Outlaw's Vow: Grizzlies MC Romance(82)

Never again. There'd always be duties to my patch and my brothers, sure, but everything involving this woman from here on out was for us.

Us. That fucking phrase made me burn.

Us. That single word caused my blood to heat and my pulse to pound straight into my cock.

Us. I couldn't wait 'til we had a family in front of us, even if it meant getting older and grayer.

Shit, especially if it meant that. Just as long as it was with her, having our kids at the table every night or bouncing on my knee while I told them crazy tales about awesome warriors and vile bastards who deserved to die.

We rode on outta Redding, straight to our big club honeymoon getaway in the lush cedar wilds across the state line. The whole Grizzlies brotherhood was riding into a new chapter that would take years to write.

I couldn't wait to make a few more words tonight with Elle, next to the big fire we'd build, only heading back to our tent when we were good and ready to fuck, to merge, to live and love.

The guys and their girls all sprawled out around the fire. Jackie put down Caleb a couple hours ago, and we gathered around the fire, the wide starry sky twinkling above us.

“Why so heavy tonight, Prez?” Brass said, pausing to plant another kiss on Missy's cheek. “I mean, shit, you've earned it more than anybody. Don't know how the fuck you survived all those years when this club was going downhill, rudderless as all hell.”

“There's always good times in the muck, son. There's always purpose. Direction. A man's life ought to have light, darkness, and enough fire to burn down the universe.” Blackjack looked up, his long gray hair blowing as a wind cut through our camp. He stared right at me and Elle.

“You two, over there. Seeds grown straight from pitch black soil.” His eyes moved over us, stopping on the brothers and their girls, one by one.

I held Elle tighter, giving the Prez a silent nod. None of this would've been possible without the chieftan sitting in front of us, deep in his thoughts and words. Sometimes he waxed fucking poetic, a philosopher king if there ever was one.

“Nobody sitting by the fire tonight hasn't been gutted at some point,” Blackjack said. “Whether they've lost their mothers, their fathers, or just a piece of themselves some long dark night, they survived. They lived to burn higher and brighter. Damn it, boys and girls, we've all beat the odds. There were plenty of times on the road when our guns came out that I thought I'd lose good men. I thought I'd have to break news about being widows to the girls here, or else drown our brothers in booze and bitches after some sorry bastards killed their girls dead.”

He stood up, slowly, shaking off the pain in his leg. Shit wasn't getting any better. And yet the crazy SOB kept leading us straight into peace and war. Nothing could keep him down – same as every man here by the fire tonight.

“We beat the fucking odds, boys, and don't you ever forget it.” He pointed to all of us, taking a long sip off his beer bottle. “You're married. You've got families coming. You're living the good life, like every man and woman should, and it's not going to be taken for granted.”

“Fuck, no,” Roman belted out, pulling Sally a little closer on his lap.

“Doesn't matter how much we bled or how many assholes we've killed in the past. Doesn't matter how much more of that's ahead,” the Prez continued. “If any jackals are crazy enough to sink their teeth into our happy peace, they'll die, plain and simple. As long as this big ass family's alive, breathing, and still able to love each other like brothers and sisters should, we own the world.”

“Never gonna let go of it neither, Prez. The whole damned world's ours,” Rabid growled, staring into Christa's smiling, scarred face. “We've got that motherfucker by the throat, tonight and forever.”

They kissed. Somewhere in a nearby tent, Caleb cried, and we heard Jackie's soft, young voice trying to soothe him through the silence.

“Kids. Hope you're both ready,” Sally said, shooting Elle a wink before turning to Roman. “Come on, baby. We'd better see what he wants.”

The giant stood up, nodded a goodnight to us all, and disappeared with his girl. The rest of the couples all sat quiet, while Blackjack stared into the fire, knocking down his beer with new vigor.

“This fire belongs to lovers,” the Prez said, throwing his bottle into the waste bin and picking up a new one from the case. “Enjoy the stars, sons. You don't know how fucking special they can be. Here for an instant, bright as a candle, and snuffed out just as easy.”

Rabid, Brass, and me all shared a look.

“What's gotten into him?” I growled, just as baffled as anyone, once the crunch of Blackjack's boots on the dirt had totally faded.