Page 100 of Boulder's Weight

Amara doesn’t even acknowledge what he said. I know she has to be pissed, she wanted to be in the action and Razor suggested that she stay back because someone needed to be here to guard the kids.

For a woman who isn’t a mother, she has a real motherly instinct when it comes to protecting her family—the club.

"Give me the details," Amara says, her eyes sharp.

Axel pipes up, "Boulder, tell her."

I recount the run step by step—approaching the stash house, what happened when we got inside, how we didn’t expect Andrés's men, the fight, and the cleanup… which was honestly a barbecue.

I don't embellish or downplay, just give it to her straight.

When I finish, she nods slowly.

"This will send a message," she says. "But Andrés won't take it lying down. We've hurt his pride now, not just his pocket."

"Let him come," Axel says, cracking his knuckles. "We'll be ready."

"Cockiness gets people killed," Amara says sharply. "Honestly, I don’t know how you haven’t gotten killed."

She turns to me. "Boulder, your intel was solid. Your execution was clean. I'm impressed."

I keep my face stoic, even if I am glad to be getting some recognition for what I brought to the table. "Thank you, Prez."

"You've been stepping up lately," she continues. "You’re doing good, thinking before acting."

I feel the weight of what she's not saying.

Before Kelsey, I was known for my impulsiveness, my tendency to leap without looking.

It's gotten me in shit more than once.

"Just doing my job," I say.

She gives me a look that says she's not buying my modesty. "Keep it up. The club notices these things when it comes time to vote on patches."

Is it me… or is she talking about a potential patch-in, suggesting it might be coming sooner rather than later?

Amara tells us prospects to leave, but for me to wait in the hall, so I do.

The second the rest of the officers are coming out, Razor pulls me aside.

He nods toward the front door. "Come with me,"

I follow him, wondering what it is that they want to talk to me about.

"You did really good tonight," he says, lighting a cigarette. "You thought with your head, not with emotion. That takes some brothers years to learn."

"Thanks," I say, waiting for the 'but' I'm sure is coming.

He studies me for a moment, smoke curling around his face. "Something's been different about you lately."

I tense slightly, not sure where he's going with this. "How so?"

"You're more focused. Less wild." He takes a long drag. "Oakleigh says it's your girl. Says she's grounding you."

I shift uncomfortably, not used to discussing my personal life with senior members. "Eh, it’s complicated. We’re complicated."

Razor snorts. "Oh, I know. Women in general are complicated–-especially the ones worth keeping."

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