50. Kane
FIFTY
KANE
Freedom.
I didn’t think I’d really understood the meaning of it until right then. The wind lashing across my face, the heavy metal of my bike vibrating below me, my girl wrapped around me from behind.
Her tits pressed tight against my back and the thud of her heart battering through me like a beautiful storm.
Right then, we were traveling down the south end of the mountain after I’d taken her to watch the view of the sun going behind the lake.
“It’s so beautiful,” she’d whispered.
I couldn’t help but ask her, “Does this feel like home?”
Her answer had been simple.
“Home feels like wherever you are.”
Like I said, freedom.
This thing that we’d found.
Three weeks had passed since the showdown with that bastard in Eugene. Emery had come to the place where she knew she wanted to stay, believing this was where she belonged.
With me and Maci.
Making a family .
She still wasn’t sure what she was going to do about her sister’s store, but she, Raven, and Charleigh had been tossing around some ideas.
Tonight was the first time I was up to taking my bike out on the open road after the incident, and I’d wanted to experience that moment with my Little Warrior.
Hell, the only thing I wanted to do was celebrate, so I’d organized exactly that.
A celebration.
The trees hugged the winding road as we made our way down the mountain, and I slowed as we made it to the bottom where it widened into Moonlit Ridge. My arms outstretched as I clutched the handlebars and my heart in this woman’s hands.
I slowed even more as we came upon my club, but rather than taking the lane that led all the way back to my place, I pulled into the dirt lot and eased my bike up to the row of motorcycles that lined the side wall of the enormous building.
River, Otto, and Cash’s bikes were already there.
I came to a stop, then planted my boots on the ground so I could back my bike into the open spot between Cash and Otto’s.
I killed the engine.
In an instant, silence swamped us. Emery just remained there, her body plastered to mine and her sweet breaths invading my senses.
That delicious morning glory scent that had become the fragrance of my life.
I set my hands over both of hers. “What’d you think?”
“I think I could definitely get used to this.”
A low chuckle rolled out of me when I thought back to the first time I coerced her onto my bike. Before I’d known that my entire life was getting ready to shift. Everything I’d known knocked from its axis.
When I’d told her if she wanted to ride me, she was going to have to get used to riding on my bike.
It seemed we’d come full circle considering she had me every chance that she got.
“Now I do like the sound of that.” I swiveled so I could peer at her.
That gorgeous, striking face lit up below the pool of muted light that bled from the side of the old building.
The black helmet she wore looked so fucking cute, though I didn’t complain as she quickly worked through the buckle and those blonde locks went tumbling around her shoulders as she shook her hair out.
“I thought you might.” She was all teases and light. The barriers that’d fought to keep us separated had been smashed to shit.
“Plan to have you on it every moment I can,” I rumbled.
A saucy grin edged her mouth. “I bet you’re just sad you can’t fit a car seat on it.”
Laughter tumbled out of me as she brought attention to my little girl.
My little girl who was having a sleep over at Nolan’s babysitter’s house so my whole crew could celebrate tonight.
I took Emery by the hand to help her off. “Don’t put any ideas in my head. My Angel Face has already been begging me to let her take a ride on my motorbike .”
Emery and I both cringed a bit, the protectiveness we felt over that sweet thing almost too much to bear.
“I think we should hold off on that for a…while,” Emery suggested.
“Maybe forever,” I agreed, no stopping the smile that took over my face as I swung off my bike.
Emery chewed at her plump bottom lip. “I never thought I would get to experience this kind of life. You and me and that little girl.”
Emery’s words were a breath of joy mixed with a tenor of grief that was always going to come with this gift.
Reaching out, I dragged my fingertips down the defined angle of her jaw.
“Never, Emery. Never thought once in my life that I’d get this.
This love that is bursting out of me. I thought I had one single purpose, and then there was you and Maci and the place inside me I thought was forever dead came alive. ”
I could almost taste my mother’s gladness from wherever she was watching over me.
You take care of the ones you love most .
I was never going to stop.
Toffee eyes swam, and Emery pressed her palm against where my heart battered at my chest. “You are my perfect ten, my sweet, fierce dragon.”
I gathered up the hand she had on my chest, pressed my lips to her knuckles, and whispered, “I will always take care of you. Do what’s right for you. For both of you.”
“I trust you.”
I trust you.
I trust you.
I would never shatter it.
“Come on, let’s go celebrate you,” I told her as I tugged at her hand.
“What do you mean, celebrate me? I thought we were celebrating that you were fit enough to get on your bike again? Not that you haven’t been plenty fit for other things.”
She tossed me a coy grin where she walked along beside me, the woman wearing this red halter top, black leather skirt, and thigh-high boots. The lush fall of her blonde hair was done in soft, gorgeous waves that babbled around her bare shoulders.
So fucking sexy she made my insides quake.
It was all thanks to Raven who’d insisted on coming to our place to help Emery get ready. Dressing her up like she was meant to be on the back of my bike.
There was no doubt in my mind that she was.
Shifting so I was behind her, I wrapped my arms around her front and let my hands wander down her abdomen and thighs until they were barely inching up under her skirt. “Like I wouldn’t be taking every opportunity to get inside this tight, perfect body.”
Emery shivered.
My mouth went to the shell of her ear. “And sure, my crew wants to celebrate that I’m still standing, but the real victory here is the fact that you’ll be standing at my side. A part of this family. A part of me forever.”
Forever .
What a mindfuck that I would accept nothing less.
Since we were in the shadows at the edge of the wall, I let my hand glide a little higher beneath that skirt. Fingertips just brushing the needy spot between her thighs.
A tiny moan got free of Emery as she leaned back against me.
Lust rippled out with my chuckle, the words scraping against her ear, “Just want to be sure my girl is drenched and aching for me the entire night.”
“You’re mean,” she rasped when I suddenly pulled my fingers away.
I snatched her hand again and walked out in front of her, turning around and pulling her along with me. “Nah, baby, I told you before and it’s never going to change. The only thing I’ve got for you is pleasure.”
And maybe I was too wrapped up to notice the movement in the distance.
Lurking in the trees.
Too smitten to remain alert.
Because I barely glanced over my shoulder when I felt the disturbance, peering into the shadows of the lapping trees before I hurried Emery up the steps and into the club.
Inside, we sat at the large horseshoe booth that I kept reserved for my crew. Music pounded from the speakers, the drinks flowed easily, and satisfaction simmered in every recess of my being.
My girl was tucked under my arm and the rest of my family were gathered around.
The booth was at the far-left corner of the club, looking out over the rambling expanse that was packed as always, bodies crammed together on the dance floor, the energy alive as the band played from the stage.
Emery and I sat in the middle section of the booth, flanked by Charleigh and River to our left and Raven and Otto to our right. Theo and Cash capped off each end .
We’d been here for the last two hours, catching up and sharing stories of our pasts, some far more sordid than others.
Our laughter rang just as deep as the ease that played through the hazy atmosphere.
“Can’t believe you finally tamed the beast,” Otto razzed as he took a sip from his beer, gesturing his chin at Emery who hadn’t stopped grinning. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Guess I was waiting for the only person who could do it,” I supplied for her, hugging her close. Loving the rush of heat that burned across her flesh as I did.
The girl was still shy, but she was steadily sinking into this family the way she’d been meant to do.
“It still kind of gives me whiplash myself, considering I hated him the first time I met him.”
I was surprised by her ribbing, and my chest glowed as I nudged myself a little closer to her.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you didn’t hate me the first time you met me.” I didn’t hide the suggestion, lifting my brows as I smirked down at her.
Toffee eyes went wide, and that energy blazed as she realized what I was referring to.
Charleigh giggled from my other side. “Love at first sight.”
Maybe.
Maybe that’s exactly what it’d been.
“Think that’s called lust at first sight.” Theo grinned with the taunting.
From under the table, Emery clamped her hand over my thigh as she peered up at me.
A silent message passed between us.
Our truth that this binding was profound.
That the connection we shared—the familiarity and comfort? We’d fallen into it that first, fleeting moment.
I shifted my attention to Theo. “Nah, brother, it was so much more than that. You’ll know when you feel it.”
He shook his head as he took a sip of his whiskey. “I can guarantee you that is not going to happen. ”
Cash chuckled. “Yeah, because any sane woman would go running the other direction.”
“Says the guy who won’t come down from his cabin hidden in the mountain,” Theo razzed, chuckling under his breath.
Cash stretched out his thick arms. “I am sitting right here.”