Page 30 of Bound By Redemption
“’Bout time you manned up,” Jacks advised, moving away from the huddle. “Actions. Your words are shit unless you put the work behind them. Know this, you can prospect forever and never get your leather. Remember that.”
The leather touched my arm, and I looked down to see my father handing it to me. “Put it on,” he ordered, locking his eyes to mine, and I smiled. This was my dad silently directing me away from the negativity and into the light. He knew what shit haunted me in the recesses of my mind. He knew the demons I battled. This pissing contest with Jacks wasn’t something I wanted nor needed to be part of, and my dad reminded me of that with a simple look.
An understanding between a father and a son.
This moment, like many in recent years, was everything I never imagined I could have with him. Yet, here we were.
Things felt right in the world, if only for a moment as I pulled on the leather. When I grew up, I never thought I’d want to be in this exact position. I thought running from the club and everyone around it would be my life.
After being in the Marines and learning what I had about life and the important things in it, my perspective did a complete one-eighty. Those feelings from before were completely gone.
Now, I wanted to be part of this club like I needed air to breathe. It was my family. It was my destiny. It was my life. And I was damn proud of that fact.
My father was the first to pull me into him, hugging me tightly and slapping me on the back a few times. “Fuckin’ proud of you, son.”
“You know you keep tellin’ me that shit, I’m gonna start to believe ya,” I teased.
He pulled back and looked deep into my eyes, full of seriousness. “Believe it. Always fuckin’ believe it.”
That meant the world to me.
Congratulations came from almost everyone. Jacks just ignored me. Yeah. It would be a huge challenge to get him on board with me being in the club. He would fight me until the bitter end, and no matter where that road led, I’d be there to meet every challenge. He had to know I wasn’t the same man. I didn’t want his woman. Nor would I ever poach. Fuck that shit.
One day he would see. It may be the day I was lying in a coffin, but he would.
When I fully stepped into the room, there were several things that I hadn’t noticed before. One of the biggest was the huge table in the center that lit up. It was completely computerized, and Deke was showing a few of the brothers different approaches that could’ve been made to plant the bombs.
Then off to the right next to the wall of screens were several televisions, each one fairly large with images of the clubhouse flashing up there from different angles. Each screen had four different angles. It looked like not one inch inside or out wasn’t covered by them.
“Look at this,” Cooper said, smiling as the moment Emery and I started to hug, but it wasn’t focused on that exactly. No it was focused on Ensley. It was as if a physical blow came to her chest as she watched our exchange. Ensley’s face completely shut down. There was no other word for it. Just one minute happy. The next completely closed off to everyone around her. Even her sister trying to get her attention didn’t pull her out of her daze.
“You fucker,” Jacks seethed, his fist connecting with my cheekbone. It hurt like a motherfucker, but I held my ground. “Told you to keep your hands off of her.”
He made to connect again, but I reached out and clutched his fist in my hand and squeezed. My muscles clenched, letting him feel what I could do.
“Fucker, let go,” he growled. With him being a brother, this action was on shaky ground. One, I didn’t want to disrespect anyone. Two, there was a lot I had to prove to these people. Three, I wasn’t a pushover. They got their licks in before, and the time to be someone’s punching bag was over and done with. Cruz even ordered it so, at least for those sins.
“She was happy that I saved Austyn from the fire. It was innocent. Did you want me to treat her like glass and run, hurting her feelings more?” Had to admit the man was strong as he tried his damnedest to fight back. It took all I had to hold his fist strong in front of us. But I kept my eyes focused on his.
“You want her. You’ve always fuckin’ wanted her,” he growled, starting to put his weight into getting free of my grasp.
“That was true then, but you got her, Jacks. She chose you. I’m over it and have moved on. I have more on the line than ever before. I have one hundred percent left that shit in my rearview. Can you say the same?” The anger in Jacks’ face deepened because he knew I scored a direct hit. He wasn’t over it. Not a little bit.
Jacks wrenched his arm out of my grasp, then lifted his finger and put it in my face. “This shit ain’t over,” he hissed, turning and storming off.
I watched him go, saying to Cooper, “Thanks for that, asshole,” to which Cooper full out laughed.
10
Ensley
“What the fuckdid that carrot do to you?” Princess asked me while I stood in the kitchen at the cutting board. Beef stew was on the menu for all these men, and I hoped they had enough meat. They looked like enormous meat eaters. Hell, they looked like huge everything. It was going to be a giant pot.
Me, I was taking out my frustrations at seeing Micah with Emery on this poor, innocent carrot. The cuts weren’t precise, instead looking like I was decimating the veggie into juice. Damn, I’d lost my mind, or at least part of it, but they looked so good together. Then there was frumpy mother of one me.
Stop it!
“I’m good,” I lied, not wanting to discuss any of the raging thoughts trying to pin me down.
