Page 158 of Preacher Man

"Well look who the cat dragged in. What are you doing with this reprobate, Ruby?" Laughed Amos, who stepped forward to slap a palm to Preacher's. "It's great to see you again, sweetheart, been too long." He had to remember this was her brother's place and not to antagonize anyone but if Amos kept smiling like that at her he'd do more than shoulder check the guy.

"It has. Nice to see you, Amos. How's your mom doing?"

"Ah, you know. Still on the juice, what ya gonna do huh?" He shrugged.

"How's it going, Amos?" He asked when the VP of the Kingsmen turned his eyes on Preacher.

"Good. Good, man. How's everything over in Armado?"

"Can't complain." No MC would ever share their business with another club. It didn't mean they were anti-social, it was just how things worked. Vague was the name of the game, even if things were going to hell you tell that rival club things were rosy as fucking anything.

"Come on through, Jamie is in his office." He felt her fingers clutch tightly in his and he gave her a reassuring squeeze back. Brother, half or not, he wouldn't let Jamie Steele upset Ruby any more than she already was.

He just hoped an unfortunate club war didn't come from this little family reunion, the guy was his brother in law now.

The walk through their clubhouse took less than a minute before they were ushered into a smaller room, and there was Jamie fucking Steele behind a desk, feet up on top and looking blankly from Preacher to Ruby. His face unreadable as his gaze went down to their locked hands.

Yeah, asshole, your sister is mine, wanna make something of it?

"Hello, Princess." From his sturdy soled boots, up over his jeans and long blue sleeved shirt up to his dark mop of straight black hair, longer on top, shorter on the sides, and shrewd blue eyes Jamie Steele gave the impression he was cool as a cucumber. Only Preacher noticed the tick in his cheek.

"Hey, Jamie. How are you? We won't stay long."

The ticked moved again. Jamie hadn't liked hearing that. Did he want Ruby around? Dropping his feet to the floor, the Kingsmen boss moved out from behind the desk. Preacher never took much notice before, no reason to really, but Jamie looked to be around more his age than Ruby's, he'd take a running guess at thirty-five, another young President, he'd gone through club changes not so long ago as well, and what the two clubs had in common was they'd both hated Hades.

Jamie dropped a kiss to Ruby's cheek, but his eyes were on Preacher who arched a brow.No beef here, man.Then he reached out and the two men slapped palms. "Surprised to see you, Preacher. How's it going? Rider well? I hear he got hitched."

"Can't complain. Rider is good, got a sweet old lady who keeps us all on our toes." they shared a smile.

"Isn't that always the way." Those shrewd blue eyes bounced between him and Ruby, a million questions.Go ahead, bro-in-law, ask. "So, dating the Preacher, sis?" The tone held judgment. Preacher's reputation preceded him across towns. It wasn't as though Preacher gave a fuck about what people thought about him, least of all another MC, he'd never touched any of their women, far as he knew, but who could tell when those drunken nights took him. Throw judgment at him all Jamie wanted, it would roll off Preacher's back, but give it to Ruby, that's where he'd object.

"Not quite, bro-in-law." He smiled tightly and Ruby threw him an accusatory look over her shoulder that made him wink. "What? he might want to get us an expensive gift, beautiful. We should register at Harley Davidson, I could do with another Fat Boy."

"Married?"

"Yes, I got married. But that's not why I came, Jamie." Preacher had taken a step back to allow the siblings their moment but hearing her voice crack he shifted from the doorway and took the two steps to stand behind her, his hand laying against the base of her back. She inhaled deep enough he felt her ribs lifting. "It's okay, Rube."

"What is it?" Jamie narrowed his eyes and the roughness of his voice became serious.

"It's... eh…" Struggling to find the words, his sweet old lady turned her gaze on Preacher silently imploring him for help. He moved in closer, slid an arm around her waist and met Jamie's eyes. "Rita died last week. Ruby wanted to come and tell you herself. She knows you guys weren't close, but you're both Ruby's family."

"Fuck. Princess." Whatever mask the president had put in place it dropped and he stepped up to Ruby, whose eyes were filled with tears, he cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry. What happened?"

"Drugs. A fire. All very Rita. You can say it, you told me so, right?"

"Cops got an investigation ongoing, looks to be foul play by her dickhead man." interjected Preacher by filling in the blanks, rubbing circles on Ruby's back."

"I had no love for the girl, you know that, but I never wished death on her, just wanted you to stop letting her walk the fuck over you, Ruby. You deserved better than being a caregiver to a junkie, you did enough for your mom."

It was the first thing Jamie had said Preacher agreed with.

"Didn't she have a boy?"

She relayed him the situation currently with the kid, leaving out she'd only married him to help her case. He liked to think she was starting to see it differently, that she might want to stay married to him. He wasn't above crossing his fingers and hoping for miracles.

"I suppose I can give you this now," he said striding across his office. Jamie moved a painting on the wall, very Austin Powers, and opened a safe, grabbing something from inside he locked up and covered the safe again. A piece of rectangle paper in his hand. "What's this?" A suspicious sounding Ruby asked not taking it when it was offered.

"Dad put money into an account for you before he got sent away again, this is all the info to it. Should be fifty G in there and whatever interest its accumulated by now."