Chapter 18 #2
“Fine, fine. Let’s talk about our night out then. Can I invite Charlie?” I asked, hoping to take some pressure off Star.
“As long as she’s cool with it. You know, being out with club girls.”
I sighed, getting a little annoyed at the separation.
“Either of you ever fuck Bash?” I asked, and they both looked like I had slapped them.
“No!”
“Never!”
I arched an eyebrow, finding that a little hard to believe.
“Seriously, he was never interested in club girls. He, uh, had townies for that,” Roxie eventually said.
“Okay, great. Neither of you slept with Charlie’s brother AKA my boyfriend. Can we all be friends now?” I asked, and a sudden hush filled the room.
“Baby girl, really?” Bash’s voice rumbled from behind me.
I turned around to see a crowd of Brothers eyeing the scene before them, unsure whether to focus on the food laid out or the interaction between Bash and me.
“What? I’m trying to clear the air here so I can hang out with my friends,” I said, pointing at Roxie and Star. Bash rolled his eyes before coming over to pull me to him for a kiss.
“Sorry, let me back up. Hey, honey, what are you doing here?” he asked with a big smile on his face.
“I was trying to be nice and bring you all dinner,” I said, not enjoying his amusement at my expense.
“Enough of the soap opera. You’re blocking the food. Fee, did you get Hawaiian for me?” Match asked, before shoving past Bash to grab some slices. The rest of the Brothers converged on the pizzas, but Bash stayed where he was, arms around me.
“Thank you for coming by. Hated that I couldn’t pick you up from work,” he said softly, and I couldn’t help the warm tingle that ran through me.
“I didn’t like it too much, either, hence why I’m here. Hurry and make yourself a plate. I’ll save you a seat,” I replied as I looked over his shoulder, watching the enormous amount of food disappear at a rapid pace.
“Not yet. You still haven’t officially greeted me, hence you need to give me a proper kiss hello,” Bash said, causing my focus to shift to only him.
The husky timbre of his voice made me blush and hyperaware of all the people around us. Once I locked eyes with Bash, though, everything faded away. I stood up on my tiptoes, and his hand slid to the back of my neck as he kissed me like we hadn’t seen each other in months.
Any thoughts Id' had about holding back, trying to remain chaste in front of everyone, melted away as soon as he claimed my mouth.
“Get a room,” Match yelled, causing me to pull away from Bash, my face heating up. Rolling my eyes, I shoved him toward the food as I returned to my seat across from the girls.
“Damn, he has it bad,” Roxie said as I sat back down at the table.
“She’s not doing any better. They’re so cute.” Star sighed, leaning over to rest her head on Roxie’s shoulder. Shaking off the fog from Bash’s heated kiss, I focused on the two women eyeing me with indulgent smiles.
“You’re exaggerating. It’s just new and exciting,” I said, and they both laughed.
“You’re both completely gaga over each other. Never seen him like this before. He’s soft with you and really pays attention to you. It’s sweet,” Roxie said.
“You make him laugh. He’s been so serious since taking over as VP. You’re good for him,” Star added.
“He’s good for me too,” I replied, meaning the statement.
“Aw!” the two girls squealed. Soon, our table was filled as Match and Bash joined, then Bull made his way over, eliminating any extra space.
It was a fun night, and Bash kept me close the whole time. We went back to his house after that, and he spent the rest of the night showing me his appreciation.
After that day, I was finally getting comfortable in his world and all the new people it brought into my life. Our relationship was thriving, and my life was fuller than ever. Despite all the progress, I found myself increasingly frustrated in one area.
Halfway through the books from the various MC-owned businesses, nothing appeared out of place. I felt like I was letting the club down. They were trusting me with something huge that I should have been great at, and so far, I hadn’t come up with shit.
Deep down, I knew I wasn’t giving the books my full focus, distracted by my new relationship and all that came along with that. Between working on Bash’s farmhouse and my increased presence at the clubhouse, my downtime had severely diminished.
It felt like my social calendar was booked all the time now, with dates with Bash, girls’ nights with Charlie, even future outings with Star and Roxie.
The Reaper’s Guard wasn’t just a nebulous idea, a group I vaguely heard about but didn’t understand.
They didn’t just give me a window into their world; they welcomed me with open arms.
In the short time I had known them, they had done more for me than most people I had met throughout my lifetime.
That someone would take advantage of them, the trust they granted them when they hired them or patched them in, burned me.
Filled with renewed vigor, I dove into the remaining books, determined to find out who was fucking with my family.
Bash
Spending time away from Fiona was becoming increasingly more difficult.
As much as I liked her apartment, liked her personality all over the place, I hated the lack of consistency, the feeling of impermanence.
Sometimes, it felt like she was always on the verge of becoming just out of reach.
If I didn’t hold her tightly in my grasp, I would lose the best thing that had ever happened to me.
The most important rooms—the kitchen and master bed and bathroom—were almost done. We just needed to finish picking out decorations and shit. I wanted Fee to help with all of that because I wanted it to be her house, too. Sooner rather than later.
Life was better than I could have imagined. I had never really thought too hard about being in a serious relationship, had never felt the need to claim a woman as mine, making sure everyone knew to back off.
From the first moment I met Fee, I wanted her all to myself. It only proved to me even more that she was the one for me. I didn’t want a Brother to look at her twice. She was off-limits, even as a passing thought in their thick heads.
The Brothers wanted to give me shit, call me whipped, but most didn’t understand.
They didn’t know what it felt like, what it meant to have someone all to yourself.
To give yourself to someone, trust them to take care of the parts you were showing just to them.
I was proud to call Fiona mine, and I wanted anyone and everyone around me to know I was hers.
I was so far gone for the girl that it bordered on obsession, and I didn’t think she even realized. Fiona and I hadn’t really talked about the future or next steps. I knew what I wanted from her, but I didn’t want to scare her away.
Fee had to be tough, and was used to taking care of herself.
I was worried that if I told Fiona just how much I wanted from her, how much I wanted to take care of her, it would upset her.
The truth was, I wanted to tie her to me for the rest of our lives.
So, instead, I was trying to get her used to staying at the house more than her apartment.
I made sure to stock the kitchen with the foods and drinks Fee preferred.
Grocery shopping together was an interesting experience.
Fiona checked every price and every coupon, always choosing the store brands over more well-known companies.
She spent time looking longingly at items she didn’t put in the cart.
Fee liked to cook, and my kitchen was bigger than hers. I used that to my advantage, too, buying every top-of-the-line cooking and baking equipment available at the store. It was worth it to see how big Fiona’s eyes got when she saw the large set of Le Creuset bakeware Seph suggested I invest in.
Seeing Fiona at the clubhouse, watching her interactions with the Brothers, Old Ladies, and club girls was fascinating.
Fee had a quiet way about her; a shadow dweller who focused her energy on shining light on others.
Already, she had managed to pull herself and those around her out of their shells.
She had developed strong bonds with so many of my people, treating everyone the same, managing to find something in common with each person.
At first, I was hesitant about her burgeoning relationships with Roxie and Star. Never in my adult life had I been more grateful for the decision not to sample any of the club girls, not wanting to shit where you eat and all that. Hearing Fiona ask the women if we had slept together ate at me.
Panicked at first, even knowing that I hadn’t touched either woman, I hated the idea that Fee had to worry about it.
Meanwhile, I got to revel in the knowledge that I was her first and only.
I never wanted Fiona to feel insecure or wonder about other women.
I only had eyes for her. Anyone who came before her was nothing but a distant memory.
They could never hold a light to my girl.
My respect for Roxie and Star grew tenfold at their adamant responses that nothing had happened between us.
I knew other people, like Crow or Trish, would have jumped at the opportunity to stir shit up, unhappy with Fee’s high standing in the club after such a short time.
I was grateful they had embraced Fiona, helping her learn more about our world rather than scaring her away.
Fiona was everything I could have wanted in an Old Lady, and everything I didn’t know I needed in one. She had no idea the effects she had on everyone, making not just my life but my family’s life better.
Last Sunday dinner, Fiona in attendance, was a great example. After most of the meal was finished, everyone around the table was spending more time talking than eating, so I decided it was a good time to broach the topic of what to do with my house on the clubhouse land.