I nod my head. “It’s time. I have no doubt that whoever leads after me will take this club to great heights.”
I stand up to take off my cut to remove my patch from it and put my patch at the head of the table. I move to sit at a seat on the other end.
Damien clears his throat. “It’s time to put a nomination for the next president of the MC,” he starts, but he puts his hands up before anyone can say anything. “I know the next person in line should be me, but I never wanted to be the president; I’m happy being someone’s right hand man and having someone else lead.”
Everyone is silent for a few minutes while they think about his words and start nodding their heads in understanding.
“I vote for Torch,” Stitch says, breaking the silence.
Torch looks over at him in shock. “Me?”
Stitch nods his head. “Yeah, brother, you. You went to hell and back and came out the other side a better man. That alone shows the strength you have for president.”
A bunch of brothers nod their agreement.
“I wasn’t here to see you through your darkness. Knowing that I carry a darkness inside of me, I had been told of your story. What you went through had rocked you and shifted your world in ways that I wouldn’t want to wish on any brother. You made it through losing your Old Lady and found hope again with an amazing woman and family. Anyone who can get through that deserves that patch, and that man is you,” Nick says.
“Are there any objections?” Damien asks.
No one says anything and they shake their heads.
“We will go around the table, and everyone will give their answer. ‘Yes’, for Torch for president, and ‘no’ for him not to be,” Damien says, and he starts going around the room.
Tears well in my eyes as I look at my son while he looks at his brothers in awe as every single one of them affirms that they want him to be the next president.
He stands up and walks over to the seat I had just vacated. He takes a second before he sits down. His fingers look over the patch.
“I won’t let you down,” he rasps.
“We know you won’t, brother,” Damien says.
“I want to keep you as my VP. You’re a good man and you are an excellent VP to this club,” Torch says, looking over at Damien.
Damien nods his head. “I’ll be happy to be your second.”
“Whose cutting onions in here?” Steal rasps before wiping tears from his eyes.
The room’s serious energy breaks in that moment as the brothers all laugh.
Church ends shortly after that, and I walk over to my son, the new president, and give him a hug. “You will be great,” I whisper in his ear.
He nods his head.
Once we leave the room, we see all the Old Ladies and prospects in the main room, along with the club kids.
“Meet your new president,” I say, gesturing to Torch.
Cheers ring out through the room. Camilla walks up to her man and kisses him.
“I’m so proud of you,” she says as she pulls away.
Drinks are passed around as everyone takes their turns celebrating Torch.
Lily walks up to me. “Are you okay?”
I nod my head. “Yeah, baby. I’m great. It was time. Torch is going to be a great president. Now I just want to live my life with my woman, children, and grandchildren. I had too many close calls and I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“We will make the most of it,” she says with a smile.