1. Olivia
1
OLIVIA
TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD
Ronny is moving back home.
I’m in shock because it’s felt like this day would never come. He just won the Stanley Cup as a hockey player and he is the best just at twenty-four years old.
We all had tickets, and I was so nervous for him as I stood right next to his family, holding my breath waiting for him to win.
Then he did.
I have never screamed louder in my life, been happier for someone, more than I have him. He has worked so hard to get to this point in his life, overcome so much, and he did it.
He chased his dream and he accomplished it.
My heart feels like it could burst anytime I think about it. Ronny has never gone back on his word since that day in the car when he declared himself to be mine.
Not once has he ever been in the media around another girl, never ever dated anyone.
He has waited for me and I waited for him. Over the years, I was scared the feelings he had for me would just go away, but they haven’t.
We wanted to wait until I finished collage and got my degree in social work, and I wanted to wait until he accomplished his dreams, and most of all…
He gave me the freedom to heal.
So that when the time came, I was ready. And I am. I have been through so much therapy in my life and I’m at peace with everything that’s happened to me, there is no longer any room in my life for my past.
My dad got remarried, to someone that was a victim of the cult. Maci is wonderful and she is the mother I always wanted. She has a little boy that she had while she was in the cult.
Even if we weren’t in the same town or even the same state, Ronny made sure I was protected. He had prospects on me if I had to travel by myself beyond anywhere local. I decided to attend the college the next town over, and he knew I was scared of being taken again, so he squashed those fears by having someone with me.
He has always thought of the small things, like he would have the prospect bring me breakfast and make sure my car was started on cold mornings.
Even though he wasn’t with me, he made sure I was taken care of. He built a house by the clubhouse, behind the gate with the others, and moved me in.
When he is home, he stays at his mom and dad’s. Ronny is a saint, and I honestly don’t think I deserve him.
I have nothing to really offer him, and sometimes it feels like it’s a dream and can’t be real that he would want me. Also, after all of this time, we haven’t had sex—the fact that he hasn’t had sex blows my mind.
I feel beyond special.
This can’t be real life, right? But here I am, staring at my phone because he told me he is coming home.
When he won the cup, we all ran out on the ice and I went straight to him. He lifted me off the ground, and what did I do?
I kissed him.
I kissed the hell out of him, after all of the years I have wanted to feel his lips against mine. He took over the kiss and kissed me back just as hard. The world around us disappeared, it was just us in that moment.
After an unknown amount of time, I pulled back after basically attacking him, and his eyes were lit with happiness. “You’re ready.” His voice was soft; I could hear his affection for me.
I rested my forehead against his, breathing him in. “I’m ready to be yours. It’s time, if you still want me,” I told him.
He cupped the back of my neck, holding me to him. “I have waited for you, the ball has been in your court, but now you’re mine.” He had a wicked look in his eyes. I let the monster out of the cage and now he had set his eyes on his prey.
Me.
“Yours,” I agreed with him because it’s the truth.
He smiled and kissed me once more, this time making the first move.
After that, he had to finish up some things and then he was coming home. He was retiring from sports to be a part of the MC full-time.
I got home yesterday and I thought it would take a couple of months to get things worked out, but no, he is on the plane right this moment to come home to me.
I’m nervous and scared, but it’s not because I fear him, it’s because after all of these years it’s actually happening and we will be starting this relationship for real.
Honestly, over the years, I thought he would get tired of me and just move on to someone else.
He has stood firm on what he told me years ago, though.
He has given me a house, paid for my schooling and all of the bills, and I never once touched him sexually or him me.
That day in the parking lot, he said my worth isn’t based on if I had sex with him or not. He proved that to me—he proved to me that he was determined to have me when it was time.
And it’s time.
I know without a doubt that a relationship would not have been possible back then because I was so broken from the abuse that was afflicted on me. I had PTSD so bad I would pass out from panic attacks, and my dad would find me lying in different parts of the house because something had triggered me.
I was terrified to start school, but no boy ever touched me at school or even came close because of Ronny and his friends. And when he graduated, he made sure I was escorted to and from class by someone.
He has spoiled me, taken care of me.
I dash around the beautiful home, cleaning and organizing everything to make it is as beautiful as I can, stressing myself out to make it all look perfect.
* * *
Ronny
Over the years, I have held myself back from going to her and making her mine. It’s been the hardest fucking thing I have ever done. She needed time to deal with the shit that happened to her when she was kidnapped as a child.
But it was worth it.
I watched her change year after year; the smile finally reached her eyes, she gained some weight that filled out her cheeks that were once so fucking hollow.
Her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes that haunt me at night when I think back to that fourteen-year-old girl terrified because her past caught up to her.
That night I made a promise to myself to protect her so she doesn’t ever have that haunted look in her eyes ever again.
I couldn’t leave fast enough after she ran to me on the ice, almost giving me a heart attack in fear of her falling then in shock when she wrapped her whole body around me, and for the first time, she kissed me. She kissed me and I knew that it was time.
It was time for me to make her officially mine, to go home and finally be with her, join my family in the MC, and build my hockey rink there so I can coach.
I will never forget the feeling of when my dad took me to get all my hockey gear then to the rink for the first time.
That was a huge moment in my life.
I had to learn to deal with the pain that my biological mother chose everything and everyone over me.
Women have thrown themselves at me, begged me to fuck them, and I never gave them a second glance because Olivia is meant to be mine. I’d rather cut off my own arms before I do anything to hurt her if I can help it.
I stayed in the game. While everyone partied, fucked different women every night, and drank until they passed out.
That wasn’t me.
I busted my ass to get the Stanley Cup, rising in the ranks until I was the best player on the ice.
It paid off.
I have more money than I know what to do with from my share of the club, my hockey career, and investments.
I was determined to take care of Olivia in any way I could. I made sure she didn’t have a single fucking bill and took care of everything.
Only thing left to do is to get my woman that I have waited years for.
Good things come to those who wait is the saying, and what I have waiting for me is the best.
* * *
Olivia
Eighteen Years Old (Memory/Flashback)
Today is the first day of college and I’m thrilled—though I’m not thrilled to ride the bus, but my dad has to work and he can’t miss any more days.
So, the bus it is, as much as it pains him and Maci. It’s been hard to finish the last two years of school without Ronny. He was my best friend and a major support system during high school.
“Olivia! There is someone outside for you,” Maci calls for me and I walk into the living room to see what is going on, but she is outside on the front porch.
I open the door and at the end of the porch is Ronny, holding a massive bouquet of flowers, but behind him is a brand-new Ford Bronco in the color robin egg blue that I fell in love with, but the surprising thing is there is a massive bow on the hood of the car.
I’m floored.
“Ronny! You’re home.” Forget the car, the flowers, I’m thrilled to have Ronny home. He laughs at my reaction as I run down the stairs to give him the biggest hug.
The second his arms wrap around me, my whole entire body sinks into him. I sigh, snuggling deeper, burying my face in his chest.
“You think I would miss you going off to college?” he asks me, and I giggle when he tilts my head back to kiss my forehead, much to my disappointment when it’s not my lips.
“Thank you for the flowers.” They’re smooshed against my chest where he’s holding me, so I take them from him and breathe in the scent. Something cold touches my nose and within the flowers is a set of keys.
Confused, I take them out and hold them up. “What?” I ask Ronny, and he smirks. He turns to the side, pointing to the Bronco. “Want to check out your new ride?”
I turn around to look at Maci, who is grinning from ear to ear, and I now know why my dad actually agreed to let me ride the bus—he knew I wasn’t going to be.
“How did you— Why did you?” I ask him in a rush, dumbfounded.
He smooths my hair back from my face. “You needed a car, and I needed you safe. I promised to take care of you, and I meant it. I also paid for your college.” He throws that last bit in causally like I won’t catch it.
Maci laughs and sits on the steps, rubbing her stomach. She is pregnant and my dad is over the moon happy about having another child.
I’m glad that they took the leap to be together. Maci took care of me and protected me as much as she could in the cult, so I already saw her as a maternal figure, and she stepped into the role easily when she got together with my dad.
“You didn’t have to do this, Ronny,” I tell him, feeling kind of guilty that he spent that much money on me all at once.
He gives me a look. “Darlin’, take the damn vehicle.” He closes my fingers around the keys, and I sigh, giving in.
That doesn’t stop the tears because it’s so sweet that he thought of me. “One last thing.” He reaches into his pocket and hands me a black Amex credit card. “You will buy whatever you want, you don’t need to work when you have enough shit with school to deal with.”
I start to argue with him because this is insane. Did he hit his head? This is not a normal thing you do—you give someone, like, a mug or something. Not a car.
Maci is just cracking up on the porch, my guess is it’s because of the look on my face, but it seems as if everyone is in on the secret but me.
That day since Ronny basically claimed me as his on the very first day of school, my father has been on his side, though he should be on his daughter’s. Right? But that is not the case at all.
I do secretly love the fact that they get along so well, it makes my heart happy to see my two favorite men in my life be friends.
“Let’s go take it on a short spin since you have extra time now.” He smirks and I run to Maci to hand her my beautiful flowers, and she carries them inside of us, waving at me.
My hands are unsteady, what if I make a fool of myself while driving? Because I’m nervous.
He opens the driver’s side door for me and I climb inside, beaming at the sight of the beautiful interior. I run my hands along the steering wheel in disbelief that this is actually mine.
I look at Ronny, who is still standing there watching me admire it. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
I just don’t feel like I deserve it, because what have I done to contribute to whatever this is? I can’t have sex—well, I can but I’m just now getting comfortable with my body again.
My first time was against my will. Most people lose their virginities to their high school sweethearts or someone they care about.
But I didn’t get that option.
I understand why he is giving me such slack and giving me a choice, because the things that happened to me were out of my control.
He is giving me time to learn to let go of the need to control everything, to trust him to have control.
I really don’t deserve this man.
“What’s the matter?” he asks me, putting his hand on my knee and pulling me from my depressing thoughts.
I swallow hard. What if he realizes that I’m not worth all of this trouble? His eyes are so beautiful, the blue and green swirls mesmerizing. “I just don’t think I’m worth all of this trouble.”
His eyes widen in shock, and he cups my face between his hands. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
I shrug, my throat thick. “You do such amazing things for me, what have I done for you?”
He needs someone who can be as grand as he is, to do these special things for. He rests his forehead against mine. “You gave me you, that is worth a hundred times more than this thing.”
My lip trembles at his sweet words. “You wreck me to my core.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that you are worth the wait. To have one day with you whole and happy is worth the wait a hundred times over.”
I smile, happy at hearing this. “I’m healing.” I lift my hand, running it across his cheek, to the back of his neck. “You are giving me the time to be whole for you.”
He kisses my cheek, not my lips the way I want, but I will take what I can from him. “You are beautiful as you are.”
I giggle, my cheeks burning, and he chuckles with me. “One day, we will have it all.” He lifts my left hand, kissing my ring finger. “I will make you my ole lady, my wife, and the mother of our horde of kids.”
My body feels like it’s floating with the image he painted me. “That’s all I want. Spending my life with you is more than I can hope for.”
He closes his eyes, sighing. “It will happen.”
I believe that wholeheartedly.
* * *
Olivia
Present Day
I smile at that memory; we have had many great moments together over the years but certain ones stick out, and that was one of them.
My dad and Maci have a little boy together. He will be starting kindergarten next year and he is the light of my life and his parents’. Maci has another son that is older and he sees my dad as his father. Dad is raising him as such, and I’m happy for them both. My dad got to start over with a real wife and I get a real mother, not the one that is my egg donor.
I have become close with some of the MC kids, as I call them. The girls and I are close and we all went to school together. We also have our girls’ nights at least once every two weeks.
I text the group chat which has all of the girls in it. Tiana, Cassandra, Tiffany, Morgan, Leah, Meadow, Mia, Rose, Trixie, Elle, and Katherine are club princesses. Then we have close friends to the MC and my family, Samantha and Arabella. Me and the girls are all pretty close in age; most of the younger girls are in college and a few are still in high school.
The boys in the MC end up carrying us out of the bar on our nights out, because, let’s face the facts, each of the girls stand their ground if someone messes with them, then the boys take up the slack.
The boys that try to contain us without much luck are Carter, who is Arabella’s older brother, and her twin brothers, Elijah and Jacob, who are just crazy. They’re also members of the Devil Souls MC.
Xavier is Samantha’s brother. Zach is Tiana’s younger brother, who is absolutely huge and scary. Caiden is Meadow’s older brother, and Greyson is Cassandra’s younger brother. Mia’s younger brothers are Cash and Creed. Matthew is Trixie’s older brother.
Christopher is Tiffany’s younger brother who graduated from high school a couple of years ago. He is currently training to take over the Grim Sinners MC.
Then we have the prospects and other members of the club who follow the boys around. Maybe soon I will have Ronny going out with me sometime. None of the kids have really started dating yet, but I can see things blossoming between some of them.
It won’t be long before they’ll be unable to hide it any longer, and I personally can’t wait until that happens to see the fireworks because the girls have very protective dads.
I text the girls. Guess who is on a plane coming home to me.
The messages are firing off instantly and I grin down at my phone, excited to see all of their reactions. I giggle at some of the dirty GIFs they have sent me about finally getting laid.
I’m sure that is going to happen soon, but I know things will happen as they are meant to be.
I used to be terrified at the idea of being with someone, but now? I’m excited, and nervous, but I’m ready for that part of the relationship.
I look at Ronny’s flight details to see that he is going to land in a couple of hours, and I send him a text to see if he needs me to pick him up from the airport.
The next thing I do is plan a dinner for us both, my heart pounding in my chest in anticipation because this is really happening.
It’s like all of these years have dragged and I felt like it would never happen, but now it’s like it is happening all at once.
My dad quit the police force and he is a member of the Devil Souls MC . He has taken over the investigation of the cult with the Grim Sinners MC, making sure it’s shut down, because Etta needed to step back when she became a mom.
I can see the passion my dad has for it, and it makes me happy to see he has that light back in his eyes. I was taken and it almost shattered him, but along the way he found himself—with Maci’s help, of course. He helped her heal, although I’m sure it was not easy to live in a house with two women who often woke up screaming from nightmares.
As time went, little by little the nightmares seemed to be pushed to the back of our minds.
I sit down on the couch and wait for Ronny to land, my mind wandering to a time in high school when I discovered when he was a full-fledged member of the club at eighteen.
When I was surrounded by the MC girls and guys, no one bothered me, but if someone caught me on my own then the boys would harass me.
Their harassment was nothing to me compared to the things that I went through in life, so I just ignored them.
Until I couldn’t anymore.
There was a football quarterback that made it his mission to get me to date him, to have sex with him, whatever he could get from me.
He would text me, throw me notes in class asking if I would go out with him on a date, and I’d politely turn him down.
Not sure what happened to make him go extreme, but once I got out of class early because I finished all of my work. I was the only student in the hallway, and I was organizing my locker when I felt hands on my ass.
I remember the rush of panic I felt at those hands, I froze for what felt like minutes but I know it was only mere seconds.
“God, I have waited so long to touch you,” he moans sickeningly, and it takes everything in me to not throw up. Some of my fight comes back and I spin around to face him.
“Holden, what are you doing?” I say loudly, scanning the hallway to see if anyone else got out of class early.
“I’m so tired of you being a pussy tease! So, I decided to man up and do what I have wanted all of this time,” he tells me, a sick, twisted grin on his face and his hands running along my sides.
The urge to throw up in his face is crawling up my throat, his wandering hands bringing back horrible memories, and my whole body starts to tremble in fear.
“Holden, I don’t like you like this,” I tell him, my voice barely audible from my trembling.
His eyes narrow on me. “Is it because of Ronny? I’m a better man than he ever will be! He’s trash!” he screeches, making him sound like a preteen girl.
The fear is gone, and the only thing I feel now is straight-up anger because Ronny is so far from trash! He is perfect.
I glare at him. “Don’t talk about him like that, you are the one who is worthless! You’re pushing your advances on someone because they don’t want you! How pathetic can you be?” I spit out at him angrily, slapping his hands off me.
I can feel my heart beating so hard in my chest as I see the change in him at my words. I know poking someone who is mentally unstable is not a good thing, but at the same time I’m proud of myself.
He grits his teeth. “What did you say to me?” He seethes, lifting his hand like he is going to hit me, and I try to step back but the only thing that does is press me harder against the lockers.
“I think I need to teach you your place. You will learn to love this dick!” He growls at me like an animal, and I push him back with my hands on his chest, clenching my eyes shut knowing that his hit to the face is going to hurt me.
“Big mistake,” someone says, and I open my eyes, stunned at the sound of Ronny’s voice.
He is standing behind Holden. He is so pissed, I have never seen that look on his face before and it chills me to my core. Holden’s face is red, trying to wrench his wrist out of Ronny’s hand.
“She is just a tease, man! Don’t you get it?” Holden tries to argue his point, but I can see that it just makes it worse for him.
Ronny tears his eyes from him, staring at me in a way like he is making sure that I’m okay. I give him a little nod to let him know that I’m fine.
Ronny doesn’t speak to him, instead he wrenches his wrist back farther and farther until I hear a sickening cracking sound.
Holy shit, Ronny just broke Holden’s wrist.
Ronny doesn’t let him go, he just gives a hard twist. Holden is screaming at the top of his lungs, trying to pry his wrist loose from Ronny hold, but it’s futile.
Everyone comes running out of the classrooms, wondering what’s going on, but it doesn’t deter Ronny from what he has planned for Holden.
You can feel the rage radiating from him. No one is speaking a word, just watching the scene. Not even the teachers are saying anything.
Then the most sickening snap has all of us jolting in shock. Ronny lets go of Holden’s wrist and his hand flops to the side, completely shattered.
Ronny splits the distance between us and he takes my hand that is shaking hard. “You okay?” he asks me. I nod, and he tucks me into his chest, holding me tight. I push the sounds of Holden screaming to the background.
I was scared—no, terrified—that I was going to be hurt again by a man. Ronny kisses the top of my head. “Ronny, you need to come with me to the office. The police are going to be called,” one of the male teachers says, and it snaps me out of my protective fog that Ronny had me in.
Ronny turns his head. “Yeah, good fucking thing considering this fucker was attempting to assault Olivia here.”
The teacher flinches at that realization, then he looks to me. I duck my head, not liking the attention on me.
Some of the girls from the MC run over to me, taking in the scene. Tiffany glares down at Holden, Tiana at her back. “Should have broken the other hand too.”
He flinches at that. His right hand is messed up and I know his football career is over. I can’t bring myself to feel bad at all, though, because I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for men that dare to harm women who don’t accept their advances.
We are led straight to the office at the front, then we are seated by the principal’s office and I bounce my leg, feeling anxious. I don’t want Ronny to get in trouble—hell, go to jail.
The teacher who Ronny informed that Holden tried to abuse me walks out of the principal’s office, not looking at us as he passes. “You sure you’re okay? It’s perfectly fine if you’re not,” Ronny asks me.
I lick my dry lips, my nerves starting to calm down. “I was scared when he told me what he wanted to do to me…” I trail off, sick at the thought of what Holden had planned.
Ronny pulls me into his lap, shocking me. I look around the office to see if anyone is going to say anything, but no one does.
The MC kids are royalty around here; they rule the school. The MC have practically funded the school over the years, so there is high security at the entrances of the school. The Devil Souls MC and the Grim Sinners practically built this school.
Ronny holds me, running his hands down my back soothingly. The glass windows show the parking lot, and I see multiple cars swerve in.
One by one the doors open, then the bikes are next. The cavalry is here. Ronny is smirking.
The door to the building is opened. Maverick runs up with Bell, holding her hand as they hurry inside of the school.
Then a couple that I recognize as Holden’s parents are bringing up the rear until my dad drives up all the way to the door, not caring about the sidewalk.
Smiley and Lane, the ex-president and current president, stroll in too. The office just got very crowded.
My dad looks panicked, until he sees me. Then he settles.
“What the fuck happened?” Maverick asks Ronny. I peek up at him to see if he is pissed, but he’s not, just wondering what the deal is.
Dad moves to stand by me, and Bell crouches in front of me. “You okay?” She runs her hands over my cheeks, and that’s when I feel the tears. I didn’t even know I was crying.
I nod. “Ronny saved me once again,” I choke out, laughing slightly, but no one joins me in the laugh.
Bell looks at her son with such pride and respect that it could take your breath away. “What happened?” she asks me, and I see the principle is standing out of his office listening. I can see into the room that there is a wall of cameras, me and Holden on one of them. I know he was watching the tape.
“For months, Holden has been interested in me. I have told him repeatedly that I was not interested. He approached me at my locker, practically attacked me, and said he was going to force himself on me. He said I was a tease.” I don’t feel like giving all of the details, not wanting to get into all of that. “Until Ronny stepped in, when he was about to hit me in the face. Ronny was defending me.” I look at the principal, not wanting Ronny to get in trouble for this.
“It seems to me that this girl here is someone who messes around with boys. In fact, she is sitting in the lap of one this very moment! My son’s football career is over, and we can’t let this stand,” Holden’s mother screeches. I flinch hard at her tone and the way she spoke about me.
As a woman, I would never ever take someone’s side if they were in the wrong. I just don’t understand—what if this happened to her? I’m sure it would be a whole different story.
“Don’t forget that boy is adopted! He needs to go back to the ghetto, where he belongs!”
That runs through me like a train. I whip around to face her, more than pissed that she dared to insult Ronny. “You need to stop blaming everyone for your son’s mistakes, that’s why he is a piece of shit! You need to take your white trash, clown-makeup-wearing, fried blonde-haired ass right out those doors before you wish it was just a broken wrist,” I hiss at her, pissed off more than I have ever been in my whole life that she would dare insult Ronny like that.
She shuts her mouth at that, glaring at me. “Bitch,” I mouth to her. She turns around and leaves with Holden’s dad right on her ass.
The second the door shuts, I notice the silence in the room. I can feel the heat of everyone’s stares on me. Nervous, I peek over to see Ronny grinning ear to ear. Hell, all of the guys are, and Bell looks like I’m the best thing ever.
“She pissed me off,” I grumble, and everyone bursts out laughing. Then they all take turns hugging me.
In that moment, I changed. I found out that when it comes to myself, I’m scared, but my protective instincts when it comes to those I care about run deep.
I held on to that and it healed a part of me. That was another step in my healing journey. It brought me and Ronny closer.
We both saw we will do whatever it takes to defend each other.