the man I loved, and to be able to call these people my family. I hooked my arm around Priest’s waist and held him close, then dropped a quick kiss onto his cheek.
After a chorus of confirming shouts, Blade climbed onto a chair. Logan winced, looking a little nervous, and kept his hand on Blade’s thigh like that could stop him from falling.
“Well, guys,” Blade said, gazing around the club with his coffee mug in hand. “You all know we’ve been through a lot these past few months. Hell, past few years. We’ve faced a lot of challenges, and a lot of dangers.”
Nods and murmurs of agreement.
“But we’ve grown a lot, too,” Blade said. He nodded a Dante, Tru, and Mal. “And we’ve added more people into the fold, people who I’ve grown to consider family.”
Dawson, Beau, and Brennan all grinned.
“And I think we all know why we’re all here,” Blade said. “Why this club has made it through so much—why we’ve only grown stronger despite the bumps in the road. And that’s the leadership.”
He raised his coffee cup toward me and Priest.
I blinked, widening my eyes. “What?”
Priest huffed a laugh. “Come on, Blade.”
“I’m serious!” Blade said around a grin. “You two are the backbone of the club—the heart of it.” Cheers and whoops of agreement. “Without your guidance, and wisdom, and leadership, this club wouldn’t be what it is today. And I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re glad you found each other. You’re the glue that holds the club together, and we’re all grateful for it.”
“Hell, yeah!” Coop shouted. “Go, dads!”
That sent the club members into peals of laughter. I was flushed with joy and warmth, and I knew from the wide smile on Priest’s face and the shimmer in his eyes that he was, too. We locked eyes and he smiled, shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe it. And I felt the same.
How the hell did we get so lucky?
“To Mal and Priest!” Blade shouted.
“Hear, hear!” the club members shouted back, and everyone raised their coffee mugs (and a few mimosas) in cheers.
“Please get down now,” Logan said to Blade. “You’re too excited, you’re going to break your leg.”
“Am not,” Blade said warmly. He hopped down from the chair, though, and pulled Logan in for a sweet, lingering kiss.
Then Priest ran his hand over my back, and I leaned into the touch. “To us,” Priest said, low and private in my ear.
I raised my mug in agreement. “To us.” Even in the noise of the clubhouse, with our family all around us—when Priest looked at me like that, I felt like I was the only man on Earth. “I love you.”
He smiled, and his blue eyes sparkled with joy. “I love you, too.”
I tugged him in for a soft kiss, and around us, the members hooted their approval. In response I only deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue into Priest’s mouth, relishing the familiar shape of his smile against my lips.
We were together. And with the club around us, we were home.
27
Priest
I was having a wonderful dream. Ever since I’d started spending my nights with Mal, I’d only had good dreams—no more of the nightmares that had plagued me before.
But this was a better dream than most.
I knew it was a dream, somehow, even in the midst of it. Didn’t make it any less nice. It was a gorgeous, warm summer day, with the sun shining bright overhead and not a cloud in the blue sky. I was stretched out on a blanket right at the edge of Elkin Lake, so I could dip my toes into the icy-cold, still blue water. A delightful contrast to the warmth of the day, just right at the edge of too hot. I leaned back on my elbows and tipped my head back, sunning like a lizard.
“There you are, Harry,” a deep, familiar voice said. Happiness flooded me at the sound, and I sat up straight to peer over my shoulder at the source.
Ankh strolled down the path toward me with a broad smile on his face. He looked young and strong—like he’d looked when we were in the prime of our lives together, when the club was growing and we were settling into our roles as president and vice with a group of young bikers that looked to us for guidance. Lean build, thick, dark hair, and those deep blue eyes I’d always found myself getting lost in.