Page 22 of Alex

Picking a glass up from the table and hurling it at his head effectively cuts off his words. “I’m not fucking Prime! This club isn’t run by fucking Prime. He left, stepped down, retired! I am the fucking president here. This is my club. My patch. My family! I run this shit and my word is law! I don’t give a fuck if you agree with me or if you don’t fucking like my decision, but they're my fucking decisions. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. I speak and you fucking listen. I order and you do. That is the way this fucking world, the Wings of Diablo world works.” I stop to catch my breath and look around the room to see if anyone dares to question me again. “Now, all of you have a choice, you can get your shit ready to go after the Rolling Cobras tomorrow or you can drop your kutte right now. You want to leave get the fuck out but if you want to be part of this family it’s time for you to realize that Prime’s time is over. It’s my time now.” I look to Max, who has something like pride on his face. “I’m going to get some rest. I want to be on the move by dawn. Make sure we have everything we need.” I swing my head to my enforcer, “Wire, I’m going to need your skills. Maybe pack a special bag?”

“Heard.” He nods his head without hesitation.

Everyone else just stares at me but no one has given up their tags yet.

I can feel the tension in the room and part of me starts to second guess what I’m doing. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe… no. My mind drifts back to what Laura said. I know what I’m doing. I can lead us to greatness, I just have to stick to what I know is right.

Laura

I sit on the bed stock still as I listen to Alex try to defend his position. I knew he was important in the club, but I never took the time to find out who he was. I didn’t know he was the president.

My brother was in a race club, which was just a bunch of guys with fast cars. It was absolutely ridiculous to me, but they did have the same sort of dynamic I see here in this clubhouse. There’s a president and then those under him. The only difference between my brother’s club and this club is Alex is a good man. I may not know him well, but I can feel that down into my soul.

The door to the room opens and Alex hustles in. He slams the door closed behind him, locks it, and leans against it with his eyes closed.

“Papi, you okay?” I ask even though I can see from where I’m sitting that he isn’t. He’s far from okay.

“No, I’m fucking this up. They don’t want me in this position. I’m going to get them killed, maybe they’re right.” He says looking up to the ceiling as if he’s waiting for the answer to drop down to him, “Maybe I was wrong to think I could handle this. If anything happens to any of them, I don’t know what I’d do.” He drops his gaze to me, and I see the agony in those expressive eyes. “They’re my family. I can’t let them down.”

I get up from the bed and walk over to him. When I touch him it’s like a live electric wire. I can feel the uncertainty and anguish over this decision ripping his confidence to shreds. “You won’t let them down. You can’t Alex. I’ve been here for an hour tops and I can see how deep your love is for this club and for them. It’s just like when we were trapped in the car. You push them all out to safety before you let them hurt no matter what it means for you. Though I don’t know them just from what I know about you, I can bet that most if not all of them are just like me. They not going to leave you no matter how dangerous or scary things may get. You can lead them. All you have to do is take that first step and they will follow.” I hold his gaze and he wraps his arms around my waist.

“Laura, where have you been my whole damn life? How the fuck can you make me feel like this so fast?” he tugs me closer to him and doesn’t wait for me to answer before he presses his lips to mine. Kissing me so deeply that my knees get weak, and I nearly fall. I don’t worry about hitting the ground though. I trust Alex to catch me with all I am.

It’s been less than twenty-four hours that I’ve known this man, yet I can’t see my life without him. He burst into my life, blinding me with the brightness of who he is. I can try to ignore what’s happening all I want but there’s no denying that all I recognize is him.

I may not know where this is going but as long as I can still see him, I know I’ll be all right.

Alex

My eyes pop open a little before five in the morning, right before dawn. I don’t hear anyone moving around yet.

My club is abandoning me before I even get a chance to prove myself. I look over in my bed and see Laura sleeping soundly. Either way, I’m going to make sure she and the rest of my club is safe. These Rolling Cobra mother fuckers are going to figure out just who the fuck they are messing with. I quickly get dressed, even putting on body armor under my shirt and kutte. I grab the guns I do have and put them in my side holsters, one goes in my boot. I have a hunting knife in the other. We don’t have much but I’ll use what I have.

I lean down and kiss Laura softly on the forehead not wanting to wake her up, but her eyes slide open sleepily anyway.

“Make sure you come back to me, Papi.” She caresses my face and I nod for her. I kiss her again but this time on her lips. Before we can get too deep into it a soft tap at my door has me turning around in frustration. Who the hell is knocking on my door at five in the morning?

I walk over and open the door to see Max and Ryder, fully dressed and armed at my doorway.

“Hey, we’re ready to ride.” Max says. My eyes slide over to Ryder and though he doesn’t say a word he nods once in my direction.

“Who’s we?” I ask and push through the two of them.

Everyone is in the main area looking exactly like Max and Ryder. I didn’t think anyone would give up their patch, but I figured at least one or two of them would try to stand down from the fight.

I chuckle when I see Mick pulling the shotgun from behind the bar, “What do you think you doing old man?”

“Old man? Boy, I may not be able to ride anymore but I can hold a gun. Let someone come test this old man if they want. It’s been a while since I’ve had to blow someone’s head off.”

“Well dammit” Clean says, “We blowing heads off? I’m not dressed for that. I got my getting bloody sweatshirt on. I need my exploding brains and gutting motherfuckers one. Gotta look the part you know.” He smiles at me and I roll my eyes at his ridiculousness.

Wire comes to stand in front of me, all serious, all the time. “What’s the plan, Prez? We just running through?” He doesn’t ask to be an ass, he genuinely wants to know so he can be prepared. I look around at everyone waiting for my orders and realize that even if they thought I was doing the wrong thing there isn’t one person here who’d let me do it on my own. The Wings of Diablo is more than just an MC, we’re brothers. A bond thicker than the blood we spill and stronger than the metal on our bikes.

* * *

I set everyone up perfectly. Wire, Gin and Ryder infiltrated the Rolling Cobras clubhouse from the front, while Clean, Max, Larry and I came in from the back. Archer and Mick were both up and away ready to call out any stragglers or enemies coming up behind us. They were also to make sure that no one got away If I gave the word to kill everyone.

The Rolling Cobras never imagined we’d come straight for them so when we walk in guns raised most of them are lounging around with breakfast in their mouth.

---