Chapter 19
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle,”I said as we walked toward his bike in the driveway.
“I’ll keep you safe.”
His promise reverberated through the air.
He handed me the helmet resting on his seat. After he ensured it was tight, he straddled his bike. He turned the key in the ignition, the growl of the steel and chrome beast dominating my senses.
“I gotta warn you though… You’re not gonna be able to keep your hands off me after this ride,” he said, throwing me a sinful smirk.
“We’ll see about that,” I quipped as I climbed on behind him.
“Closer. You need to be closer. Wrap your arms around me.”
I did as he commanded, pressing the heat of my thighs against him.
Excitement danced in my veins as I enclosed my arms around his muscular form. Before I knew it, we were zooming down the road, the night air cold against my cheeks, my body alive and warm with exhilaration.
I didn’t know where Bones was taking me, and I didn’t care.
By trying to control every outcome of my life, I’d shut myself off from experiencing it to its fullest. And yet life had thrown me into the orbit of a man who lived in a different world and who followed his own rules.
Time had no meaning on the back of his motorcycle. Underneath the stars with pavement stretching out in front of us, we could ride until dawn, and it would feel like no time had passed.
But eventually, Bones turned onto a gravel road, slowing down only when we approached a gate. Two men were standing watch. They opened the gate and waved as we passed through.
Bones parked on the gravel lot near the other motorcycles. A few cars were there, too. He cut the engine and my ears buzzed from the sudden quiet.
I slid off the bike, my legs familiar with the sensation of coming to stand on solid ground. Years of horseback riding were ingrained within me.
I unlatched the helmet and shook out my hair.
“Well?” Bones asked. He was still straddling his bike and didn’t seem in a hurry to move.
“It was incredible,” I breathed.
He smiled. “Yeah, it was.”
I handed him the helmet and then looked around. “Where are we?”
“The clubhouse.”
“The clubhouse?” I asked in surprise. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Because you wanted to see what my life is all about. This is my life.”
He climbed off his motorcycle and set his helmet onto the seat. He then wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me toward the clubhouse steps.
“Who were those guys at the gate?” I asked.
“Prospects.”
“Do they have names?”
“Yes.”
“What are they?”
“Prospect Three and Prospect Four.” I looked up at him and he was smirking. “It’s better than Grunt Three and Grunt Four.”
“I guess.” I rolled my eyes.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when Bones opened the front door of the clubhouse and urged me forward, but to say I was surprised was an understatement.
“It’s clean,” I blurted out.
“We have housekeepers too,” he said with a wink.
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yep. This is the living room and kitchen. We’ve got a theater and game room downstairs in the basement. The clubhouse is three stories. Down the hall is the back door that leads outside, which is where we’re going.”
He clasped my hand and marched down the hallway.
“I thought it would be a friggin’ mess,” I stated. “I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s not.”
“It probably was back in the day,” he said. “But a lot of the brothers are married and starting families. Can’t be a shit-show here when we’ve got younguns learning how to walk and shit.”
“Younguns? How many younguns are there?” I asked in amusement.
“Too many to keep track of,” he said absently. He pushed open the back door.
People were sitting around a huge bonfire and old school country music was playing from a sound system with speakers mounted on the back of the clubhouse.
“Hayden!” a woman yelled.
I squinted, trying to decipher who’d recognized me. It took me half a second to realize it was Willa.
“You’re in it now,” Bones said, hugging me to him as he led me toward the fire.
As we got closer, I saw a group of women sitting in camp chairs while a cluster of men in leather cuts stood nearby.
“He finally decided to show you off,” a man said, taking a drink from his beer bottle.
“Here,” a woman said, thrusting a glass bottle into my hands. “You’re gonna need this.”
“What is it?” I asked, sniffing the contents, which immediately made my eyes water.
“Apple Pie Moonshine,” the woman said. “Boxer’s secret recipe.”
“Oh, thanks,” I said handing it back to her. “But I—ah—don’t drink.”
There was a moment of silence and then the blonde said, “Damn. Booze would make this easier for you. Can I get you something else?”
“Water’s fine,” I assured her with a smile. “Thanks.”
She lifted the cooler lid and fished out a bottle of water and handed it to me.
“Ready for some introductions?” Bones asked.
“Hold on, let me get a pen so I can write it all down,” I said.
Willa chuckled. “Yeah, this isn’t even the whole gang.”
“You’ll meet the rest of them at the wedding,” Bones said. “If this lot doesn’t scare you off first.”
“If she’s not scared off by your ugly face, then she can handle us,” a man said.
“Hush,” the blonde who’d handed me the bottle of moonshine said. “He likes her. We’re supposed to speak of his wonderful qualities.”
“Thanks, Logan,” Bones drawled.
“Logan?” I frowned. “You’re Logan?”
The blonde nodded. “I’m Logan.”
I looked at Bones. “That’s Logan?”
“Please don’t tell me you thought I was a guy,” Logan said with an eye roll. “I’ve heard it all before.”
“Well, Bones didn’t clarify. I assumed Logan was one of his biker brothers.”
Logan grinned. “Nope.”
“I guess I have you to thank for the tea.”
“Tea?” Logan frowned. “What tea?”
“The tea Bones brought me to help me sleep.” I frowned. “He said you recommended it to him.”
Logan looked at Bones. “Did he, now?”
“Logan is Smoke’s Old Lady,” Bones explained, diverting my attention momentarily.
Smoke raised his beer bottle to me.
“Willa and Duke, you already know,” Bones said. “Where’s Sutton and Viper?”
Logan cleared her throat. “Occupied.”
I laughed. “Got it.”
“You’ll meet them if and when they decide to resurface,” Bones said with a grin. He pointed to two other men who looked to be in their late thirties. “Raze and Kelp.”
The back door opened and three more bikers strode outside.
“You’re here,” Savage said to me in surprise.
“I am,” I agreed. “Holy hell, what happened to your face?”
His eye was bruised, and his lip was split.
“Sparring at The Ring. It’s the club’s gym.” He frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing, just—Charlie told me she was hanging out with you and that’s why she couldn’t meet me tonight.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that,” I said.
“Wait, a woman blew off Savage?” a pint-sized brunette asked. She then took the bottle of moonshine from Logan and downed a huge swallow.
“She didn’t blow me off,” Savage muttered.
“Kinda sounds like she did.”
“Shut up, Tavy,” Savage growled.
Tavy smirked. “Hi, I’m Tavy. I’m Logan’s best friend and Smoke’s daughter.”
I blinked. “Wait, you’re…”
“Yep.” Tavy nodded. “Logan’s gonna be my new mommy.”
Logan tugged on a lock of Tavy’s hair. “Ignore her. She has no filter.”
“How are you doing with names?” Bones asked.
“I don’t need name tags yet,” I quipped.
“Then here’s two more to add to the list.” He gestured to the two younger bikers who’d come outside with Savage.
“Acid and Crow.”
They gave me a couple of chin nods.
“Okay, so you guys can go away now,” Tavy said. “We want to talk to Hayden.”
Bones looked at me.
“I’m good. I swear.” I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “So far, none of this has scared me off.”
“I’m still easing you in, Duchess.” He kissed me briefly, swiped the bottle of moonshine from Logan, and followed his boys to the other side of the bonfire.
Savage held back for a moment.
“You want me to text Charlie?” I asked, reaching for my phone only to realize that I’d left the house without my purse or cell.
“Nope.”
“Just as well, I don’t have my phone on me.”
Savage turned and headed toward the other bikers.
“Sit,” Willa commanded.
“Yeah, sit,” Logan urged.
“So, there are more of you,” I said as I settled my bottom into a vacant chair.
“A lot more,” Willa said. “We’re fruitful and we multiply.”
I laughed.
“We didn’t think we were going to get to meet you until Viper and Sutton’s wedding this weekend,” Logan said. “So, this is kind of a surprise.”
“It’s a surprise for me too. This was kind of impromptu,” I admitted.
“Bones looks dressed up,” Tavy said. “I mean, dressed up for a biker. Were you guys out on a date?”
“I—we—” I sighed. “It was a date, but it was as my house.”
“Oh, really,” Tavy said with a grin.
“Yes, really.” I laughed. “He’s doing this favor for me. My mom is having this event soon and she’s trying to foist me onto a designated bachelor. Bones volunteered to be my date and I’m hoping it will help keep my mom at bay. She’s determined to see me married.”
“Hmm,” Tavy said. “Logan, hand me a beer, would you? Bones took the moonshine.”
“On it.” Logan lifted the lid of the cooler again and fished out an ice-cold beer, popped the tab, and handed it to her friend.
“Okay, so Bones was at your place for dinner wearing his nice shirt,” Logan said. “I’m still not sure why, though.”
“The event is a charity gala with a bunch of wealthy people…”
“Let me guess: etiquette lessons?” Logan asked.
“Yeah. I just want him to be prepared,” I said. “So he’s not a fish out of water.”
“He’ll be a fish out of water anyway,” Willa said. “It’ll be okay though. Bones has enough confidence not to care what other people think.”
I glanced in the direction of Bones who was laughing at something Smoke had said. His eyes caught mine and we shared a moment.
“Yeah, he’s got the confidence down. I just didn’t want him to walk into the lion’s den without at least a little bit of weaponry in his arsenal, you know? My mother’s circle can be…”
“Cold, cruel, snobby?” Tavy supplied helpfully.
“All of that and more,” I said. “When you’re an outsider, they don’t let you forget it?”
“That doesn’t sound fun,” Willa said.
“Definitely not,” I agreed. “But I promised my mother I’d be there for this event and for whatever reason, Bones agreed to go with me.”
Logan snorted.
Willa giggled. “She still doesn’t get it.”
“It seems that way,” Logan agreed.
“What don’t I get?” I demanded.
“That once a Tarnished Angel commits, he’s committed,” Logan said. “Smoke committed early and fast, even if I was a little slower to get with the program.”
“If you’re going to talk about you and my dad, then I’m leaving,” Tavy said lightly.
“I’m done,” Logan promised, taking a sip of her beer. “By the way, I never told Bones to bring you tea. That was all on him.”
“Then why did he tell me it was you?” I asked.
“You’ll have to ask him,” Logan said.
“I’ll do that. What were you saying about a Tarnished Angel being committed?” I asked.
“They move fast, when they’ve found the woman they want to be with,” Willa replied.
“That’s intense,” I muttered. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
Logan and Willa exchanged a look but didn’t say anything.
“So…did you guys do it on the dining room table?” Tavy asked.
“What? No.”
Almost.
“We—ah—got into a fight,” I admitted softly.
“About what?” Tavy wondered.
“Things,” I said evasively. “His world. My world. All the obstacles in the way of us being together.”
“Ah,” Logan said with a nod. “He’s a biker and that comes with a lot of stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?” I asked. “He won’t tell me. But I’m not stupid…his knuckles are raw, like he punched someone in the last couple of days. What’s the deal with club business?”
“Party line,” Logan muttered.
“Totally,” Willa said.
Neither of them went on.
Tavy broke the silence. “Let me guess…I’m not an Old Lady so now you’re all going to clamshell.” She rose. “I’m going to the bathroom. When I get back, can we please talk about something that includes me? I hate being out of the loop.”
Tavy headed inside and I looked to Logan and Willa.
“Well?” I asked. “What can’t I know?”