Chapter 8
Jigsaw
W hen Willow walked outside, I began to speak with her brother, now the Phantom Renegades President. Paige made eye contact with me as she stood from the other side of Ghost and pointed to the direction Willow left.
“What’s with the shirts?” I asked him, and he took a swallow of his beer and shook his head.
“After you left, she turned cold. I’m not sure what transpired between the two of you, but it changed her, and when you renounced your colors, I think it broke something inside her,” Ghost admitted.
I glanced around to see if anyone was paying us attention, but all I saw was our clubs sharing beers, stories, and laughs. I turned back to him and lowered my voice.
“She’s never left my mind, Marcus,” I said, using his real name so he knew I was speaking as a friend and not a brother.
“Look, Dean. I never had a problem with the two of you being together, or hooking up, or whatever it was that happened. That was all Popeye. I even tried to get her to move back to Minneapolis so she would be closer to the club, but she refused.”
“Where does she live?” I inquired.
“She moved to Chicago after she graduated, and I wish she’d leave that damn city. Too many people getting gunned down in the streets for my taste,” he returned. “It’s not like she has an office job or anything. She works from home, so she could work from anywhere.”
“Did she get her accounting degree?” I asked.
He nodded and chuckled. “Yep. She’s still an egghead.”
I hated that the times he spoke about his sister when I was a prospect, he always picked on her intelligence. I would be proud to have a sibling as smart as she was, but he liked to pick on her, claiming it was his right as her big brother.
I looked over my shoulder and didn’t see her or Paige. Ghost placed his hand on my shoulder, and I looked back at him. “I know she went out to your clubhouse last night, and I appreciate you keeping her safe.”
“She never spoke to me. As soon as we were face to face, she used a runaway asshole dog as cover to leave without a word,” I replied, drinking the last of my beer.
“I’m going to say this one time, then it’s up to the two of you.
” I nodded, and he leaned closer as he spoke.
“I love my sister, but she wasn’t meant to be part of the Phantom Renegades.
I think she was always meant to be your ol’ lady, and if you can convince her to be yours, I’d be honored to have you as family. ”
“She’s not anyone’s property,” I reasoned.
He shook his head and answered, “I believe that was her way of saving herself for you.”
I looked at him and asked, “Will there be blowback from your club over this? Because I will claim her ass and make her a Sinner.”
“If my club has a problem, it’s mine to deal with. No Phantom Renegades will lay a hand on either of you. Under my orders.” I went to stand, and he added, “But if she says no, and you don’t honor that, then you and I will have a problem that the devil won’t want to be part of.”
“Understood.”
I offered him my closed fist, and he bumped his against it before I walked outside.
Seeing Willow speaking so seriously with Paige, I knew she wasn’t feeling sure about my words or my actions.
I was going to have to show her my intentions and prove my words were real.
Because as soon as I said she was mine, I knew it to be the truth, down to the core of my being.
Kissing her was everything I remembered, and when she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me against her curvy body, I felt my cock grow hard in my jeans.
I needed to get her away from the noise and the people so she and I could talk.
She needed to know I was deadly serious when I said she was mine.
After agreeing to meet everyone back at the Sin Den and walking away from her as she got her bike, I tried to think of where I could take her that wouldn’t be thick with other bikers. I wanted to have some space and freedom on the road with her, so I racked my brain trying to think of where to go.
As I walked up to the line of bikes manned by a Sinners prospect, I saw him double check who I was before he moved away so I could climb onto my bike.
Cranking the loud Harley motor, I waited for Willow to appear from her parking area.
When I saw that sexy Kawaski pull out onto Main Street, I couldn’t help but smile.
She was sexy as fuck, with her blonde hair clipped up and her tattoos on full display.
Her juicy ass was poised on the seat, and as she got closer, I slowly began to pull out.
She saw me and smiled as she moved to the side for me to ride next to her. “I’ll follow you,” she yelled over the loud motors echoing all around us, and I nodded.
Pulling ahead, it took almost half an hour to get to the interstate, and even then, it was slow moving.
She kept taking deep breaths and exhaling every time we had to slow to a crawl, so when we got to the exit I was looking for, I motioned to her to stay close.
I wasn’t used to leading a ride and kept checking that she was behind me as we got off the exit and started making turns to get away from traffic.
At the last stop light before we hit an open country road, I looked over at her and wiggled my eyebrows. She smiled and turned her gaze back to the red light hanging above the intersection. When it turned green, I watched as she shot off across the white line and started hauling ass down the road.
Fuck, I was in love.
She maneuvered the bike like an expert as the road wound back and forth through rocky outcroppings and surrounding farmland. She slowed down as I trailed her, and when I got beside her, she was laughing.
I joined her in infectious laughter as we slowed down for a pick-up truck ahead.
There was a small diner up a few miles, and I wanted to feed her then put her on the back of my bike for a short ride.
I moved slightly ahead of her, and she fell in line behind me as we followed the truck.
When I saw the diner’s sign, I gave her a signal that we were going to turn and saw her nod in my rear-view mirror.
Pulling into the lot, we were able to find space near the side of the building, so I backed my bike in first, followed by Willow.
Turning off the engine, I felt the ringing in my ears as I climbed off the bike.
Willow was standing beside her bike, taking her hair down and checking herself in the mirror.
“You’re beautiful, as always,” I said, and she looked at me with the cutest blush pushing up on her cheeks.
I walked over to her and brushed a speck from her cheek as I asked, “Where’d you learn to ride like that? You must’ve had the bike up to one-twenty.”
“One-eighteen, actually,” she responded with a smile. “Popeye taught me in the year after you left.”
Her smile faltered some, and I gently kissed her and remarked, “Let’s go inside so we can talk.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and I took her hand into mine and guided us into the diner.
I was out this way about once a month when I needed to ride without distractions, so I was familiar with the way they did things. I walked us up to the counter and explained, “We order here, and they’ll bring it to us.”
She looked over the small menu, and after we both ordered and I paid for lunch, I guided her to a table in the far corner, away from prying ears. Willow and I needed to speak about some serious topics, and I didn’t want her to feel like she needed to censor herself or that others were listening.
“Where do you want to start? Because I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. There never has been, and I don’t think us starting our life together with them is a good idea,” I said and sat back, giving her the chance to say whatever she needed to.
“Our life together? I didn’t think you were serious about what you said.” She looked down at the table as she said, “You don’t have to keep your word. I know it was only said to make those guys leave me alone.”
I reached across the table and took her hands into mine as I waited for her to look at me. When she finally did, I saw a sadness in her eyes that I’d only seen one time before. And the last time, I’d renounced my patch and walked away to make sure she was protected.
“I never say something I don’t mean, and I’m not taking it back. You’re mine, Willow. You always have been, but I was too young and too stupid to take you with me when I left. For that, I’m so sorry.”
“I know why you left Minneapolis, and it’s me who should be apologizing. I cost you your future as a Phantom Renegades, and I don’t blame you for hating me,” she said.
The waitress brought our food to the table and asked if we needed anything before leaving us alone.
“Willow, I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you, and I was deluding myself by thinking that leaving Minneapolis would make me stop loving you.
It didn’t. And now, we’ve been given something rare in this life—a second chance at happiness.
Not many people get that, and we need to do whatever we can to make it work. ”
“But you live here, and I live—”
“In Chicago,” I interjected, and she looked confused. “Ghost told me. You work from home doing accounting, so you can work from home here.” I smiled at her and asked, “Next reason?”
She picked up a French fry and took a bite, not speaking. I figured she was running through every reason why she couldn’t be mine, so I picked up my sandwich and took a bite, not wanting to rush this conversation.
“What about what you said to Popeye?” she asked, and I shrugged as I swallowed the bite and wiped my mouth with a napkin.
“Popeye’s gone, and I’m sorry about that, but his words have no power over us anymore. And from what Marcus said, even though you’re not a member of the Phantom Renegades, he’s never had a problem with you and me being together.”
She picked up another fry and took a bite, so I smiled at her and began eating again. When she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, I high-fived myself in my mind, knowing she was knocking down the obstacles in her mind without me having to do anything.
When she asked the next question, I wanted to pull her into my arms but refrained, giving her the space she needed to make up her mind about giving us a chance. “Why do you want to be with me anyway? There’s bound to be better women for you than me.”
I put my sandwich down and wiped my hands before reaching over and offering them to her. She placed hers in mine, and I looked deep into her eyes as I spoke from the heart. The only other time I’d done this was that night with her, when I admitted my deepest, darkest secrets.
“From the moment I met you, I knew you were special. There was something about you that meshed with me, making me complete, and I think you felt it too. You probably still feel that way because I know I do. You’re the only person to ever see the true me, and you accepted me, allowed me to share myself with you, and when we parted ways, you took a piece of me with you.
” I leaned over and pulled her hands across to place a kiss on each as I added, “I’ve loved you longer than I can admit, but that’s the truth, Willow.
I love you, and I want to place a claim on you, but only if you want the same thing. ”
“Why did you renounce your colors? Why did you renounce me?” she asked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Because Popeye was going to cut you off and cast you out. I didn’t have anything to offer at that time, but things are different now.” I paused then continued, “Renouncing my colors was easier than renouncing you, but I couldn’t be the reason your life fell apart.”
“That was the reason?” she asked, allowing the tears to fall.
“And nothing else. I swear to you, on my patch as a member of the Sinners Revenge MC, I wouldn’t have left you if I had any other choice.”
She picked up a napkin and wiped under her eyes before taking a swallow of her drink. I didn’t make a move as she sat across from me and contemplated her decision.
“And my brother is okay with all of this?” she asked.
“He gave his blessing, as long as you’re happy.”
“And you’re not going to take it back, or cast me aside when some sweet butt shakes her ass in front of you?”
That question was the one that got me out of my seat.
I stood and took her hand, encouraging her to stand with me.
She stood and looked me in the eyes as I said, “A sweet butt or a club slut doesn’t hold a candle to an ol’ lady.
To me, to the Sinners, you are precious, treasured, and protected.
You would have sisters who would have your back, and a family who would ride to the end of the earth for you. ”
When she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself close before placing a soft kiss on my lips, I felt the worry bleed out of me.
I didn’t realize until that moment that I’d been holding my breath for the last six years.
But with Willow in my arms, agreeing to give us a real chance, I was able to exhale.
And if I had to put a ring on her finger before the cut on her back to guarantee that she’d stay here, then I was ready to find a chaplain and say ‘I do’.