As Road Captain, Diesel revs his bike and rides past us, not stopping until he’s a decent distance away. Grady and Wyatt pull up behind Diesel, taking their positions as VP and President. It isn’t until we’re right behind Diesel’s bike that I realize what’s happening. I pull my man close and smile to myself. This isn’t our usual formation, but it’s smart. I looks around, wondering whose idea this was.
Behind us, Jim pulls up, just off to the side, Ryan comes up center, and Ian brings his bike up on Ryan’s other side. Mancuso is bound to know about Ryan and Alex’s relationship, so this is good. We’re guarding her until the exchange. The van rolls up behind Ryan, and the rest of the guys move into position, covering the van as well. Michael and Leo are inside where Mishy was. She decided to come at the last minute. With Dad watching Zander and Piper, she reasoned he could watch Xavier, too. I just hope the old man has what little of his sanity is left when we get home.
The bikes all roar to life, the brothers revving their engines in a show of solidarity, a battle cry even. Diesel raises his pointer finger in the air, points at the sky, swivels his wrist around twice, and then points forward. We take off like a shot, at high speeds, all careful of one another, aiming not to get too close but still remain close enough. We’re like a pack, refusing to be separated, refusing to be seen as anything other than one. We ride for at least ten minutes, most of which I spend calming myself down. I need to be on point so that my family—all of my family—makes it out of this whole. I think about everything that’s happened the last few months. I remember the first time Zander saw his father and the moment when Wyatt realized Piper is his.
I think about the first night we spent in our house and how my man gave himself to me, so fully, without fear of rejection, that it brought me to tears. I think about the ring on my finger and the joy in my heart. I focus on everything that’s good and right in my life. I remember Ian’s wedding and the vows he and Mindy spoke to each other. They were beautiful and honest. It was so intimate that I almost had to look away. Baring their hearts to one another in front of all of us was moving to say the least. I let myself fondly remember Nic being voted in, seeing her Forsaken tattoo for the first time. I remember the joy on her face at finally feeling at home. I let myself even think about when Jeremy was patched. The brothers kept the actual patching in private, as they always do, but when it came time for him to sew on his top rocker, we all sat around and watched. It’s a beautiful thing, seeing a man give himself over to the club that way. I’ve never had the privilege of seeing a man sew his patches before. It’s personal for them, sacred. But with what we’ve been up against the last few years, and everything Jeremy’s done for the club, I guess my man somehow knew that we needed this. We needed to see the boy become a man.
As I let my mind wander, all the while keeping a close eye on our surroundings, I can feel it finally settling into my gut. The resolve, the ice-cold determination to protect this band of misfits at all costs. Even if it means losing myself in the process. As an old lady, my life is supposed to be put above any of the brothers. I’m supposed to come first. But what they so often don’t get is that as an old lady, I’ll always put my family above myself. It’s unwritten, but it’s there. Anybody who’s been around long enough knows it. The only way you get voted in is if the club knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you’ll protect the pack before the individual. And I will. So will Alex. She’s already proven that, and she’s proving it once again right now.