Page 50 of Always Yours

All day, brothers are coming in from other chapters. Lily and Sasha already have their new cuts on before the first ones arrive.

They stay in the kitchen. They have been cooking since they got up. There are tables lined up in the backyard where food is being placed. Prospects bring in the booze and make sure everything down to the ice is stocked up. I know that there will be a lot of drinking going on after we send the fallen off.

Their caskets are placed in the main room, and everyone takes a turn to look down at them and say a few words.

I wait until I’m the last person to see them. My knees get weak the closer I walk to my father’s casket. I had already said my goodbyes to the others.

I struggle to step closer, and I feel an arm wrap around mine. I look beside me to see Lily, Bear, Sasha, and Nick holding me up as I take weak steps to see my father one last time.

A sob escapes me as my eyes land on him. I know I’m supposed to be strong, and for the men to see me that way, but I don’t feel strong in this moment.

I cry for a long time, not taking my eyes off my father’s body. When I feel like I have nothing left in me to let go, I feel his and my mother’s presence. I don’t know if my mind is playing tricks on me, but I feel much stronger in that moment.

I say everything that I want to say in my head. I feel like he would be able to hear me, and I don’t want anyone hearing what I want to say to him.

“I love you. I can’t believe you’re gone. I’ll miss you every single day. I’ll tell my kids about you and how much their grandfather did for them and what a great man he was, and that he died saving my life. I will tell them how much you would have loved to watch them grow up.”

When I finally pull myself away, I look around the room and notice there isn’t a dry eye in the house. Everyone is in various states of crying.

None of them are looking at me like I am weak. They know that I’m not just a president of an MC, but that I also am a man who just lost his father.

Stone walks over and says a few words about each brother and tells us silly jokes and stories about them to lighten up the room.

The prospects are driving the vehicles that we rented to take their bodies to the cemetery. Everyone gets on their rides. I’m leading the group, and Lily is riding with Nick since her belly has gotten too big to ride with me.

We take the fallen for one last final ride around the town before going to the cemetery.

There are hundreds of brothers all standing around. A sea of vests covers the area.

Each president takes a turn to speak, leaving me for last.

“This is a very hard day for me for many reasons. I not only lost my father, but I lost my mentor; the man I will always try to live up to. I also lost a couple of brothers. Each one of them died fighting for what is right. They all died heroes. They will all be greatly missed as their deaths have left a huge hole in this club. We stand tall and proud to call them our brothers as we send them on their way to the other side. I have no doubt that each one of them will be greeted with open arms by their friends, families, and other fallen brothers who left before them. This is the time to say our final goodbye.”

I watch as each casket gets lowered to the ground. I don’t leave until they are buried in their final resting place.

When I turn to leave, I see every single brother was standing behind me, backing me up, and watching as we close that chapter of our lives.

Lilianna “First Lady”

This has easily been the hardest couple days I can ever remember having. I didn’t know Prez that long, but I knew he was a great man. Listening to all the stories about him and how much he loved his son made it all the more difficult to say goodbye.

He had taken great care of me when he found out I was pregnant. He wanted to make sure his future grandchildren were taken care of. I had seen him offer help or treats to Bianca, but she just rolled her eyes and took whatever he had. I don’t think she appreciated him like I did.

He had confessed to me one day that he was glad my son had finally found the woman for him, and he couldn’t wait to meet his grandchildren. I feel so much sadness now that I know he’s not going to do that.

I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure his memory lives on. I will make sure that my kids know what a great man their grandpa was.

Sometimes I feel at a loss for what to do with Derek. The pain radiating off him can be so intense.

The only thing I can think of to do is take care of him and be there for him. If there was a way I could find Bianca, I would drag her back by her hair. Of course, I can’t use any of the resources I had with my father’s men, or they would find Nick, Art, and me.

I watch as he drinks with the other charters. I grab him more beer when he’s running low since I know he needs this. I don’t know how he even wanted to drink today after getting so wasted last night, but he is. I know I couldn’t do it.

Every time I’m near, he pulls me onto his lap; so I only leave to grab a fresh beer.

A lot of people eye my property cut and smile and grin at Derek for landing me. I only shake my head at their comments.

The next time I leave to grab another beer for him, I also grab a bottle of whiskey since they wanted to do shots. As I’m carrying it over with a tray to the men, a woman is talking close with Derek. Her tits are practically in his face and he’s trying to lean away from her. She runs a finger on his chest seductively and that’s when I lose my patience; not that I had any to begin with.

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