Page 36 of Loki's Luck

“I am ready… well, mostly,” I tell her, shrugging and giving her what I hope is a charming smile.

“Keep this shit up, and one of your pretty knives, along with a picture of this room, will be hanging on my trophy wall,” she huffs before walking out. I laugh before finishing what I need to do and heading downstairs. Shit, I'm pretty sure she was serious about that statement. Yeah, my pet fucking loves me too.

“Come on, Loki! Uncle Beau said he’s got a new dance for me,” Rome says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door.

“Yeah, and Uncle Comp told me he found a new game he thought I would like. I really want to try it out before the party starts,” Rae says, grabbing my other hand.

I roll my eyes, but I let them lead me out to the four-wheelers in our garage. We all four have one. Rae and Rome’s are much smaller than mine and Halle’s, but the kids love them. We each climb on while Rome and Rae fasten their helmets. When we all get ready, Halle on the back of mine, I tell them to go first. I want to be in the back, watching, making sure they are safe. Of course, the protector Rome is when it comes to his sister, he always makes sure she takes off first and then follows close behind her. Rae lets loose, going as fast as she can up the trails that lead to the clubhouse, and before too long, we are pulling around into the lot and parking.

“Rae, that was too fast. Loki, tell her she was going too fast,” Rome says, standing tall and crossing his arms at Rae, waiting for me to back up his statement.

“Can it, Dad,” Rae mocks him, sticking out her tongue. I laugh, as does Halle, before we all make our way into the clubhouse.

“Oh, thank god you two are here. We need help with the food setup,” Piper says, grabbing Halle’s hand and pulling her toward the kitchen.

“Rome, Rae. Uncle Comp was looking for you two not too long ago,” she says, and they don’t waste another second before running off toward Comp’s office.

“Damn, am I just chopped liver?” I ask, looking around the empty area.

“Loki, Swift could use some help with the grill out back,” Piper says at about the same time Swift walks in with a plate and tongs in his hand.

“Sugar! Stop telling people I need help. I’m the grill master around this fucking place. I don’t need no damn help with grilling,” Swift says, puffing up his chest, and I swear he seems like a pouting child. Piper walks up to him, kissing his lips softly and patting his chest.

“Of course, you don’t need no help, baby. Loki looked lost. I was trying to give him something to do,” she tells him. Now it’s my turn to be offended.

“What the fuck? I was not lost,” I tell her, crossing my arms over my chest.

Shit, am I pouting?

“Oh my god, would you two please go man the grill before the next thing over the fire is your asses?” Halle says before stomping toward the kitchen.

“What did we do?” Swift asks, looking at me, confused.

“She’s on edge about this party. She wants everything to go perfectly,” I tell him, and he smiles.

“It will, but why don’t you grab us a beer, and I’ll flip the burgers?” he tells me, and I raise a brow.

“Please tell me there are some beers in the outside cooler. I really don’t want to go into the fucking viper’s pit right now,” I say with a fake shiver, and he chuckles.

“Yeah, there are some outside. Hitter, Grim, and Grease were in the shop not too long ago, but they should be back soon,” he says. The shop, another one of our businesses, is about two miles down the road from the compound.

“Everything alright?” I ask, concern clear in my voice. Ah, shit, I think becoming a parent has turned me soft. No way can I let my brothers get a read on me. Right away, they’ll want to add an extra patch to my cut with big block letters reading ‘PUSSY’.

“No. Seems like someone decided to break into the shop and steal Dread’s bike. It was supposed to go to Vice and Drift, but now we have to find a way to tell them it’s disappeared. Unfortunately, so far, we have no idea how it was taken. Strange, cause everything was locked up tight, and it didn’t seem like the place was touched at all. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it was an inside job,” Swift tells me in a low voice, so we’re not overheard by unwanted ears. We might still be on club property, but not everyone is privy to club business.

Hearing all this shit, though, really pisses me the hell off. Not at him, but the fact that our brother’s bike was stolen from right under our fucking noses. Liars and thieves. Nothing pisses me the fuck off more. Who the fuck does that? No way in hell would any of our brothers, or even the prospects, be stupid enough to do it. Who else would have the fucking balls, the access, the knowledge, or the ability? Never mind disrespecting the club and our fallen brother pulling a stunt like this.

“You got Comp on it?” I ask, fuming, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, but we will have church to discuss all this shit after the party. Tonight, let’s celebrate and leave all this other bullshit for another time,” he tells me, and it’s the best plan I’ve heard all day. Just need to push this to the side for the moment; I want to celebrate my expanding family, and there’s no better way than with my club.

“As you all know, we have a member who hasn’t been with us very long but has proven himself over and over again. He has put his life on the line for his brothers in this club on more than one occasion, and I think it’s finally time to make it official,” Swift says just before the party really gets started. I look over at Beau and see he’s looking around, too. When he realizes everyone’s eyes are on him, his go wide before he looks at Swift and points at his chest.

“Me?” he asks. Swift smiles before nodding.

“Come on up here… Rodeo,” he announces, and cheers go up around the yard.

Rodeo looks at everyone, brothers patting his chest and shoulders as he passes to stand up front with Swift.

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