Angel's Halo: Guardian Angel by Terri Anne Browning Page B

eight. I dropped a tray of beers onto the table at the Original’s booth and took my usual seat between Uncle Jack and Bash. We didn’t have a VP since the last club president had beaten him to death. We needed to get that sorted, which was at the top of the list for church discussion tonight.
    The club had been in chaos after Jet had gone to prison for manslaughter, but when Bash had come back and taken up his role as president things had simmered down. Now that we had everything under better control it was finally time to fill the VP position.
    As everyone took their beers, the front door opened and Raider stomped forward. Colt shot him the finger as the other man took his place at the booth, but no one else batted an eye at his tardiness. I snorted and took a pull from my bottle of beer. Looked like I was wrong about Raider not coming back. But he knew this was an important night for the club.
    “We have a few things to get through tonight,” Bash’s deep voice filled the bar with ease. Every eye in the room turned to look at our president, respect shining in every one of them. “First, and most important, we have to decide who’s gonna be our new VP. It doesn’t feel right without having Jet here to vote with us, but he keeps saying he isn’t a member any more.”
    “I call BS,” Uncle Chaz muttered under his breath.
    Bash grinned. “Me too, but we can sort that out once he’s home in a few more weeks.” He turned back to everyone else. “The floor is now open for suggested VPs.”
    It didn’t take long before someone was speaking up, but it wasn’t whom I was expecting. Uncle Jack caught my eye and said clearly, “Hawk Hannigan.”
    My eyes narrowed on the old man, but before I could even open my mouth Uncle Chaz, Uncle George, Ox and Razor spoke up. “I second,” they said, practically in unison.
    Bash didn’t seem surprised and I glared at all of them. I hadn’t even considered the VP position. It wasn’t something I’d ever had my eye on. Just because I was a Hannigan didn’t mean I wanted that figurative seat. They should pick someone better, more worthy. “Hawk Hannigan has been seconded. What do you fuckers say?”
    Behind me I heard beer bottles pounding on tabletops. It started out slow but quickly turned into a roar of glass bottles clanging on tables. I looked around at my club brothers. Every single one of them was grinning. My chest tightened with an emotion I hadn’t felt in years. Love for my club and brothers washed through me in a way it hadn’t since I’d first became a member of the Angel’s Halo.
    Bash stood and held out his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet before pulling me into a bear hug that nearly snapped my spine in half. I slapped him on the back and the room erupted into deafening yells as they cheered my name.
    I felt a hand on my back and Bash released me. Turning, I was pulled into Uncle Jack’s man hug. He beat me on the back twice before stepping back. “You deserve this, boy.”
    I swallowed hard. “I won’t let you down, Uncle Jack.”
    “I know you won’t. You’re your father’s son, Hawk. You could never disappoint me. But if you hurt my grandbaby, I’ll gut you like a pig.” He slapped me on the back harder this time, and I bit back a grunt when it stung. “Take care of her, boy.”
    “Always.”

    Gracie
    From the moment I walked into Aggie’s, I’d been run off my feet. She wasn’t kidding when she told me that the dinner shift was faster paced. As tired as I was, however, I was glad for the busyness of it. If I was concentrating on keeping everyone’s glasses full and getting them their food I didn’t have time to wonder what I was going to do about Hawk.
    From the moment he’d left the garage earlier that afternoon I’d wondered what to do about his cavalier attitude about hurting someone for doing nothing wrong, except talking to me. And while I didn’t fear him ever hurting me like my father had hurt my mom, it