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I look at my hand, register the fact that nothing hurt me, then look up and say gently, “Thank you.”

Ayla giggles and rocks on Cilla’s knee, “Ank, Ank.”

“That Tank?” I ask Cilla as she smiles at her daughter while giving me a nod.

Later that evening, I’m in Joker’s room. It seems as his old lady we share a room here. He has gone on club business whatever that is, and I’m sitting on his bed thinking about what the heck is going on, and why I’m not panicking about it either.

I changed my password on my banking app and logged in to check everything is as it should be. Thankfully, it is okay. I see the severance package from my job is in my account, and I’m sad that it has ended this way. But if they are so quick to remove me after all the time I’ve worked for them, then I see it as their loss. I’ll find another job and maybe not what I was doing either.

I flick through job vacancies in this area and struggle to keep my eyes open. I hope my car gets here tomorrow or the day after, since Tracker sent two prospects, who he told me are apprentices to join the club. Who would have guessed you have to be tried out to join a biker club? Anyway, they have gone to the diner to get my car and bring it back since Joker wouldn’t let me drive it here.

Life has a weird way of turning corners I’m thinking as I fall asleep.

Chapter 16

JOKER

Sitting alongside Miri who slept in my room last night, I make sure she eats a decent-sized breakfast. She is nervous and we can all see it, but she’s got fire in her which will keep her from having a meltdown. Noticing Miri has stopped eating, I quickly ask, “Have you had enough to eat, Thumper?”

“Yeah. I’m wondering what happens now?” Miri leans back in her seat and watches me a moment before watching who else is eating breakfast and getting ready for the day.

“Well, you can come with me in the recovery truck if you want? Or you can stay here and do whatever you need to do.”

Miri looks at me again and then away quickly when the club women walk past. Miri’s jaw ticks, and I wonder if anything has been said to her?

“As my old lady you can do whatever you want, Thumper. I’m going to put my name on a compound plot for a house. I want you to look at it with me. Help me choose where we are going to live. I had already chosen a spot, but we can select another,” I say clearly, because I know the more I’m around Miri, the more I want this old lady thing to be real. “Do you want to come with me or stay here?” I ask because she’s had enough decided for her, to keep her safe mostly, but I don’t want her to feel trapped.

Miri is looking at me with such a shocked expression that I chuckle right before leaning in, taking hold of her chin gently and leaning into her, placing my lips over hers. “Sweet, real sweet,” I murmur against her lips, then step back from her.

“I’ll stay here if that is okay? I want to speak with the realtor and a moving company about my belongings at the house,” Miri stands and picks up our breakfast dishes.

“Okay, I’ll see you later, Thumper,” I give her a wicked grin, adding a wink as I turn and walk away.

“You and this thumper thing, honestly,” Miri sighs, but she has a small tilt on one corner of her mouth, so I know she’s not really upset at my pet name for her.

I rush upstairs to freshen up before heading to the recovery business office. I’ve not been called out on a job as yet, which means I have to show my face at the office. Bull has Tread, and Winger out since the early hours recovering damsels in distress, but Demon will need to be seen at the office this morning too.

Throwing myself into the seat in front of Bull’s desk, I swivel it around and look at the two guys who you can clearly tell are fresh out of the military. It shows in the way they are sitting, concentrating, and even their buzz cuts.

“Meet Jay and Tripp, Joker,” Bull points to each, and I get a small head nod of recognition from each of them.

“How are they settling in?” I ask as I study the way they are moving things around on the monitors. Seems these guys are overhauling the way the system works.

“We can speak for ourselves,” Jay says as he turns from the monitor to look at me. Tripp continues speaking quietly into his headset although his eyes flick to Jay for a moment.

“Well, if that’s the case, how are you settling in?”

Jay replies swiftly, “Good. The job is simple compared to what we were doing. The system needs cleaning up, so it’s our first job alongside making sure members get a recovery truck to them as quickly as possible.”

Tripp’s call finishes, and he swivels his seat around. “The job is good, but the accommodation is not something you’d brag about.”

“I don’t suppose living in a trailer is the greatest. But I’m sure we’ll find you something better.” I think it may be worth me speaking with Pres about his idea of rental properties. I had the opinion it was not worth it with the lack of brothers, but we have more now once the construction is done on the compound. We could even allow Jeremy to continue with building those houses and have our six new working prospects work on rentals.

“We’ve slept in worse places,” Jay replies before turning back to his monitors.

“You may as well get back to the clubhouse, Joker. It’s dead here this morning. Demon hasn’t shown yet, so if he’s still at the clubhouse tell him he is the first call out when we need one,” Bull states with a huge smirk on his face.

Back at the clubhouse half an hour later, I sit at the table with Pres, Cap, Finger, and Rides. “I spoke with Trace and his veterans before I left the diner. I told them that if any or all of them wanted to make their way here, we would have a place for them. If they do, I’m thinking the idea I had about rental properties would work for them, and bring extra income for the club.”