Precedent: Sexy Lawyer Man Series

Book Three/The Congressionals MC

Book One Mirrah Mcgee
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 Precedent
Sexy Lawyer Man Series Book Three/The Congressionals MC
Book One

Mirrah McGee
 Copyright © 2023 Mirrah, Mirrah on the Shelf

Published by Mirrah, Mirrah on the Shelf

authormirrahmcgee@gmail.com

Copyright © 2023 Mirrah, Mirrah on the Shelf

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed without the prior written consent of the author except for
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 Contents

Title Page
Copyright
Keenan “Lincoln” Kohlman 1.
Lincoln 2.
Audrey 3.
Lincoln 4.
Audrey 5.
Lincoln 6.
Lincoln 7.
Audrey 8.
Lincoln 9.
Audrey 10.
Lincoln 11.
Audrey 12.
Lincoln 13.
Audrey 14.
Lincoln 15.
Audrey 16.
Lincoln 17.
Audrey 18.
Lincoln 19.
Audrey 20.
Lincoln 21.
Audrey 22.
Lincoln 23.
Follow Me:
 Keenan “Lincoln” Kohlman 1.
“Where is my client?” My patience is wearing thinner than a stripper’s G-string. Audrey’s
continued reluctance, Nolan’s nightmares, mood swings, and my impotence to help him, and now my
client, Audrey’s sister and Nolan’s mom, is not in front of me like she should be. Instead, after driving
over two hours, I’m staring at the warden of the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio.
Eye candy he is not.
“Boy, I’ve already explained,” Warden Jeffers begins in a haughtily condescending tone that
further grates on my thinning patience. I hold up my hand and wisely, he snaps his mouth shut.
Standing, I plant my fists on his desk and lean in nice and close, so he can’t miss a single word.
“First, I’m not a field negro, nor am I into the Daddy/boy kink. And if I was,” I continue over his
dramatic gasp, looking him up and down with a sneer, “you aren’t Daddy material. Second,” I’m
inches from his face now using my large build and ethnicity to intimidate him, “if you don’t get my
client into a conference room in the next 5 minutes, I will rain Hell down upon this prison and level it
and you to the ground.”
“Do not threaten me—”
Upright, I brush my fingers across the lapel of my blue suit jacket and raise one eyebrow, “I have
no need to threaten, Warden Jeffers. I am a man of my word. You aren’t the first entitled
megalomaniac prick I’ve encountered, and you won’t be the last. Now, where is Laura Schnell?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. She’s in solitary confinement.”
“On what grounds?” Fucker, the old man avoids eye contact. He’s about to lie to me.
“It’s for her protection—”
“Against whom?” When he splutters, I cross my arms over my broad chest and watch with glee as
he gulps. “Your guards? Other prisoners? You?”
“I’ve never laid a hand on one of my inmates—”
“No, you have others do it for you.” I take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of his massive
wooden desk. “My client. Now.”
Reluctantly, he picks up his phone and tells whoever is on the other end to bring Schnell to a
conference room. At my throat clearing and exaggerated wide-eyed glance around his opulent office,
he amends his request to bring her here instead. Once the phone is replaced in its cradle, I open my
briefcase and retrieve a folder, then slide it over to him. “Despite the many, many obstacles placed in
my way, Laura Schnell has a hearing in two weeks with the Ohio Supreme Court. I trust that she will
be transported safely.”
He reads over the contents, raising his eyes to meet mine. The color drains from his face. “Why…
why would the supreme court hear her case?”
“Gross judicial misconduct of this magnitude is difficult to sweep under the rug.”
“Gross judicial misconduct—” His words are interrupted by a knock on the office door. I stand
and make my way over to open it. I swallow my shock and school my features to appear indifferent as
I usher what’s left of my client into the room. Warden Jeffers sits behind his desk, his hands wringing
in his lap, his eyes darting from me to Laura. Even after I’ve assisted her into one of the cushioned
chairs, he doesn’t make a move to leave.
“Get out.” I tell him, my eyes never leave my client. I raise my hand to stall his retort and point at
the door. “Get. Out.” I hear the chair roll back and protest his weight as he stands. His footsteps echo
loudly on the polished wooden floor. Just before he steps out into the hall, I promise him, “Get your
affairs in order, Warden.”
“Excuse me?”
I don’t look at him, I can’t. I’m too busy cataloging all the injuries my client has sustained since
my visit last week. The ones I can see, anyway. And I know myself. If I look at him, I will kill him.
“Anyone, and I mean anyone from you to the custodian to the prisoners… Everyone responsible
will be dealt with accordingly.”
“What does that mean?”
“Close the door on your way out.” A few seconds later the door clicks and Laura Schnell oozes
out of her seat and collapses at my feet. I gather her in my arms quickly, “I promise you. They will
pay. Each and every one of them. I promise. I’m going to get you out of here. Just hang on a little
longer.”
“Nolan.”
“He’s safe. Him and Audrey are safe with my men.”
“It’s too late. I can’t…just take care of him. Don’t let them…don’t let them take him!” Her rail-
thin body goes limp in my arms. I pull out my phone, cradle her in my lap, her head in the crook of my
arm, and call 911.
“Yes. I’m at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in the warden’s office. My client has suffered
severe trauma and needs emergency services immediately.” My eyes widen when I notice the growing
blood stain on her standard issue pants and the side of her shirt.
“Sir, we can’t dispatch to the prison without the warden’s—”
“Jeffers!” I yell, holding the phone between my shoulder and jaw. He opens the door slowly,
peeking in. “Tell 911 to send an ambulance!”
“She can be seen—”
“She’s fucking bleeding and unconscious. Ambulance. Now!” Thankfully, he plucks the phone
from me and gives permission. “What are her injuries?” He asks in a harsh whisper, shakily holding
the phone out between us.
“Put it on speaker. She’s bleeding from her anus or vagina, I can’t tell, but it’s soaking through her
pants.” I quickly glance over her body and notice too many injuries to name. “There isn’t a spot that
isn’t covered in bruises or open wounds. Please.” My voice cracks, not just for my client, but for her
sister I left at the clubhouse early this morning. How am I going to tell her…
“Ambulance is 5 minutes out, sir. Is she breathing?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good.” Seeing the amount of blood, I’m not so sure she’s right. I don’t know that Laura
Schnell will ever be good again.
 Lincoln 2.
Outside the hospital, I drop my head back on my shoulders and close my eyes. I inhale deeply of
the fresh air, desperate to cleanse the smell of antiseptic and blood from my lungs. With a heavy sigh,
I pull my phone from my ruined suit pants and press the first name in my favorites.
“Yeah?”
“Prez…”
“Shit.” Madison, the President and one of the founding members of The Congressionals
Motorcycle Club curses. The hiss of his drag off his cigarette comes through loud and clear. “Mister
or missus?”
“I haven’t even been to see Samuel yet. Laura…Prez, she’s in a bad fucking way. I’m at the
hospital with her right now, been here for a while. She’s probably going to need surgery.”
“Fuck. Inmates or guards?”
“A bit of both. There isn’t an inch of her that isn’t bruised, bleeding, or swollen. I don’t know
how she even walked into the office to see me.” I run a hand over my head and grip the back of my
neck. “Audrey isn’t going to—”
“Don’t tell her.”
My mouth flaps for a second, “What?”
“Don’t tell her the details. She doesn’t need to see her like this, brother.”
“I can’t keep it from her, that’s not how I want our relationship to start.”
“I hear ya, but I’m telling you. It will do more harm if she knows her sister’s fucked and there is
nothing she can do to help her. I assume she’s still under guard?”
“Yeah. Once she’s stable, they’ll restrain her.”
“Can’t have visitors anyway.”
“I know. I just—”
“Sometimes, we have to protect the ones we love from themselves. She can’t do anything for her
sister she isn’t already doing. She got the best fucking lawyer on her case and she’s taking care of the
boy.”
Closing my eyes again, I picture my pet. Audrey Baker is all heart. She would do anything,
including break herself, if it meant keeping her nephew safe and bringing her sister and brother-in-
law home. She would take her sister’s condition as a personal failure, and it would destroy her. I
shake my head, knowing she won’t be happy with me but it’s the right thing to do.
“Thank you, Prez.” He grunts in acknowledgement. “I’m going to be here for another day or two,
at least. I’m filing an emergency order—"
“Spare me the legal mumbo-jumbo kid, and just get them taken care of. Call if you need backup.”
I chuckle, a lightening in my chest at his gruff interruption. “Will do. Stay safe, Prez.”
“Stay safe, brother.”
Spotting an empty bench further down the sidewalk in front of the hospital, I make my way there,
spinning my phone in my hand as I think about what I’m going to tell Audrey. I’m no closer to an
answer when I sit down, so I just press her name and decide to wing it.
“Hello.” Her soft voice has more of the tension I’ve been carrying for the last several hours
leaking out of my shoulders.
“Pet.” She growls like an angry kitten at the nickname, and it makes me smile for the first time all
day.
 “Keenan, I’ve told you—”
“How’s Sammy?” Her nephew was named after his father, and until recently went by his middle
name Nolan to avoid confusion. Just before I brought them to my clubhouse in Kentucky, he decided
he wanted to honor his father and asked to be called Sammy going forward.
“He’s the same. Had a nightmare again this morning, but he was eager to go to karate, so he
recovered quickly. He’s friendly with a few of the boys. One of them…sorry, you don’t want to know
all this. He’s ok.”
“Audrey. Why do you do that? I want to know everything when it comes to Sammy and you.”
“Will you be back tonight?” I hadn’t told her where I was going today, I didn’t want to have to say
no if she asked to accompany me. I know she wants to see her sister, but Laura hasn’t fared well in
prison, and with each visit she’s given up a little bit more. It’s painful to see, to witness the
deterioration of a once vibrant woman. She no longer resembles the woman my pet proudly boasts
about with pictures and stories. I imagine what I would feel if it was my brother Khalil or my sister
Kadisha…I would be angry at being kept away and in the dark, but I’d hope that overtime I’d come to
see that darkness as a blessing. To preserve the memory of them as happy and healthy, rather than the
shell imprisonment had turned them into.
“Not tonight, pet. I’ll be gone another couple of days.” I pray I’m telling the truth. I can only hope
Samuel is doing better than his wife.
“Oh.” Her disappointment is palpable, even over the phone. “Well, then, have fun and don’t forget
to wrap it up!” The laugh she forces snaps the last thread of my control for the day.
“Audrey.” I growl, letting her hear my anger. “I’m not sure how many fucking times I need to tell
you or how clearer I can make my intentions. I don’t want anyone else. Not for a night, not even for
however long it takes me to nut. From the moment I saw you, you’ve been all I’ve thought about. I
moved you to my clubhouse, into my room. I sleep on a fucking couch in the clubroom or share a bed
with my brother so you and Sammy can be comfortable. This is a business trip, an unpleasant one at
that.”
My lips purse when I hear her crying, her sniffles and hitched breath threatening to unman me. I
know she wants me just as much as I want her. But I also know she’s fighting it tooth and nail. And I
honestly don’t know why. She won’t talk to me, won’t open up beyond what’s necessary for day-to-
day living. Bracing my elbows on my knees, I admit that I’m persistent, bordering on harassment at
this point.
“I’ll be home in a couple days. You should take this time to decide what you truly want, Audrey.
It’s not fair to either one of us for me to continue pursuing you if I’m not what you want. The club’s
protection stands no matter what you decide. And I’ll continue to do my best for Laura and Sam. Our
help isn’t contingent on your feelings for me. Give Sammy a hug for me. I’ll, uh, I’ll talk to you soon.”
I disconnect the call before she can respond. I’m not ready to hear her rejection. She needs to
evaluate her life and what she wants out of it. I know the situation with her sister and nephew are in
limbo, but I’m not. I’m right fucking here, flesh and blood. All she has to do is reach out and grab
hold.
Maybe I need this time too. Pushing to my feet, I pocket my phone, and walk into the hospital. I’ve
got motions to file, and I need to talk to my team about strategy. Wrongful imprisonment is reason
enough to act swiftly, but Laura’s life is on the line. Time to light some fires and get people moving.
 Audrey 3.
Clutching the phone in my hand, I hold it against my chest as I’m wracked by heavy sobs. My pain
echoes around Keenan’s room and I’m thankful Nolan, er Sammy, is not here right now to witness my
shame.
I’m a coward. And an idiot. And I seem powerless to stop myself from sabotaging one of the only
good things in my life right now. Why? Because I’m an idiotic cowardly saboteur.
Keenan “Lincoln” Kohlman is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and a partner. He’s so smart,
his brain is like a steel trap. He’s gainfully employed, and despite being a lawyer, he fights for the
good guys, especially children. I’m only human, so don’t hold this against me, but the man is smoking
hot to boot. He’s F.I.N.E. in a three-piece suit, but in boots, tight jeans, and his leather cut, good golly
Miss Molly.
First time I saw him on his bike, I swear I reached up for an oxygen mask, thinking I had to be
hurtling to the ground in a fiery plane crash and God gave me a mirage of a beautiful man to look at
instead of picturing my imminent death.
Good news, I wasn’t on a plane. Just on a sidewalk in Columbus, Ohio losing my mind.
Another non-superficial reason, which doesn’t make me sound like a hussy, why he’s amazing is
he’s close with his brother and sister. They tragically lost their parents in a motorcycle accident when
he was still in undergrad and his brother was in high school, his sister in middle school. He took
responsibility for his siblings, and they adore him, following in his footsteps in their own ways.
The Congressionals MC rallied around the siblings after losing one of their members and a
treasured old lady. Keenan’s dad was a founding member of the club, and they were raised within the
club family. They are a tight-knit mixed bag. You wouldn’t think people spanning in age from teens to
sixties, from all ethnicities and walks of life would get along so well. The president, Madison, an
intimidating man in his early sixties, is a gruff teddy bear. I have no doubt he can kill a man ten
different ways before I can blink, but the way he dotes on his wife Betty, and slips Sammy candy
when he doesn’t think I’m looking, shows he’s got a big heart. Every single member from prospect to
officer has shown Sammy and I kindness and respect.
However, not everything here on the club compound is hunky-dory. The lobbyists, or club whores,
are an acquired taste. And I have no plans to acquire it anytime soon. They haven’t made my life here
easy, but since the club is going out of their way to protect Sammy and I, I keep quiet. Biting the hand
that feeds you and all that. So long as the lobbyists leave Sammy alone, I can take whatever they dish
out.
The old ladies have been kind, but distant. I understand, I’m not one of them, but I’m not a club
whore either. I don’t fit in here. I don’t have a place of my own. I miss Dani so much it hurts. Leaving
my best friend behind, limiting our contact, has been hard. I need some of her bravado right now and I
can’t even get a pep talk over the phone.
I nearly squeal in shock when someone knocks on the closed door. “Little sis, I’m coming in, you
better not be crying naked again.” I hiccup a laugh as Carver, Keenan’s brother Khalil, sticks his head
around the door, one eye squeezed shut, the other warily open.
“It was one time, Carver, and you promised never to speak of it again.”
He grins easily, “I know, but I figured since Lincoln isn’t here, I should joke about it at least
once.” I lose my faint smile when he mentions Lincoln. The way he ended our phone call…my chest
tightens painfully and my stomach lurches.
 “Shit.” Carver pushes me over on the bed, pulls me into his side with a thick arm around my
shoulder and rocks me back and forth. “What’s going on?”
Haltingly, I explain between sobs, “I had to leave my home and my best friend and my school and
my job. I’m in a new place and I don’t know where I fit in. Sammy is still having nightmares and
every time he wakes up screaming for his mom and dad, a part of my soul dies because I can’t fix this
for him. And I want Keenan, I want him so much, but I can’t take him for myself, I can’t be selfish. My
sister and brother-in-law are in PRISON! They had a shitty lawyer and a system of greedy bastards
stacked against them and Keenan is doing everything he can to get them out, but it might not be enough.
How am I going to help Sammy get through this? And Laura and Sam? What is our family going to
look like if they’re freed? Or what if they aren’t? How can I possibly think about my own happiness
in the arms of my dream man when my sister and her husband are living in a waking nightmare? And
why does he have to be so perfect? It’s not fair! He’s all logic and reason and being selfless when
issuing an ultimatum and I can’t even hate him for it because he’s right!”
I’m gasping for breath like I’ve run a marathon instead of just running my mouth when I finish.
Carver gives me a minute or two, letting my verbal diarrhea settle before addressing anything. He’s
been so good to me since we arrived here a month ago, like the big brother I’ve never had.
“Shoot. Where’s Sammy?” I sit up, suddenly realizing my nephew isn’t with Carver.
He rubs his hand down my back soothingly, “He’s with Langley in the clubroom.” I relax
marginally, knowing a club brother is with him. “Got a lobbyist on all fours and showing him how to
find the G-spot.”
“Carver!” I scream, smacking him anywhere I can reach him while he laughs his ass off. I slide
out from under his arm and sit cross-legged to face him with my arms crossed and a ridiculous pout
on my face. Why is he so easy to talk to but I either clam up when Keenan talks to me, or my inner
brat comes out to play?
“Langley and Ford were teaching him how to play 500 Rum when I came up to check on you.”
“Thank you.” I whisper, feeling my eyes well with fresh tears.
“Have you, by any chance, mentioned any of this to Lincoln?” I shake my head, biting my bottom
lip and avoiding eye contact. I’m a coward, remember?
“Let him in. He wants to share in your life, the good and the bad.”
“I can’t. I feel…it feels wrong. Selfish. I don’t know why…I can talk to you and it’s normal,
almost like having my bestie Dani with me, except the short and sassy Latina is a tall black man.”
“You forgot ruggedly handsome.”
“I didn’t.” I stick my tongue out at him, then roll my eyes at myself. “When I’m with Lincoln, my
flight or fight response kicks in. I’m afraid. He’s everything and all-consuming and any other time I’d
be all for that romance novel worthy swooniness. But right now—”
“You love him.”
Shaking my head, I tell him, “It’s too soon for love, Carver, but…given the chance I know it will
lead to that. And I’m not sure I have the mental capacity to be in a relationship right now. Not with
everything else going on. So much uncertainty.”
Dipping his head to meet my eyes, “Keenan is certain. He isn’t one more thing for you to deal
with, he is a rock for you to lean on. To hold you up when it becomes too much. To carry some of your
burden. That’s a relationship. If we waited until the stars aligned and everything was perfect in our
lives to act, we’d never move.”
“Can you…I don’t know…snap your fingers or jut a hip out. Your delivery lacks attitude and I
need that right now.”
 “No, little sis, you don’t. I don’t know your sister and her husband. And I cannot imagine what
they are going through. However, not for one second do I think they would want you to miss out on
something spectacular out of some misguided attempt at solidarity.” I nod in agreement, knowing he’s
right.
“Ok.” I sit up and look at him directly. “I lied.” He smirks, like he already knows, and I want to
smack him again. “I might not be as ready as I claimed for the romance novel swooniness.”
“I know my brother is intense. But he isn’t asking you to marry him or be his old lady right away.
He’s just asking for a chance. The same chance you would take on any potential partner. Date him.
See where it goes. Don’t limit the possibilities because you’re scared.” He cocks his head, “You
aren’t afraid of him, right?”
“No. No.” I rush to reassure him. “I know he would never hurt me or Sammy. Ever.”
“Good. None of us would. Mom and dad always urged us to follow our gut. What does your gut
tell you?”
Throwing my hands up, I screech exasperatedly, “I can’t trust my gut. I make horrible choices.”
“Audrey.” His ruggedly handsome face is earnest, his voice firm. “Your sister wouldn’t have
trusted you with Sammy if that were true. You sought help immediately. You listened to Dani and got
you and Sammy out of danger. You’ve surrounded Sammy with the biggest, baddest, fiercest bunch of
fuckers around to protect him and you.”
I close my eyes and sigh, my stomach swirling with nerves and anticipation. “My gut tells me that
if, er when, I let Keenan in, he’ll be my last first kiss.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
I sag in defeat, dropping my head to a pillow to stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know.”
 Lincoln 4.
I’ve seen some things in my life. Growing up in a motorcycle club, even one as chill as ours, you
can’t escape the violence of humanity. And there is no greater void of humanity than the legal system.
Abuse of power, vendettas, personal agendas, domestic abuse, child neglect, drugs, the list goes on.
You want to see the human race at its worst, spend a day in court.
That being said, I’m shook. The last couple of days came out of nowhere. That ongoing joke in
The Princess Bride keeps playing on repeat in my head. “Inconceivable” doesn’t begin to cover the
atrocities I have witnessed first-hand in two prisons, separated by almost two hundred miles, yet
connected by greed and hubris.
The speaker in my cage is loud after the oppressive silence of the Ohio State Penitentiary in
Youngstown, Ohio as I wait for someone to answer.
“Lincoln. How’s Samuel?” My sister Kadisha’s concern is palpable. She’s my paralegal and an
integral part of my legal team. Based on the echo, I assume I’m on speakerphone.
“Who’s with you?”
“Wilson. Fields. Pierce. We’re all here. Now answer my question, how is Samuel?”
I’m not sure how to answer that. He has a pulse. He is able to walk and talk, barely, but no
obvious injuries like his wife. He is a broken man, though.
“Fuck. That bad?” Pierce asks after my weighted silence. My club brother and I prospected
together, along with Polk, Fillmore, and Buchanan. Seems like a lifetime ago. The years have aged us
all in different ways. Me losing my parents and assuming responsibility for my siblings is a scar that
never heals, the wound always tender even if it’s no longer gaping. But this…
“I need to file for an emergency—”
“Already done.” Kadisha interrupts.
“I didn’t even finish my sentence.” I huff.
“I filed on behalf of both Schnells for emergency hearings due to extenuating circumstances. I also
called my girl in the clerk’s office. She’ll get back to me before lunch with our new time and date.
She was hopeful it could be as soon as tomorrow.”
I breathe out a sigh, a mix of relief and fond frustration. I love my baby sister, but she’s obnoxious
when she’s on top of things. And she’s always on top of things.
“Thank you.”
“She worked us to the bone.” Fields jokes, the others chuckling. My sister is a taskmaster, and it
brings a smile to my face, but staring up at the imposing prison I just exited wipes it away quickly.
“Any news on Laura?”
“She’s stable. Surgery went as well as to be expected. It’s too soon to tell, but she might have a
permanent colostomy bag. The damage was…extensive.” Alone in the cage, I allow the tears to fall,
picturing the frail woman I left in the hospital bed and the obstinate one I left at the clubhouse. I
haven’t spoken to Audrey in two days, and I don’t want to be dramatic, but my soul is withering. I can
feel it. I hate putting distance between us. I did it because of her reluctance initially, but now I’m
thankful I did because I’m not sure how to tell her that her sister and brother-in-law have both given
up. They begged for me to protect their little boy. The guards have taunted them with stories of what
the other is enduring and I aim to bring every one of them to hand.
I clear my throat and focus on what I can fix. “First, Pierce, I’ve sent you an encrypted email with
details about a safety deposit box in Audrey’s name. She is unaware of its existence. The key is in a
keepsake box that he’s positive Audrey would have taken once the crime scene was cleared at the
house. Important family papers, but also several thumb drives with information about his family’s
criminal enterprise. He was holding on to it as insurance, and he’d like us to cash in the policy and
serve them up on a platter to anyone willing to put them down.”
“I volunteer.” Fields blurts out.
“In the event that is unsuccessful, there is enough money for Audrey and Nolan to relocate and
start over.” I’m growling at just the thought.
Wilson correctly interprets my caveman speak, “Well, that’s not fucking happening. We don’t run
and we protect what’s ours. Even if you weren’t totally in love with the curly haired cutie, Sammy is
a Congressionals MC Junior Prospect.”
“Thank you.” I’m overcome with gratitude for my club brothers, knowing they have my back and
those I consider important. “We need the names of every guard in both facilities, even custodians,
secretaries, anyone who enters the buildings. I want a thorough investigation of their phone and email
records, to see if anyone from Moraine or surrounding areas contacted them, and their bank accounts.
They are passing along information between prisons and using it to fuck with my clients.”
“Sam knows what they did to Laura?”
“Yeah, Wilson, he does.”
“There’s no coming back from that.”
“For either of them.”
“Well, boys, they might have given up, but we can still fight for them.” Leave it to my sister to
rally the troops.
“Yes, ma’am.” We respond in unison.
“I’ve booked you a suite at the Holiday Inn, reservation details have been sent to your phone app.
By the time you’ve checked in, showered, and gotten yourself together, I should have heard back from
the clerk’s office.”
“What would I do without you, Kadisha?”
“Sleep in your car. And please, please, call your woman. It’ll do you both some good.”
“She’s not my woman yet.”
“You’re dumber than I thought.” With that, she hangs up, my brothers laughing in the background.
Once my phone begins directing me to the hotel, I call Audrey. My sister is always right. I need to
hear her voice. After everything with Samuel and Laura, she’s probably the only person who can calm
the storm raging inside me. Except, she doesn’t pick up. It rings and then goes to voicemail. I hang up
without leaving a message and call Carver.
“Hey brother.”
“Have you seen Audrey?”
“Yeah, we had dinner with JP and then they went up to your room for the evening. Why?”
“She’s not answering her phone.”
“Oh.” I practically raised him, even before our parents died, so I know every tone and tick.
“Carver.”
“Fine, fine. But you didn’t hear it from me. She’s my lil’ sis, and there’s a certain expectation of
confidentiality between us.”
“Khalil.”
“After your ultimatum the other day -- which by the way, totally awesome and not a dick move in
the least -- we talked. She’s been thinking over some things I said. Give her some time, brother, her
entire world has been turned upside down. She isn’t like us. And she’s had a crash course in our
lifestyle.”
“If you fucked me—”
“Hey, remember who you’re talking to here. I have always had your back and I always will. So,
step down before I put you down.”
“Through the phone?”
“I’m this close to mastering Vader’s telepathy choking. Do you feel it? Is it getting harder to
breathe?”
“You’re fucking ridiculous.”
“Why thank you.” All joking aside, he tells me plainly, “I’m keeping a watch over your family,
Lincoln. Send her a text, sweet and simple, and then leave it alone. She’s yours, I promise. Just give
her a little more time to understand that her happiness doesn’t end at someone else’s misery.”
“Fuck.” I curse, running my hand over my head. I’m an idiot.
“Yeah, figured it didn’t occur to you. It isn’t just her life in upheaval. And if what I’m hearing is
true, and judging by your tone it is, Sammy is going to need her even more in the coming days. You
remember how difficult it was for us when mom and pops died, every time we’d smile it was like a
knife through the heart that they would never smile again.”
My chest constricts painfully at the memories. Holding Kadisha as she sobbed uncontrollably that
first birthday without them. Or when Khalil refused to attend any school functions, even prom because
they wouldn’t be there.
“You’ve got a good woman, Lincoln. She’s pure heart. And that ain’t a bad thing. But you both
need to prepare yourself for it to be bruised easily and often.”
“Thank you. For everything. Keeping watch, being her friend—”
“Psh. Gurl, I’m her bestie.” I laugh, a true, genuine laugh and it feels good. A twinge of guilt
knowing Laura and Samuel will not be laughing anytime soon, if ever again, gives me some clarity
about my pet.
“No slumber parties or pillow fights.”
“You ruin all the fun.”
I check into the hotel, shower, and collapse on the soft, plush king size bed. Phone in my hands, I
pull up my text thread with Audrey.
Lincoln: I’m sorry for our last conversation, pet, and how my words may have affected you.
I’ve thought about you every minute I’ve been away, wishing I was with you. I don’t know when I’ll
be back but know that you and Sammy are always on my mind.
Pet: …
The dots come and go for several minutes, long enough for my eyes to grow heavy. I don’t get her
reply until Kadisha’s call wakes me a couple of hours later.
Pet: I wish you were here with us too. Be safe and come home soon.
 Audrey 5.
I could kiss Carver. I won’t, because he’s like a brother to me now, but still…
“I’m so glad you could make it!” I try to dampen my excitement at having a woman here who isn’t
an old lady or a lobbyist. Someone with a vagina who won’t look at me like I might betray them at
any moment or shag all the available men.
Quinn Palomeni is the mom of one of the boys in Sammy’s karate class. Enzo is a year younger
than Sammy but is full of life and energy and has managed to draw Sammy further out of the darkness
in the short couple of weeks they’ve known one another. And Quinn, well, she’s down-to-earth and an
experienced mom and might be a good friend of mine given time.
Her dark brown eyes take in the clubroom, darting here and there and everywhere. I smile at her
curiosity. “It’s clean.” Is the first thing she says, and I burst out laughing. Some of the brothers around
join in. She glances over at the bar, where most are congregated, and her eyes widen in shock. “Holy
hell.” She whispers, then licks her lips. Yeah. I know how she feels. If my heart didn’t belong to
Lincoln, I’d be in hawt man heaven living among these men. Even those decades older than me have a
certain charm that comes from experience. The muscles and tats never hurt either.
“Mom.” A whiny voice comes from behind her, drawing out the three-letter word. “Move your
butt. Where’s Sammy?” Enzo pushes past his mom and rushes into the clubroom, his head on a swivel.
“SAMMY!” That little boy has zero fear. He turns to the bar. “Do any of you know where my best
friend is?”
“JP is in the garage washing bikes.”
“S-a-m-m-y. Sammy. I’m looking for Sammy. I don’t know JP.”
“Junior Prospect.” Ford corrects Enzo as he steps down from his barstool and holds out his hand
for a shake. Enzo grabs it, but instead of shaking hands, he pulls on Ford’s arm and drags him to the
front door where his mom and I stare gobsmacked. Kid has balls. Ford’s curly mop bounces with
each step, a slow grin taking over his face. “Don’t know what that means. Take me to Sammy.” As
they pass us, Ford winks at Quinn. She blushes from forehead to cleavage, so I wave my hand to fan
her. With a giggle, she bats me away and steps further into the clubhouse.
“He’s gonna get himself into trouble. I keep telling him. Boy’s never met a stranger.”
One of the older members and Field’s father, Hayes waves off her concern. “Nurture it and he
won’t let anyone walk over him. Caleb was the same way and it’s served him well.”
“Caleb is your boy?” Hayes nods. “How old is he?” Quinn, much like her son, walks past me and
takes Ford’s abandoned barstool, plopping her purse on the bar top and shifting to face Hayes.
“I’m 27.” Fields, aka Caleb, responds with a raised hand. The guys laugh at his red-faced
expense.
“You’ll always be my little boy.” Hayes pinches his cheek before Fields backs up, nearly falling
off his own stool.
I stand, amused and confused, as the woman starts talking to the brothers as if she’s known them
her whole life. I envy her. I haven’t been able to get out of my head enough to really interact with
anyone. In moments, she has them rolling with laughter as she, Hayes, and the club president Madison
swap parenting stories.
A heavy arm on my shoulder has me looking up into Carver’s warm eyes. “Well, that didn’t take
long.” He muses, tilting his head at Quinn.
“Nah. That’s why I wanted to get to know her. She’s…earthy. I don’t know if that makes sense.
Natural. She was immediately welcoming to both Sammy and me at karate. I’m surprised she
accepted my offer to come to the clubhouse, but the more I think about it, the more I’m not.”
“She’s like Dani.” He voices my inner thoughts. “Strong. Confident.”
“I want to be like them when I grow up.”
“You don’t have to wait, lil’ sis.” I shrug because I’m not sure what to say. I haven’t heard from
Lincoln since his text last night. I’ll be honest, it went a long way to assuage some of my anxiety. He’s
a wonderful, giving, compassionate and sexy man. I want him. I’m having trouble being selfish,
though. No matter how I think about it, no matter anyone’s reassurances to the contrary, it feels wrong
to take something for myself when Laura and Sam are in hell.
“CHURCH!” Madison bellows a short time later after checking his phone. The brothers say their
goodbyes to Quinn while Carver kisses my temple and joins them.
Ford comes strolling through the doors after a moment. “Enzo the Ballbuster is with Sammy in the
garage. Two prospects are with them.” I nod, happy the boys are occupied. “You didn’t happen to
bring a change of clothes for Enzo, did you?”
Quinn throws her head back and howls with laughter. Ford stops in his tracks, cocking his head to
the side as he stares at her in fascination. When she composes herself, she finally tells him, “Yeah.
My trunk is basically a dresser. I gotta keep spares for all three boys or we’d never stay long enough
anywhere to have any fun.”
“There’s three of him?” Ford gulps.
“Sort of. He’s the youngest of my boys. Marco is 12 and Salvatore is 9. They aren’t as…active as
Enzo, but messy in their own way.”
“Your husband and you must have your hands full.”
“I’m divorced, but I’ve adapted well over the years. Parenting, you either sink or swim and I
don’t fancy being found bloated at the bottom of the pool.” She pats her midsection with a grin. “I’m
puffy enough as it is.” Ford chuckles with a shake of his head, leaving us alone in the clubroom.
“Good Lord, Audrey. How are you not just self-combusting all the time around these men? I’ve
been here,” she checks her phone, “less than an hour and I’ve orgasmed three times.”
“You have not!”
“I think I have. Something’s been happening downstairs. It’s been so long since I’ve had one, I’m
not sure.”
“You and me both.” I commiserate joining her at the bar.
She looks around the clubroom exaggeratedly, “What the hell are you waiting for?”
“Uh. Well.”
“Oh, I see.” She grins teasingly. “You’ve already got your eye on one.”
“Yes. No. Yes.” I shake my head and start over. “Lincoln is my sister’s lawyer. You remember
what I told you—”
“Honey, that isn’t something someone forgets.” She wraps her arm around my back and brings me
to her side. She’s warm and smells fruity and she’s soft. I find myself melting into her without thought.
“He’s amazing and wonderful and adores Sammy. Lincoln has been clear about his feelings for
me…”
“But you aren’t?”
“NO! I am.” I rush out. “I just…my sister and her husband are—”
“Are you in prison?” I shake my head with a frown. “My sister died when I was 16. She was 13.
It’s a convoluted story how it happened, but no matter the circumstances it did.”
“Quinn—”
 “She’d never experience her first kiss. Fall in love. Get married. Have kids. She’d never know
the joy of holding her little boy in her arms or the vomit inducing frustration of hosing out the inside of
your car when that same little boy’s ass explodes so epically that you end up just selling the car
because the smell will haunt you for years if you don’t.” I don’t know whether to laugh or cry so I do
both. “Does that mean that I shouldn’t have? I got married, had three beautiful and disgusting boys.
How is that fair to her?”
“No! Quinn, no. I can’t---how did you do that?” Dammit. She’s the WASP version of Dani. Her
smirk is wicked. “It feels wrong.” I whisper.
“No, it doesn’t. You’re using your sister and her situation to hide. I don’t know you well, I’d like
to, but even I can see the fear in your eyes. When Joe and I got together, I thought I was tough. Smart.
Competent. What I was, was cocky. Arrogant. I didn’t know what tough was until I was raising three
boys on my own because my husband checked out of our marriage, our family. He had his own
demons to contend with, but my boys depended on me. And I’d be damned if I let them down. The
seasons kept changing, and I could change with them, or I could stand still and let life pass me by.”
She pauses while I absorb her words. They’re similar to Carver’s and resonate just the same.
“Audrey, I don’t know everything that’s happening, and I can’t pretend to know how you or Sammy
feel. But, even when your sister and her husband are released, they won’t be the same people who
went in. Sammy is going to need you. And they will need you. But who will you need? Who will have
your back while you have theirs?”
“Lincoln.” My voice is hoarse, my throat tight. He’s told me himself that he wants to be there for
me. Hold me when I need to fall apart. Help me put myself back together. Take care of Sammy. Why
do we ignore what’s right in front of us? Why do we brush off the words of others in favor of the
voices in our heads? “I already decided to let Lincoln in when he returns from his trip. But I keep
going back and forth. My bravado only remains for so long before I lose my nerve. I’m not sure where
it will be when he’s standing in front of me.”
“You’ll find it. And he’ll help you. But don’t worry, if he looks anything like the men who went
into that room back there, I’ll be right there behind you shoving you in his direction.”
“I’m really glad I met you.”
“Me too. Especially because I can finally have a conversation that doesn’t involve video games
or farts.”
“God! Lincoln was a beast the other night.” My entire body stiffens at the sound of her voice.
She’s been relentless since I arrived a month ago. I meet Quinn’s eyes. She isn’t nervous or scared
like me, she’s pissed. “I hope he gets back soon for a repeat. I could barely walk yesterday. Was I
still bowlegged? I felt bowlegged!” Janelle giggles behind us.
I peer over Quinn’s shoulder and catch LaToya trying to shush her. At least she has the decency to
feel uncomfortable. This is embarrassing. Tears sting my eyes, I’m so tired of crying. He told me on
the phone that he hadn’t been with anyone else since we met, but how can I expect him to remain
celibate while I’m pushing him away? Except, even the thought of him touching someone, especially
her, hurts. My already shattered heart jerks in my chest and pain blooms outward.
I turn to face the club girls. Janelle’s victorious smirk is already aimed my way.
“Why?” I croak out. Her smirk widens into a smile.
“Oh honey, that’s what I’m here for. To please the brothers. And I do so enjoy my job.”
“No. I mean why tell me? Why do this…?” I wave my hand encompassing her and LaToya.
“Beyond a polite greeting, I’ve never spoken to you. I’ve never done anything to you. But you won’t
leave me alone.”
 “You don’t belong here.”
I chuckle humorlessly. “Believe me, I know.”
“Just letting you know your place.”
Quinn jumps off her stool and squares off against the whore. “Her place? You know nothing about
her place. Her nephew was brutally violated, watched his father kill someone right in front of him, his
mother and father are both wasting away in prison, he’s had to move three times, and his aunt is
grasping at threads, strings, anything to keep them afloat. And you want to play stupid games to
remind her of her place?”
Janelle looks Quinn up and down, her lips pulling back in a sneer. “Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m here to remind you of your place.”
“Oh yeah?” Janelle narrows her eyes. “What are you going to do, sit on me?”
“Fat jokes? Seriously? Grow the fuck up. I don’t know you, but I’ve known bitches like you my
entire life. You live here, legs spread, and think you’re better than me, than her. I’m a mother, a friend,
a productive member of society. You are a cum dumpster with an expiration date.”
Janelle raises an open palm in the air, ready to slap my new best friend. “And it’s today.” Carver
comes storming down the hall, his ruggedly handsome mug contorted in rage like I’ve never seen. His
voice stops the lobbyist from following through with the hit.
“What?” Janelle drops her arm and turns puppy-dog eyes and a pathetic pout on Carver, but he
isn’t buying it. I’d like to say I feel bad for her, because I have a feeling her life is about to be
upended too. I know what that’s like. But I don’t feel bad, I’m going to hell because my tummy swirls
with excitement and my lips spread into a genuine smile as he rips into her.
“Do you honestly think that we are blind to what happens in this clubhouse? There isn’t a single
thing that goes on within these walls that the brothers aren’t aware of. We’ve watched you dig at
Audrey, every chance you got. We were waiting for her to stand up for herself. If I had to guess, she
didn’t want to burden anyone here with her problems. Luckily for her, her new bodyguard doesn’t
share such compunctions.”
“PROSPECTS!” Madison yells and out of nowhere two of the prospects materialize, startling me.
Have they been here the whole time? “Janelle, we’ve let your behavior go on long enough. We aren’t
looking for drama, the brothers just want to get they’re dicks wet. Pack your shit and get the fuck
gone. Wilson, wipe her phone and any other electronics. Prospects, inspect her bags and make sure
she doesn’t take anything with her that belongs to the club and then escort her beyond the gate.”
“Prez! You can’t do this! I’ve been here for years. I’m important to the club.” Janelle fights the
prospect’s hold on her. She makes a move toward Madison, when his old lady Betty, steps between
them and punches the whore right in the nose.
“They might not like hitting a woman, but I’m all for equality. Now, do like he said and get your
shit together. I’ll grab the bleach and some rags, and you can clean up your blood on your way out the
door.”
“Audrey?” Carver comes over to me, drawing me into his arms for a hug. “You, ok? You know
she was lying, right? My brother is devoted to you. He may have been with the lobbyists in the past,
we all have, but he hasn’t looked at anyone but you since you came into his life.”
“I…think…I know that in here.” I tap my head. Then my heart, “But here is a little more
stubborn.” Arching my neck, I look into his eyes. “Did you…do you really know what she’s said to
me?”
“Do we really know that instead of telling Lincoln or me or Prez the filth she’s been spewing at
you for weeks, you’ve kept it to yourself and suffered in silence? Yeah. We do.”
 “I’m sorry. The club welcomed us and gave us protection. You lost a brother because of me. And
Lincoln has been working so hard on Laura’s case, I just didn’t want to bother anyone.”
“That’s just stupid.” Betty barks, scaring me half to death. “People will treat you however you let
them. Demand more for yourself. Jesus. I know you’ve got a bit going on, but I thought Lincoln would
pick himself a smarter woman.”
“Listen here, Grandma Moses—”
“I like you. Don’t go ruining it by opening your mouth.” Betty cuts Quinn off. Surprisingly, Quinn
snaps her mouth shut with a shrug. If Quinn can stand up for me, why can’t I?
“You and the other old ladies haven’t been any more welcoming than the lobbyists. You don’t
think I belong here, and you all have made that abundantly clear.” I throw my hands up, “And it hurts,
but I can handle it. You all have been so good to Sammy. That’s all I’m concerned about.”
“Betty?” Madison turns to his wife. “Is that true?”
She lifts her shoulder causing her gray topknot to bounce. “Pretty much.”
I’m taking my life in my own hands, but I interrupt the President. “I do have a lot going on, but I’m
smart and capable. It’s taking me some time to find my footing, but I’m getting there. I don’t expect
pity, don’t want it. But forgive me for needing a minute to accept that my nephew was violated by
someone who should have treasured him. My brother-in-law killed his own brother to protect his son.
He and my sister were arrested, betrayed by the judicial system and its players, and sent to prison.
I’m responsible for a little boy who has nightmares and cries for his parents in the dark of night,
clinging to me. I would do anything for him. Anything. So yeah, I figured some mental abuse, some
choice words and insults hurled in my direction were a small price to pay to know that he has a safe
space to process everything that’s happened to him and around him.” I feel warmth course through me
as I get fired up. I’m tired of wallowing, I’m tired of waiting. Carver, Quinn, Lincoln, they’re right.
I’ve been a passenger in my own life and it’s time I take the wheel. “You may not like me, you may
think I’m weak, or stupid, but I don’t give a good God damn. Sammy and I aim to be in Lincoln’s life
for a long, long time. You better get used to me, Mrs. President, because I’m going to be his old lady
one day and you’re gonna be seeing my mug for the rest of your life.”
“6. I’m up to 6 orgasms.” Quinn blurts in an awed tone. And it breaks something loose in the
room. Laughter shakes the walls.
Betty and Stacy, Hayes’ old lady, grin as they encircle me. “It’s about time. Welcome to the
Congressionals MC, Audrey. We’re happy to have you.”
I stare at Betty with my mouth gaping open. “What?”
“This life ain’t for the weak. It’ll test you time and again. Lincoln doesn’t need a simpering fool;
he needs a strong force next to him. I knew you had it in you, I saw how you are with Sammy, but you
had to give it room to blossom.”
“You were distant with me as a test?”
Stacy giggles girlishly, making her appear younger than 50. “Nah, she doesn’t like anyone. At
least not at first.”
“I like that one.” Betty argues, pointing at Quinn. “She fits right in. Brass balls.”
“Thank you. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of these men are looking for a lady with balls bigger
than theirs.” We laugh at Quinn’s observation. I suck in a harsh breath when it hits me. I just claimed
Lincoln publicly without talking to him first.
A tap on my shoulder brings me face to screen with Lincoln himself. Carver holds his phone,
giving me a wink when he hands it over. I step away from everyone to speak with Lincoln.
“Hey.”
 “You gonna be my old lady?”
“Uh.”
“No, don’t go shy on me now. I saw the whole thing, pet. And believe me, if I was there, I’d be
dragging you to my room to show you just how much I enjoyed it.” I ignore my blush and focus on this
gorgeous man.
“I miss you.” I admit, feeling free and loving it.
“Miss you too, pet. God, I miss you so much. I’ll be home in two days.” He sighs, drawing
attention to how tired and worn he appears.
“Lincoln, is everything alright?”
He shakes his head, “No. But I’m working on it.” His head snaps up and he nods curtly at
someone off screen. “I gotta go, pet. But I’ll call you later.”
My earlier excitement dims a bit. Something’s wrong, probably with Laura or Samuel. “Keenan?”
“I’m doing everything I can, pet. I promise.” I swallow hard, reading between the lines.
“Sometimes our best isn’t good enough, Keenan. And it isn’t our fault. I know you’re working
hard, and no matter what happens, I know you did all you could.” I think of the little boy in the garage,
and Quinn’s words echo in my head from earlier. “And I’ll do my best to take care of Sammy.”
“We’ll take care of him together.” His words are meant to soothe, but I see the painful truth in his
eyes. Whatever has happened to my sister and her husband, they aren’t coming back from it.
 Lincoln 6.
“The Ohio Supreme Court hereby declares defendant, Laura P. Schnell, exonerated of the charges
of evidence tampering, falsification…” The judge continues listing the egregious charges against my
client for which she is now free. Our time in front of the supreme court justices was shorter than I
expected. My team and I were able to compile and submit a lovely pile of evidence demonstrating
clear judicial misconduct, amongst many other grievances.
Aside from the fact that her husband is the one who actually killed William Schnell, Laura was
acting in the best interest of her child, the victim, in seeking medical treatment immediately. Her
treatment at the hands of guards, inmates, and the warden will balance out the civil suit nicely.
Now, I just need word that my other client, Samuel Schnell, has arrived, since his hearing is next.
“On behalf of the state of Ohio and my fellow justices, Mrs. Schnell, we offer you our deepest
regret and sorrow for the way the justice system has been used against you. Mr. Kohlman, anything
you’d like to add or submit at this time?” I stifle a chuckle at the leading question.
“Yes, your honor, I have several motions to submit today for the court’s consideration, including a
civil lawsuit against the City of Columbus, the State of Ohio, and the City of Moraine to name a few.”
I hand over a packet of papers to the bailiff with copies for everyone involved.
The justices look them over. “Well, Mr. Kohlman, it appears you will be a busy man for the
foreseeable future. We wish you and Mrs. Schnell luck. Mrs. Schnell, you are free to go with the
court’s apologies.”
“Is it…is it really over?” Laura whispers hoarsely next to me. She’s dressed in a loose dress that
Kadisha had couriered over, flat slip-on shoes, and her long curly hair much like her sister’s, hangs
limply around her slender shoulders. She’s bandaged up in a padded wheelchair. Tears well in her
nearly lifeless eyes.
“Yes, Laura, it is. I’ll be fighting to get you, Samuel, and Nolan compensation—”
“I don’t want their money.” She hisses vehemently.
“I know you don’t. It cannot erase or repair the last several months of your lives. But they have to
pay, in some way, for what they’ve done to you and your family.”
She nods curtly, though I can see she doesn’t agree with me. With a deep breath, she meets my
eyes once more, the sadness overwhelming to witness. “Sam is next, right? I’ll be able to wait here
for him?”
Biting my bottom lip, I think over her question. I should have received word by now that he has
arrived. True, her hearing didn’t take as long as they allotted, Sam’s transport should have been here
an hour early for his own hearing.
“Let me check on where he’s at?” She deflates immediately. I wheel her to the hall, then step
further down to call the prison warden.
Minutes later, my voice is echoing in the cavernous hallway of the courthouse for all to hear.
“What do you mean? No! What the fuck happened? No, I will not lower my voice. Where is my
client? You motherfucker. I’m coming for you.” I end the call, inhaling through my nose and exhaling
out through my mouth. I’m surprised there isn’t fire and smoke. The door to the courtroom opens and
the bailiff sticks his head out.
“Mr. Kohlman, the justices would like to see you alone.” They know. I nod, and then step in front
of Laura. Kneeling at her feet, I take her hands in mine. She shakes her head, her mouth open but no
sound escapes. I literally watch what is left of her heart and spirit shatter right in front of me.
 Finally, she licks her dry lips and leans in close. A spark fires in her eyes as she whispers to me,
“You can’t pay the reaper with money, Keenan. Everyone must pay with their souls. Just as my sweet
Sam and I have.” And just like that, the spark burns out and she sags into her wheelchair. I can’t leave
her alone.
“Can you stay with her?” I ask the bailiff. He looks between me and my client, then waves
someone over. A short woman in the same uniform approaches, gun at her side, a no-nonsense
expression on her heart shaped face.
“Remain with Mrs. Schnell.” She nods, taking a stance against the wall behind Laura’s
wheelchair.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Laura.” She doesn’t respond, doesn’t make any move to
acknowledge I’ve spoken. With a heavy heart, and a rage burning through my body, I stand and follow
the bailiff back into the courtroom. The justices’ whispering stops as I approach the bench.
“Mr. Kohlman, we’ve just received word…” I dip my chin, already knowing what he’s going to
say, “Samuel Schnell died during transport this morning. Apparently, there was an accident during
which he suffered fatal injuries and passed away on the scene before emergency services were able
to arrive.”
“I’m sure he did.” I spit out, then reign my temper back in. Now isn’t the time. “I’d like to
proceed with his hearing, your honors, he deserves to be buried with a clean record.”
“We’ll reconvene in 30 minutes to begin.”
On my way out of the courtroom, I pick up my phone and dial my team. I pat Laura on the shoulder
as I pass her down the hall. As soon as my sister picks up the phone, I begin.
“Samuel Schnell was murdered this morning on his way to court. I want everything, EVERY
FUCKING THING you can find on street cams and satellites, I don’t care if you have to build a time
machine to travel back in time and be an eyewitness, I need to know exactly what the fuck happened
to him and who is responsible.”
“Lincoln—” Wilson begins, but I cut him off.
“Laura needs souls to pay the reaper, and I intend to deliver them.”
 Lincoln 7.
The drive back to the clubhouse in Independence, Kentucky takes over two hours. I stop several
times for Laura to stretch and use the restroom. With every mile under the tires of the cage, my anxiety
rises slightly more. The woman I am bringing with me is not the sister Audrey remembers. I may not
have known Laura Schnell prior to her incarceration, but it’s easy enough to see the damage from her
time behind bars and away from her husband and son.
Since learning of Samuel’s unnecessary death, Laura has crawled further and further inside her
head, and I fear she may never find her way out. I don’t know if Sammy or Audrey are enough to bring
her back. Hell, I don’t even know if seeing her like this is a good idea. Sammy has already suffered
enough, to see his mother bruised and battered, a shell of the woman she once was…
If she doesn’t step back into the role of mother, what will she do? How will Sammy handle being
abandoned twice? And Audrey…is she ready to be a stand-in mother? Am I ready to be a father?
Instantly, I mentally chastise myself for even thinking such a thing. I saw Audrey for the first time
in Owen Reeves’ office and I knew she was mine. Same with Sammy. Whether uncle or father figure,
he’s mine too. We will do whatever we have to for that little boy. Just the same as our own children,
God willing.
“Keenan.” Laura’s voice is quiet and rough in the passenger seat. Two prospects on bikes follow
behind as we close the distance to the clubhouse. I hum to let her know I’m listening. “Nolan is all
that matters. I need you to promise that you and your club will protect him. Samuel’s family can never
get custody of him. Never.”
“Legal or otherwise, they will never touch that boy, I give you my word.” I see her nod out of the
corner of my eye. The silence is heavy, so I wait her out, knowing she’s got more to say.
“Aud…Aud is magic and fairy tales and Christmas morning all rolled into one.” I chuckle at her
description, she’s not wrong. “Since the day she was born, she’s held my heart and now I’m trusting
her to carry my soul. Be good to her, Keenan, she deserves all that glitters in this world.”
“Laura, this sounds an awful lot like goodbye.” My fingers grip the steering wheel tighter as my
stomach tries to climb up my throat. She’s already given up. I knew it. I saw it. But now she’s given
voice to it.
“‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’”
“What is that from?”
I hear a faint and rusty sound, almost like laughter. “Winnie-the-Pooh. I used to read it to Nolan
when he was younger.”
“You can read it to him again.” I plead.
“I want to see him. I need to see my boy. But I am not his mother, not anymore. I don’t know who I
am now. He needs stability, structure, accountability, unconditional love. How can I love him if I
don’t love myself?”
“Stay. The club will find you help. We’ll get whatever you need to heal. Sammy needs his mom.”
“I read in a romance book by this funny Jewish author once, ‘Blood is thicker than water, and it
will drown you twice as fast.’ I don’t want to drown him, Keenan. I can’t be the weight around his
feet dragging him down. Believe me,” she sniffles, wiping away the steady stream of tears that flow
from her sunken eyes, “this isn’t easy for me. It isn’t a decision I take lightly. He is my soul. And he is
the only reason I haven’t stopped moving. I’m gonna keep paddling, I’m gonna get back to the surface,
just not here.”
 “Audrey will be devastated.”
“She will. At first. But she’ll have you and Nolan, sorry, Sammy, to put her back together. She’s
stronger than she knows, always has been, just never had to prove it.”
“Laura, as your lawyer, I suggest staying close to the club. Your in-laws are still free, they aren’t
done yet. Not to mention, the civil lawsuit on your behalf.”
“I trust you, Keenan. You’ll figure it out.” Smacking her hands against her thighs, she grimaces and
shakes her head. “Life insurance policies—”
“Sam told me about the safe deposit box.”
“Good. He’s to be buried with full military honors at the Ohio Western Reserve National
Cemetery in Seville. All the necessary paperwork was in the safety deposit box. I am entitled to a
plot there as well. Children can be buried there if under the age of 21 and unmarried. I expect you to
keep Sammy out of that cemetery.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I’m not going to argue with her. I don’t agree with her decision, but it’s hers to
make. She knows her mind and body better than I do. All I can do is be there for Audrey and Sammy
once she leaves.
“I’ve already signed over temporary custody to Audrey. What do I have to do to make it
permanent?”
Alright, I lied. I’m gonna try one last time. “Laura, I beg you to reconsider.”
“I have. About a thousand times. And a thousand and one times I’ve confirmed my choice. Now,
what do I need to sign for Audrey to gain full custody of Sammy, including all the insurance
policies?”
“I’ll have my team draw up the paperwork today. Should be ready this evening for you to sign.”
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family. I can never repay you.”
“No. Sam—”
“Sam’s…death was out of your control. You aren’t responsible. Orville Schnell and his lackeys
murdered my husband. They nearly killed me. And they brutally stole my son’s innocence.”
“They will pay with blood.”
“I know what I said in the courthouse, but I don’t want any of you to get into any trouble on our
behalf, Keenan. You have Audrey now and Sammy to think about.”
I grin like the Cheshire Cat, glancing at her briefly. “Free men don’t ask permission.”
 Audrey 8.
I’m grateful Sammy is upstairs in Lincoln’s room when the doors open and Lincoln wheels in an
apparition. An approximation. A substitute. That is not my sister. My sister is vibrant and energetic
and full of warmth and love.
The person in that wheelchair is void of all those things. What’s left of my heart shatters in my
chest. My God what have they done to her?
The clubroom is silent as I take her in. I feel eyes on me, but I pay them no mind. My focus is
solely on what’s left of my sister.
“Laura?” She’s nodding as I slowly make my way across the room. “Laura!” I cry out, dropping to
my knees and laying my head on her lap, my arms encircling her thin figure. I feel her hands on my
head as I weep uncontrollably. I can’t believe she’s here. Keenan did it. He brought her home.
I sit up, keeping my arms around her, and ask, “Where’s Sam?” The two exchange a look of such
sorrow that if I weren’t already on the ground, I would have fallen when my knees buckled.
“He died this morning on the way to the courthouse.”
“What? NO!”
“DADDY!” Oh, no. I spin around on my knees to find Sammy on the steps. His face awash with
grief, he runs down the rest of the stairs and across the room. He drops to his knees beside me,
bringing his little hands to his chest in a prayer. “Mommy, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have cried. I
shouldn’t have made a sound. I’m sorry. I killed daddy! I hurt you. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.” He chants
over and over, lost inside his head and the living nightmares that plague him every day.
“No, baby. No.” Laura’s voice is unfamiliar. Rough, raw, hollow. With great effort, she pulls
Sammy’s tiny body up into her lap and wraps her arms around him tight.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t hurt anyone, baby. You’re so good and pure and
wonderful. You could never hurt anyone. I’m sorry. I love you. Daddy loves you. He…left…he left
this world with only love in his heart for you and me.”
I glance around for Lincoln, but he’s disappeared. Most of the brothers have returned to whatever
they were doing, leaving mother and son to grieve together. I stand up and decide to give them a
moment as well. Needing something to do, I head to the bar, grab a couple of napkins, and wipe my
face. Then I ask the prospect manning the bar for a couple bottles of water. In hand, I head back to my
sister and give one to her after I open it. Sammy is curled in her lap, his eyes open barely, his thumb
and forefinger rubbing the lobe of her ear. He's done that since he was able to reach, even
breastfeeding.
Laura meets my eyes and a thousand things unspoken stare back at me. What do you say to
someone who survived hell on earth, only to lose their husband when they were both so close to
freedom?
Footsteps draw my attention to the hallway. Lincoln strides back into the room, looking gorgeous
and weary. He stops just inside the clubroom, leans against the wall, and lifts his arms in the air
slowly. I’ve wasted enough time wallowing in the what-ifs and guilt. I run to him and breathe in his
warm, spicy scent. His lips on the crown of my head, his steady heartbeat beneath my ear, the safety
of his arms around me, I feel as if I’m able to take a full breath for the first time in months.
“I’m so sorry, pet. I tried. I…I was too late.” I shake my head but refuse to move from the cocoon
of his body.
“Don’t apologize. You did everything you could. I know that. Laura knows that. Sam knew it too.
Like I said, sometimes our best just isn’t enough, but it isn’t our fault. The situation is bigger than you,
Lincoln.”
“It’s bigger than any of us knew, Audrey. So many players…”
“You’ll find them. Each and every one of them. And you’ll make them pay.”
“Your sister demanded their souls for the reaper.”
I chuckle humorlessly. “That is not my sister. They took away everything that made her who she
was and returned an empty vessel.” I admit in a strained whisper.
“Give her time to remember.”
“Sammy doesn’t have that kind of time.”
“I know.” His voice is odd. I look up to see his lips pursed and his eyes trained across the room.
Following his stare, I see my sister whispering to a sleeping Sammy, running her fingers through his
curly chestnut hair. Laura looks up just as I’m about to turn back into Lincoln’s chest. She nods at him,
and his chest expands with a deep inhale. “Give me a few minutes, pet. I’ll be right back.”
I nod, my throat tight with worry. Something is wrong. Shit, that was stupid to say, given the
circumstances. I just mean, there is more going on that I don’t know about. My stomach dips the
longer I watch my sister.
“Laura, what are you planning?” I ask her quietly so as not to disturb Sammy when I’m within a
foot of her wheelchair.
She smiles fondly at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I could never get anything past you,
kiddo.” She looks down at Sammy then back up to me. “Wheel me over to the couch? I want to talk
with you. Tell me everything I’ve missed.”
“Laura—”
“It’ll keep, Aud. Please.” I don’t like it, but I don’t have much choice. With a heavy sigh, I move
us to the couch. She stays with Sammy in her seat, while I take a spot on the end of the couch. Her
hand never stops carding through Sammy’s hair while I tell her everything, from the emergency
custody hearing to Dani and Owen to Sammy’s karate classes to Quinn.
“He’s the one, kiddo. I can feel it.”
“What? Who?”
She rolls her eyes, “Don’t play dumb. Keenan Kohlman. I see it, just like when I met Sam…” Her
voice trails off, her eyes distant as she relives the past. With a shake of her head, she’s back. “He’s a
good man, and so handsome.” I smile at her teasing. “Mrs. Audrey Kohlman. Has a nice ring to it.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
She looks at something over my shoulder and the grin on her face slips slightly. “Samuel Nolan
Kohlman. What do you think of that?”
“WHAT!” I screech, completely caught off guard by her question. I grimace when Sammy grunts
in his sleep, but otherwise he doesn’t make a sound or move. “Why would you ask that?”
“Pet.” I whip around to find Lincoln next to me, a determined glint to his eyes. “My client has
requested I draw up certain paperwork—”
“NO! No. Not happening!” I stand up quickly, nearly falling back onto the couch in my haste.
“That is your son! Yours. He needs you! I need you. Laura, you can’t possibly think—”
“He needs me whole! Accountable. Healthy.”
“You’re gonna abandon him? Again. And right after Sam…you’re in pain, I get that--”
“Do not speak of pain as if you know what the word truly means.” She hisses at me, and for the
first time in my life, I’m afraid of my sister. I back up a step and bump into Lincoln. He places his
hands on my shoulders, whether to comfort or hold me still, I’m not sure. “You cannot begin to
comprehend the depths in which it burrows inside you. Festering. Growing. Like a living breathing
thing that claws you from the inside. You know nothing of what I have been through…what they did to
me…and I pray you never do. I am not his mother right now. I am a wounded animal, and I am a
danger to him and anyone around me.” Lincoln catches me as I begin to sink to the ground, her words
wounding me as intended. “I trust only you and Keenan to protect him. He is my soul, Audrey. All of
my humanity that is left. He is the absolute best parts of Sam and I and the most important thing in this
world to me. He will drown beside me in sorrow and rage, and I cannot allow that to happen.
Please.”
Tears blur my vision, but I see enough to know she isn’t backing down. If what she says is true…
Keenan and I will keep him and love him as our own, until she finds her way back. I don’t even need
to ask him to know it to be true. I nod and she releases a sigh of relief.
“Audrey, pet.” Keenan runs his nose along my neck and presses a soft kiss below my ear. “I’m so
sorry, baby.” I don’t trust myself to speak, so I nod again. “We’ve got this, and I’ve got you. Always.”
“I know.” I manage to croak out. I feel his smile against my tender skin.
He whispers, “Thank you.” Pushing me away from him gently, he slides his hand down to take
mine. “Carver, Madison. My office please.” He tugs me along, dipping his chin when Carver begins
to wheel Laura and a still sleeping Sammy down the hall.
I’ve never been to Lincoln’s office before. I know he has one outside of the club compound where
his sister usually works, and I haven’t seen it either. It’s functional and practical. White walls,
wooden furniture, a small conference table and a desk, filing cabinets…I snicker when I notice the
child’s drawings that hang framed on the wall opposite his desk.
“Don’t laugh, lil’ sis.”
“These are adorable.” I smile at Carver. “Did Lincoln always want to be a lawyer?”
Carver cocks his head to the side. “He declared his major freshman year of college.” My gaze
snaps back to the drawings and then to Carver.
“How old were you when you drew these?” Despite his dark complexion, I watch his cheeks
pinken with a blush.
“16.”
“Were you using your non-dominant hand?” Lincoln and Madison laugh at my question.
“Shut it, Audrey.”
“Were you blindfolded?”
“Lil’ sis, I’m warning you.” Even Laura chuckles at our exchange.
“Did Kadisha—”
“I can’t draw! Ok? I’m good with numbers, not—”
“Shapes, colors, straight lines?”
“Watch yourself. I’ll get you back.” I shrug as if unconcerned. And I’m not. Let Carver do his
worst.
Levity achieved, we settle around the small table, a stack of papers in the center. “Where did
these come from?”
“Kadisha got everything ready on our drive home. I just printed it out.”
I turn to Laura, “You’ve thought about this?”
“I’ve thought of little else over the last several weeks.”
“Ok. Let’s get started.” It takes twenty minutes to change so many lives irrevocably. Lincoln and I
share full custody of Samuel Nolan Schnell. Laura signed away her parental rights. The insurance
money from Sam’s death will go into a trust, as well as any money won on his behalf or Laura’s from
their lawsuits. Carver will oversee the trust, distributing funds as necessary for Sammy’s well-being
until his 25th birthday. Madison signs every document as a witness.
The last paper turned over, Lincoln picks it up and taps it to straighten it out. An oppressive
silence hangs in the air. The finality of what has transpired a heavy weight we all now share.
“I won’t let you down, Laura. My life for his.”
Laura’s lips tremble as they stretch into a slight smile. Her bony and bruised hand raises between
us, her cold fingers cupping my chin. “You’ve always been made of magic, kiddo. And you’ll use it to
shelter my soul and nurture it in my absence.”
“You’re coming back. Right?” I feel like a little girl again, my voice high and thin.
“Mommy?” Sammy stirs in her lap. I’m surprised he’s slept so soundly. Although, the more I think
about it, laying in his mother’s arms is probably a balm to his troubled mind. I can never fill her
shoes. “Where are you going? You just got here?” He rubs his eyes with his fists, staring up at her
cautiously.
“Baby. I have to go away for a while.”
“No.”
“Listen, Sammy. I’m not well, I’m sick. And I have to get better. But I can’t do that here.”
“I’ll take care of you. I can make you soup.”
“You’re such a sweet boy. But it’s not that kind of sick. My head…my mind is sick.”
“Like a headache?”
“No. Where I was…the people there were mean to mommy. They hurt me. My body…my brain.
They hurt my feelings. And sometimes those hurts take longer to heal.”
“But…but…don’t go! I don’t want you to go! I’ll miss you again.”
“I’ll miss you too.” Lincoln picks me up from my chair and sits down, depositing me on his lap as
I watch my sister break her little boy’s heart all over again. I understand on an intellectual level why
she’s doing it, but he’s just a baby. He doesn’t understand any of this. All he knows is that his world
has been split apart and he can’t put it back together again. “But you know what?” She’s fighting her
own tears, despite most of the room weeping silently.
“What?” He asks brokenly. I reach out and take his hand in mine. He doesn’t look at me, his focus
on his mom, but he squeezes my fingers tightly.
“We might not be next to one another, but how far apart can we really be under the same starry
sky?”
 Lincoln 9.
My hands behind my head, I stare at the ceiling of the clubroom, fully dressed on the longest
couch we have which doesn’t begin to accommodate my 6’4” frame, my mind on a constant loop of
all the ways my life has changed and all the ways it will continue to in the coming days, instead of the
multitude of potential bodily fluids on the fabric beneath me.
I first saw that curly haired beauty in Owen’s office, and I was done. I didn’t anticipate how fast
my feelings for Audrey would consume me. How quickly I would be ready to claim her as my old
lady to my club. Let alone a son. And make no mistake, Samuel Nolan Schnell is my son in all the
ways that matter. Regardless of Laura’s return, he will always be my boy with all the love, support,
and protection that affords. But I wasn’t worried about the speed or the intensity, falling for Audrey is
the most logical and profound thing I’ve ever done.
I’ve worried the last several weeks about Audrey returning my affection. I could see it whenever
she looked at me, I could feel the electric buzz between us, but she tried so hard to distance herself
from me. And after talking to my brother, I can understand why. Despite her anger and sadness at her
sister’s decisions, and my part in them, tonight, she opened herself to me, allowed me in for the first
time and it gives me hope.
I don’t know the woman who will greet me come morning, but having glimpsed what can be, I
won’t allow her to retreat and settle for less. We are worth everything. She is worth everything and
more.
She’s fucking beautiful, that is obvious just looking at her. But when you witness her heart and
compassion…no sane man stands a chance against that. And I’m man enough to admit defeat, happily.
A little after 3 a.m., I hear the creak of the steps and sit up with a sigh. Show time. The slow-
moving gait confirms my suspicions. Above the bar, a small light illuminates enough for me to watch
Laura shuffle through the clubroom.
“Laura.” She squeaks and startles but stops moving.
“You can’t stop me, Keenan. We’ve already signed all the papers.”
“I know.” I approach her with a thick manilla envelope in my hands. I hold it out to her, and she
stares at it warily. “Take it.”
“What is it?”
I chuckle at her trepidation, like I’m handing over a live grenade. “Dana Francis. It’s nice to meet
you.” She opens the envelope and fingers through some of the pages. Her eyes widen when she gets to
the stack of bills. “Your new birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license, and bank
information are all included. You have a respectable balance of $3,000.00 in your account, as well as
another $3,000.00 in cash. A prepaid untraceable burner phone is in there too. Your new-to-you 2015
Honda CRV is waiting for you out front with a full tank of gas. When you figure out where you’re
staying, let me know and I’ll send updated paperwork, should you need it. Most places allow up to 6
months before you need to change your license.”
“Keenan, I can’t—”
“I’m not just doing this for you. Audrey and Sammy are part of The Congressionals MC; we are
doing this for them too. Your sister needs to know you have the means to survive, at least financially.
Mentally is up to you.”
“Thank you.” I draw her into my arms and hold her until she relaxes. Her body trembles as she
cries, but she’s quick to compose herself, pushing away from me and wiping her eyes. “Love them
with everything you’ve got, Keenan, and make sure they know every day what they mean to you.”
I nod in understanding, knowing how hard this is for her, but also knowing she’s determined this is
the right path for her. “Don’t forget we’ll all be looking at the same starry sky, Dana. You are never
truly alone. You need us, The Congressionals MC will be there. I will be there.”
“Go on up and hold them tight.” I stand outside, watching until her taillights disappear. With a
heavy heart, I make sure the gate is closed, lock the door, and head up to my room. I haven’t been
here, other than to get clothes since Audrey and Sammy came to stay.
The two of them lay entwined in the center of my massive California King mattress. The nightlight
just bright enough for me to see my way around my suite. I strip down to my boxer briefs, use my en
suite, and then lift the covers to slide in behind Audrey. I manage to wrap my arms around both of
them and settle in, with my face buried in the back of her neck, her mass of riotous curls tickling my
face.
I’m in fucking heaven with my entire world in my arms right now.
“Is she gone?” A stuttering whisper rents the silence.
Pressing my lips to her skin, I murmur, “Yeah, pet, she’s gone.”
Much like her sister did not a half hour before, Audrey’s thin shoulders shake as she cries silently.
I squeeze her just a bit tighter to my chest. We don’t speak, I don’t try to rationalize or patronize.
She’s hurt. Confused. Scared. Angry. And nothing I can say or do will make any of this easier. She has
to accept it on her own. But I can be here, and I will, for her and Sammy, and so will my brothers.
And while Audrey and Sammy navigate the healing process, The Congressionals MC will begin
hunting.
 Audrey 10.
Crusty eyes. Stretched skin. A crushing weight of dread. Must be a day that ends in “y”. With a
yawn, I unfold my body like a cat and let my arms and legs stretch beyond their capabilities. My mind
instantly moving a mile a minute as I think back on the day before. And during the night.
Glancing side to side, the bedroom of Keenan’s suite in the clubhouse is empty. Closing my eyes, I
listen for any noise from him or Sammy, but there’s nothing but the buzz of his mini fridge in the
corner and the white noise of the a/c.
I’m alone. In more ways than one. My eyes sting with the threat of tears but I fight them back.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. My new life. Sammy is mine, legal and permanent. Well,
mine and Keenan’s. Sam is dead. Laura is gone, she left all of us behind to find…herself? Peace?
Absolution? Keenan held me while I wept, he held me as I slept, and that seems like a good way to
start our life together. A purge of the old to make room for the new.
I’m done crying. I’m done feeling sorry and guilty. Today is the day I take back my life and live it
on my own terms. Sort of. Baby steps.
First step. Shower.
I pull up my music on my phone and blare it in the spacious en suite bathroom while I wash away
the past. And shave. I don’t want to embrace my future with prickly legs and underarms. I even trim
my downstairs.
I lotion up every inch of my body, brush my teeth, put product in my curly hair, and a swipe of lip
balm. In the bedroom, I find a matching bra and panties, lay them out while I search for shorts and a t-
shirt.
I swing around as the door opens and hold back a shriek of embarrassment when I realize it’s
Keenan and not a club brother, or God forbid, Sammy walking in on me naked. I watch with not a
little pride, as the mask of concern slips off his handsome face and pure hunger takes its place.
Slamming the door shut and clicking the lock, the sexy lawyer man is gone, and bad-ass biker
Lincoln is eating me up with his dark eyes. I stand up, swallow down my nerves, and pull back my
shoulders, thrusting my small but perky tits out and arching my spine slightly. Goosebumps erupt over
my flesh as his gaze devours me from head to toe and back up again.
“You…I came to check on you…you should probably get dressed.” His voice is more animal than
human, the tic in his cut jaw pronounced as he holds himself on a tight leash.
I appreciate his efforts, but I’m done with restraint.
He retreats as I advance slowly, sensually rolling my hips as I walk. I’m not sure where my
bravado is coming from, and I don’t care. “Where’s Sammy?”
Lincoln’s eyes dart to my face quickly before returning to my breasts and then the junction of my
thighs. “Garage. Carver. Brothers.”
“Good. Today is going to be the hardest for him.”
“I know.” He husks. “Quinn is bringing Enzo and her other two boys over in about an hour and a
half.”
My steps falter. He’s so thoughtful. A natural caretaker. And it’s clear how he adores Sammy. All
the brothers do, especially Carver. With renewed determination, I invade his personal space, backing
him up against the door.
“Audrey?” There are so many questions in the way he says my name. Cupping my face, he stares
at me, no doubt, hoping to decipher what’s gotten into me. I’ve avoided him for a month, stupidly and
in vain. You can’t fight fate any more than you can the earth turning. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Kiss me.” He chokes on my words, surprise creasing his forehead and raising his brows to his
buzzed hairline.
“Now?”
“No better time than now, no better place than here.” My nipples ache with desperation, my thighs
coated in my arousal. I’ve denied my body what it’s craved since he walked into Owen’s office. No
more.
Pressing my naked body against him, the supple leather of his cut, the roughness of his jeans, it all
heightens my awareness, the pleasure ricocheting through me as I finally give in to our desires.
His hands still on my cheeks, his eyes flit between mine for another second, before he slowly
descends, his full lips barely touching mine at first, then firmer with every pass. I release a pent-up
breath of relief. We’re here. We’re together. And that’s all that matters.
When I lick the seam of his mouth, he growls, the sound centering in my clit. I whimper, jumping
up on instinct, knowing he’ll catch me. He’ll always catch me. I cinch my thighs around his trim
waist, the muscles of his arms bulging beneath his t-shirt as he clutches me to his body, his large
hands gripping my ass and rocking me against him.
The friction of his clothing on my clit is like a match to kindling. In a frenzy, I’m pulling at his
clothing, invading his mouth with my tongue, and riding his abs. We’re moving, and then I’m falling
backward on the bed, his big body covering me as our mouths continue to battle. With a harsh curse,
he jumps back moments later. Rubbing his thumb along his swollen bottom lip as he stares at me with
wild eyes.
“Audrey. We don’t—” He cuts himself off when I kneel on the bed and reverently slide his cut off
his broad shoulders, then lay it on the end of the bed. Sliding my hands beneath his black t-shirt, I run
them over his carved muscles and warm skin, grazing his nipples as I lift the material up. He raises
his arms and obliges me, smirking when I throw the shirt on the floor. I place my hands on his belt
buckle, but he engulfs them and brings them to his lips. “Pet. I don’t want to rush us. Last night was
—”
“Last night was last night. I cried. I grieved. And I’m letting it go. There are things that still need
to be dealt with, Sam’s funeral for instance. But life moves on. And today is the first day of the rest of
our life, Keenan Kohlman. And I’m going to start it as I intend to continue. Making love to my old man
and raising that little boy as our own and building a life worth living.”
“Fucking hell.”
He shoves me back and I drop to the bed, splaying my legs for his viewing pleasure. He rubs his
erection through his jeans, before pushing them off his hips without even unbuckling them. Long, thick,
and positively breathtaking. Crawling over me, a predator coming to claim his spoils. His nose skims
along my legs, over my hips and up to my breasts. He suckles a hard tip into his mouth as he grabs my
legs and brings them over his hips, notching his cock at my entrance. Releasing my sensitive flesh, he
continues his trek up my neck to my mouth, where he hovers without making contact. Our anticipatory
breaths mingle in that last second before he surges inside me, and we become one.
He’s deep already, deeper with every thrust until all I can feel is him. All I see is him. Our eyes
lock and hold. My climax builds and when he rears back, pushing my knees to my chest and changing
the angle of his attack, I splinter beneath him, around him. My channel choking his cock until he’s
forced to topple over the edge into ecstasy with me.
Barbaric. Primal. I don’t know what you want to call it, but his warm seed floods my body and I
feel a contentment so deep it brings tears to my eyes. His brows dip in concern, his finger wiping at
the first few tears that fall.
“I love you, Keenan. Is it too soon? Am I allowed to love you this quickly?” I’m only partially
joking. The words wouldn’t stay behind my tongue anymore. They demanded to be released. But once
in the world, fear starts slinking, the old me trying to resurface. Keenan simply smiles, radiant and
pure, shakes his head and kisses the tip of my nose sweetly.
“I’ve loved you from almost the beginning, pet.” I nod, fresh tears welling and blurring my vision.
I blink rapidly to clear them, not wanting to miss a moment of Keenan’s beauty.
“You knew. You never questioned.” I sigh with a sad smile. “I wasted so much time. I hurt you.
And I’m sorry. My reaction to you…it scared me. I’m so sorry.”
“Today is the first day, pet.” I arch up and he meets me for a toe-curling kiss, his cock twitching
inside me causing me to giggle.
“What a wonderful way to start it!” I exclaim, pushing all maudlin thoughts aside. We have a
lifetime together and it begins today.
Playfully nuzzling my neck and nipping at my ear, Lincoln laughs, “Orgasms are the breakfast of
champions.”
 Lincoln 11.
“Sammy, what do you think of this one?” He’s been quiet since I asked him to join me on a trip to
the store. Fillmore and Polk are with us, currently arguing over their purchases. Sammy shrugs at the
item in my hands. Same as he’s done for the last three. I’m running out of aisle.
It’s been about a week since his dad died, his mom left, and Audrey and I have become not only a
couple, but his permanent legal guardians. I’m thankful for Quinn and her son Enzo. Between karate
and hanging out at their house or the clubhouse, he’s been kept busy. During the day, anyway. At night,
it’s another story. He cries, thrashes in his sleep, and wakes up screaming, only settling once Audrey
and I sandwich him between us and hold him tight. Sometimes, Audrey reads to him, but mostly we
just reassure him in hushed tones that he’s safe and loved and not alone.
We leave tomorrow for a several hour drive to the national cemetery in Seville, Ohio where
Samuel will be laid to rest. Audrey has been on the phone almost non-stop making arrangements,
ensuring his funeral is perfect. Madison arranged for a club in Beachwood, Ohio that we’re friendly
with to provide security. I wouldn’t put it past the Schnell’s to show up and cause a scene. Especially
since we’ve got a court date for next week to review their wrongful death suit against Sam, Laura,
and Sammy and their petition for full custody of Sammy. It’ll be thrown out, it’s preposterous. But it
irks me that we have to go through the whole song and dance anyway.
I’m not letting them leave empty handed though. Kadisha, Wilson, Pierce, and Fields have been
hard at work with our countersuit against the Schnell’s, and those who played a part in their
unfortunate and deadly incarceration.
I will bleed them dry financially, then physically.
“Come on, JP. You gotta pick one. Or do you think we should get all three?” I turn back to the
shelves and spot a few more options. Fuck it. “You know what? You’re right. We’ll get them all, that
way everyone will have one.” I load up the cart with every NERF gun they have. When I’m adding
several extra packages of darts, a child’s laughter fills the aisle. Sammy is bent over, his hands
covering his face as he giggles uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny, little man?” Carver scoops him up and places him effortlessly on his shoulders.
Sammy grins down at my brother, then shyly raises his eyes to me.
“I thought I was shooting the guns at daddy’s funeral. I only have two hands! I can’t shoot all those
guns.”
“All these?” I wave my hand over the basket overflowing with NERF products. “How many club
brothers are in The Congressionals?” His mouth screws up to the side as he thinks, silently counting
with his hands.
“21.”
“That’s right. Which means I don’t have enough.” I throw in duplicates of a few, running through
the NERF guns we already have at the clubhouse. What? We’re men, but we’ll always be boys at
heart. Besides, the RIVAL guns hurt like a motherfucker.
“Do you mind?” Polk reaches up to tickle Sammy’s side. “If we join you in your NERF gun salute
for your daddy?”
Sammy shakes his head so hard, I’m surprised Carver’s able to keep him from falling off. “He’d
think it was fun. We played…he and I shot…”
“It’s alright, little man.” Carver pats Sammy’s leg. “Lincoln and I miss our daddy too. He died
when I was in high school, and this old man was in college.”
 “How old was Auntie?” Carver and I share a grin at what he calls our sister. Kadisha hasn’t been
to the clubhouse, she’s been so busy with the cases, so they haven’t met in person, but they’ve
interacted over video call a few times. She insisted he refer to her as his “auntie”, even before I
signed the paperwork making him mine.
“Your auntie was barely a teenager.”
“Did you cry?” Sammy’s voice is thin and barely above a whisper.
“All the time.” Carver admits freely.
“Heck, sometimes we still do.”
“But you’re so old!” Polk laughs his ass off while I scowl at the little menace.
“You can hurt and be sad at any age.”
“I don’t want to be sad anymore.”
“I know.” I pat his other leg. “Unfortunately, that’s life, kid.”
“That’s what daddy told me.” His grin is slow but adorable, “So, you’ll all really shoot NERF
guns with me at his funeral?”
“The military will do a three-volley salute. And then we’ll do one of our own. Both to honor the
good man your daddy was.”
“Thanks.” We finish shopping, load up the cage, and Carver and Polk follow us back on their
bikes. A few minutes on the road and I look in the rearview to see Sammy biting his bottom lip.
Really, he’s chewing on it.
“Something on your mind?”
“You sleep with Aunt Aud and me.” I nod. “And that means you love her?” I nod again with a
smile. “My mommy left. But she said that Aunt Aud will take care of me. And you. Does that mean
Aunt Aud is my mom?”
“No. She’s your aunt, and your legal guardian. But since your mom is not here, Audrey will do
everything for you that a mom would do.”
“Do I call her mommy?”
“You can call her whatever you want.”
“Is my mommy coming back?”
“She’s gonna try really hard to come back to you.”
“I miss her. And daddy.”
“I know. I miss my parents too. It’s ok to miss them, to be sad they’re gone, heck, it’s ok to be
mad.”
“Sometimes I’m mad. Not at mommy and daddy, but my…uncle.”
“That man may have shared your blood, Sammy, but William Schnell has never been your uncle.
He is a monster.”
“Daddy killed him.”
“He did. And you know what? If me or the club brothers had been there, we’d have killed him
too.” Not sure what the parenting books would say about my approach, but I feel honesty is best.
Always. You can pretty it up, you can coat it in sugar so it’s easier to take, but don’t lie.
“Will you and Aunt Aud get married?”
“Yes.”
“Will you have kids?”
“I hope so.” He ponders that and I decide to elaborate. “Even if we did, you’d still be ours. You’d
still be our first born. And you’d be their big brother.”
“I’d protect them. I’d kill any monsters that hurt them.” Dr. Spock is probably rolling on a spit in
his grave right now but fuck it. “What will they call you?”
“I don’t know.” I muse. “Probably dad or daddy. We called our dad ‘pops’.”
“What should I call you?”
“You can call me whatever you want.” I repeat what I said earlier about Audrey.
His face lights up with amusement. “Poop?”
“How about something else?” I say loudly to be heard over his uproarious laughter. It’s such a
wonderful sound it makes my heart clench in my chest.
“Ok. Ok. What about pops?”
I blink my eyes several times, wondering how parents deal with the sweetness of their kids.
Despite the fact that our conversation has taken several left-hand turns, it makes me so happy to share
this with him. That he felt comfortable enough to ask me.
“I’m honored and humbled to be your pops, Sammy.”
Seemingly done with the hard stuff, Sammy looks out the window and asks, “Does Aunt Aud make
you sit down to pee too?” I’m gonna love this whole parenting thing.
 Audrey 12.
I lose the battle against my tears shortly after the outdoor service begins. We are in the Ohio
Western Reserve National Cemetery, and it is a beautiful final resting place for my brother-in-law.
Sam Schnell was a no-nonsense kind of guy, and he was devoted to my sister and their boy.
Everything Sam did was in the best interests of his family. The family he made, not the den of vipers
he was born into.
He would roll his eyes and balk at the “extravagance” of his funeral. But he isn’t here, so he can
suck it. Funerals are for the living anyway. Sammy needs this. He needs definitive closure to heal and
move on. Not to forget his daddy, because Lincoln and I will see to it that neither of his parents are
ever far from his mind. He will grow with them in his heart, in his conscience.
Lincoln stands stoically with his club brothers. A friendly club, despite their name, Satan’s
Stokers MC out of Beachwood, Ohio is surrounding our gathering of friends and old military buddies
of Sam’s to ensure no trouble disrupts the service.
I meet Lincoln’s dark gaze briefly, a wealth of love and support in his eyes, and the riot of
butterflies in my stomach slow to a simmer. Sammy squeezes my hand tightly as we watch with rapt
attention as the American flag is folded and presented to him to keep and Quinn squeezes my other in
support. She and her boys made the trip for Sammy and I and I can never thank her adequately for her
presence.
The military portion of the ceremony over, the brothers of The Congressionals MC move as one to
a dark duffel bag and retrieve their own weapons. Sammy jumps up and runs to join them. They form
three lines of seven with Sammy by himself in the front of them. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,
so I do both as Sammy shouts garbled orders, the NERF guns are raised, and with a shout, darts begin
flying through the air. They reload and do it twice more. The small crowd erupts in cheers and
“hooyah!” battle cries.
The laughter gives way to deep guttural sobs moments later when Sammy picks up one of the darts
and slowly approaches the casket holding his daddy. He stares at it for several seconds, before
motioning to Lincoln. My man grabs Sammy by the hips and hoists him up so he can reach the top of
the casket. He uses the suction-cup tip of the dart to stick it to the smooth shiny surface.
“Love you to the moon and back.” My nephew whispers loudly before patting the casket and
drooping in Lincoln’s arms. His tiny body shakes, but he’s held tight while Lincoln sticks his own dart
next to Sammy’s. One by one, The Congressionals place their darts along the surface of the casket and
knock it with their knuckles. When they’re finished, I stand up on shaky legs and hand the folded flag
to Carver.
Dropping my voice, I lean in close. “Thank you, Sam, for loving my sister and creating the coolest
little man on earth. I’ll take care of your boy; I’ll protect him with my body and my heart. You keep an
eye on your wife. Send her back to Sammy when she’s ready. Love you.”
Not long later the service concludes, everyone is instructed to head to the event hall where we’re
having the funeral luncheon. Lincoln comes up behind me and engulfs me in his arms. I hold on for
dear life as I absorb his warmth and strength, borrowing what I need to finish out the day.
“I love you, Keenan.” I tell him, spinning in his arms and wrapping mine around his neck. “Thank
you for today. And every day.”
“I didn’t do anything, pet, this was all you.”
“The NERF gun salute?”
 He chuckles, kissing my lips chastely, “Ok, that was me. Technically, it was VP and Sammy.”
“Adams?”
Lincoln nods, his gaze moving over my shoulder to where some of his brothers are standing
talking with Sammy, Quinn, and her boys. “Yeah, he was in the Navy like Sam. He heard Sammy
asking if we had any NERF guns ‘cuz he and his daddy liked to play together.”
“You guys are just a bunch of big ol’ softies!”
“We are not. We’re menacing and murderous and—”
“Mushy.”
“Stop it.” He growls, sending shivers down my spine. Not the time or place. Although, given how
often I interrupted a heated moment between Laura and Sam, I don’t think he’d mind me getting frisky
at his funeral.
“Quit smooching and let’s start munching. I’m famished.” Lincoln forgotten, I whirl around and
squeal at a deafening volume at the sight of my bestest friend. Dani and Owen stand a few feet away
with matching sad smiles. Heels be damned, I run for her and ugly cry into her shoulder as her slim
arms wrap around my waist. “Dios, I’ve missed getting a face full of your curly hair.” She laughs
through her own tears, her voice thick.
“I can’t believe you’re here. How long are you staying? How are you? How’s Paige and the
kids?”
“Only for the day, sadly. But I’m good, Paige is slated for sainthood any day now, and the boys
absolutely love their baby sister. And I’m sure they’ll love the next one that’s coming in about 8
months.”
“WHAT?!?”
“Lukas knocked her up already.” She laughs, stepping back, wiping her tears, and melting into
Owen’s side.
“Hi, Owen.”
“Where’re all my questions? Don’t you care how I am?” He teases with a grin. I give him a hug
before I’m tugged back by a growling bear. “Prissy.” Owen haughtily addresses Keenan.
“It’s not prissy to care about the health of my skin. Maybe you should try it and then you wouldn’t
look 20 years older than you are.”
“I do not!” Dani and I grin at the familiar argument. When we stayed with the couple not long ago,
Owen was more than a little miffed at Keenan’s lengthy bathroom visits. He’s a primper, despite the
shaved head.
“Do I have competition?” I wave over Quinn and make quick introductions. “Ah, so you’re the
bestie that I’m pinch-friending for.”
“Quinn! That’s not true.” She and Dani laugh at my outrage, and I realize she’s just teasing.
“DANI!” Little legs move as fast as they can before leaping from the ground. Dani catches Sammy
deftly, swinging him around and nuzzling his neck.
“I missed you. Did you miss me?”
“No. Did you bring Elias and Xavier with you? What about Raegan?”
“I see how it is.” Dani pouts earning a giggle from Sammy. “No, it’s just Owen and me.” He
shrugs and then points to Quinn’s sons.
“This is my new best friend Enzo. He does karate with me. And that’s Sal and Marco, his
brothers. They’re ok.”
“Pet, we’ve got to get over to the hall.” I nod, glancing once more at the casket and smiling. It’s
covered in darts and Sam would be happy.
 “Let’s go eat, Sammy.” Dani puts him down and he runs to the casket. Kisses it and waves as he
runs back to us.
“Bye daddy! I love you! Gotta go eat.”
The Satan’s Stokers MC form a protective bubble around our group as we make our way to the
waiting limousine, bikes, and cars. A quick intake of breath from Lincoln has me looking through the
big men. I spot them near the limo, waiting and glaring. “Sam’s parents.” I whisper in fear.
“Everything is going to be fine, pet, I promise. Just keep walking.”
“Where is he?” Orville Schnell yells. “Where’s my boy?”
“Ignore them.” Lincoln instructs harshly, his hand on my lower back urging me forward.
“You can’t keep him from us! We’re his family! He should be with his grandparents.”
“Who is that?” Quinn asks, craning her head to see who’s yelling. She’s not much taller than I am
and can’t see over the tall bikers any better than I can.
“Sam’s parents.”
“Oh.” She gets a glimpse and snorts. “Was he adopted? There’s no way that fine man came from
those two factory defects.”
“Aw, I’m so happy you’ve made friends, Audrey. I cannot be replaced, but she’s an acceptable
alternative.”
“Thanks.” Quinn nudges Dani with a bright smile.
We come to an abrupt stop. I bend down to peer between the legs of the brothers in front of us and
jerk back when I notice that the Schnell’s brought reinforcements.
“Shit.”
“Give him to us! You can’t keep him.”
“Can and will.” Lincoln growls, pushing his way through.
“He’s ours! He belongs with his family.” Orville says again.
“With his family right now. He’s always with his family.” Lincoln’s words convey we aren’t
leaving Sammy unprotected. My stomach tries to lodge itself in my throat. Quinn and Dani grab my
hands while Sal, Marco, and Enzo huddle around Sammy. He’s shaking, his eyes looking at me
pleadingly.
“I won’t let them take you, sweetie. You belong with me and Lincoln.”
“That’s right, JP.” Ford bends back to reassure Sammy. “You’re a Congressional.” That seems to
fortify Sammy, he stands a little taller and throws back his shoulders.
“I am.” I’m so proud of him. I didn’t know how today would go, but he’s been so brave and
strong.
“Anything you have to say can wait until our court hearing next week. This isn’t the time or the
place. In the meantime, stay away from my clients and MY family.”
“You can’t have him!” I hear shuffling, several people moving around.
“Free men don’t ask permission!” The Congressionals MC chants as one and closes around us
until there’s barely any space between them.
“You are outnumbered. You are outmatched. You are outlawyered. Get back in your car and leave
while you’re still capable.”
Several tense moments pass, until the group of bikers relax in unison. We’re ushered into the limo
and on the road in record time. Sammy is practically in my lap, his tiny hands cupping my face.
“It’s ok, Aunt Aud, The Congressionals got this. We won’t let anything happen to you.” I release a
strained chuckle, realizing I’m the one gripping him so tight I’m surprised he can still breathe.
“Thank you, sweetie, I feel better knowing I’ve got you to protect me.”
 Lincoln 13.
“Brother, you squeeze the armrest any tighter, you’re gonna be arrested for destruction of
government property.”
I glare at Wilson. His comment pierces my bubble of frustration, but I don’t let him know. Until he
crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue like a child. A laugh bursts free, causing several heads in
the courtroom to turn in our direction. Pierce mean-mugs them until they all turn back. Except for the
bane of my existence. Orville Schnell dares to stare me down or try to. I offer him an obnoxious
toothy grin, chuckling when he huffs from across the aisle and leans into his lawyer.
“We’ve got this hearing in the bag; the judge has been thoroughly vetted, all the paperwork has
been submitted after Kadisha made sure all the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed, and anyone with
working olfactory nerves will be able to smell the rot on Schnell. So, what’s got your panties in a
bunch?”
“I’m not wearing panties.” I say automatically, then smirk in his direction, “I’m not wearing
anything under my suit pants. Wanna check for yourself?”
He shakes his head with a smirk of his own. “Nah, I’ve seen what you’re carrying before, it
wasn’t impressive when you were 21, and I can’t imagine it’s improved in the last thirteen years.”
“Aw, you remember how old I am. Do you have a reminder on your phone for my birthday?”
“Shut up and tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing.” I say, my lips tipping down with the reminder of my earlier irritation. He isn’t
impressed with my answer. Shrugging, I admit, “I don’t want to be here. I want to be back at the hotel
with Audrey and Sammy, hell, I’d rather be back at the clubhouse, instead of dealing with this fucking
bullshit.”
“You didn’t get enough in your shower this morning?” He blinks owlishly, failing to adopt an
innocent expression. He’s too wicked to pull it off.
“You heard us?”
“Brother, the only one who didn’t is Sammy because he was still snoring logs.” At my dropped
jaw, Wilson laughs loudly. “Your woman isn’t quiet, and bathrooms have amazing acoustics.”
“Fuck.” I’m not embarrassed or ashamed, but I know that Audrey will not take kindly to having
our sexual encounters be heard by others.
“No thanks, that’s her job and by the sound of it, she did it—”
“You finish that fucking sentence, and I will rip your balls out through your throat.” Wilson’s
amusement dies quickly. With a curt nod, he pats my shoulder.
“Understood. Old lady is off limits.”
“Damn right.”
“Congrats, man.”
“Thank you.”
“Just one more thing…” Whatever he’s got to say is gonna piss me off. “Keenan, oh, Keenan,
you’re so deep, so good, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!” His falsetto needs work, but it was a
decent imitation. He got the breathy quality of her voice right.
I’ve had my share of bed partners over the years. Some for only as long as it takes to unload
and others for several nights. I can’t recall ever cuddling with any of them. And if I did, it wasn’t
worth remembering.
Audrey and I have been sharing a bed for a couple of weeks now and I’m amazed every
morning that she’s in my arms, that I get to wake up with her. Her scent, her soft snores, the
warmth of her body. It never gets old. And I pray it never does. I can’t imagine taking her presence
for granted. The gift I hold as I fall asleep every night.
Today is no different. I bury my nose in her mass of curls and breathe her in. Her light giggle is
a beautiful sound first thing in the morning.
“Good morning, Honest Keen.” I growl, drawing her giggle out, nipping at her shoulder, while
she squirms and rubs that fucking gorgeous ass over my erection.
“Fuckin’ hell.” A foot to my kidney startles me and I jump, nearly knocking us both off the
edge of the bed. “How does someone so small take up so much fucking space?” She shakes,
laughing silently, burying her head under my arm and her pillow. “You think it’s funny?” I whisper,
running my hands down her side and digging my fingers in to tickle her.
“Stop it!” Her elbow in my stomach loosens my hold on her and she’s able to stand up. She
takes off for the bathroom, but I’m on my feet right behind her, scooping her up as we cross the
threshold. I kick the door closed, then click the lock, before sitting her on the vanity. Her legs
come around my waist, her arms around my neck, and our mouths meet in a desperate tangle of
tongues. After a few seconds she pushes me back and grabs my toothbrush. She prepares mine with
toothpaste, then hers, and we grin at each other like idiotic teenagers while we brush our teeth.
We spit in the sink, then our mouths fuse together again, our hands stripping each other of our
pajamas. Blindly, I reach into the hotel shower and turn on the faucet. She screeches when I push
her in too soon and the cold water hits her back. We giggle and kiss and grope and whisper as we
wash up. Her moans are sinful when I massage shampoo into her thick hair. She dips her head
back under the spray and I move my hands to her pretty little tits, cupping them, and thumbing her
nipples.
“Keenan.” Her breathy sigh makes it hard to breathe. I want her with everything I am, she
makes me so fucking hard, desperate to be inside her, to burrow to her center and take up
residence.
I jolt when her tiny hand encircles my cock and strokes it slowly. “Pet.” I groan, nearly
snarling as she kneels before me. Her big doe eyes stare up at me and I feel my orgasm rushing up
my shaft and she hasn’t even licked me yet. Her mouth opens and her pink tongue peeks out,
swirling around the angry tip. I drop my head back on my shoulders, shove my fingers through her
hair and hold on for the ride.
She can’t take me far, just past the tip, before gagging. And God save me, the sound does
nothing to dampen my need. She hums an inquisitive sound and I glance down my body to watch
her lift her hands from my thighs and place them behind her back. She opens wider, takes a deep
breath, and begs me with her eyes to fuck her mouth. Her pert ass sways back and forth, whimpers
filling the shower, her thighs squeezed together needing friction in the worst way. It’s all too much.
I rip myself away from her silky mouth and reach under her arms to lift her up. I pin her to the
wall, hike her legs up high on my hips and impale her on my cock. I almost cry with joy at being
inside my woman again. My cock definitely weeps.
My thrusts are slow and deliberate. I want her to feel every inch I sink inside her and feel me
as I withdraw. Her body welcomes me and hugs my cock. Her lips graze my neck and shoulder, up
my jaw. Our mouths meet and we swallow each other’s cries of pleasure. Her channel spasms,
tightening with each stroke, until she’s practically milking the cum from my balls with her orgasm.
“Keenan, oh, Keenan, you’re so deep, so good, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!”
I grunt and groan, unintelligible sounds that spur us both on as I slam home again and again,
until I’m completely empty. At some point she bites my shoulder to muffle her own cries. I don’t
notice the pain until she pulls her mouth away, her eyes widen in alarm at whatever she sees.
Our eyes lock and for a beat it’s like I can see her soul, then she blinks, grins radiantly and
begins giggling like a loon. “I bit you like a vampire! You’re bleeding! Do you think he heard us?”
I laugh with her, feeling light and free in a way that I’ve only felt with her.
“Nope. That kid sleeps through anything.”
“I love you, Keenan. So much.”
“Love you more, pet.”
“Not likely. We need to dry you off and get you a bandage.”
“Are you rabid?” She throws her head back and laughs at my question.
“No, I don’t have rabies.”
“Are you a shifter? Am I gonna turn into an animal? Wolf? Bear?”
“What do you know about shifters?”
I huff, sticking my nose in the air, feigning offense. “I’m not just a pretty face, Audrey, I read a
wide variety of subjects to ensure I’m a well-rounded individual with a lot to offer.”
“Your sister made you watch Twilight?”
I drop the act and lay my head on her shoulder, “No, it was Khalil!”
“Brother!” Wilson hisses in my ear, bringing me back to the here and now. “Stand the fuck up.”
Shit. I glance around, everyone is on their feet and the judge is entering the courtroom.” I hastily
stand, fixing my suit jacket to hide my arousal.
“Put that thing away. Judge Treacle is a happily married woman of advanced years.” Shaking my
head, I watch the judge take her seat and motion for us to do the same. While I’m sure she’s a lovely
woman, the sight of her is enough to deflate my eager cock.
The wrongful death and custody hearing doesn’t take long at all. Our side is well documented,
with a plethora of evidence to shine a bright light of suspicion on the Schnell’s. Laura and Samuel’s
treatment in prison is just icing on this fucked up cake. Orville’s lawyer tries, but he doesn’t have a
leg to stand on. Sammy’s grandparents have never had contact with him, their son was estranged for
years before he was even born, and he and Laura’s wishes were clear and well documented, as was
their mental state when they declared them. It doesn’t hurt that Laura signed over custody to Audrey
and me.
I think the final nail in Orville’s coffin was his racist and zealous outburst regarding custody of
his precious white Christian grandson being subjected to the whims of an unmarried harlot and her
negro thug.
Judge Treacle was not impressed.
Wilson pats my back after the judge bangs her gavel having dismissed Schnell’s case. We still
have the wrongful death suit I’ll be pursuing against the family, the state, and a few local
governments, as well as the prisons and anyone involved in their abuse and Sam’s death. We will
accept cash and blood.
“No! That woman can’t tell me what to do!” Wilson and I roll our eyes, then stand side by side
and watch Orville lose his shit. “He is my grandson, my flesh and blood, I will not have him raised
by heathens! I need him, Walter, he has to come with us.”
My head cocks to the side at the strange wording. Need? Why? I meet Wilson’s bewildered
expression with my own. He nods once letting me know he’ll have the team investigate it. Something
isn’t adding up. I understand wanting your family with you, but they don’t know Sammy. They’ve
never met him. I’m pissed all over again, realizing that there is a bigger angle here and I didn’t think
about it sooner.
Orville breaks away from his lawyer and charges toward me. “He’s mine! I need him! This isn’t
over! I’m coming for you, Kohlman! This isn’t over!”
“What is going on in here?” Judge Treacle comes back into the courtroom, scanning the occupants.
When her gaze lands on an enraged Orville being held back by his lawyer and two other men, his fist
raised at me, she steps up to the bench and bangs her gavel as hard as she can three times. “Bailiff!
Take Orville Schnell into custody for contempt of court and attempted assault!” He’s kicking and
screaming the entire way, four bailiffs in total are needed to haul him out of court.
In the silence, Wilson knocks his knuckles on the table in front of us and gathers up our
belongings. “Well, that happened. I saw a Greek food truck at the end of the block, let’s eat. I could
murder a gyro with extra tzatziki sauce.”
I smack the back of his head and follow him out. “Less murder talk in the courthouse.”
“At least I wasn’t sporting a cockstand when the judge walked in; you could have given her the
vapors!”
 Audrey 14.
“I’m really glad that you both were able to join us today.” Dr. Oh smiles kindly at Keenan and I.
Sammy shifts on the couch between us, his hands fidgeting in his lap. Keenan places his large hand on
Sammy’s thigh and squeezes, while I wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him into my side and
kiss the top of his head.
“Of course, anything JP needs.”
“JP.” Dr. Oh chuckles, her face brightening when she looks at Sammy. “That’s Junior Prospect,
right?” Sammy nods enthusiastically. “You help the club, washing their motorcycles, getting them
tools they need…”
“Yeah.” Sammy puffs up, “I do the heavy lifting.” Keenan and I share a sappy grin over his head.
He’s been doing so well. Between karate, his budding friendship with Enzo, and the club brothers,
especially Uncle Carver, Sammy behaves more like a 7-year-old every day. I’m angry and sad for him
that Laura isn’t here, but I’m working on accepting her decision and with some help from Dr. Oh, I’m
able to understand Laura’s reasoning. Dr. Oh commended Laura for being self-aware enough to
recognize the damage she could do to Sammy and remove herself from the situation. She said the right
thing to do isn’t always the most palatable, but it doesn’t make it less necessary. Sammy is our biggest
priority, his physical and mental health.
“Is it time?” Sammy whispers loudly to his psychologist. I sit up straight, unsure what he’s
referring to. I notice Keenan does the same on his other side.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Dr. Oh, a beautiful Asian woman in her thirties with long black hair
and large almond shaped dark eyes, waves a slender hand at Sammy. She grins as she sits back and
gives him the floor. We’ve spent the last thirty minutes going over his progress, the noticeable
decrease in his nightmares, and his comprehension of the dynamic of his father’s family and the court
hearings regarding custody. Dr. Oh said it’s important to include him as much as possible. While
being in the dark certainly has its advantages, Sammy needs to know we are fighting for him, that we
want him, and to be aware of the dangers of his extended family.
“Aunt Aud, I love you.”
I hug him, kissing his head again while he squirms to get away from me. “I love you too, buddy.”
“And I love pops too.”
“I know you do, JP, I love you too.”
Sammy glances at Dr. Oh and she makes some sort of hand gesture, and he nods in understanding.
“Right. Ok. I feel safe at the clubhouse, and I love being a junior prospect. I miss my daddy every day,
and I hope my mommy is getting better because I miss her too. But I have both of you to take care of
me and that makes the nightmares go away.”
Tears blur my vision, so I dash them away; I don’t want to miss a moment of my little man
growing up before my eyes. It breaks my heart how much he’s had to endure these last few months,
how much he’s lost. But when Keenan takes my hand and presses his lips to my knuckles, I know
Sammy has gained so much as well. It came with a cost, a high price to pay for someone so young,
however, I do think he’s thriving here in Independence, Kentucky with The Congressionals MC.
“We will always do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“I know.” Dr. Oh clears her throat pointedly at Sammy’s tone. “Sorry. Anyway, Mr. President told
me that there was a place in the clubhouse for us to live that had two bedrooms. And he showed it to
me, and I think it’s really big.” He takes a deep breath, squares his slim shoulders, and meets my eyes.
I’m so proud of him. “You have Lincoln to cuddle with and hold you when you’re scared, Aunt Aud,
so I’m ready to sleep in my own bed in my own room.”
“What?” I’m completely taken aback. I know his nightmares are becoming less frequent,
especially in the last two weeks since the court hearing confirming Keenan and I as legal guardians,
but I didn’t think he’d be ready to sleep alone…not to mention blame it on me. I shake my head,
fighting the strong urge to laugh. Whatever makes him feel better. Dr. Oh catches my eye and shrugs.
“Pops likes sleeping in bed with you. He loves you and that’s good because you fart a lot when
you’re sleeping.” I gasp, outraged that he’d call me out like that. Keenan loses his composure and
practically falls on the floor in a fit of laughter. “I don’t know why you’re laughing,” Sammy
continues, “your nose and mouth make these weird and gross noises and it’s difficult to sleep. I think
it would be better for me to have my own room and bed and you two can fart and snore as much as
you want.”
“You little shit.” Keenan growls despite the grin splitting his handsome face.
“I’m just telling it like it is.” Sammy responds solemnly.
“You aren’t allowed to hang out with Uncle Carver anymore. He’s a terrible influence.”
Sammy frowns, but then looks at Keenan hopefully, “I can still talk to Auntie?” I snicker, which
Keenan doesn’t appreciate. His sister is amazing, and she loves Sammy so much.
“No, anyone related to me is off-limits.”
Dr. Oh leans forward in her chair, “Pops, Aunt Aud, how do you two feel about Sammy’s
wishes?”
“I’m…I…if you’re ready, little man. Of course, you can have your own room and bed again.”
“I say, ‘hallelujah!’, because I’m tired of pissing blood from getting kicked in my kidneys every
night.” Sammy rolls his eyes at Keenan, then stares at me waiting for my approval.
“I mean it, Sammy. If you’re ready, then we’ll go pick out a new bed set and decorate your room
however you like. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He hugs me tightly. “We should get bunk beds, so Uncle Carver and I can have a
slumber party and when you have a baby it can sleep with me.” I can’t respond, I don’t know how. A
baby? I turn to Keenan, helplessly. In a move that has me dissolving into full on sobbing, Sammy steps
back and pushes Keenan toward me.
“Hold her, pops, she needs you.” I blubber like a baby while Keenan pulls me onto his lap,
blessed and so happy that he’s healing. Dr. Oh has been a godsend, showing him how to process
what’s happened and healthy ways to manage his feelings.
They let me cry it out. After a few minutes, I wipe my face with the tissues Dr. Oh hands me and
try to compose myself. “Alright, well, I think I need a new name. I don’t want to be Aunt Aud since
you gave Keenan such a cool name.”
“Dr. Oh helped me narrow down my list. I’ll let you choose which one.” Sammy tells me
graciously.
“How magnanimous of you.” I tease, but he just cocks his head.
“I don’t know what that means…Twoster?” I shake my head, that name is a definite “no”. “She
said you wouldn’t like it. What about Awesomer?”
“What about no?” Sammy sighs, his tiny shoulders rising and falling with the effort.
“Mamoo?” A laugh bursts free.
“Where did you come up with these?”
“Aunt Mom?”
“Absolutely not.”
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