Chapter 45
“The shower isn’tbig enough for both of us,” I protested as Bones closed the door to the minuscule bathroom.
“We’ll fit.” He winked at me and leaned closer. “You didn’t think I’d fit inside of you, but we made that work, didn’t we?”
A flush stained my cheeks, which only made him laugh and steal his arm around my shoulders and haul me toward him. “Still shy, huh? Guess we have some more work to do.”
He let me go and bent to turn on the shower. I watched him fiddle with the knobs, a frown marring my face when I saw his raw knuckles. I scanned the rest of his body—the part that I could see anyway—and noticed the light discoloration marring the side of his ribs.
“What the—” I grabbed his arm and urged him to turn so I could give him a full examination. “What is this?”
“What’s what?” He rubbed his stubbly jaw with his rough hand.
“Don’t,” I snapped. “You know what. Have you been fighting? You have been fighting. Your knuckles are red and in a few hours, you’re going to have some wicked bruises.”
When he didn’t reply, I shook my head. “Wait a second. I woke up last night and you were gone. I fell asleep on the couch. This morning, I woke up in your bed. How did I get there?”
“Get in the shower, Duchess. I’m running down your leg.”
“You don’t get to distract me.”
“I’m not trying to distract you. I’m trying to embarrass you, so you stop asking me questions.”
“Royce Dalton, answer me.”
“You’re hot when you’re scolding me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. It was hard to look fearsome in a towel, but I tried anyway.
“I went out last night,” he admitted.
“Uh huh.”
“I came back and you were asleep on the couch. I carried you up to bed.”
“And in between you leaving and coming back, where did you go?”
He raised his hand and gently placed it on my chest, in the spot between my collar bones. Bones inched his hand up to my neck and gently wrapped his fingers around my throat and gave it a light squeeze.
My breath hitched and my heart fluttered in my chest. “Bones…”
His head dipped as he was getting ready to kiss me. “Yeah, Duchess?”
“Tell me where you were last night.”
His grip remained, a hand necklace around my throat. My stomach summersaulted with the idea that he could overpower me.
Take me.
Make me his.
“I was at The Ring and I was sparring with Raze.”
He paused, waiting for me to speak.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” I asked. “Why the big show of not wanting to tell me?”
“I wasn’t sure how you were going to react. I left in the middle of the night; you woke up alone. I knew you were safe here, but I just—I was going out of my mind. I had to channel that rage somewhere. And I didn’t want you to see it. So, I took it out on Raze at The Ring.”
My fingers brushed along his ribcage with his blooming bruises. “I’d say he gave as good as he got.”
“Can’t ask a brother to vent and not fight back.” Before I could say anything else he captured my lips with his and squeezed his hand around my neck. Desire fluttered through my body, and I was hungry for him again. “Let’s shower,” he murmured, pulling back. “And then I’ll find a way to occupy you for the next two days so you don’t go crazy.”
“I can’t have sex for two days nonstop,” I stated. “I need to be able to walk.”
He grinned. “You sure about that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
“Well, lucky for you, I have some other things on the agenda.”
“Such as?”
“I’m gonna teach you how to handle a pistol.”
My hand shot out to palm his erection over the towel. “I can handle one just fine.”
Bones grasped the back of my neck and hauled me toward him. “Prove it.”
“Hot damn, Duchess,” Bones said, looping his arm around me as we headed back toward the clubhouse. “You’re badass.”
I looked up at him and grinned. “Impressed you with my marksmanship, did I?”
“Regular sniper in the making.” His grin suddenly lost its sparkle.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Well, not nothing. Darcy’s husband was a sniper. Just a reminder that he’s gone. Fuck, he’s gone and it hasn’t been long since we buried him.”
We tromped across the autumn grass, the sun shining down on us as he talked about loss. That was the way of it, apparently. People died, seasons changed, the world moved on even if you were still stuck in it.
“How are the kids doing?” I asked softly. “I feel terrible not asking about them but there’s been so much going on.”
“Lily’s still not talking,” Bones said. “Boxer doesn’t know what to do. Cam’s angry at the world and pissed that he’s on crutches. Just a shit time for them.”
I bit my lip, not wanting to mention Doc’s news that she was pregnant, unsure if she’d even told her husband yet. “And Doc? How’s she doing?”
“She took a step back at the clinic,” Bones stated. “Which is probably killing her. It’s her pride and joy, you know? But she doesn’t want Lily and Cam to feel even more abandoned with her working all the time. Boxer said she burnt a batch of cookies and then begged Brooklyn for help.”
He shot me an errant grin. “She’s trying. They’re all trying to find a new normal.”
“It takes time,” I said.
“How long did it take you?” he asked.
I held up my hand and crossed my fingers. “Any day now.”
He hugged me tighter.
“So, I’m a good shot, huh?” I asked, wanting to steer the conversation in a lighter direction.
“Damn good shot.”
His compliment warmed me from the inside out. Bones made me feel far more capable than I thought of myself being.
“How do you see me, Bones?”
“What do you mean?”
I sighed. “I mean, we all have our self-image, don’t we? But it rarely matches how other people see us.”
“Why does it matter how I see you?”
“You’re marrying me. You want kids with me. But how do you see me?”
He stopped walking, forcing me to stop too. Bones placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me toward him.
“I see a woman who is coming out of her shell. I see a woman who is stronger than she gives herself credit for. I see a woman who loves fiercely, but who takes her time to open up and allow others in. I see a woman who loves with her whole heart. I see a woman who shut out the world because her heart was so soft she didn’t know how to protect it. I see a woman who laughs with her whole body. I see a woman who’s scared, but no longer wants to hide. I see a woman who’s ready to face the truth, even if it means her entire world comes tumbling down.”
I swallowed. “And if it does come tumbling down? What then?”
He cradled my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. “Then I’ll be there beside you to help you pick up the pieces.”
I sighed. “I’m not alone.”
“You’re not alone.”
“Bones!” a voice called.
We turned in the direction of the sound. Raze stood at the fence line. “Prez called church.”
“Be right there!” Bones called back. He dropped his hand and then grasped my palm, and we tromped the rest of the way.
“Oh my God!” I gasped when I saw Raze.
“What?” he asked.
“Your eye!”
“Oh, yeah.” Raze shrugged.
I whirled to Bones. “You hit your friend in the face? I thought you guys were just venting.”
My gaze bounced from Bones to Raze and back to Bones.
“It’s all good.” Bones said. “Isn’t it, Raze?”
“Absolutely. It’s not even a thing,” Raze said.
I glared at him and whirled to look at Raze, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Bones even as he’d spoken. “Raze?”
Raze’s attention slid to me. “Yeah?”
“You really okay?” I asked.
“We’re brothers,” Raze stated, and then looked at Bones. “Come on, man. Prez is waiting.”
“See you in a few, Duchess,” Bones said as he followed his brother toward the shed.
I went inside the clubhouse and heard the smattering of conversation coming from the living room. Mia and Sutton were sitting on the couch, but they both stopped talking when they saw me.
“Hey,” Mia greeted, shooting up from her seat. She came to me and enveloped me in a quick hug. “How are you?”
I frowned. “Why do you ask?”
Mia and Sutton exchanged a look. “Colt told me you and Bones are getting married—and why.”
“That wasn’t his business to tell,” I stated.
“Don’t be mad,” Sutton said. She turned toward me but didn’t get up.
“You know too?” I asked.
“Yes, but only because we want to help,” Sutton said. “We want to give you a wedding. If you’ll let us.”
“And there’s a code among us,” Mia said. “We help our own. And you’re an Old Lady now, so sometimes that means knowing things we probably shouldn’t know. Bones thought you might want a wedding, even knowing it won’t be the one you had in mind.”
My defensive posture softened. “Sorry. I’m so used to keeping stuff to myself—or only telling Charlie. I’m not used to having people know about my life. I didn’t mean to?—”
“Forget it. So, will you let us throw you a wedding?” Mia asked.
I smiled gently. “Will you be offended if I say no?”
“Kinda, yeah,” Sutton pouted.
“I know you’re trying to help, and God, I can’t even begin to tell you what it means to me. But my best friend can’t be at my wedding, and neither can my mother, so I’d rather not have one.”
“Can we at least throw you a party?” Sutton asked. “It’s not every day a brother makes a woman his Old Lady.”
Mia snorted. “Lately, that’s not really true. In the last few months, we’ve had Duke and Willa, you and Viper, Logan and Smoke, and now Hayden and Bones.”
“Okay, but it’s still something to celebrate,” Sutton pointed out. “And God knows we need more reasons to celebrate.”
“If I say yes, can we please keep it mellow?” I asked.
“Just a bonfire with a barbecue,” Mia promised. “It’s easy to put together. Nothing fancy.”
“That would be okay with me,” I said.
“Good, now that that’s settled, did your men leave in the middle of the night too and not tell you where they were going?” Sutton asked.
I frowned. “I woke up to Bones gone. He told me he went to The Ring to work out some of his anger. I got a good look at Raze’s face—he took a beating from Bones, apparently.”
Mia didn’t reply.
“You know something,” Sutton accused.
“I might know something,” she said slowly.
“And you’re not supposed to tell,” Sutton stated. “This isn’t the first time you’ve known something and kept it to yourself.”
Mia glared at her. “I’m the president’s wife. Sometimes I know things that you don’t get to know. Not until it’s the right time, anyway.”
“Now’s the right time,” Sutton stated. “Viper came home and fucked me into oblivion when I tried to ask questions. I’d like to know why—and what he’s keeping from me.”
An image of this morning flashed through my brain. My cheeks instantly heated.
Mia looked in the direction of the hallway, as if she was waiting for Colt and the other bikers to appear. When it was clear we were still alone, she looked at the two of us. “You keep this to yourselves, okay?”
Sutton and I nodded.
Mia sighed. “Those bikers you saw at Spurs the night of Sutton’s bachelorette party? Well, they’ve been showing their faces on Tarnished Angels turf. The boys went to…investigate.”
“Investigate,” I repeated. Understanding dawned. “You mean they went looking for a fight?”
Mia nodded. “Yeah. Viper, Raze, Bones, Kelp and Colt went to deal with them.”
“Run them out of town, you mean?” Sutton guessed.
“Yes. But also to find out what the hell they’re doing here,” Mia explained. She looked at me. “There are two prominent MC clubs in Waco. We stick to our side. The Jackals stick to theirs. These guys…they aren’t from here. The boys found out they’re scoping out the city to see if they can move in and set up shop.”
“Who are they?”
“Hopeless Souls MC, from Nebraska.”
“Why didn’t Bones just tell me the truth? Why would he tell me he was working out his anger at The Ring?” I asked.
“Old Ladies aren’t supposed to know about club business,” Mia said slowly. “Though that’s been changing over the past few months.”
“Guess the brothers becoming family men isn’t the only change,” Sutton stated. “It still doesn’t make sense why Viper wouldn’t tell me.”
“Probably didn’t want to upset you—in your condition,” Mia said. “I don’t know. Sometimes I want to know everything Colt talks about in church. Other times, I wish I could stay in the dark. But with the club direction changing…” She shrugged.
“You don’t think the Hopeless Souls are going to come back, do you?” Sutton asked.
“I hope not,” Mia stated. “Our club is just getting out of the thick of it. I don’t want us involved in that kind of business anymore.”
“The thick of what?” I asked.
“Things we want distance from,” Mia averred. “Now what food are we going to have at this wedding barbecue?”
“Hey,” Bones said, taking a seat next to me on the far side of the bonfire.
“Hey,” I greeted, not taking my eyes off the dancing flames.
The sky was overcast and we couldn’t see the stars. It was chillier than I would’ve liked, but the fire had been roaring for hours and kept the nip at bay.
Without another word, he reached over and took my hand in his. He lifted his bottle of beer to his lips.
The kids had been put to bed and the rest of us were celebrating my union with Bones.
Earlier that day, we’d met with Vance who’d had a justice of the peace marry us after our mandatory three-day waiting period. We’d signed our marriage license in front of two brothers from the club as witnesses, and then I’d called Oliver and asked him to inform the board about an emergency meeting tomorrow morning. Vance had sent a copy of our marriage license to the company attorney and Oliver, and both of them had been instructed not to tell anyone what the meeting was about.
My mother hadn’t stopped texting since she’d met Bones at the gala. After bailing on Sunday dinner, I’d lied and told her that Bones had surprised me with a quick romantic getaway out of town for a few days. She would find out it was all a lie when she saw us at the board meeting tomorrow morning.
That’s when I would inform the board about a changing of the guard.
“The cupcakes were good,” Bones informed me. “Especially the chocolate ones.”
“Hmm.”
He squeezed my fingers before letting them go. “You’re thinking about tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow my entire life changes,” I stated.
“It didn’t change today?” he inquired.
“Today? You mean when I became Hayden Spencer Dalton?” I shot him a tender smile.
“I like you with my last name.”
“I haven’t even practiced my new signature.” I shook my head. “It’s going to be insane tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” He placed his hand on my thigh. “But tomorrow, we move in together. Tomorrow, we get to celebrate.”
I touched his face. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate.”
He turned his head to kiss my palm. “It’s my wedding too, you know. I wanted to have a celebration with my wife.”
Wife.
I looked down at my ring finger. Bones had pulled out a thin gold band and slid it onto my finger while we said our wedding vows.
“I thought men hated weddings,” I teased.
“I got off easy,” he quipped. “But I want to take you out tomorrow night. We deserve that, at least.”
“All right. We’ll go out.”
“Good, because I already made reservations at Holliday’s.”
“The steakhouse?”
He leaned forward and grinned. “They’ve got other things too. But just in case, I already called and informed the chef I’d like something special made just for you.”
“Aren’t you sweet.” I scooted my chair closer and leaned my head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry I’m so sad.”
“Don’t be,” he said quietly. “I know why you are.”
“My wedding was always going to be bittersweet after losing my father. But I didn’t expect it to feel…like this.”
“You have regrets.”
I lifted my head so I could stare at him. Flames from the fire cast shadows along his jaw. “Yes, I have regrets. So many regrets. I regret that you never got a chance to propose to me the way you wanted. I regret that we didn’t get to stand up in front of friends and family and have a real ceremony. I regret that I didn’t get to wear my grandmother’s veil or shop for my wedding dress with my mother and Charlie. I regret that my dad isn’t alive to walk me down the aisle. I regret that it all turned out this way.”
His tone was vehement as he said, “Your stepfather did this. Him, and no one else. If you want a wedding, a real wedding, I’ll give it to you. We can have a do-over. Whatever you want. I just wanted to protect you. Even if that meant signing paperwork in my attorney’s office like it was all business. Sometimes that’s how it’s gotta be. But we’re together now. And I’m not sorry about that part. Not at all.”
My eyes filled with tears. “You’re just so…”
He smiled gently. “What am I?”
“The one that I need,” I said simply.
We stared at one another for a moment. He swallowed. “Hayden, there’s something that I should tell?—”
“Fuck yeah! Are you serious?” Boxer yelled in excitement.
Bones and I looked in the direction of Boxer and Doc.
She nodded.
He grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips.
“What’s that about?” Bones asked in curiosity.
Boxer pulled back, but only so that he could lift Doc into his arms and hug her tight. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.
I smiled. “Doc just told Boxer she’s pregnant.”