Page 81 of Iron Heart

Rogue nods back at him.

“I move Bama be stripped of his patches,” he declares.

“Second,” Rourke speaks up.

Bama starts to stand up. “Wait!” he sputters.

Ranger and Yoda grab hold of him and pull him back down.

“All in favor. Show of hands.” Axel raises a hand. He looks at me, and I shake my head once. I’m abstaining.

One by one, around the table, hands go up. The last one is Mal’s.

Except for me, it’s unanimous.

“Mark ‘Bama’ Isaacson, you are hereby stripped of your patches and expelled from the Lords of Carnage MC,” Axel announces in a loud voice. “You will immediately remove and surrender your patches and leave this clubhouse. You will cover over any tattoos or other marks of identification with the Lords of Carnage, under pain of death. Going forward, you are forbidden to pretend or claim any association or membership to the Lords of Carnage MC, under pain of death.”

Bama’s so still, he looks like he’s paralyzed. He doesn’t say a word. His face drains of color.

Those patches mean everything to him. They do to all of us.

And now, as Enforcer, it’s my job to take them.

Axel nods at me. I stand and face Bama.

“Take off your cut.”

In shock, he stares at me, shaking his head. “No. Please…” He starts to struggle against Ranger and Yoda’s grip, but they hold him down and pull it off of him as he begins to yell and kick.

“Take him out,” Axel commands over the din. “Make sure he leaves the compound. And make sure the guards know not to let him back in.”

We watch, wordlessly, as they remove a shouting Bama from the chapel. Seconds later, the sharp bang of Axel’s gavel brings us back to attention.

“We’re done here for now,” he barks. “Church tomorrow, usual time. Don’t be fuckin’ late.”.

“Jesus,” I mutter, running a hand over my head. “What a day.”

“No fuckin’ kidding,” Rogue agrees. “I’m gonna go get wasted as shit.”

In spite of myself, I have to laugh. Bitterly. “Not a bad solution.”

Rogue files out with most of the rest of the men. I stay behind to talk to my prez. Soon, only Axel, Rourke, Mal, and I are left in the chapel.

“I accept whatever consequences the club gives me,” I tell Axel. “I brought Dom to the club. Everything that’s happened as a result is my fault.”

Axel shakes his head. “You lost your brother, Dante. I think that’s enough.”

“You know everything Bama said was true,” I say. I turn to Mal and swallow. “What he said about you and Cyndi… He was right.”

A riot of emotions plays across his face. His mouth draws into a thin line.

“I ain’t sayin’ he was wrong,” he finally mutters. “But I don’t blame you for it, Dante.”

“Your loyalty to this club has never been in question,” Rourke cuts in.

“It ain’t my loyalty I’m talking about,” I persist. “It’s my judgment.”

“Come on, Dante. This war with the Caballeros was gonna find us either way,” Rourke shrugs. “Did you fuck up? Yeah. You did. But you paid the price for it. And you almost lost your old lady, too.”

---