Page 60 of Brother to Brother

“That’s a really good start,” I said faintly and he chuckled. We lapsed into a few moments of silence and eventually, I broke it with, “Are you sureyouhave to go?”

“Melody…” his tone held an edge of warning.

I gave him a look and he almost softened in reaction to it. He raised an eyebrow in a silent bid for me to speak.

“If your word is absolute in everything, this probably isn’t going to work. I’m allowed to have misgivings and feelings about this…”

“No one said otherwise, Baby,” he said pressing in a painful spot on the sole of my left foot that very nearly made me yelp. He instantly eased up on the pressure with an apologetic look.

“You may not be saying it, but you’re certainly toeing the line of you’re going to do it because reasons and fuck what I think,” I said unhappily.

Archer frowned, “Hey, did I say that?”

I searched his face, “No,” I admitted. He hadn’t, not in so many words, but the feeling came across just the same.

“I’m doing this for me, but also for you and for Noah,” he said softly. “The shit ain’t right, it’s in our by-laws and they’re fucking up big time. It’s as much for the good of my brothers and holding their chapter of this club together as it’s anything.”

I could see the war in his eyes, his loyalties divided. On the one hand, he had ties with the Arizona chapter, ties that were forged in blood, tears, andyearsspent with them. He’d served time with them, and had done countless things with them and for them. They were his brothers, but so too were the brothers here, in his new chapter, where he now lived.

“So what you’re saying, without saying it, is that the club is the thing and the Arizona boys are straying too far from that?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying, but I won’t go into any more detail than that.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together, “That I find to be fair.”

He nodded and looked thoughtful, “I promise to work on some things; I don’t need you feeling like you can’t talk to me, or that I’m completely unreasonable. I know I can be bull headed, Mel…” he looked down at his work roughened hands where he pressed his thumbs gently into the aching, tender flesh of my foot, “I’m working on things.”

“I know you are,” I said and felt my eyes grow glassy. I think I was beginning to love Archer for real. This welling and sudden outpouring of emotion at his fragile words of truce were certainly evidence of that. “I appreciate it, more than I can possibly express, and I guess I’m just having a little separation anxiety is all…”

He looked at me, freezing, and searching my face carefully, “I didn’t think about that, I’m sorry.”

Archer wasn’t the kind of man to apologize lightly, so that, more than anything, told me just how much he had changed and was trying since coming out to the mother chapter. I spoke it out loud as much for me as for him, “It scares me. The last time a man I loved got onto his bike and drove away, it was the last time I ever saw him.”

“I promise you, I’m coming back.”

“In one piece,” I demanded and he smiled.

“All my pieces intact,” he agreed.

“Good.”

He smiled and moved on to my other foot saying lightly, in a much needed change of subject, “Grab that one over there; I’m almost afraid of what Rush went and gave us.”

I smiled and pulled one of the largest wrapped boxes across the bed towards me, “If it’s something insane, I reserve the right to smack him without getting penalized for disrespecting a brother.”

Archer laughed, and I tore into the paper, eyes growing wide. The tube of anal lube had been addressed to me, this, however, was addressed to Archer and it was abeautifulwooden chess set, raised with little drawers on all four sides. Two sides held the light and dark pieces, and the other two, carved light and dark checker coins. It was beautiful, and so detailed. I looked up at Archer.

“I had no idea you played chess,” I murmured.

“Used to play with Grind. Nox has been upping his game though. Dragon and Doc both play too. I’ll be teaching Noah, but I’ll start with the checkers.” I smiled, and thought about the photos I would certainly be taking of the biker and the small boy playing over the beautiful wooden board.

“That one is from Rush, too, addressed to Noah.”

I pulled it closer and unwrapped a handmade Jenga set that’d been put together from many different shades of woods. For a simple stacking game, it was awfully sophisticated looking and beautiful. Rush didn’t do anything half assed when it came to his craft.

“I see a game room in our future,” Archer uttered.

“What else could he possibly make?”

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