Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
LUCY
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
My heart is beating a little too fast as I walk up to meet the girls outside Perdition.
I’ve never had a girls’ day before. I’ve also never been part of a group like this, full of women who are loud, close, and a little wild.
Part of me keeps waiting for them to realize I don’t really belong here, that I’m just the quiet nursing student who somehow ended up with Tiny.
But Tessa spots me and lets out a loud cheer. “There she is! Look at our girl, finally joining the chaos.”
Hadley pulls me into a warm hug right away. “You look so cute. Ready for your very first girls’ day with the Old Lady Mafia?”
I blink. “Old Lady Mafia? What’s that?”
The girls laugh, but it’s kind. Tessa explains, “When you’re claimed by one of the guys in the club you become his Old Lady. It means you’re family. Protected. Respected. One of us.”
Erica nods. “It’s a big deal in biker culture.”
I feel my face heat. “But… I’m not his Old Lady,” I say quietly.
Tessa waves it off with a grin. “Yet, you’re not his old lady, yet. That man looks at you like you hung the moon. Trust me, you’re one of us already. Group chat is happening.”
Scarlett adds me before I can overthink it. My phone explodes with welcome messages and a new group name: “Old Lady Mafia ????”.
I nod, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach. “Yeah… this is all new for me. I’m kind of scared I’ll say something dumb.”
“You’ll be fine,” Erica says softly, linking her arm with mine. “We’ve got you.”
Tessa launches into a hilarious rant about the nightmare customers at the bar.
“You guys, this one guy last night tried to tip me in quarters while telling me his entire life story. Then he got mad when I wouldn’t give him my number.
I told him I was married and he still didn’t quit. I almost poured a drink on his head.”
We’re all laughing so hard we’re crying. Scarlett nearly chokes on her mimosa.
I shake my head, smiling. “You guys make it sound so easy. I still feel like I’m playing catch-up sometimes. Like… I went from barely surviving to suddenly having all of this. It’s overwhelming in the best way.”
Tessa reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You’re doing great, babe. We’ve all been there.”
Hadley’s quiet at first, but then she drops her news. “I’m pregnant,” she says softly, rubbing her stomach. “Six weeks. Wyatt and Weston are already ridiculous about it.”
I’m so happy for her it almost brings tears to my eyes. The table explodes with squeals and hugs, and I’m right there in the middle of it, laughing and congratulating her. It feels… nice. Like I’m allowed to be part of these big moments.
Later, while we’re shopping, I catch myself thinking how different this feels from my old life.
We wander through a few cute shops, trying on clothes and jewelry.
Tessa makes me buy a lacy bralette set “for Tiny’s sake.
” Erica drags us into a bookstore where Scarlett and I both end up buying new romance novels.
Hadley finds the cutest baby onesie and buys it on the spot.
By late afternoon we finally head to the tattoo shop.
Erica gets a small heart on her ankle. Tessa gets a dagger on her ribs.
Scarlett adds a flower to her arm sleeve.
As the needle buzzes over my hip bone, the pain is sharp but bearable.
Tessa holds one hand, Erica the other. Hadley keeps me distracted with baby name ideas even though she’s not getting ink today.
Every sting feels like a choice I’m making for myself, for us.
When it’s done and I look down at the delicate ink on my skin, something warm and possessive settles in my chest.
This was my first girls’ day… and it felt like coming home. I already know I want a hundred more.
The sun is starting to set by the time we pull back into the Perdition parking lot, all of us laughing and carrying shopping bags.
My hip is throbbing under the fresh bandage, but the butterflies in my stomach are worse.
I keep touching the spot through my dress like I can feel the ink burning there.
The guys are all inside, loud, half-drunk, and glued to the big screens playing football. Tiny’s sitting with Cole, Steele, Wyatt, Weston, and Rook, beer in hand, yelling at the TV like the rest of them.
The second we walk in, the energy shifts. Tessa struts right over to Cole and plops down on his lap, tugging up her shirt to show off the new dagger on her ribs. “What do you think, babe?”
Cole’s eyes darken instantly as he runs his fingers over it. “Fuck, that’s hot.”
Erica is more shy about it, but she still shows Steele the small heart she got. He pulls her close, murmuring something in her ear that makes her blush hard. Scarlett does the same with Rook, who just stares at her new ink with that intense, quiet look of his before kissing her like they’re alone.
Tiny’s eyes find me across the room. He crooks a finger, and I walk over, heart hammering. He pulls me down onto his lap, big hand settling on my thigh. “You girls have fun?” he asks, voice low and rough.
I nod, biting my lip. The other girls are still showing off their tattoos, laughing with the guys.
Tiny leans in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “You get one too, baby?”
I hesitate for half a second, then turn my head and whisper right against his ear, “Yeah… but you can’t see it until we get home.”
He goes completely still. I feel his hand tighten on my thigh, fingers digging in possessively.
His breathing changes. “Well boys,” Tiny announces suddenly, voice loud and final as he stands up with me still in his arms before setting me on my feet, “gotta head out. See you tomorrow… or the next day. I don’t fucking know. ”
The guys laugh and catcall as Tiny grabs my hand and practically drags me toward the exit. I barely have time to wave goodbye to the girls, who are all grinning like idiots.
The ride home on his bike is torture. I’m pressed against his back, arms wrapped around him, the vibration of the engine making the fresh tattoo throb and my nerves worse. By the time we pull up to his place, my heart is pounding so hard I feel dizzy.
Tiny cuts the engine and helps me off the bike, but he doesn’t let go of my hand. He pulls me inside, kicking the door shut behind us. The second we’re alone, he turns to me, eyes dark and hungry. “Show me, Lucy.”
I stand there in the middle of the living room, suddenly super nervous. My fingers shake as I reach for the hem of my dress. What if he doesn’t like it? What if it’s too much? What if…
“Baby,” he says, voice rough but softer now. “Breathe. Show me your pretty ink.”
I slowly lift the side of my dress, revealing the new ink on my hip bone, a delicate buttercup with soft yellow and white petals. On the petals, in pretty script, are his initials, J T W. I hold my breath, waiting for his reaction.
He goes completely still and the silence stretches.
He just stares at the tattoo, one big hand gripping my hip.
My heart starts hammering for a completely different reason.
Oh god. I went too far. I feel my eyes sting.
This was supposed to be romantic, a way to show him how much he means to me, but now it feels like I just branded myself with his name like some desperate girl.
What if he thinks I’m moving too fast? What if he doesn’t feel the same way I do?
What if this is too serious for him and I just ruined everything?
“I…I’m sorry,” I whisper, voice cracking as I start to pull my dress back down. “It was stupid. I got carried away with the girls and the mimosas and I thought… I shouldn’t have put your initials on me like that. If you don’t like it, or if it’s too much, I can—”
Tiny’s head snaps up. In the next second he’s cupping my face with both hands, forcing me to look at him. “Baby, stop.”
His thumbs wipe away the tears I didn’t even realize were falling. His eyes are dark, intense, and a little wild. “You really did that for me?” he asks, voice rough. “Got my initials on your body… right there where only I get to see it?”
I nod, barely holding it together. “I wanted you to know how I feel. That I’m yours. But if you don’t feel the same—”
“I love you.” The words come out of him fast and raw, like they’ve been waiting to explode out of him forever.
I freeze. Tiny rests his forehead against mine, breathing hard. “I love you, Lucy. Been in love with you for a while now, but I didn’t want to scare you off by saying it too soon. But seeing my initials on you like that… fuck, baby. You just wrecked me in the best way.”
A sob of relief escapes me. “I love you too,” I whisper, the words tumbling out. “So much. I was so scared you didn’t feel the same.”
He kisses me deep, desperate, and full of everything we just said.
His hands slide down to grip my waist carefully, mindful of the fresh tattoo.
“I love you,” he says again against my lips, like he can’t stop saying it now that it’s out.
“My sweet, brave girl. My buttercup. You’re mine. And I’m yours.”
I melt into him, tears still falling but for a completely different reason now. All the fear dissolves into warmth and safety. This was the best decision I’ve ever made.