CHAPTER 10
ACE
I’m nervous as we ride the elevator in Elysium up to the clubhouse floor. I’ve never been nervous in this elevator before, not like this. I’m not entirely sure what to do with these feelings. But it’s all because of the woman next to me.
I glance over to find Quincy gnawing on her bottom lip. I reach over and tug it free of her teeth with my thumb and her brown eyes snap up to meet my gaze.
“You’ll be fine, Hollywood,” I reassure her.
“This is your family,” she says it like the words have weight.
To her, I know they do. I can see it in the way she’s looking at me with worry in her eyes. Even though I don’t like anything disrupting her peace, even me, I like her anxiety. Because it’s for me.
Because she cares about me. Even if she isn’t ready to admit it to herself.
“They’re good people who will give you a fair shake. No matter what. That’s who they are. Just give them a chance to show you,” there’s a plea in my voice I don’t try to hide.
“I just hope they like me and don’t think I’m going to walk in and be some sort of diva. I’ve gotten that a lot and it’s not like I can’t understand why people would think it.” Her voice drops slightly, “They matter to you and you matter to them. That’s why I’m worried.”
“I know and it’s adorable,” I tease her.
Her brown eyes flare and she rolls her eyes with a huff. “I’m not adorable. That’s a word for kittens.”
I reach down and adjust my cock before I have a permanent indentation of my zipper on my fucking shaft. The way she smirks at me has me hooking an arm around her waist and hauling her against my chest.
She lets out a little gasp that is sexy as fuck.
Just as I close the distance between us, my lips hovering over hers, the elevator doors open and I let out a growl filled with annoyance. My woman smiles up at me, and it has my heart pounding in my chest.
“Saved by the bell,” she teases. With a grunt I haul her out of the elevator. She smacks my shoulder and hisses, “Let me walk.”
“It’s so much more fun when I carry you.”
She huffs and rolls her eyes, not even realizing that I’m leading her into the main room of the club. The brothers in the room freeze.
“Way to be cool, brothers,” I grunt.
“Hi,” Rian, Cowboy’s ten-year-old daughter, chirps brightly, the whiskey-colored eyes she inherited from her dad are locked on my woman as she approaches us. “I’ve seen you in movies and you’re very talented and so beautiful.”
Quincy fucking melts. And I’m not surprised. Rian is a little girl that is full of light. She’s sassy and doesn’t have a problem speaking her mind but is always kind. She learned to grab hold of the good and never let go.
I hate that it was a lesson she needed to learn, and that it was her biological mother who taught it to her, but she’s a strong fucking kid. And she has the support to face all those hard-earned lessons.
I’m proud to be in her life.
“Hi,” Quincy breathes out. “I love it when girls watch my movies. Have you watched one and felt it right here?” She points to her heart.
“Yes,” Rian breathes out.
“Then we understand the magic of movies and telling stories. That makes us friends,” Quincy whispers the words like they’re sharing a secret.
“We’re friends?” Rian looks dazed for a moment before she snaps out of it, and a huge smile takes over her face. “That’s so cool. I’m learning how to tell stories through dance. Brielle,” she pauses, her voice turning reverent, “she’s my new mom, is teaching me. She’s a dancer.”
“Dance is a beautiful way to tell stories. I love watching dancers move and embody the music and the story.” Quincy is completely focused on the little girl in front of her.
She doesn’t see the way she’s capturing the hearts of everyone witnessing the exchange. All because we love Rian and there’s something so sweet and innocent about their conversation that can’t be faked.
“Oh,” Rian exclaims, “I completely forgot. My name is Rian. I’m ten now and just finished fourth grade.”
“I’m Quincy,” my woman offers Rian her hand who shakes it enthusiastically with a big grin on her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Rian.”
“Come on,” Rian crows while pulling my woman away from me. I barely swallow down the growl at the distance.
My woman looks over her shoulder at me and winks. Fucking winks. Of course, she knows what she does to me and how much I don’t want distance between us.
Which means I’m following behind my woman who is being tugged along by Rian. I’m sure we look ridiculous.
When I look up, Cowboy is standing there with his arm wrapped around Brielle’s shoulders to tuck her into his side with a knowing smirk on his face.
I shoot him a deadpan look which only makes his smirk turn into a full-blown grin.
Rian leads them right over. She stops and I step up next to Quincy, my hand at the small of her back, because I’m not letting a girl introduce my woman.
“Quincy,” I turn toward her slightly and wink which causes her to smile, “you already met Rian. This is Cowboy, her dad, and Brielle, his Old Lady.”
Quincy smiles at the couple, her brown eyes warm. “It’s nice to meet both of you. Rian is incredibly special.”
“We’re friends,” Rian pipes up. “I have biker uncles, a new mom, and now I’m friends with a movie star. This has been a good year so far.”
Quincy giggles before turning her focus to Brielle. “I heard you’re a dancer. I’ve never had great rhythm, but I love watching dance. I’m completely jealous of dancers.”
“She danced in New York for a long time,” Rian pipes up and I swear Brielle turns bright red.
“It’s nice to meet you, Quincy. Welcome to Elysium and the Steel Sinners,” she welcomes my woman warmly, her words and the bright smile on her face sincere.
“I’m not sure I’m part of the Steel Sinners,” Quincy’s voice is unsure.
Brielle looks at her for a long moment before looking at me and then back at her. The smile that breaks out across her face is downright wicked. “You’re definitely part of us. Welcome to the family.”
Quincy swallows hard and I swear I see tears swim in her eyes for a moment before she blinks them away. Her voice is thick, “Thank you.”
Brille flashes another large smile and then nods toward the bar. “How about a drink? You can tell me what brings you to Vegas and how you met Ace.”
“A drink sounds great,” Quincy’s shoulders relax.
“I need to hear this story,” Rian pipes up and joins the women as they head to the bar.
When I glance at Cowboy, he’s pinching the bridge of his nose, and I can’t help but snort out a laugh. “She’s growing up way too fast,” he mutters under his breath.
“She’s been going on thirty for years now,” I remind him. Because it’s true.
His eyes snap to mine and something in his gaze shifts. Mentally, I brace for impact.
“I see you’ve brought a woman to the clubhouse and you’re looking at her like she’s your everything,” his voice is curious.
“You know, I didn’t understand when Brielle showed up here.
I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the change I saw in you.
It wasn’t like I couldn’t look at Brielle or spend time around her and understand why you would want to be with her, it wasn’t that.
I just didn’t understand how you knew, how everything seemed to just change so quickly,” I explain.
“Now you get it?”
“I get it.”
I look over to where the ladies are talking. Both women are focused on Rian. I have no idea what the young girl is saying, but her hands are flapping around and it’s obvious she’s passionate about whatever she’s telling them.
Quincy doesn’t look annoyed. No, she’s enthralled.
“She’s not pretending,” Cowboy says it with a hint of surprise in his voice, clearly taking in the same sight I am.
I glance at my friend, my brother, and snarl, “Careful.”
He looks at me for a long moment, his eyebrows arching up toward his hairline. “Damn,” he shakes his head, “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I’m probably going to fuck it up,” it comes out as a joke, but it’s not. Not at all.
It’s my biggest fear.
Because I am so damn sure she’s the only woman for me. If I fuck it up, if I chase her off, if I can’t manage to keep her—what then? What the fuck will I do then?
The thought of it makes it feel like a band is tightening around my chest. And tightening. And tightening.
“You might fuck it up,” Cowboy agrees. I glare at the man, but he holds his hands up in surrender. “She’s going to fuck it up too,” he starts and I see fucking red.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growl out the question.
Wanting to beat the shit out of one of my brothers isn’t a feeling I’m used to at all. But right now, I’m seriously considering it.
But I don’t want to scare Rian. Or Quincy.
“You’re human and you’re in a relationship. It’s not going to be perfect all the time. You’ll both have to compromise about some things. It’s impossible to get it right all the time,” he explains.
I’m still on edge, but what he’s saying penetrates.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” my voice takes on an insistence I don’t particularly like hearing coming from me. “Other than the club, I never had a family. I’ve never been in a relationship. Not really.” My voice drops to an almost-whisper, “She already thinks I’m too young for her.”
“Are you with her because you want to bang a movie star?”
My lip curls and I bark, “I will kick your fucking ass, Cowboy.”
He nods once, one side of his mouth twitching. “I’ll take that as a no. As long as you make her the priority, listen to her, and give her everything of yourself you can, you’ll be fine.”
“You make it sound easy,” I grumble. I still kind of want to kick his ass.
Laughter coming from the bar area has both of us looking in that direction. My heart warms completely and I’m a fucking goner for my woman.
“It’s not easy,” Cowboy mumbles, “but it’s worth it.”
“I’m getting that completely,” I tell him with a sigh. “She’s mine.”
“Isn’t she just here for the tournament?” I glare at him and he sighs. “I’m not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but I think the question has to be asked.”
“I’m going to get her to stay,” I insist.
“How the fuck are you going to do that? She has a whole life in LA. Not just a job, but an entire career her life is wrapped up in,” he points out.
“If we need to commute now and then, I’m good with it.
I’ll happily go to LA with my woman whenever she needs me to.
But she’s looking for something more out of life.
She hasn’t been happy in LA for a while.
It’s one of the reasons she agreed to the tournament.
” I explain, “It gave her a reason to get out of there and go somewhere new, even if only for a short time.”
“You’d go back to LA with her?” He sounds surprised, but I just shrug.
“Of course I will.” There’s no room for argument in my tone; none that I’ll entertain at least. “I’ll follow her anywhere with a smile on my face.”
“You think she’ll be able to handle this life?”
I nod toward where she’s chatting with Brielle. Nothing about her posture tells me she’s uncomfortable. Brielle looks at ease with her and Rian is looking at her like she’s a princess.
Rian isn’t far off.
“I think she’ll do fine. She’s kind and cares about people. I think she’ll fit right in as long as everyone gives her a real chance.”
“Some of the guys might fall over themselves when they see her. You’ll have to make your claim clear.” He eyes me and then asks the most important question, “Are you making her your Old Lady?”
“You better fucking believe she’s my Old Lady,” I growl. “I already had her on the back of my bike.” My voice fills with astonishment, “I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Didn’t know riding could be better, huh?”
“Exactly,” I exclaim and let out a huff. “I’m never letting that feeling go.”
Cowboy’s hand comes down on my shoulder and he gives a squeeze. “Welcome to the club, brother. It’s a damn good one. Call me if you ever need help burying a body.”
I snort out a laugh, but then stop when I can think of a lot of fucking reasons why I might need help burying a body because of my woman.
“Fucking hell,” I grunt.
I’m in a lot of fucking trouble. I wouldn’t want it any other way.