Even at that though, some transfers weren’t accepted. Just as some prospects, those who didn’t turn in their cut after the first few months, didn’t make patch. It was a fact of life.
But Destiny had requested her vote be put before the table at the first church upon her return. She wanted to know who was going to be against her. Who she had to persuade. There would be a few at the very least.
“Is there anything you would like to say before vote?” Alec pointedly asked Destiny.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I grew up here, at the Sweetwater clubhouse. Most of you know that. I gave much of my childhood and much of my family to this club. I was, for the first time, shot at the young age of three. The scar has faded but I still know where the bullet of an orange-wearing black cut through my left arm. Only after the slug of that nine ripped through my mother, killing her. She died because she was my father’s old lady.
“Wes Callaghan helped birth this club alongside Alec, Hawk, Patterson, and Zimmerman. The first five were granted, in the by-laws, that their offspring would be given the right to prospect as long as they had not committed treason to their family or their club before the time they could try for the patch.” Destiny took a breath and looked to the hard faces around the quiet room. All eyes were focused on her. Listening to her argument. Her attempt at persuading their vote.
“At the time there were no daughters even born. To this day I am the only female to come from any of the first five. Even if there had been more, no one would have dared phantom discriminating against gender in that article. Because who would have thought a daughter would have wanted to wear patch rather than be an old lady and just spend the club’s money.”
There were a few chuckles at this comment, mainly because they all knew it wasn’t true. Their old ladies did much more than just toss money around.
“But all the same, I wanted to patch from the time I knew I was able to. I watched my father, when he was home and in his right mind, if he ever was, sit at the head of this very table and tell me about the Devil’s Bastards. I gave up my father to the Nomad Outlaws and eventually to the ground. I lowered my eldest brother to the ground after he too gave his life for this club and watched my soul surviving blood take to the Nomads and much of the same route as my father.
“All my life all I have known has been serving this club. This charter. But I knew that would never be enough. So before I patched against Eric and Alec’s wishes and many others, I enlisted and sent myself away to the Marines. I could not be trained to do much outside of drive convoy due to what is between my legs, or lack of what isn’t there. But still I managed to see action. I was injured in Iraq and I returned to Sweetwater to recoup after my discharge papers went through and took myself to Fort Worth to prospect.
“I earned my right in this club. I may have been given a free pass by that article. Hell, my brothers did too! But like them I wasn’t handed the patch. I earned it. And in a charter that had no tight ties to the original members. Under a president who is a good leader, honest and fair, and would treat me no differently because although he respected my father, he was not an uncle to me. I earned my right to the Bastard cut. I want to earn my right here as well.”
Destiny was finished. She had said every argument she could. The club knew what she herself had done for them to earn her patch. What she had done for Fort Worth since she rode with them. They didn’t need to be reminded of those cold hard facts.
The blood she spilled, that would always be remembered. The deals she ran successfully, and all the other dangerous work she had completed effectively, would not be forgotten.
That proved she deserved the patch but it didn’t prove she belonged in Sweetwater. Just that she could be an asset to this charter, same as any of the other ten spread around the country.
“Vote,” Alec called.
He looked to his Sergeant first.
Riccardo. He would give his life for Alec, as the duty the sergeant was usually weighted with, although few were unfaithful to their presidents. A memory Destiny preferred not to visit. But he loved Alec and knew, Destiny was hoping, that Alec wanted his niece home.
“Yes.”
Destiny let out a mental sigh of relief. She had started on a positive note. Since a transfer vote had to be a unanimous yes, all voting would stop after the first negative vote.
Fabio was seated beside Riccardo. He didn’t hesitate with his response: “Hell yes. Bring home the Double D!”
Destiny smiled.
Eric voted yes. It was pretty much a given. He would do as his “niece” requested. Having her home would at least grant him the ability to keep watch over her.
Vince was a surprising yes in Destiny’s mind, for as old fashioned as he was.
Four yeses. A good start.
Vat voted in her favor. That made five. Alec was sure to vote in her favor. That would make six. It was too good to be true. Just now left Drew, Jay, Charlie, and Bryant. Just four more to go. Four more and she could have her ten unanimous votes and she would make the eleventh member of the home charter.
Drew looked at her hard for a moment. Thinking and rubbing his chin in a way that made Destiny want to know his thoughts. A former cop was a hard read. She didn’t know him well and questioned, but only in her mind, his loyalty and faith in the MC. But Drew was a patched member and serving under Alec. That alone made her trust him to a degree.
“I’m sorry Destiny. But I can’t.” With that, he stood and Alec slammed the gavel.
Destiny couldn’t let her hurt show. That would be a woman’s weak emotion. The urge to fight boiled in her blood but outside those doors was a celebration, one she wasn’t going to ruin. She would deal with Drew later. Even though she wished she knew the others’ votes.
Now she just had to persuade Drew and the other three. As well as keep the rest of her yeses.
Finally, Destiny snapped out of her thoughts and stood with the rest of the men as they prepared to leave the church and go into the party.
“Stick around awhile. Your transfer papers are good for two months. I can bring the vote before church in fourteen days from now. You will make Sweetwater I’m sure,” Alec said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled. “Now come on. Your aunts are fit to be tied. They have missed you something awful and have worked hard to throw together this party for your arrival.”
They burst through the doors to hoots and hollers and drinks already being passed around. Fabio had followed Drew immediately out the doors. Probably to warn his mother and Kristy that she didn’t make Sweetwater just yet.
Kristy threw her arms around Destiny’s neck and clung tightly to her. “My baby girl, I’ve missed you. So glad you’re home.”
“I’m not home yet,” Destiny replied.
“I don’t give a damn if you’re voted Sweetwater yet or not. You’re home with your family. With me and Alec, Eric and Stella,” Kristy started.
“Don’t forget me!” Fabio added.
“And pretty boy,” Kristy amended. “You’re home for at least two months. That’s a start. Under my roof.”
“Well…”
“You have to be kidding me.”
“I want to be close to the boys. Try to sway some votes by working hard and being a constant here,” Destiny defended.
Stella appeared as if by magic through the throngs of people and stood by her son’s side. “There are fresh sheets in apartment three. Bed’s all made, bathrooms stocked, it’s clean, or as clean as it will ever be. You’re all set!” she told Destiny cheerfully before wrapping the younger woman in her arms.
“Stella, why set her up in the apartment?” Kristy asked.
“Because Drew finally moved back out,” Stella said, as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world.
There was always at least one apartment at each Bastard clubhouse. The mother chapter, and by far one of the wealthiest, hosted four apartments. Currently there was one open. Apartment one was occupied by Vat, who, for as far as De
stiny knew, never lived in his own place. The second was held by Charlie and now she occupied the third. The fourth remained open.
Each apartment contained a small personal bathroom, a bedroom which held a bed, couch, dresser, microwave, and mini fridge, and a few other odds and ends.
Far from the penthouse suite style but it was comfortable. Almost all Bastards lived in one from time to time. Destiny had crashed in the apartment in Fort Worth between leases on her own places.
Fabio was the only patch member Destiny knew in three chapters who had never lived in an apartment. Fabio was shockingly stable.
With her aunts bickering over Destiny’s living situation, Stella standing firm that it was Destiny’s decision and that it was important she stayed close to the club at such a critical time, and Kristy, president’s wife and all, arguing that she was better off under her roof. Where she belonged, as Kristy claimed.
Destiny felt Fabio come up behind her and offered her a plastic cup with ice and a dark liquid inside. She took a whiff and registered the smell.
“Jack and Coke. You remembered.” She smiled at her longtime friend and patch brother.
“Jack and Pepsi. You always preferred Pepsi over Coke. And of course I remembered. I bartended here the entire time I prospected. Even if it meant serving minors.”
“I was military already. I had a right to drink.”
“You tell your commanding officers that?”
“You tell your mother you bedded her arch enemy?”
“Ahh… you haven’t made Sweetwater yet, little sister. I will vote no if you keep it up,” he teased.
“You, Stephan Fabio Ames, would not dare to vote against me.” She smiled.
“Unofficial sniper training, damn good shot, trust me I haven’t forgotten,” Fabio replied. “So you want the run down?”
Destiny shook her head. “No. Not tonight. Tonight I’m home for the first real time in months. This clubhouse is jammed full and in my honor. I intend to mingle and not think about it.”
“Get you some!” Fabio shouted after her as she walked off.
3
A pounding woke Destiny the next morning. Whether it was in her head or on her door she wasn’t quite sure. She flipped open her burner cell phone that lay on the nightstand. Dead.
The alarm clock next to the bed said it was eleven-thirty. Thanks to the dark curtains on the windows, she wasn’t sure if that was a.m. or p.m. though. If it was a.m., she was going back to sleep till tonight.
She lay in bed and curled up under the covers, nestling herself in a position that she felt eased her sore head. Part of her wasn’t wanting to stretch out across the queen-sized bed. She hadn’t yet turned to find if she was alone but she didn’t sense anybody and she wasn’t naked so that was a start.
“Get up Double D! Coffee!” shouted a loud, obnoxious voice.
She groaned and pulled herself upright and out of the bed. Leaving it empty. The only positive of the morning. Although it was a possibility any company could be gone by now.
She stumbled to the bathroom. That was the last time she drank her weight in liquor. Not beer. Hard liquor. It seemed every brother and every friend of the club wanted to buy her a shot last night. Which was pretty ironic since the club didn’t have a liquor license for the house, so it was all free.
But whatever.
She tossed back every drink handed to her with a smile.
If she did anything too embarrassing, and there wasn’t much a Bastard could do that was embarrassing in the throes of a welcome home party, Fabio would fill her in. Fabio was good at tormenting her with her lack of judgment.
Destiny showered quickly and managed not to throw up. She brushed her teeth and pulled her damp hair back from her face into a tight and efficient pony tail and left the little makeup she would normally wear in its respective containers in her travel bags on the back of the toilet.
Walking into her bedroom she dropped her towel to dig for clean clothes. Ten minutes later and still feeling sluggish but much more like she would live, she was dressed in jeans, boots, a tight Harley T-shirt, her cut, and her weapons.
“Good afternoon. You missed morning,” Fabio said from where he stood behind the bar next to one of the prospects whose name Destiny couldn’t remember.
She sank down on a bar stool that had a back and laid her head on the bar and peered up at the Budweiser clock on the wall. “I only missed it by five minutes. However, I have a feeling I celebrated its appearance this morning.”
“That you did. I tossed you in bed around four. Face down so you didn’t choke on your own puke.”
“How thoughtful of you. I rarely get sick due to drinking, you know.”
“I was just staying on the safe side. Besides, the prospect would have to be the one to clean you up, not me.” Fabio threw a glance to the newbie over his shoulder and the kid shrank down.
Fabio chuckled. The kid was older than a few she had seen. Probably, in all reality, close to their own age. No younger than twenty-four but he still looked as if he held some innocence. He might have thought himself a big badass before he got the prospect cut but knowing the Sweetwater boys, they probably beat him down to size.
Looking like he was still wet behind the ears, maybe three, four months into his prospect tops. The year was mandatory and it took about six months before a prospect started to settle in and earn respect. This kid was still quaking in his boots.
A womanly tug in her wanted to tell Fabio to be nice to the kid. But she didn’t. There was a prospect who had just joined Fort Worth a few months ago and she gave him hell just like the rest of the boys. It was a rite of passage he had to earn.
Destiny flashed back to her own prospecting months. Fresh from the military and still recovering from a bullet wound that had left her questioning if she would ever ride again, she had gone in with the lower hand. Just back walking for two months and back in her Harley seat for less than two weeks, she was weaker than the other two.
But she was braver than they were. Even when the Bastards tried to belittle her and scare her the way they did with prospects, she stood her ground. Respectfully at best. Maybe having known a few of the men for years helped. But it was in her blood. No one pushed a Callaghan around, especially in her own club. These men didn’t scare her.
Her father was the toughest of them, even when he was weak and failing. Her brothers the same. She had seen them angry, seen them fight and they had never frightened her. She had never backed down from the toughest Bastards, so she wouldn’t let some other cuts scare her either.
She smiled at the memories. After all, she was the only one of the three of them to make patch. One walked out in fear after a few months. The other… the other, well, he was one of the reasons she was as respected as quickly as she was. Traitor blood wasn’t something she wanted to think about.
“So… what went down around here last night?”
“How much do you remember?”
Destiny pondered that for a moment as Fabio poured her a cup of coffee and slid it to her. “Alec’s toast welcoming me home and that’s it. After those whiskey potions that Vat made, I don’t remember much.” She grew silent for a moment and Fabio smiled. “Holy hell, did I try to shoot someone last night?”
“You didn’t make it to your gun but you clocked him pretty good,” Destiny moaned and took a sip of coffee as Fabio turned to the prospect. “Kid, here’s two things you should remember. One: don’t ever drink anything Vat creates. You ought to know that too, Double D. And number two: don’t try grabbing Double D’s double Ds unless you’re clearly instructed to!”
Fabio’s laughter hurt her ears and she groaned as the door to the clubhouse swung open and slammed shut as Alec walked in.
“Good; you’re alive. Get that ass of yours on your bike and over to the shop before my wife wrings both our necks.”
Destiny groaned.
“I told you not to take that whiskey potion. Now scram. I’ll deal with a dozen gang bangers and
the head of the cartel before I deal with your aunt’s temper.” Alec shooed her away and she downed the rest of her coffee and headed toward her bike.
****
Destiny walked in through the back door of the custom bike shop and accessory store her family owned. Alec, Eric, and her father had all been partners in the business. For the most part, Kristy and Stella ran things, but Destiny and Houston still got checks every month out of the share her father had owned. Now it was time to earn that payday.
She shucked her cut in the back room and tossed it on a chair. The Long Ride was kept separate from the Devil’s Bastards and the women liked to keep the cuts from being worn while working. They didn’t want their shop discriminated against by regular folk or targeted by the cops.
Kristy was at the cash register ringing up a barely-legal girl’s T-shirt she was buying and Stella was polishing one of the few bikes they had on display inside the showroom.
The girl paid and walked out, leaving the shop empty for the moment. It was still early for most of the Saturday crowd in these parts.
“Name badge,” Stella called out and Destiny returned to the back room and came back with her name badge.
“Good to see you’re functioning,” Kristy said.
“What can I say, you girls throw one hell of a welcome home party.”
“That was more or less for show. Since you’re a patched member now, it was a given. Everyone has one when they visit a different charter unless it’s dire circumstances,” Stella replied.
“Plus, we figured we would either be celebrating your permanent joining to Sweetwater or you would need to throw back a few drinks. And by ‘we’ I mean Stephan,” Kristy added. She and Stella refused to call Stephan by his nickname. Stella claimed if she wanted a son named Fabio, that’s what his damn birth certificate would say.
“He’s always looking for a reason to party.” Destiny smiled.
“Yes but he’s learned not to drink any of Vat’s concoctions,” Kristy said, raising an eyebrow to Destiny.
The Devils Bastards MC: Destiny Dallas Callaghan Page 2