Page 90 of Redemption (Brazen Bulls Birthright 1)

Luckily, it was a weekday, and they had a big party planned for Friday. It was also still early, not yet five in the evening, though the recent end of Daylight Savings Time made it nearly dark. It’d be pretty quiet in there.

Eight glanced around the lot, trying to determine who Ajax would meet. Maverick’s bike. Duncan’s. Jazz’s. Gunner’s. The club van was here, too, which hopefully meant that Christian had finished his errands.

Jazz’s old lady, Felicia, was here—her Suburban was parked near the side door. That meant their kids, Theo and Kaia, were probably also here. But they were a lot younger than Ajax. Theo was in first grade, and Kaia wasn’t in school yet.

There were no sweetbutt cars at all. Looked like Felicia was the only woman, and with her kids here, too, the place would be rated G.

Excellent. That made a very good chance Marcella wouldn’t be dining on Eight balls tonight.

Ajax had asked what was in there. “It kinda looks like a bar, I guess. There’s a bar, with stools, and booze. A pool table, a big TV, some couches and chairs, and tables and chairs. It’s not fancy, but it’s comfortable.” Actually, about twenty years back, it had looked a lot better. Now it was usually clean—thank you, sweetbutts—but pretty scratched and dented. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Eight liked the bite in Ajax’s tone. “Good. Then let’s go in.”

~oOo~

They went in the side door, Eight in the lead. He glanced into the kitchen and saw several boxes full of supplies, but nobody unpacking them.

“You want a drink? There’s pop in the fridge.”

“No, thank you,” Ajax said. The bite was gone from his tone; now his voice was soft with wary awe.

Eight led him to the party room, where everybody was. As they neared, and the sound of other people became clear, Ajax slid his hand into Eight’s.

Damn, the way that felt. Eight wasn’t physically demonstrative unless he was fucking, but damn.

Gunner was sitting at the bar, playing on his phone. He turned and grinned when he saw Eight. “Hey, Prez. ‘Sup.”

“Hey, Gun.” With Ajax still gripping his hand, Eight stepped all the way into the room.

He was as nervous as the kid.

Gun, a father himself, saw Ajax, and his grin changed, became paternal. “Hey, buddy.” There was just the hint of a question at the end of those two words.

Without taking the time to overthink it, Eight said, “Gunner, this is Ajax. My son.”

If ever one of those record-scratch things that happened in movies were to happen in real life, this would be the time. Counting Eight and Ajax, there were ten people in this room. Jazz and Felicia sat on one of the sofas, their kids played in the toy chest—yeah, the terrifying Brazen Bulls MC had so many kids in its family, and had for so long, that they had a fucking toy chest in the party room. Gunner was at the bar. Christian was cleaning the booze bottles. Maverick and Duncan were playing pool.

Only Gunner, Eight would have sworn, had been paying him and Ajax any attention. But every adult stopped cold and turned when he said the words ‘my son.’

Gunner’s mouth was open so far his jaw might have dislocated.

Eight looked around the room. “Yeah, this is my kid. He’s ten. Ajax, that’s Gunner. Behind the bar is Christian. Over there at the pool table is Maverick and his son, Duncan. And that’s Jazz and Felicia. Theo and Kaia, over at the toys, are their kids.”

Gunner was still staring. But Felicia jumped up and was the first to come over. She bent down and offered her hand. When Ajax shook, she said, “Hi, Ajax. Welcome to the Bulls. You hungry?”

“My dad says we can order pizza.”

To the room, Eight said, “Anybody else in?”

“Pizza sounds great,” Maverick said as he came over. He gave Eight a deep, curious frown before he smiled down at Ajax and offered his hand. “It’s special to meet you, Ajax.”

Gunner was still staring.

But Duncan had come over with his father, and he held out his hand to Eight’s boy. “Cool name. Ajax was badass.”

Ajax’s nerves settled at once, and he gave Duncan a grin so big and bright it could have powered the room. “Yeah, he was. Duncan’s a cool name, too.”

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