking us through our vows. We exchange rings, say our I dos, and then I’m married to Amy and Hawk’s wedded to Olivia.
“Are you okay?” Amy asks, as we manage to get a moment to ourselves. My face is aching from all the smiling and my back is starting to sting from all the congratulatory slaps I’ve received.
I breathe out deeply. As the hours have passed, Mouse has kept checking, but the news channels are reporting that a government office was torched up in the north of Arizona, and Mouse had caught wind that the same voices he’d found arranging the meets were now taking credit for doing so. Seems we were worrying for nothing at all. The danger having receded has obviously made me happier, but I’ve still lingering thoughts of what could have happened had we been the target. Now with my old lady to protect, that beefed up security will become a permanent arrangement.
“I’m fine,” I tell her at last.
Hawk approaches with his arm around Olivia. “We’re going to blow this joint for a few.” He catches my eye and winks.
Which seems like a fucking good idea. Maybe being de
ep inside my woman will help me relax.
“Think we’ll do the same, brother.” I grab hold of Amy’s hand.
But as we start to walk away, it’s Dollar who shouts out, “Someone starting a stopwatch?”
Hawk and I stop. I straighten my back, waiting.
“I’ll have thirty on Wizard.” That’s fucking Beef.
“Fifty on Hawk.” Bullet’s a fucking traitor.
“Okay,” says Rock. “Last one back obviously fucked the longest.”
Hawk turns to me with his eyebrow raised. Game on. I grin back. Then, as we turn away, I have a better idea. I wait until we’re out of sight. “When you’ve er finished, give me a call. We’ll go back together.”
“Get the last laugh.” Hawk catches on and gives me a salute.
“What was that all about?” Amy asks, as I stand trying to work out how to get that dress off her.
“Who can fuck the longest, me or Hawk? Or who can get off first?” I realise I’m not quite certain what makes who the winner.
“What?” she spins around. “That’s awful.”
“Babe,” I tell her, seriously, “it could have been worse. They wanted to watch.”
She stares, frowns, then chuckles, then is outright laughing. Her hand covers her mouth. “Oh my God,” she giggles, having difficulty getting out the words. “I can just imagine two pale white humping asses while the brothers stand around giving marks.”
“And that’s the last time you’re ever going to have thoughts of Hawk’s ass. Even if it is when he was three years old,” I warn her.
I give up with the dress, simply bend her over the bed, whip it up and her panties down, rip my tuxedo pants off, and thrust my cock into her wet and ready cunt.
She’s mine. In the eyes of the club, and in the eyes of the law.
Mine.
Forever.
My balls are drawing up, but I can tell she’s not quite there yet. I slide one hand up and wrap it around her throat, she immediately tenses, and her muscles clamp on my cock.
“Drew,” she gasps, “What…?”
“I read your limits list, remember?” I growl into her ear. Light choking was definitely on the plus side.
Amy's Santa: Satan's Devils MC Second Generation #1 Page 21