Chapter 18 Olivia
One Month Later
It’s strange how much can change in just a month.
A month ago, the casino was nothing but an idea—steel beams on blueprints and whispers in boardrooms. Now the shell rises over Cherokee like a monument.
Even from a distance, it feels alive, humming with promise.
My boss and his buddies nearly lost their minds when they took in just how massive it was all going to be.
I wasn’t there when they started panicking, but I can imagine their smug faces melting into terror when they discover that they approved a business that will probably take from the corporation that is currently padding their pockets.
They’ve all been getting kickbacks for years from the old casino across town, smiling while the rest of the citizens just scraped by. So yeah, I’ll admit it—I’ve been enjoying their panic a little more than I probably should. Let them sweat. For once, the system isn’t working in their favor.
Blade has shown me the plans for everything—the resort, the spa, the restaurants, even the boutique shops that will fill the top floor.
The plan is massive, more than anyone in this county has dreamed of.
If the so-called “leaders” here knew just how big it’s going to be, they’d probably start holding emergency meetings to figure out how to sabotage it all—but they can’t.
Not this time.
The permits are clean. The zoning is airtight.
Every dotted “i” and crossed “t” is locked down tighter than a safe.
And sure, some of that is because Blade nudged the right people, pulled a few strings that might’ve been better left unpulled.
The circuit clerk’s “private files” proved useful, and the county clerk—well, Blade’s negotiations were equally effective there, too.
Normally I’d feel dirty about Blade using blackmail and manipulating people.
But this town has been bled dry by corruption for too long, and if a few underhanded plays get us a casino that can rebuild Cherokee—new roads, better schools, and jobs that actually pay a wage that will support a full family—then I’m fine.
The good outweighs the bad in this instance.
I don’t have trouble falling asleep in Blade’s arms at all.
We’ve gotten so much closer this past month.
I’ve seen him outside the armor he wears for everyone else, seen the heart that drives him.
He told me about his mom, how she held their family together after his father disappeared.
He said that’s why he is helping the Saint’s and working so hard now—to make sure no one else feels that kind of hunger or fear.
I asked once about his brother. He smiled—soft and loving. He said I’d meet him soon. “Maybe at our wedding,” he joked, and I’d felt that flutter in my stomach that I hadn’t felt since high school. It made me laugh, but also made me realize just how deep I’m in.
We’ve had bumps, sure. The fight about the Saints Outlaws was the worst. The fact that he wants to be part of them one day, still scares me.
The club world isn’t something I will probably ever trust. Still, Blade promised me he wasn’t going anywhere.
I’m his future and I believe him when he says that.
Some nights when he holds me, I catch myself feeling that this is my life from here on out and I want that more than I can say.
The only thing holding back my complete happiness is my past and the fact that there’s a lot he’s still in the dark about.
I keep meaning to tell him more, to let him see it all, but every time I try, the words tangle in my throat.
Tonight’s a club party. My stomach’s been tight all day. I try to reassure myself that it’ll be fine. Blade said it’s outdoors, nothing like the loud, crowded places that make my chest lock up. He’ll be there. So will Bear and Ayita. I won’t be alone.
I still don’t want to go.
Yet, I love him and loving him means trying.
That doesn’t mean I’m not dreading it. I like the guys that I know.
Ranger still makes my skin crawl, however.
I can’t even explain why—maybe it’s the way he stares, like he’s looking through me instead of at me.
The others? They’re fine. Loud and rough, but loyal in a way that’s almost sweet.
Ranger? Yeah, he’s the one that gives me that ‘run’ instinct every time he walks into a room.
I take a deep breath as I move toward the mirror.
My jeans are simple, dark and fitted. The navy T-shirt is plain, but it’s Blade’s favorite color, so I guess I’m sentimental now.
My hair’s loose and curled at the ends, falling halfway down my back.
I tell myself it looks casual, and not like I’ve spent twenty minutes fighting with the curling iron.
The door opens behind me, getting my attention. I turn and see him standing there, filling the space like he always does. Blade’s eyes flick over me, slow, assessing, full of something that makes my knees weak.
“You look nervous,” he says.
“Most men tell their women they look great when they haven’t seen them all day,” I tease.
He grins, then pauses mid-look. “Is your dad here?”
“No. He’s at his buddy’s watching the Tennessee–Florida game.”
“Is there a way both teams can lose?” he mutters.
I laugh. “You realize you’re in Tennessee, right?”
“Yeah, but I’ve always held allegiance to Kentucky in basketball. You can’t hold that against me.” I roll my eyes and elbow him, and he grins, leaning down to kiss me. “You look good enough to fucking eat,” he murmurs against my lips. “And if I had time, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
My cheeks heat, and I whisper, “Maybe we shouldn’t go tonight. We could stay in—”
He kisses me again, cutting me off, his smile pressed to my mouth. “We’re going to the party, Usdi. We’ll have a good time. Then, we’ll come home, and I’ll reward you by fucking you all night long. I’ll give you so many orgasms you won’t walk right for a week.”
“Promise you’ll bring me home if it’s too much?” I ask quietly.
“I promise. Between me, Bear, and Ayita, you’ll never be alone.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“It’s an outdoor party,” he adds, brushing his thumb along my jaw. “No small rooms, no corners. I’ve got you.”
“I’m going under duress,” I say, pretending to pout.
“Duly noted.” He moves to the chair where a white box waits. “I actually have something for you.”
“You do?”
He nods and hands it over. “A gift.”
“Blade, you didn’t have to—”
“It’s not exactly from me,” he says, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, gone before I can name it.
I open the box. Leather gleams inside—a cut like the one all of them wear. My name is stitched across the front, and underneath: Protected by Bear and the Saints Outlaws.
My throat tightens. “Blade…”
“I wanted you to feel safe,” he says simply. “Bear agreed. Hangman gave it to me when I left the clubhouse earlier.”
He lifts the cut and slides it over my shoulders, carefully, reverently. I pull my hair free from the collar and turn to face him.
“How do I look?”
He looks at me like I’m the only thing that exists. “Like every dream I’ve ever had.”
I smile through the rush of warmth in my chest.
He threads his fingers through mine. “Let’s go.”
“Let’s do this,” I say softly. He presses a kiss to my forehead, and we step out into the night together.
I inhale deeply, hoping I’m not making the biggest mistake in my life.
I need tonight to work out. It feels like my future is hanging on by a thread.
I know this is important to Blade and I want it to work out.
I send up a silent prayer and hope for the best.
That’s all I can do.