Archangel (Black Reign MC #11)

Chapter Twelve

Archangel

For the first time in my life, I was at total peace. Me and Sonya spent the night and the next day making love, talking, and getting to know each other. I’d slept with her held tightly in my arms and woke with her lips around my cock, sucking me for all she was worth. Not even going to try to deny I’d love to get used to waking up to that every fucking morning.

Now, she was on the back of my bike and we were headed to Salvation’s Bane. Not only did she need to get her stuff, but I had to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with Thorn. President of Salvation’s Bane. Sonya’s father. I was hoping to be able to ride my bike back to Black Reign after the beating Thorn was likely to give me, but I had Fury at the ready in case I needed some help.

We pulled through the gate. The prospects each threw up a hand in greeting and waved us on toward their clubhouse. The main building was a converted firehouse. There were rooms for guests and most of the club girls were housed there, as well as some offices. Thorn’s office was here.

I parked the bike and Sonya hopped off, bouncing with excitement as Caroline and Bella both met her at the door. The three embraced and I couldn’t help but smile. I strolled toward the girls and the entrance to the clubhouse. Sonya looked back at me with the happiest smile I’d ever seen from her. And, by God, the woman was so fucking beautiful it hurt.

“Angel!” Mariana, Sonya’s mother and Thorn’s wife, called out to me from across the room. She had a lovely smile on her face as she greeted me happily and I could see the resemblance between her and Sonya. “Come in! Thorn’s in his office. He said you’d be coming to talk to him.” She gestured for me to come with her. The smile seemed genuine, which was confusing as shit. Also, I hadn’t talked to Thorn yet or even reached out to him. Not because I didn’t want to tell him but because I wasn’t sure how I was going to word this. So, how did he know I was coming?

Mariana opened the door to Thorn’s office and ushered me inside. “Would you guys like something to drink?” She asked the question like she didn’t have a care in the world. I never expected Thorn wouldn’t have heard about me and Sonya by now. After the incident at the front gate of Black Reign, all of Reign knew. Someone would have passed it to Thorn. Probably El Diablo himself.

“Get me a beer, if you don’t mind, sweetheart.” Thorn smiled up at his wife. “Angel, we got anything you want.”

“Would it be too much trouble to ask for ice water?” I asked as I gave Mariana a polite smile.

“Of course not. You sure you don’t want a beer?” Her smile was polite and I didn’t sense a trap, so I tried not to automatically assume she was making a sly reference to the incident with Gloria and how we’d come to be married.

“No thank you, ma’am. I quit drinking a long time ago.” I kept my smile serene and in place. I didn’t know how much information she had, and just because Thorn knew didn’t mean Mariana did.

“I admire anyone who’s able to break from unhealthy habits. It shows strength of character.”

I dipped my head to her. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back. Anything else, Thorn?”

“No, honey.”

I thought the wait for Mariana to return would be awkward, but Thorn chatted cheerfully about Ripper’s triplets and how fast they were growing up. Ripper and his wife, Emmanuelle, had their hands full with the three girls and it amused Thorn to no end.

Mariana returned with the drinks, then left and closed the door behind her. I took a pull of my water before carefully sitting it on the edge of Thorn’s desk.

“Tell me how Sonya’s doing. I wasn’t expecting her home for another couple of days.”

I tried not to wince. “Momma always said it’s best to just rip the Band-Aid off. Peeling it off slowly prolongs the torture.”

Thorn chuckled. “That’s not cryptic or anything.” He leaned back, putting his feet on his desk and crossing them at the ankles. “What’s going on?”

“I’m in love with your daughter, Thorn. I’m going to make her my old lady.” I waited for the explosion. When none came, I continued. “She knows that’s my intention and has accepted my claim on her.” Still nothing. I was getting nervous. Thorn wasn’t that much older than me, but I felt like a naughty child being guilted into confessing his every transgression. “I’d like your blessing for this, Thorn. I love Sonya with my whole being, but she’s still your daughter. I won’t go against your wishes.”

“For Christ’s sake, Angel. Why the fuck do you think I sent her to you in the first Goddamned place?”

“I… uh, what?” My brain was pulling a four-oh-four on this one.

“She’s had a crush on you since she was sixteen! Not a normal crush either. I watched her weigh your pros and cons. She might not have realized what she was doing, but she studied you like she wanted to make damned sure you were worthy of her. I knew before she went to college you would be the only man she’d ever accept. It was you or nobody, and my baby girl isn’t gonna live her life by herself.”

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me right now?” I scowled. I stood and paced across the room, unable to process what the fuck just happened. Also, I was really glad I’d hadn’t jumped to conclusions with Mariana before.

“Oh, come on, Angel. You’re not mad. Well, other than at yourself for sweating bullets when you didn’t have to.”

“I was ready to take my beatin’ from you, Thorn. Now, you might just have to take your beatin’ from me.”

Thorn laughed, almost falling out of his chair. “And before you start pitchin’ a fit over you being married, I knew. I had Ripper dig up everything on you there was before I sent Sonya to you. So I contacted Gloria pretending to be the IRS and asked about her marital status.” The man looked entirely too smug. “My guess is, the reminder of you sent her your way. She had all the money in the world until her boyfriend found his next mistress.”

That got me thinking. “She forgot she was married same as me. Hell, she forgot all about me and the money. Like you said, she had all the money in the world until he cut her loose. She probably hadn’t thought about me since the last time we talked.”

“If you’re in too much trouble over that with Sonya, I’ll vouch for you. The whole scene at Black Reign as it was described to me would never have happened if I hadn’t been digging into your past.”

“You coulda just asked.” I glared at him.

The bastard grinned. “Sure. But what fun would that have been?”

We had an early supper at Salvation’s Bane. Everyone laughed at my expense, and Sonya laughed until she had tears rolling down her cheeks and was clutching her stomach. So were all the other women. Especially when Thorn ratted me out with a video complete with very clear audio of the meeting in his office.

Yeah. This was my life now.

It was late afternoon when we rolled into the Black Reign compound. Everyone we met waved and called out to us. Sonya waved back and laughed. I got an itch between my shoulder blades. I couldn’t put my finger on the actual problem, but something was off. I began to see almost gleeful enthusiasm in the greetings called out from everyone we met. And I mean everyone. Seemed like every adult in the compound came out of the woodwork to greet us.

By the time I rolled into my parking spot in front of the entrance to the Oasis, there were several bikes pulling in behind me, followed by dozens more people on foot.

“What the fuck?” Instinctively, I pulled Sonya to me, wrapping both arms around her protectively.

“Relax, Captain Caveman.” She leaned up to brush a kiss over my lower lip. “They’re just being friendly.”

“Honey, no one in this compound has ever been this happy to see me.”

“Just coming by to welcome Sonya.” Jezebel smiled and reached for Sonya. Sonya went willingly, pulling away from me when I didn’t really want her to. “Why don’t you go unlock your Oasis, and we’ll all pitch in to help you move Sonya’s stuff into your home.”

I smelled a trap. It stank like three-day-old shit, but I could not see it. Instead of questioning Jezebel further, I nodded and went the few steps to my sanctuary to open the gate. This was the place I felt most at peace. I shared it with people from time to time, to help them find the same peace I’d found. It was also the place stacked three mountains high with… sex toys.

There was silence as I stared in disbelief at what I was seeing.

“Um, wow, bruh.” That had to be one of the younger prospects. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

Then the dam burst. Everyone laughed. The guys clapped me on the back, enjoying seeing me uncomfortable. Oh, it wasn’t the sex toys. I wasn’t a fucking stick in the mud. It was the fact two fucking clubs had got something this big over on me. And I knew without a doubt who had orchestrated the whole thing.

“When this is over, your ass is toast, woman.”

“Imma hold you to that.”

“Wench.”

I kissed my woman while everyone congratulated us and helped move Sonya’s things into my house. It was small, but I’d already put in an order to expand my house. I thought we could manage until the new section was complete.

Someone started bringing food, and more someones brought folding tables and chairs. Next thing I knew we were having an impromptu weenie roast. This was one of many reasons I loved club life. I knew Sonya loved it too.

“Hey, Angel!” Shotgun came trotting over to me. I’d seen him earlier in the evening, but he’d disappeared for a while. “Good news. Gloria’s in no danger at all from anyone. She never was. No clue why she targeted you other than to get away with it. I believe you were right when you told me earlier you thought she’d completely forgotten about you until Thorn faked that IRS call to her. You could question her if you want. Other than that, there’s no reason she needs to stay here.”

“Send her on her way, then. Give her any help she needs as long as it doesn’t involve money. I’m talking moving shit or whatever. She doesn’t get a dime of this club’s money. You are only obligated to drop shit off where she says drop it off. No carrying a six-hundred-pound recliner up four flights of stairs. She can take it from there.”

“I don’t think she has much other than her car and what’s in her bank account.” Shotgun grinned. “Too bad she tore the side off the car.”

“I should see if you’d ask Red and Rosanna at Bane to fix it and send me the bill, but I’m really not feeling that generous. It was her damned fault and she has enough money to fix it, or she could sell it as is.”

“You’ve done more than you should have.” Jezebel walked over to us with a smile, arm in arm with Sonya. “She has the means. Don’t reward her bad behavior.”

“Cut her loose,” I said without hesitation. “She’ll be fine.”

“You want to talk to her first?” Shotgun asked.

“What’s the point? If it mattered now, it would have mattered years ago. We’re no longer married. That’s the only thing I needed from her.”

“Good plan.” Shotgun clapped me on the shoulder. “I’ll escort her outside the gate.”

“Well, now that’s settled,” Jezebel gave me a brief hug. “We’ll be leaving. Be good. There’s a year’s worth of lube under the bathroom sink. Don’t forget to wash everything before using it. Bye now.” Jezebel waved a cheerful goodbye as El Diablo laughed delightedly as they walked away holding hands.

I put my arm around Sonya as we waved to the last of our friends as they left. “I owe you a spanking,” I said, still waving.

“Yep,” she agreed, still waving too.

“Thought I saw some bondage equipment near the top of one of those mounds of sex toys.” I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

“Yep. Middle pile. Jammed between a sex swing and a few dildos.” She didn’t hesitate with her reply.

“I’ll get a stepladder.”

“Good idea. If you see a strap-on, grab it, will ya?”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.”

“Oh, really?” God, I loved that wicked gleam in her eyes. It was a look that said I was well and truly fucked. OK, so not physically. At least, I didn’t think so. Then I remembered how this whole situation started.

“You know what, forget I said that.”

The grin she threw back my way said her memory was perfect.

As I looked to my future, wondering if I’d always have the peace I enjoyed now, I was sure of two things. First, whatever my future held, it would be with this woman at my side. And second, life would never be dull. I looked forward to every blistering second of what was to come.