Chapter 31
Two Weeks Later- Kings of Darkness Compound
Vera steps onto the back step of the clubhouse. She rocks up on her toes, pressing her fingers to her mouth. “Oh my.”
“Told you.”
Every club brother is dancing. Singing. Drinking. Or shooting guns at beer cans.
Generally acting like wild-asses.
And the women… they’re on picnic tables raisin’ hell too. They’ve been at it a while.
Sounding shocked, she says, “I didn’t know.”
“Now you do.” I rest my hand on her back, feeling her warmth through the black vintage dress she’s wearing along with a pair of badass combat boots I got her.
“Yes or no?”
“Yes!” She laughs. “You don’t seriously think I’d miss my first ever motorcycle club party, do you?”
She grabs my hand and leads me down the steps. Club parties don’t interest me.
Vera does.
Like she’s done this a hundred times, Vera walks into the crown and heads for the serving tables. “So much food. You guys know how to party.”
I grumble. “I don’t like pot luck.”
Grinning, she winks at me. “I figured. We can go back to our place in a bit. I just want to soak all this in.”
I nod because I’ll do anything to make her happy.
The woman deserves it.
We haven’t talked about the wedding yet, but it will happen. I haven’t left her side long enough to buy a diamond.
Skull appears at my elbow as Vera loads up a plate with appetizers.
“You good?” he rumbles.
“Yep,” I reply because it’s the fucking truth. Vera’s upended my life, and I can’t imagine not having her sitting at the desk in our place in the evenings.
I’d never confess that I’m addicted to watching her work on accounting files. The way she fastens her hair up with my ink pens makes my cock hard as a rock. And the way she nibbles her lips when she’s really getting into the club books is hot as sin.
Fuck. She made math sexy.
“Now for a drink,” Vera says, glancing at me, and for a split second, I see the memory of me drugging her water.
“I’m not letting Smitty fix me anything,” she declares.
“She’s smart,” Skull says, motioning Katie over. “Honey, you want to show Vera around?”
My lungs kick like a punch landed in my stomach.
“Sure,” Katie says and she and Vera wander off laughing and talking.
“What the fuck?” I growl. “I don’t want her more than five feet from me.”
“It came,” he says over top of my rant. “There’s a box under the grill cover.”
Whoa. I can’t unglue my Adam’s apple. “If you’re fucking with me.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” He’s serious now. “I learned my lesson.”
I nod once as I watch Vera socializing. She’s fucking perfect.
“Gonna do it tonight?”
“Don’t know,” I rasp.
He slaps my back. “Let me know if you need any help.”
With that Skull leaves me. It’s not long before Slider’s strolling over. He shoves a beer into my hand. “Looks like you could use this. I get a case of the heartburn every time Gigi comes to one of these parties, too.”
I reply, “Ain’t no one touching your woman. She’s made that clear.”
“Yours too. By beating up your truck,” he says, chuckling under his breath.
“You done?” I ask before taking a swig of the beer.
“Nah. Just wanted to say I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, man.”
“That’s my cue to take off.” He nods toward Vera who is walking my way with a funny expression on her face.
Oh shit.
“What’d I do?” I ask.
“You didn’t tell me you finished the bike.”
I take another sip of the cold beer. “Well, uh.”
She slides her arm around my waist. “I’m happy for you.”
Leaning in, I kiss her crown. “Want to take a ride?”
She beams a killer grin at me, batting her dark eyelashes. “Can I scream?”
“Any fucking time you want.”
“Let’s go,” she says.
I kiss her instead with a growl and my hand on her ass. When I pull back, I rasp, “Later. I got some business to take care of first.”
“Alright.” Her cheeks are pink now, her lipstick smeared. “I’ll be ready.”
Another deep rumbly growl tears through me.
How can I resist her or concentrate when she’s looking at me like that?
I remove the plate from her hand, but not before popping jalapeno stuffed with cheese in my mouth.
“Oh my god. You ate something someone else cooked.”
After chewing, I reply, “Needed a distraction from how good you look.”
I carry the plate, hold her hand and lead her to a quieter area where there’s a picnic table no one is using.
“Hang tight for a minute. I’ll grab you a drink, and do what I gotta do.”
“Yes, sir,” she purrs with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Fuck. My cock swells inside my jeans until it aches. Vera knows what her playful submission does to me.
Adjusting my jeans, I head to the grill area and I can feel her watching me. Never thought a woman would want a man like me. A big, mean, stone-faced bastard. But Vera does. And wants me often.
Skull’s lurking by the grill.
“So you’re doing it?”
“I’m fucking doing it.”
He whoops and I punch his gut. “Shut up.”
I rip the lid off the box and my heart rockets upward. It came.
“It’s gorgeous,” Katie says.
Sliding my fingers over the thick leather sends electricity up my arm.
I pull it out, tucking it inside my cut.
Skull pushes me toward Vera. “Go get her, brother.”
“Oh, there you are,” Vera murmurs when I sit down next to her. “Want another popper?”
When I don’t respond she looks at me again and whispers, “Oh my. Your eyes are misty, did you rub jalapeno in them?”
“No. I need to ask you something.”
She pushes the plate away and turns to sit side-saddle on the bench between my thighs.
“This looks serious.”
“It is.”
I pull the vintage cut out and place it in her hands.
“What is this?”
Before I can answer, she gasps. “Is this—is this for me?”
“Yes.”
“Property of Ace,” she murmurs softly, as she reads the embroidery on the back.
“The cut is from the sixties. The patches are new.”
Her eyes are misty now too. “It’s incredible.”
“Will you be my wife, Vera?”
Okay, so much for waiting. I couldn’t hold it in.
She quickly looks up at me. “Wow.”
“Is that yes?”
“Do motorcycle men get married?”
“In this club we do. You’re also my property.”
Sighing, she closes the distance and presses her lips to mine. “I love you, Tobias. Yes, I’ll be all of that.”
I grab her, dragging her into my lap. Feels like I’ve got a piston behind my ribs as I let out a loud whoop.
“Bear hug,” she wheezes.
“Sorry.” I ease up and tilt her back and take a deep, greedy taste of my fiancée’s mouth as a crowd starts to gather around us.
Skull, the asshole, must have told the others.
Solo cups are raised. Someone lights firecrackers. And a brother starts to chant, “Claim her!”
The entire back yard of the compound becomes one big yelling chorus. “Claim her! Claim her!”
Before I realize what’s happening, I’m being hoisted in the air by about five guys. Vera’s being lifted by Rio and Ranger too. And we’re both being carried toward the gathering area by the fire.
Vera’s laughing hysterically.
The sound nearly makes my heart explode.
When we are placed on our feet, Prez is waiting.
He’s in on it too.
Fuck. Everyone knew the cut came. Skull gonna taste my fist before the night is over.
Then I see Vera in the firelight. Her hair’s tossed everywhere. The happiness in her expression is so bright it slices me in two.
“What’s happening?” she asks, wiping laugh-tears off her cheeks.
“We officially recognize you as Ace’s property,” Prez says, puffing up with pride. “And are under the club’s protection.”
Her expression softens. “I’ve never had a family or even a group of friends.”
“Well you do now, sweetheart,” I choke out with my throat stinging. I’ve been a solid block of ice for so long, I can hardly believe I’m capable of all these emotions.
“Look around. This is all yours.”
She nods, and the tears this time are not from laughing.
Prez starts the ceremony and I can barely hear over the roaring in my ears.
When I slide the cut on her shoulders, I move her hair aside and kiss her neck.
“How does it look?” she asks.
“Like you’re mine,” I growl, pulling her back into my arms.
Her hand covers my fingers. “I think it’s time we take that bike for a ride.”
“Damned right.” I scoop her up and the crowd parts, but before I can get us away, we get sprayed by champagne.
No one follows when we tear out of the gate into the night on the newly-restored bike.
I’m the only one who gets to hear Vera screaming into the wind.
And I’m the only one who gets to hear her throaty cries as I take my fiancée, pounding her from behind.
That vintage dress is flipped up. Torn panties I bought her are on the ground next to my boots.
Her cut is under my palm as she bends over the bike and makes me the happiest man alive. Mine. Mine. Mine.