Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Clove
I was sitting on the long wooden bench on the porch of the clubhouse, my legs pulled up beneath me, my shoulder pressed against Star’s. The night air was warm, the kind that carried the smell of cut grass and gasoline and summer dust. The kind that usually made everything feel normal.
Tonight, nothing felt normal.
Ender had texted me an hour ago.
Coming home.
Just those two words.
Star had gotten something similar from Cole. We didn’t need more than that. Those words carried everything. Relief, tension, fear, hope, promise. All wrapped up in something small enough to fit on a phone screen.
“Did you ever picture this for your life?” Star asked quietly.
I turned my head to look at her..
“Being with a guy from the club?” I asked.
She nodded.
I shook my head slowly. “No. I didn’t think I’d be that lucky.”
Star huffed out a soft laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “I thought maybe I’d get… normal. A job. A place. A guy who wasn’t scared of my parents. I didn’t think I’d get this.”
She tilted her head. “Didn’t you have a crush on Ender forever?”
I laughed quietly, leaning my head back against the wall.
“Yeah. I did. For years. But just because you want something doesn’t mean it’s yours.
” I swallowed, staring out into the dark parking lot.
“These guys… when they love, they love hard. They don’t half-ass it.
They don’t leave. It’s everything or nothing. ”
Star was quiet for a moment. “So what did you think you’d get?”
I snorted. “Honestly? I never really thought about it.”
She laughed with me, soft and real.
“And you?” I asked. “What did you think you were going to get?”
Star exhaled slowly. “Not this. Not family. I thought I’d get married, maybe. And even that felt like asking for too much.” She gestured around us. “And now I have all of this.”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “We’re damn lucky.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “We really are.”
The sound hit us before we saw them.
Engines.
Low, rumbling. Familiar. Growing louder.
My heart jumped into my throat.
Star and I were on our feet instantly, stepping to the edge of the porch as three motorcycles turned into the lot. Headlights swept across the building.
They parked in a line.
Ender. Wrecker. Cole.
Alice burst through the clubhouse door with Nikki right behind her. “Well?” Alice called.
“It’s done,” Wrecker said simply.
Alice whooped, throwing her hands in the air. “Hell yes.”
“Where’s Pipe?” Nikki asked.
“He’s with Junior,” Wrecker replied. “About half an hour behind us.”
Ender didn’t say a word.
He didn’t look at anyone else.
He came straight for me.
I barely had time to breathe before his arms were around me, lifting me clean off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him without thinking, my hands fisting in his cut.
“It’s done?” I whispered.
He nodded, pressing his forehead to mine. Then his mouth was on mine, warm and certain.
“You’ll never have to worry about them again,” he said quietly. “I promise.”
“Get a room!” Alice yelled.
“I plan on it,” Ender shot back.
He set me down but kept my hand in his, lacing our fingers together as he pulled me toward the clubhouse.
“Where are you going?” Mom called.
“Wait!” Adley said suddenly.
Ender and I stopped.
Wrecker had Alice tucked under his arm, with Nikki next to them.
“What are we doing?” Alice asked.
“Hell if I know,” Kingston said. “Adley’s cock-blocking.”
“Oh God,” Freak and Clash said at the same time.
Mason whistled.
“Everyone shut up,” Adley said, stepping forward with one hand resting on her stomach.
“Oh my God,” Wendy gasped.
“What?” Fox asked. “Is Wendy dying?”
Nikki smacked him. “Shut up.”
Adley smiled, eyes shining. “Mason and I are having a baby.”
The room exploded.
Cheers. Gasps. Laughter. Shouts.
“I’m gonna be a grandma,” Wendy cried. She rushed to Adley and pulled her into a hug. Slayer approached Mason, and for a second, none of us knew what was going to happen.
Slayer hadn’t been exactly welcoming when Mason and Adley had gotten together.
“A baby?” Slayer said.
Mason nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Slayer looked at Adley. “You gonna make an honest woman out of her?”
“Dad,” Adley gasped.
“Easy,” Mason said to Adley. Mason reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. “Your dad is right.”
Slayer nodded to Mason, giving his silent blessing.
“Oh my God!” Alice called. “If this isn’t the best night ever, I don’t know what the hell is.”
“Shush,” Karmen hissed. “He hasn’t even asked her yet.”
“I think we should just have a supply of popcorn around at all times,” Jude muttered.
Mason moved to Adley and grabbed her hand. “I know we ha—”
“YES!” Adley screamed. “Yes to whatever you were going to say. A million times yes!” Adley looked around. “YES!”
“Jesus,” Mason chuckled. “I was nervous as hell, and you didn’t even let me get the damn words out.” He opened the box and took out the ring.
“Wait!” Adley said.
“Popcorn,” Jude muttered.
“Has your craziness been wearing off on her?” Karmen asked Alice.
“I’m gonna throw my sandal at her if she changes her mind,” Alice threatened.
Adley took a deep breath. “Ask me.”
“I was trying to,” Mason laughed. He tucked the box in his pocket and held the ring up to Adley. “Adley Marie, will you marry me?”
“YES!” Adley screamed and threw herself at Mason. He caught her and managed to not drop the ring.
“That was a nail-biter,” Cora muttered.
“As if she was going to say n-n-no,” Eden stammered.
“I think she should put the ring on before he drops it,” Wren suggested.
Mason managed to slip the ring on her finger, and Adley held her hand up in the air as if she had just won the Super Bowl.
Wendy was in tears, babbling about being a grandma and planning a wedding at the same time.
Everyone was talking at once, and no one was really listening to anyone.
Ender leaned down and kissed the side of my head. “About damn time.”
I smiled. “I’m really happy for them.”
He nodded to the camera that was mounted above the front door. “Mac is going to be happy as hell, too, with all of the footage she just got.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That should make up for Wrecker cutting off most of her recording.”
The celebration moved into the clubhouse with Alice and Karmen manning the bar, and Mom headed to the kitchen to make the popcorn Jude wanted so badly.
But exhaustion hit me hard.
I yawned, and Ender was instantly ready to get out of there. “Ready for bed?” he asked.
“It’s barely eleven,” I laughed.
He threaded his fingers through mine. “I think we can sneak away.”
He pulled me down the hallway, into our room, and shut the door.
“Is it really over?” I asked softly.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “They’re gone. They’ll never touch you. Or the club.”
I turned and kissed him gently. “So… normal now?”
He laughed quietly. “As normal as it gets around here.”
I smiled against his lips. “Just like I always wanted.”