Chapter Eight
Breaker
Ever since Juniper went through the file of photos Surge had printed off, she’d been facing bits of melancholy. It had been several days now, and I couldn’t figure out how to snap her out of it. I’d put on movies to watch with her, we baked cookies together -- although my baking skills were pretty nonexistent -- and I’d even offered to take her on a ride through the compound. Nothing had worked.
Even now, she’d retreated to the bedroom and was most likely wallowing in bed or asleep. To say I was worried was an understatement. There’d been a slight fire in her eyes but over the past few days, it had slowly dimmed once more.
A sharp knock jolted me from my thoughts. I opened the door to find Surge standing there, his expression an unsettling mix of urgency and calm determination. What the fuck was going on now?
“Surge,” I said, stepping aside to let him in.
He strode past me, his jaw set. “We need to talk.”
The tension in the room thickened as he entered. This wasn’t a social call -- something must have happened for Surge to show up like this, unannounced. Not to mention his overall demeanor right now. Whatever it was, I had a feeling shit was about to hit the fan.
Juniper padded into the living room, her brow furrowed with concern. I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, wondering if I should ask her to leave. A sinking feeling in my gut told me Surge was about to drop a bombshell we weren’t ready for. Juniper was already struggling with everything she’d been dealing with. I wasn’t sure how much more she could handle.
“What is it?” I asked, meeting Surge’s gaze.
He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “New information came in.”
Juniper stiffened against me, her fingers digging into my arm. I tightened my hold on her, a silent reassurance. Whatever this was about, we’d face it together.
“He’s being released from prison,” Surge said, his words precise and measured. “Tomorrow.”
The color drained from Juniper’s face. Her breath came in shallow gasps as the full weight of Surge’s words hit her. I pulled her closer still, murmuring reassurances even as a cold fury settled in my chest.
Robert Murray. The man who had destroyed countless lives, including Juniper’s. And now he was about to walk free. We’d known it was coming, but the reality of it was much different.
“He won’t get near you,” I promised Juniper. “I won’t let him.”
She nodded, but I could feel her trembling in my arms, see the fear in her eyes. It tore at me, knowing what this news was doing to her. Nothing we could have said or done would have prepared her for this. It wasn’t something that could be shrugged off.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Surge said, his voice low and serious. “If he so much as looks in Juniper’s direction…”
He didn’t need to finish the thought. I knew Surge would do whatever it took to protect Juniper. Just like I would. And I also knew what he meant about keeping an eye on him. He’d not only put his computer skills to use, but he’d likely find a way to put a tracker on the man. Either in his belongings or his vehicle, assuming he had one still.
As Surge headed for the door, I thanked him again, pouring every ounce of sincerity I could muster into the words. He clapped me on the shoulder, a gesture that said more than words ever could.
When the door closed behind him, I turned to Juniper, pulling her against my chest. Silent tears dampened my shirt as I held her, stroking her hair.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered. “I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded against me, her breathing slowly evening out. I hoped like fuck I hadn’t just lied to her. No matter how many times we tried to keep the women in our lives safe, somehow the bad guys always got the upper hand. It was downright embarrassing how easy they made it look. This time it was different. It was my woman whose life was on the line. I’d do whatever it took to keep her away from Robert Murray.
Once the dust settled and we had him buried six feet under, I would love her, protect her, and build a life with her. Because she was my world now. And nothing, not even Robert Murray, was going to take that away from me.
We needed a plan, a way to ensure Juniper’s safety while we figured out Murray’s next move. I pulled out my phone and texted Surge. Should we ask Fox to call Church ?
The message showed it had been read, then he responded. I’ll fill in Fox on my way home. Just focus on your woman .
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I didn’t know how to take her mind off this. Well, I could think of a few ways, but one was definitely off the table. We hadn’t even kissed yet, so I sure the hell wasn’t about to take her to bed.
“Probably rotten timing, but let’s sit and talk for a bit,” I said.
“About what?”
“Our marriage.” I felt her tense. And that right there was why we hadn’t discussed yet. But I couldn’t have her running scared when we had bigger issues to deal with. I couldn’t do shit about Robert Murray at the moment, but this one thing I could handle.
I led her over to the sofa and sat, pulling her down beside me. I kept our fingers laced together so she couldn’t run, even though I could tell she wanted to.
“What about it?” she asked.
“On paper, everyone thinks we’re a married couple. Right now, we’re more like roommates. We share the house, eat together, watch movies together… but we aren’t actually a husband and wife.”
“Is this your way of getting me to have sex with you?” she asked, trying to break free of me.
“No! Jesus, Juni. When have I ever given you the impression I’d try to force myself on you, or coerce you into doing something you don’t want to?”
She sighed. “Never.”
“I just meant, I’m fine with us going slow. As slow as you need us to. But at the same time, I really do want us to build a life together. I think I found you in that alley for a reason, because you were meant to be mine. I can’t shake that feeling. What I don’t know is whether you feel the same, or if you want to leave and go as far away from here as possible once the issue with your uncle is settled.”
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. I hadn’t realized my question was that difficult to answer. But I waited, giving her time to organize her thoughts, and possibly figure out what she wanted. There was always the chance she hadn’t even considered any of this yet. I wouldn’t blame her. Not with everything she already had on her plate.
“What exactly does a relationship look like to you?” she asked after another few silent minutes.
“Not really sure. I’ve never been in one,” I admitted. “Not really. Dated around in high school, hell even back in middle school. Haven’t ever had a girlfriend, though, much less a wife.”
She stared at me, her lips slightly parted. “Middle school? Are you serious right now?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. My hormones were all over the place back then. Still were up until my early twenties, then I guess I got it all out of my system.”
“Exactly how old are you?” she asked.
“Thirty-seven.” I waited, hoping she’d tell me her age. Although, Surge had already given me a heads-up that she was much younger than me. Not that I couldn’t tell just by looking at her. Even if a woman aged well, there was no way Juniper could be in her thirties.
“I’m twenty,” she said. “Does it bother you to be married to someone seventeen years younger than you?”
“Not really. You saw Luciana and Spider. He’s old enough to be her grandfather. Doesn’t matter to them, or anyone else around here. They love each other and that’s all that matters.”
Maybe I should have asked if our age difference bothered her . I didn’t think I was ugly by any means, but I did look at least somewhat my age. People often said I could pass for twenty-nine or thirty, but that was still a ways off from twenty.
“You won’t be embarrassed if we go out somewhere and someone thinks I’m your daughter?”
“Nope. I’ll just point out you’re my wife, and that I’m a lucky bastard for landing someone so damn sexy.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Sexy? Really?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” I released her hand and put my arm around her shoulders. “I know we had an unconventional start. With everything going on, it’s not like I expect us to have a normal relationship anytime soon, if ever. I just need to know if you’re open to being my wife in truth someday. Doesn’t have to be this week, this month, or even this year.”
Although, I might die from blue balls before she decided to fully be mine. I’d keep that little tidbit to myself. Then again, perhaps I was going about this the wrong way. Sure, we were still getting to know one another, and she was slowly becoming familiar with the families here. But she still didn’t understand who the Hades Abyss were, how this club worked, or what it truly meant to be mine. Which meant I should tell her before she contemplated what sort of marriage she wanted with me.
I cleared my throat. “There’s something else we should discuss.”
Her eyebrows furrowed, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. “What is it?”
I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Being part of the club, it’s not just a hobby or a weekend thing. It’s a way of life. And sometimes, that life comes with certain… obligations. Yes, these people are my family, but it goes beyond that.”
Juniper remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
“We have this thing called Church,” I explained, my voice low and steady. “It’s really just a room at the clubhouse, but it’s where the club members gather to discuss important matters, make decisions. And the thing is, sometimes those discussions have to stay within the club. More specifically, with the men who are patched members of the Hades Abyss. There will be things I won’t be able to share with you, even if I want to.”
I watched as Juniper processed my words, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. “I understand, I think.”
“As for the obligations, sometimes there are jobs I have to go on. It’s how I make my money around here. Or if someone else is in trouble, I may need to act as a bodyguard. I did that when Luciana and Spider got together. We thought he was dead, and I had to get Luciana to safety. And when people like your uncle come along, sometimes those jobs include taking out the trash.”
“Where the bad human in question is the trash?” she asked.
I nodded. “Exactly. I know that makes me a murderer, technically, but I can’t really think of those monsters as humans. If they ever had a soul, they lost it long ago. I know it might be intimidating at first, but the more you get to know the other members, the more you’ll see that they’re just like you and me. We’ve all had a rough path to walk at one time or another, and we’ve all had trust issues at some point. But as long as we all rely on one another and work together, then things usually turn out pretty okay.” I’d leave out the part where we’d lost brothers and prospects in the past.
“It’s so much to take in,” she murmured.
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere. I just felt like you needed to know those things before you decided whether or not you’d want forever with me. But there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
She stared at me, and I knew she was wondering exactly how many secrets I’d been keeping. Or rather, how much I hadn’t bothered to divulge to her just yet.
“Around here, marriage is forever.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you telling me I’m stuck here with you even if I don’t want to be?”
I shrugged. “I mean, I could tell them you wanted to go on vacation or take a long trip or something… and you’d just never come back.”
“And then I could send divorce papers…”
I was already shaking my head. “Fox would never allow it. I’d be married to you for life. People around here get a little pissy when Surge marries them off. Mostly because they feel they should have had a choice in the matter. In our case, I really did feel like it might be necessary. I’m glad to be your husband, even if you don’t want to be my wife.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, I just haven’t had time to sort through everything. It’s too much too fast.”
I nodded. “I get it. Like I said, take your time. But if you figure out that you want to try giving this marriage a shot and becoming a true couple, let me know and I’ll let you set the pace.”
I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, feeling her skin warm beneath my lips, then I got up and left the room before I did something stupid.