Chapter Thirteen
MARLEY
The Next Day
The rumble of Nitro’s Harley vibrates through my entire body as we pull up to the Las Vegas Defiance clubhouse.
I’m suddenly acutely aware that I’m about to walk into his world wearing jeans that feel too tight and a vintage AC/DC T-shirt that seemed like a good idea this morning but now feels inadequate.
My hands tighten around his waist, and I press my forehead against the leather of his cut, inhaling the scent of motor oil, leather, and something distinctly him. The bike slows, then stops, and the sudden silence after the engine cuts feels deafening.
“You okay back there, Small Town?” His voice rumbles through his chest, and I feel it everywhere.
I lift my head, my heart hammering against my ribs as if it’s trying to escape. “Define okay.”
He swings his leg over the bike with that effortless grace that shouldn’t be possible for a man his size, then turns to help me off. His hands span my waist, lifting me like I weigh nothing, and when my feet hit the ground, he doesn’t immediately let go.
“They’re gonna love you,” he says, his voice dropping to that low register that makes my insides turn to liquid.
“You don’t know that.”
“I know them. And I know you.” His thumb traces a small circle against my hip through my shirt, probably unconsciously, definitely driving me insane. “Trust me, Marley.”
The door to the clubhouse swings open before I can respond, and a woman steps out onto the pavement. She’s stunning in that effortless way that makes me simultaneously want to be her but also hide behind Nitro’s massive frame at the same time.
Dark hair, leather jacket, and an air of confidence that radiates from her like heat.
This must be Victoria.
Sin’s Old Lady.
The First Lady of Las Vegas Defiance.
“You must be Marley,” she calls out, her smile genuine and warm as she walks toward us. “I’m Victoria. I’ve heard so much about you.”
My stomach flips. “All good things, I hope?”
“Nitro barely talks about anyone,” she says, stopping in front of us. Her eyes flick to where Nitro’s hands are still on my waist, and her smile turns upward. “So, the fact that he’s mentioned you at all says volumes.”
Nitro finally releases me, but his hand finds the small of my back instead. “Don’t scare her off before she even gets inside, Vicks.”
“Who, me?” Victoria’s laugh is bright and genuine. “Come on. Everyone’s dying to meet you.”
I follow them through the doors that look oddly the same as the main doors of a casino, and the clubhouse swallows me whole.
This is sooo not what I expected.
The main room is massive with high ceilings.
There’s a long bar along one wall, pool tables in the corner, and comfortable-looking sofas scattered around.
And I smirk as I realize this building, their clubhouse, was once an old casino.
Rock music plays from speakers I can’t see, something classic that I vaguely recognize but can’t name.
And everywhere, there are people.
Big, intimidating men in leather cuts with Las Vegas Defiance patches. Women who look as if they belong in a magazine spread. The energy is electric, alive, and I suddenly feel tiny.
“Nitro!” A woman with wild hair and more chains around her neck than I can count bounds over like an overexcited puppy. “Is this her? Please tell me this is her!”
“Ro, breathe,” Nitro says, but there’s affection in his tone.
Ro ignores him completely, focusing on me with an intensity that’s both flattering and slightly terrifying. “You’re even prettier than he described. I mean, he said you were gorgeous, but damn, girl. Those curves? That hair? I’m in love.”
“I…” Heat floods my face. “Thank you?”
“Ro is our head club girl,” Victoria explains, shooting Ro a look that clearly says ‘behave.’ “And she has no filter.”
“Filters are for coffee and Instagram,” Ro says cheerfully. “I’m just honest. Speaking of which, Nitro, when are you going to admit you’re completely gone for this woman?”
“Ro,” Nitro growls, but there’s no real heat behind it.
A massive man with kind eyes appears at Ro’s elbow, grabbing her by the back of her shirt like she’s a misbehaving kitten.
“All right, that’s enough terrorizing the new girl.
Give her a chance to breathe. I’m Bear,” he says to me, his voice a low rumble that matches his name.
He extends a hand, and when I shake it, his grip is gentle despite his size.
He gives me a single nod, and somehow, that simple gesture feels like approval.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I manage, my voice steadier than I feel.
A man materializes beside Bear, so quietly that I actually jump. He’s just as hot as the others, but he has a toothpick between his teeth, and there’s something almost ethereal about the way he moves.
“Ghost,” he says, offering a slight smile. “If you ever need anything tech-related, I’m your guy. Computers, phones, security systems. Anything.”
“Thank you,” I say, charmed by the unexpected offer.
Another man approaches, and my breath catches. He’s enormous with traditional Polynesian tattoos covering his arms, and there’s an intensity to him that’s different from the others. More protective. More assessing.
“Koa,” Nitro says. “Ease up, brother. You’re making her nervous.”
“Good,” Koa replies, but his expression softens slightly as he looks at me. Then he glances at Nitro, and something passes between them. Some unspoken conversation ends with Koa extending his hand, then he breaks into a wide, glowing smile. “ ‘So what can I say except you’re welcome.’ ”
I shake his hand, a slow smile crossing my face. “Did you just quote Maui from Moana?”
He bursts out laughing, a big belly laugh that makes all that intimidation from before wash off him.
He points at me, smiling as if he were the Hawaiian demigod himself.
“I like you!” He slaps my shoulder so hard I almost fall over, Nitro steadying me as I feel as though I just passed some test I didn’t know I was taking.
Everyone else chuckles, and I can’t help but smile up at this big goofball of a man, who was clearly messing with me.
I instantly like him too.
“Where’s Sin?” Nitro asks Victoria.
“Chapel,” she replies. “He’s on a call, should be wrapping up soon.”
“Chapel?” I ask.
“Club meeting room,” Nitro explains. “Only patched members are allowed in meetings, and Sin does most club business in there. Shouldn’t be much longer.”
A man who can only be described as chaos incarnate strides over, grinning like he knows every secret in the universe and finds them all hilarious.
“Deek,” he announces, not bothering with a handshake. Instead, he looks me up and down with exaggerated appreciation. “Now I understand why Nitro’s been walking around like a lovesick teenager. You are a goddamn smoke show, Marley.”
“Jesus Christ,” Nitro mutters.
“What? I’m complimenting her,” Deek protests. “I’m being a gentleman.”
“You wouldn’t know a gentleman if he hit you with his white gloves,” a voice says from behind me.
I turn to find a young woman, maybe nineteen, with soft features and an even softer smile. She’s holding a plate of what looks like homemade cookies, and there’s something instantly endearing about her.
“Millie,” Nitro says warmly. “This is Marley.”
“Hi,” Millie says, her voice shy but genuine. She extends the plate. “I made cookies. Would you like one?”
“I would love one,” I say, taking a chocolate chip cookie that looks as if it belongs in a magazine. “These look amazing.”
“She’s an incredible baker,” Victoria says, slipping her arm around Millie’s shoulders. “She’s going to open her own bakery someday.”
Millie blushes, but before she can respond, I notice a young man hovering near the bar. He’s watching Millie with an intensity that makes my chest ache, but every time she glances in his direction, he looks away.
“Who’s that?” I ask quietly, nodding toward him.
“Will,” Nitro says, following my gaze. “He’s a prospect.”
“And he’s clearly got it bad for Millie,” I whisper into Nitro’s ear.
Nitro’s lips curve into a small smile. “Yeah. But it’s complicated.”
“Because of the club?”
“Because Millie’s father, Jonas, works with the club. Will doesn’t want to mess that up by pursuing her. He thinks it could jeopardize the business relationship.”
I watch Will watching Millie, and my heart twists. The longing in his expression is so raw, so vulnerable, and Millie keeps glancing at him, too, as though she’s trying to solve a puzzle she can’t quite figure out.
“That’s heartbreaking,” I murmur.
“Yeah,” Nitro agrees. “But Will’s a good man. He’ll figure it out eventually.”
The door to what must be the Chapel opens, and Sin files out. His presence is commanding even in a room full of intimidating bikers. He spots us and makes his way over, Victoria immediately gravitating toward him like a magnet.
“Marley,” he says, extending his hand. “Good to finally meet you. Nitro hasn’t shut up about you.”
“He exaggerates,” Nitro says, as I shake Sin’s hand.
“I really don’t,” Sin replies, his heterochromatic eyes assessing me in a way that’s protective rather than threatening. “Welcome to Las Vegas Defiance.”
“Come on,” Victoria says, linking her arm through mine. “The guys need to go have a meeting, and we old ladies are going to hang out. I’ll show you around.”
“I’m not an Old Lady, though?” I state as she guides me toward a different part of the clubhouse.
“Not yet, honey… not yet,” she chimes, winking back at Nitro as she drags me away from him.
We settle onto a comfortable sofa in a quieter corner of the clubhouse, and Ro and Millie join us, along with two other women I haven’t met yet.
“Ladies,” Victoria says, gesturing to me with a flourish. “This is Marley. Marley, meet Gia and Jessa, the other souls brave enough to put up with these knuckleheads.”
The woman with warm brown skin and curves for days grins at me, waving a freshly painted nail. “I’m Gia. And ignore Ro if she tries to recruit you for anything questionable.”