Chapter 11
POPPY
Istared at my reflection in Colter’s bathroom mirror for the third time in ten minutes, smoothing my hands over the halter top I’d picked out.
It was as close as I came to biker chic, but I’d never worn it before.
I had tossed it into my suitcase on Wednesday out of pure impulse, similar to when I bought it a few months ago.
The top looked better on me than I remembered, but it was so different from what I normally wore. With my hair down in loose waves, tight jeans, and lipstick the same shade of pink as my halter, I felt confident that I wouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb today.
Still, my stomach was doing cartwheels.
No matter how often Colter had told me not to be nervous, I was headed to the Hounds of Hellfire clubhouse for the first time. A place that Riverstone locals were all curious about. But more than that, I was going to meet the family he’d chosen.
He appeared in the doorway behind me and leaned a shoulder against the frame. Already dressed, he looked sexy as ever. “You ready, baby?”
I turned, biting my lip. “I think so. Maybe? I’ve never been to a motorcycle club before. Am I wearing the right thing? Or should I change? What if I say the wrong thing? Or talk too much? Or—”
He pushed off the doorframe, closed the distance between us in two strides, and cupped my face in both hands. His thumbs brushed my cheeks. “Poppy.”
I sucked in a breath. “Yeah?”
“Just be yourself. That’s who I want there with me. Not some quiet version of you. You don’t need to worry about trying to fit in.”
My eyes stung at the sincerity in his deep voice. “What if they think I’m too much?”
“That’s not gonna happen. But if it did, they’ll still love you anyway and soon figure out how wrong they are.” He kissed my forehead. “Come on. It’s time to go.”
The ride to the clubhouse on his motorcycle felt like it held more meaning than any of the other times I’d been on the back with him.
The teal helmet he’d bought me fit perfectly, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, cheek pressed to his back, letting the rumble of the engine and the wind drown out most of my nerves.
When we pulled through the gate, the lot was already full of a mixture of motorcycles, SUVs, and trucks. The smell of charcoal and barbecue sauce drifted toward us, and kids’ laughter rang out over the chatter. Not exactly what I’d been expecting from the Hounds of Hellfire MC.
“Stay close until you feel comfortable,” he murmured, squeezing my fingers. “Or the entire time, if you want. I like having you next to me.”
“Okay.”
It was rare for me to be so nervous that I was actually quiet, but my one-word reply gave me away.
Colter stopped and pulled me into his arms. “Trust me, baby. You have nothing to worry about. The guys with old ladies will like how I am around you, their wives will be happy to have a new woman join their little crew, and my brothers who’re single will stay far away ’cause they don’t wanna risk getting their asses kicked. ”
There was a lot to unpack with what he said. I started with, “Do their wives know about their old ladies?”
His broad chest shook with his deep laughter. “Yeah, baby. Their wives are their old ladies.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burned with heat. “I guess I should’ve known that since nobody in town has gossiped about the Hounds two-timing their women now that so many of them have wifed up over the past two years.”
“You got nothing to worry about there, Poppy.” He brushed a kiss against the top of my head before pulling back to meet my gaze.
“Morally gray as our world might be, our emotional values are black-and-white. Once a Hound claims a woman, it’s forever—obsessive protection with unwavering fidelity.
Our women, our old ladies, are treated as sacred. ”
Instead of going with my impulse to climb him like a monkey, I asked, “Why would the single guys be afraid of getting beat up?”
His wink sent butterflies swirling in my belly. “Because they know how possessive we are with our women.”
His answer relieved most of my nerves, making me feel like I was already part of the group.
He led me around the clubhouse and toward the sprawl of picnic tables and lawn chairs scattered across the grass. Heads turned, and conversations paused. Then a tiny tornado of energy barreled toward us. “Unca Ace!”
A little boy with a mischievous grin launched himself at Colter’s legs, who scooped him up without missing a beat, making my heart melt and my ovaries explode.
“Hey, little man.” He ruffled the boy’s hair, then turned to me. “Poppy, this is Cadell. King and Stella’s boy.”
A stunning woman with a warm smile approached. “Sorry about him. I swear, he’s an escape artist.”
Colter handed the boy over to her with a grin. “Makes sense, considering who his dad and grandpa are.”
“You must be Poppy. I’m Stella.” She juggled the squirming toddler in her arms to pull me in for a quick hug. “We’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really?” My voice came out higher than intended.
Stella laughed. “Oh yeah. The guys are terrible gossips when one of them finds their woman.”
Colter didn’t get the chance to deny the accusation before more people drifted over to introduce themselves. Blaze clapped Colter on the shoulder while his wife, Courtney, balanced nine-month-old Arlen on her hip.
Echo was next, along with Violet, who cradled six-month-old Brian against her chest. Then Wizard and Thea with tiny Skye.
Ash and Nora with a three-month-old they lovingly called Jelly Bean.
Ink and Annika were the last of the couples with kids, and one-month-old Lorenzo slept through the entire introduction strapped to his daddy’s chest in a black sling.
They were followed by Onyx, who hovered protectively near Elena, six months pregnant and glowing. Kevlar kept a hand on Maren’s lower back—she was three months along and already looked radiant. Tomcat and Linden couldn’t stop touching each other.
I tried to keep names and faces straight, but my brain was spinning. Every single one of them greeted me like I belonged.
When a couple of guys without women accompanying them wandered over, Colter tugged me against his side.
One of them gave me a chin lift. “Rebel. Nice to meet the woman who finally tamed Ace.”
The other guy snorted. “Tamed? Nah. She just made him less of an asshole.”
Colter shot them a look. “Watch it, Cross.”
Stella looped her arm through mine. “Come on. Let’s get you a drink and leave the boys to grill.”
The women pulled me toward a long table loaded with food and drink.
Violet sat down and bounced Brian gently on her lap. “How are you holding up? The first visit to the clubhouse can be a lot, and yours is during a barbecue with all of us here, so that’s even more.”
I poured myself a cup of sweet tea, then blurted, “I’m terrified I’m going to say something stupid, then everyone will realize I talk way too much, and Colter will finally get tired of me.”
The words hung there for half a second. Then Courtney burst out laughing.
Stella squeezed my arm. “You’re adorable.”
Nora leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “He’s not going to get tired of you.”
Annika nodded. “None of them do when they get that look in their eyes.”
Violet grinned. “And he’s watching you right now like he’s never going to let you out of his sight.”
“We’ve all been there before,” Thea agreed with a soft laugh.
I glanced over my shoulder. Colter was across the yard talking to King, but his eyes were on me.
“We’ve only known each other a couple of weeks,” I whispered. “What if—”
Maren cut me off gently. “What if he’s the one? Because from where we’re standing, it looks like it is.”
“Even if we’re doing it sitting down because we’re too tired to actually stand.” Elena rubbed her baby bump.
“These guys don’t do halfway.” Linden leaned closer. “When they decide you’re theirs, that’s it. Forever.”
Happy tears pricked my eyes again. “I just… I’ve spent so long feeling like I’m too much. Loud. Chatty. Too everything.”
Stella wrapped her arm around me. “You’re exactly enough. And you’re good for him. We can all see it.”
Courtney nodded. “Definitely”
I swallowed hard. “You really think so?”
Stella smiled. “We know so.”
I wanted to trust they knew what they were talking about, but just because their relationships turned out so well didn’t mean mine would. I set those fears aside and focused on having fun at my first MC barbecue.
The rest of the day blurred into the best kind of chaos.
I held babies and chased Cadell around the grass.
Laughed until my sides hurt at stories about Ace’s younger, stupider days, gleefully told by his club brothers.
And when Colter wrapped his arms around me from behind toward the end of the barbecue, the doubts about being accepted that I had lived with for years had grown quieter.
My hope that I really was exactly who he wanted was starting to outweigh the fear that I wasn’t.