Page 47 of Sparrow

As the glasses were dried and put away, her mother eyed her with suspicion. “You got something on your mind?” she concluded.

Licking her bottom lip, Sparrow reached for the padded sissy bar she’d placed on the other stool. Hidden by the bar, it wouldn’t have been in Dixie’s sightline. Taking a deep breath, she held it up. She couldn’t stop the big toothy smile from spreading on her face.

Taking the cigarette out of her mouth, Dixie rested both hands on the edge of the bar. She leaned forward as she eyed the backrest. “Heh,” she said without expression.

“He wants me to go back to Montana with him.” The words fell out of Sparrow’s mouth with an excitement she couldn’t contain. “They’re going to vote on it.”

Pursing her lips, her mother nodded. Her eyes never left the seat and she didn’t say anything.

The continued silence filled Sparrow with more nervous energy. It wasn’t that they were close. If anything, since her father’s death, their relationship became a shadow of what it’d once been. However, she wanted her mother’s approval on this. She hadn’t with Pipes. Perhaps because she knew, if asked, her mother would never have given it for him. He wasn’t a Roughneck Rider. Jacob wasn’t Pipes.

She put it back down and glanced toward the hall that led to Bowie’s office. “He’s in there, asking for permission. I want to go,” she added, returning her attention to her mother. “I think. I think you’re right about him. He’s the one.”

Dixie lifted her chin as her gaze swept over her daughter. The cigarette went back into her mouth and she took a long deliberate drag as she continued to hold back words.

“Are you going to say anything?”

With a cant to her head, her mother pulled the butt away from her again. Turning slightly, she exhaled a stream of smoke away from Sparrow. Her gaze went down, locating an ashtray. Tapping the end of the smoke, the burned end fell off into the glass dish.

“What’s he offering you?” her mother finally asked before dragging her attention back on her daughter.

“Everything I deserve.”

** Romeo**

While there wereempty seats at the table, Romeo didn’t sit in one. Neither did Dash, who was at his side at the foot of the table. Keeping his shoulders square, his head high, Romeo did his best to keep his nervous ticks to himself.

The men of the new Ohio chapter filed in, in dribs and drabs. It took them forty-five minutes to get their asses to church, the second church. Romeo knew how long because his eyes were glued to the clock. Bowie had said twenty minutes.

Once the door closed and all the patched members were seated, Bowie slapped the gavel down. “Romeo of the Montana chapter of Odin’s Fury has something he would like to request of us Ohio folks,” Bowie said on a cough.

All the eyes turned on him, and Romeo swallowed hard. “I am asking your permission to claim Sparrow Malone as my Ol’ Lady. She is at your bar if you want to check with her, but she accepted it.”

“Haven’t we had this vote before?” one of the men grumbled.

“You youngins getting twisted over some damn pussy,” Jackal huffed. Clenching his jaw, Romeo hoped that this wouldn’t be Jackal’s first act of defiance against Bowie now that they’d patched over.

“What—her snatch made of gold or something?” Tut echoed Jackal’s sentiment. It earned him a glare from both Bowie and Romeo.

“Most of us have known Sparrow since the day Ducky brought her home. She’s more than his daughter. She’s our daughter. We want what’s best for her,” Bowie began a speech. “We failed her by letting Pipes into our club and letting him get lost with the shit. We can do right by her by voting on this.” The president’s gaze met Romeo’s and he nodded. It was the equivalent of getting a father’s blessing. He’d take it.

“What I did was in defense of Sparrow,” Romeo added, figuring he might as well speak on his behalf since these men were going to decide his fate with his woman.

“You just met her,” Tut piped up.

Shaking his head, Romeo’s lips turned up in a half a smile. “Nah.” His gaze panned the men. “I’ve known her for a long time. We used to write after the rally nine years ago. Every time I’ve been here, in Ohio, I’ve seen her. I didn’t know about Pipes, but that’s not on her. I just know I want that woman on my bike and she wants to be there.”

Bowie broke out into a coughing fit and slapped the gavel down. When he was done he cleared his throat. “All those in favor of Romeo, Enforcer of the Montana Chapter of Odin’s Fury claiming Sparrow Malone, club daughter of the Ohio Chapter of Odin’s Fury?” he posed it to the floor.

“Aye!” Dash was the first to cast his vote. Granted it was out of turn, but it made Romeo smile fully to know that his brother had his back. It also awarded him a slap to the back of his bald head from Clark.

It felt like forever for the men to sound off around the room, but in the end, no one disputed his claim.

“The ayes have it,” Bowie said with a final crack of the gavel on the wood. “Sparrow Malone is now the property of Romeo Karolsson.” Standing up, he dropped the gavel on the table. “I need a fucking drink.”

Chapter 30

Sparrow

---