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CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

Kracken

It takes two weeks for Hawg, Selah, and Beast to work their magic, both the otherworldly shit as well as the computer stuff, to get Dragon and Wrecker out of jail. While it was definitely a pain in the ass, especially since practically every single day more houses arrive to be set up, we were able to get all the new cuts made, as well as the signage for our clubhouse. Butcher decided to wait until they find somewhere to land while they plot how they’re going to get their home in Cedar Creek back.

“Are you ready for this?” Moira asks, walking up behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist as I stand in front of the mirror and shave.

“Yeah, babe. The end of an era, of course, which is kind of sad, but it honestly opens us up to unlimited possibilities.”

Turning to her, I wrap my arms around her and kiss her. “You know, Moira, the best thing that ever happened to me was on one of the worst days of my life. When I walked into that room and saw you lying there, I knew you were going to be mine. I vowed then to do whatever it took to help you heal.”

“You did, Kracken. I know I’ll probably have some bad days occasionally, but for the most part, it’s as if it happened to someone else, not me. Does that make sense?” she asks.

“Yeah, sweetheart. It does. I’m guessing that the bars might not have really held Dragon and Wrecker.”

“Physically they did, but they did come to me. My memories are all still there, but Dragon did something so they’re not as in my face as they once were. Like I told the other ol’ ladies, I’m blessed.”

“Me too, roisin. Are you ready to head out? Ceremony’s about to start at any time,” I tell her.

I’m glad, too, because not gonna lie, after all the years of wearing a cut, I have felt decidedly naked without any leather covering my back and I know my brothers feel the same way. I chuckle because most bikers are lucky to have one club they commit to and yet, I’ve been in the same place my whole life and this will be the third club I will be a part of, with the same brothers by my side.

She snickers. “Yeah, I’m more than ready.”

“Why do I feel like you’re up to something?” I ask. “Never mind, babe. Whatever has you smiling that way has me not caring what you may have up your sleeve.”

“Quite some time ago, we found out about the Fundamentalists of the Communion when one of our brothers in another chapter called Jingles and told him they took his sister,” Brick says. “When we finally tracked down Belle’s location, we found her best friend, Moira there as well. A bunch of other shit happened, some of it’s club business so I’m not gonna talk about that, but thanks to our brothers from Ankeny, as well as from Cleveland, we rescued both of them.”

Dragon picks it up and adds, “Since then, thanks to our IT brothers, as well as Selah, who’s a beast all on her own behind a keyboard, we’ve found that those fuckers are in every facet of life, from your garden-variety next-door suburbia type, all the way to those in law enforcement, including several of the alphabet agencies. Unfortunately for us in Cedar Creek, they seized our property and clubhouse, so we temporarily ‘gave’ them Cedar Creek and headed here.”

“A lot of meetings ensued between the officers of both chapters, because they tried the same fucking thing here,” Banshee states. “Except, that was foiled because our property is tribal land that’s held in trust, thanks to my parents, specifically my mother.”

“So, we decided we weren’t going to allow them to decimate the Royal Bastards MC, and also sent all of our cuts to the agents still milling around town,” Brick advises.

“And after we talked, we decided to create a new club so our RBMC brothers and sisters from other chapters around the globe are left alone by these extremists fucktards,” Butcher announces. “One that may have come about due to copious amounts of alcohol, but at the end of the day, we all felt that Imperial Knights was a good, strong name for a club that was determined to enact justice and do what it could to keep that kind of misogynistic bullshit from happening again.”

“Let’s hear it for the Imperial Knights MC!” Brick and Dragon yell out in unison. “All in favor of joining us in this new quest, please step forward and receive your new cut.” Pride envelops me as a roar breaks out through the crowd. Men, women, and children are cupping their hands as they scream, feet are pounding on the ground, and fists are pumped in the air.

As a unit, almost like we rehearsed, every man from both clubs firmly steps forward. I look around to see the ol’ ladies standing there, some wiping away their tears, while others are smiling so hard their cheeks look like they hurt.

“We’ve also got property cuts for our ol’ ladies. Can y’all come forward and stand in front of your old man?” Banshee asks.

Once my woman is in front of me, my arms circle her waist and I see out of my peripheral that my brothers are doing the same.

“The men that stand behind you do so to protect you and let you know that no matter what, they’ll always have your back. Those who are single, who stand on either side of y’all, will ensure that nothing catches you off guard,” Dragon says. “We may only have two chapters right now, but the future is definitely ours for the taking. We eventually want to return to Texas and reclaim our home, but until then, we’ll be right over the state line. Close enough to be available if anything comes up, but far enough away that we aren’t encroaching on each other.”

“In the meantime, until they find property, we’re all going to be here. It may get cozy, it’ll definitely be noisy as fuck, but at the end of the day, we’re all family, plain and simple,” Brick advises.

“Keep in mind, we are two entities sharing land. However, you will still answer to your president, vice president, and other club officers from your home branch. We may be on the same land, but your chain of command isn’t changing,” Butcher inserts.

“However,” Dragon cuts in, saying, “if for any reason your officer is not available, go to the other chapter's president and go down the line from there if he’s not accessible. We are going to be working as a unit, but we still want to keep things as cohesive as possible. If you have any concerns, Brick and I will be available to help you through this transition.”

Once every member from both branches, including their ol’ ladies get their cuts, whoops and cat calls reverberate through the air. Moira jumps into my arms, and as if a missing link is sealed shut, my life feels complete and infinite.

“So, who’s ready to party?” Brick asks.

Again, a cacophony of noise fills the air, as us men stomp our feet and loudly whistle, while the ol’ ladies holler out war cries. Hell, even the kids are making noise.

“Then let’s do it,” Dragon announces. “Meats are going on the grills now, the old ladies have the sides all made, so prospects, man your stations and just know, you’re on the ground level of a new era. Don’t fuck up and you’ll earn your own cut soon enough.”

I try but fail to hide my snicker. Twice now, I’ve been a prospect; once when I prospected for the Roanoke Raiders, then again when we patched over to the Royal Bastards. This time, none of us have a prospect period whatsoever.

The beer is flowing, the food has been eaten once, but more is coming out when I notice Hannah walk over to Scythe with her hands behind her back. Hearing Moira’s giggle, I move us closer as Hannah tugs on the bottom of Scythe’s cut.

When he turns, she asks, “Mr. Scythe, can I show you something?”

He crouches so he’s more at eye level and replies, “Sure, darlin’, whatcha got for me?”

She pulls a porcelain doll from behind her back and says, “Look at my new dolly. I think she’s so pretty.”

Scythe scrambles back so fast, he falls on his ass and yells, “Selah! I know this is somehow your doing, you mean-hearted woman! Butcher, get your woman in hand.”

Laughter fills the air and I watch as both Moira and Selah double over laughing.

Hannah looks down at where Scythe landed and whispers, “She’s a China doll, have you ever heard of them?”

Later, much later, Moira is draped over me, her cut across her back while I cup her ass. We’re both sated, and I’m unsure if it’s all the alcohol we drank, or the fact that for now, the danger is over. Of course, I fucking love seeing ‘Property of Kracken’ stitched across her back and based on the four orgasms I managed to wring out of her, she’s unlikely to move any time soon.

“Love you, roisin,” I murmur, looking into her beautiful eyes.

They’re no longer clouded with pain, mistrust, or hurt. Now, they’re shining down on me, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“I love you too, Kracken. More than words can express,” she replies, her voice now drowsy.

“Let’s get cleaned up and get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of big days coming.”

“Yeah, we do.”

And I cannot fucking wait!