Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Rain
I don’t know why I’m nervous. I have been to club parties before, but this is my first official one as Ridge’s wife. The first one where I will be there like the old ladies, but not truly one of them.
I guess I’m worried they will treat me differently.
Taking a deep breath, I head inside. As soon as I step through the doors, my worry fades away.
It reminds me of my first club party. I was eighteen, and Dad finally said I could come. Everyone is drinking and chatting. The vibes are positive. It feels like a good time.
“There you are, girlie,” Prairie greets me, putting his arm around my shoulders.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t think you showed up to these things anymore.”
He laughs. “Tonight is a special night. This place looks great, right? They did a good job.”
I look around and take in the place. It does look better than before. Originally, the club bought the place and did minor renovations, but left much of the original aesthetic of the place.
Not anymore. They rebuilt everything, and it looks amazing. The colors of the club, blue and green to symbolize nature, fill the room, making it feel more like an outdoor sanctuary than a bar.
Add in the hand-painted photos from local artists covering the walls, and it feels like this place is where the Mountain River brothers belong.
It almost feels like where I belong.
I let that sink in for a moment. I could make this place my home. These people would be my family.
I look around the room until my eyes land on him.
Ridge.
I am his wife, after all. What would it look like if we didn’t divorce? If I were here and on his arm, because this was real.
He looks up, eyes meeting mine. The smile that spreads on his face has my body feeling odd, almost like it likes his attention.
I break eye contact and turn to Prairie.
“It looks great. Really represents the club.”
“You would know. You’ve been a member since you were born.
You know, I remember when Mustang brought you home.
He was so happy to have a daughter. Most of the guys ribbed him about not having a son, but he said a daughter was better.
She would be beautiful and could shank you with a knife.
He always wanted this club to be your home. ” He squeezes my shoulders.
“It always did feel like home until he died. I don’t know why that changed, but it’s like I don’t feel like I belong anymore. He was my connection to the club, and it’s gone,” I admit to him.
He rests his head against the side of mine. “None of these people feel that way. I sure as hell don’t. You are like a niece to me. A sister to many of them. You are part of this club, whether you want to be or not. Maybe it’s time you remember that and start embracing it.”
With that tidbit of information, he leaves me, meandering back to the bar. I watch him go, wondering if this has all been in my head the whole time. I really thought I needed to leave, but was it because I didn’t belong here, or was I running from the grief I don’t want to face?
“There you are. You look gorgeous.” Aspen wraps her arm through mine, leading me closer to where Ridge is.
I’m not sure I’m ready to greet him yet. I almost pump the brakes and tell Aspen to let me go, but then she veers off the path and leads me to Maggie instead.
“I found our girl. Look at this outfit.”
I look down at myself. It’s nothing fancy. A pair of tight black jeans paired with an off-the-shoulder tee from the J. Giles Band concert my dad took me to when I was fifteen.
Maggie smiles warmly at me. “You look good. Never heard of that band, though. You’ll have to show me their music sometime.”
“It’s classic rock, but yeah. Maybe we can have a jam session where we all share our favorite music. I am always looking for new songs to add to my playlist.”
I peek over and find Ridge already looking at me. I mouth, “What?” to him, wondering why he is staring.
I watch his mouth move as he says, “Nothing.”
I shake my head and focus back on the girls. Or at least I try to.
After my talk with Prairie, I keep thinking about how different my life could be if I changed my thinking. What if this place really is where I am meant to be?
My eyes keep finding Ridge unbidden. Surprisingly, every time they do, he is already looking at me. It’s almost like he is as drawn to me as I am to him.
Which is weird because I don’t like him. Is this leftover from the days when I did everything I could to avoid him? Or is it a sense of obligation? I’m his wife now, so I should be at his side, shouldn’t I?
Then again, Maggie and Aspen aren’t at their men’s side either.
When I look back at the girls in question, they are sharing a look like they are keeping a secret.
“Why do you guys keep looking at each other like that?” I ask Maggie and Aspen.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maggie lies.
“You’re imagining it. Do you need another drink?” Aspen asks.
I look down at my cup and see it’s still full before I look back up at her.
“Cut the shit. What’s going on?” I press.
Before they can answer, Panther’s whistle cuts through the air, getting everyone’s attention.
“Everyone, we have something important to announce,” Panther says, making the guys cheer.
Ridge comes up next to me and takes my drink from my hand and passes it to Aspen before helping me stand.
“What the hell?” I ask quietly.
Ridge ignores my outrage as he grabs my hand, pulling me toward Panther.
“Come on,” he mutters under his breath.
“What’s happening?” I hiss.
Ridge doesn’t answer me, but comes to a stop next to Panther, my hand still in his.
“Ridge, the floor is yours,” Panther says, taking a step back.
I watch as Ridge rolls his shoulders back and stands tall. Dread rolls through me. I don’t know how I know, but I know that something monumental is about to happen.
“Everyone knows that Rain’s and my relationship has been less than conventional.
In fact, it’s been downright volatile at times,” he says, making everyone laugh.
“Things have changed, though. We live together. We’re married in the eyes of the law.
” He takes a deep breath. “And now, in front of all our brothers, our family, it’s time I officially make her my old lady. ”
Shock rushes through me as Aspen steps forward. I watch as he takes a jacket from her, and he turns it to show me the back.
Property of Ridge.
Property of…
My heart races as my vision goes white around the edges.
This can’t be happening.
We are married only on paper. Our marriage isn’t real, and he’s making me his old lady. Something he will never be able to take back. He only gets one claim in his life, and he just chose me.
The girl who has gone out of her way to make his life a living hell. The one who, at one point, would have gnawed her own leg off rather than be stuck in a room with him.
He wants me as his old lady.
My stomach churns as the words sink in.
Fuck.
Our friends cheer around us as he slips the jacket around me. The guys come forward and slap him on the back as the women come over to me and start congratulating me on my promotion.
“Congratulations!” Maggie says as she throws her arms around me.
“Damn. ‘Property of’ almost looks as good on you as it does me,” Aspen teases.
“I never thought this day would come. Your dad would be so proud,” Kim, Prairie’s wife, adds.
Meanwhile, as the women talk, I stand frozen in disbelief, almost as if I’m paralyzed.
What the fuck just happened?
Ridge
She’s angry. I can feel the heat radiating off her.
She forces a smile as she accepts everyone flocking to her, but I can see it. She is about to blow.
Grabbing her arm, I wave everyone off.
“I’d like a minute alone with my old lady. You understand, right?”
All the guys throw out jokes and dirty comments while the women give Rain a knowing look.
We aren’t sneaking off for a quickie, though. No, I’m taking her somewhere so that she can chew my ass out in private.
Thankfully, she doesn’t pull away. She allows me to pull her down the hall and into a supply closet. I see Yak is already occupying the place with a woman I have never seen.
“Out. Now,” I growl at him.
He turns and sees us.
“Oh shit. I missed it, didn’t I? Did I win the pot?” he asks as he does up his pants.
“Did you not hear him? Get the fuck out, Yak. Before I castrate you in front of your lady friend,” Rain hisses at him.
That gets him moving. He pulls the woman from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Rain tears off the jacket and tosses it on the ground, which has my own anger rising.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she screams.
I bend to pick the jacket up, dusting it off before I set it on a shelf next to me.
“You don’t ever let your patch touch the ground. You know that.” I step toward her.
“Yeah, well, you disrespected me by not informing me that you planned to take me as your old lady. Old lady, Ridge. That’s for life.
You will be tied to me for the rest of your fucking life.
Unless I die first. Is that what you are counting on?
That I will get sick and die so you can petition for a second old lady on the basis that your first one died? ”
My stomach rolls. “Fuck you for saying that. I don’t want you dead.
I have spent every moment since I met you trying to keep you alive and out of trouble.
As for petitioning for a new old lady, it won’t ever fucking happen.
I don’t want another old lady. It will only ever be you, whether you live or die. So get that through your thick skull.”
She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief.
“You really are a bastard, aren’t you? Taking all my choices away. Not confiding in me. This is supposed to be a marriage, but it’s a farce. It always has been. You don’t respect me, nor do you like me, and lord knows my hatred for you only grows.”
Her words burn like coal in the fiery pit of my stomach.
“Hate? You can hate me all you want, but now you are my old lady. You have protections that even Mustang couldn’t have given you.
No matter where you run to or what you do, you will always belong to this club.
There is no getting away from that. You have one thing wrong, though, Rain.
I don’t dislike you. Far from it.” I move closer to her until she backs into the door.
“I might have rejected you when you were a teen because I didn’t see you as anything but Mustang’s little girl, but my eyes are wide open now, and you aren’t that little girl anymore, are you? ”
“Ridge, what are you doing? Get away from me.”
I lean in, brushing my lips on her cheek until they reach her ear.
“Hate me. Hit me. Do whatever you want to me, but never disrespect this club again. You don’t want to wear your patch, fine, but don’t you ever let it touch the ground again.”
She pushes my chest, so I step away from her.
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it if I do?”
I give her a lazy smirk. “Test me, little wife, and you will find out.”
Gently moving her aside, I open the door and slip out before shutting it behind me.
Rain might not want to be my old lady, but I refuse to let her push this club away. Like it or not, she has always been a Mountain River woman. I only made it official.
Moving down the hall, I step back into the main room of the bar. Eagle and Wolf see me, gesturing me over.
“Where’s the missus? I know you didn’t go bang it out.” Eagle keeps his tone low.
“Stewing in her anger in the supply room. I don’t think she will make a scene, but she isn’t happy,” I tell him.
He nods. “Good. We have appearances to keep up. We know this has all been a sham, but the whole club doesn’t.”
“I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground. No one has said a word,” Wolf confirms.
“Good.”
I tap on the bar, taking the beer when it is passed over to me. Then I open it, downing it in one go.
“Maybe you should take it a bit easy,” Eagle starts.
“Tonight is going to be hell. Why would I do that?” I mutter.
Wolf smirks before pointing. “That’s why.”
When I turn around, I find Rain downing a shot as she climbs up onto a table to dance.
“Fuck.”
I let out a sigh as I turn back to the new bartender we hired.
“Give me a glass of water and cut her off sooner rather than later,” I tell the woman.
She nods. “You got it.”
“Having any regrets yet?” Eagle asks.
As I stare at Rain, dancing her life away as she shoots a glare in my direction, I note the jacket on her back.
She’s angry at me and lashing out, but she’s wearing the jacket. Not once have I ever thought a “Property of” patch has looked good on someone until now.
Until her.
When she looks over, she shoots me a glare that would make a lesser man run for the hills.
She’s all fire and ice, and I fucking love it.
I smile at her, then tip my glass as if I’m saying, “Cheers.”
“Not a single one,” I tell the guys.
I mean it too.
Rain is a wild one, but she’s worth every scar I’ll earn along the way.