Page 1 of Coal
CHAPTER 1
COAL
My gaze roves around the clubhouse that’s packed with people partying and seeing in the new year with us. 2015 is over, and for the first time since we arrived in the UK, I feel like I’m finding my footing. Thinking back over the past months has me feeling relieved that we are starting to make headway. I hadn’t realised how stressed and worried I’d been about it until this moment. It’s lonelier at the top than I’d expected, even though I’m surrounded by brothers and family who would die for me. I’m very aware that making this chapter of Queens Wraiths work is my responsibility.
It hasn’t been easy, but to make everything seem as normal as possible, we had to start from scratch. I was thankful for our Mother Chapter as well as the Cursed Skulls for bankrolling us for the first six months. We’d opted to keep renting the warehouses in Southampton out, as they had tenants already in situ, and it seemed counterproductive to evict them when it was anice earner. It was lucrative enough that we’d decided to buy more and rent them out, too.
We set up a garage specializing in motorcycle mechanics with the help of Gunny and Alec, whom we knew from his US training and his connection to Cash, our VP in the US. He was Cash’s younger brother. He’d lived with us and used our garage to do the practical work.
It was tough moving to a new country and getting used to a whole different way of living. As yet, we hadn’t started doing the work that the Cursed Skulls wanted us here for. They wanted us embedded in the country and comfortable in our various businesses so that there would be fewer eyes on us should something go wrong with a rescue and recovery. Because that’s what we would be doing: rescue and recovery of trafficked victims.
In the meantime, we had to start earning. We’d teamed up with Mom on a project. Her cider farm was doing well, and as we shared a border between our properties along a busy road, Opal had come up with the idea of opening up a roadhouse bar on the road front. She’d been talking to Avy, and it had sparked the idea when they’d been discussing bands.
It would be kept simple and would only bestocked with beer from Molly’s brewery and cider from Mom’s cidery, ensuring we kept the money we earned in-house as much as possible. We’d added a few good bottles of wine on a recommendation from Avy and bar food. Soon we’d also be having live music every Friday and Saturday night.
We were advertising Fridays as Bike Night, although those would only start when the weather improved, probably not until March. It had taken a few months to get everything up and working because of planning permission, but once we’d got it built and had the opening, it was proving to be well worth all the headaches it had given us, and Tinman and Nickel were predicting we’d be making a profit by May when we expected to get really busy. With us being so much smaller than our Mother Chapter, Mom and Opal were more vocal on what they would like to see happening, and I had to say after meeting with Reaper at the Crow MC and seeing how their businesses were thriving and how close their family was, it made me want it for us. Would we ever have Old Ladies in Church? I didn’t know… maybe, one day, depending on the Old Lady. I wasn’t opposed to it, but so far neither Mom nor Opal were interested in attending, so I’d left it alone.
When we’d first arrived, I’d ordered our first Church to go over everything and give the brothers a chance to have their say. I wanted this club to be built in a way that the brothers were part of all decisions. At the first meeting, I’d brought up club whores and asked if the brothers wanted to recruit them or not. I’d been surprised when most had declined, including Bolt.
His words surprised me when he’d said, “They’re more trouble than what they’re worth. If we want to get our dicks wet, we can head into town. I’m sure it won’t be hard. Personally, I like not having to fight them off, and Mom and Opal are more comfortable without them around. Not that they’ve said anything, but when was the last time you saw Mom relax in the clubhouse like she has been recently?”
“Okay,” I agreed, looking around the table at the brothers, “but if that changes, let me know. What about parties?”
“Parties are good,” Gauge agreed, “Maybe Saturdays only for now until we get the lay of the land and we make it clear no drugs. The last thing we need is heat on us when we’re so new with no support.”
“Okay, let’s vote.” I looked around the table as thebrothers all agreed, and Tinman, as secretary, noted it down.
Once that’s done, I continued, “What do you all want to do about the prospects? I get we don’t know them and they’re not officers, but Sterling is our computer guy, so he’ll automatically know more than what we’d usually share with prospects. As for Blue, I immediately liked him, and I’m not saying that because he’s related to us Tins, even if only distantly. Hit me with your thoughts on how you want to handle them.”
I have no intention of running this club as a dictatorship. I wanted all the brothers to be in on the decisions and ensure that they knew their thoughts counted.
“This is what I think,” Cross said. I paid attention. He was our quietest brother, but when he spoke, we tended to listen. “While we’ve named them prospects, let’s be honest, they’re not really, because the Skulls chose them for a reason. So, I say let’s bring them into meetings, but they still have to work as prospects for at least six months. I think it will be fine, but don’t take on any other prospects until they’re brothers. That way, nobody is butt hurt about special treatment. From what I’ve seen, both of them are solid and will make goodbrothers. If you want, I’ll take responsibility for them.”
“I’m good with that,” I nodded, then turned to the brothers, “your vote.”
Everyone agreed, and once the votes had been cast, I turned to Bolt, who was closest to the door, “Can you grab them?”
It didn’t take him long to come back in with our two prospects. Both stood at the door, hands folded behind their backs, eyes straight ahead in what I knew was the at-ease pose that the military seemed to train all their men in.
“Relax, guys, we want to update you on what we’ve voted on in regard to you two.”
For the first time, I noted the look of worry that they shared. I’m glad that the two of them have formed a bond, although I wasn’t aware that they’d known each other.
“First, did you two know each other before you were sent here?”
They both shook their heads, replying in unison, “No, Pres.” I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose and sighed. Iron, Brass, and Cross chuckled, and I saw a lip twitch from Blue. Deciding that for now I was going to ignore the military in them, I told them what we’d votedand that they would join us for Church from now on. When I was done, Blue had his hand up.
“Can I just say, Pres, that Sterling should definitely be in Church, but until we have more prospects, if it’s okay with you, I’ll stay outside on duty and keep an eye on things. While I know at the moment we don’t have enemies, we aren’t secure enough not to have someone keeping watch. If it’s important and you think I should know, then you can fill me in after Church.”
The surprise on everyone’s faces had me agreeing because he had a valid point. Turning towards the table, I asked, “Thoughts?”
“He’s not wrong, Pres,” Iron agreed. “We shouldn’t get lax when it comes to security, and it would be good to beef up our security. I know we haven’t because we’ve been setting everything else up and haven’t seen the need, but it is something that needs to be addressed.”
“Are you all good with what Blue has put forward?”
When all the brothers agreed, I tilted my chin at Blue, who opened the door and left.
Nodding to an empty chair, I said to Sterling, “Grab that chair.”
