CHAPTER 58
Navigate the perils of a danger zone if a glimpse of heaven is waiting on the other side.
Darkness settles, and most of the old ladies say their goodbyes, ushering kids home to bed.
A few linger, embracing the rowdier side of MC nightlife.
The party’s moved into the clubhouse now, and the shift is unmistakable—especially when a few dancers from the club show up.
What surprises me most is that Raven is among them for the first time.
A few more girls trail in behind her, all tight dresses and ready smiles, making it clear what kind of night they’re chasing.
It’s like the two worlds I’ve been straddling—the wild chaos of club life and this newer, calmer, more familial one—are crashing together right in front of me.
My stomach flips. Something feels off.
Maybe Finn just wanted to celebrate bringing me into the fold. When I think about it like that, it’s actually kind of sweet.
He’s telling me I belong by his side, whether we’re with his HOC family or the crazier side of the MC life.
Some of the members send their wives away while they play. Finn isn’t going to be one of them. That’s what this means, and it puts my soul at ease.
I lean on the bar, elbows against the cool wood. The faint scent of weed lingers in the air. A heavy bass beat thumps through the room. I tap my fingers against the side of my drink and take a slow sip. The whiskey burns going down, but does little to settle the buzz crawling beneath my skin.
Kendra slides onto the stool beside me. The wood creaks under her weight.
She’s one of the few old ladies who’s gone out of her way to make me feel welcome, and right now, I’m grateful for the distraction.
Her soft, powdery perfume cuts through the haze of sweat, smoke, and liquor.
She nudges me with her shoulder, lifting a fresh drink, condensation trailing down the glass.
“You doing okay?” she asks, as if she can sense the tension creeping into my muscles. She tilts her head, her dark eyes scanning the crowd.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” I say, forcing a laugh.
I nod toward the growing crowd of clubpieces and HOC members on the far side of the room, where things are getting loud and a little wild.
“It’s just… a lot. One minute it’s a family barbecue, and the next…
” My voice trails off, and I gesture to the scene in front of me, where the mood has shifted into something else entirely.
Kendra chuckles, taking a sip of her drink. The ice clinks in her glass as she swirls it lazily. “Yeah, that’s the club for you. There’s never just one speed. You get used to it.”
Her words settle over me, and I smile, but my mind is still racing. My eyes drift toward the door, searching for Finn. He said he’d be right back, that he needed to take care of something, but time feels stretched without him by my side.
That’s addiction for you. Whether it’s a pill, a drug, or a person. Once you’re hooked, the absence of it forever gnaws at you.
And yes, I hate how needy that makes me feel.
“Here,” Kendra says, reaching over the counter and grabbing a bottle. She pours two shots and hands one to me. “Loosen up a bit. Might as well enjoy yourself. You’re the star tonight, after all.”
I don’t know what she means by that, but I take the shot to help settle me down. After clinking it against hers, we shoot them back. The cold liquid burns as it trickles down my throat, spreading heat through my veins.
Bodie appears out of nowhere, his usual flirty grin plastered on his face. He slides into the stool next to me, leaning in with that lazy, confident charm he’s got down to an art.
“Lookin’ a little tense there, Lil’. That’s not like you. What’s up?” he asks, his voice smooth, if not a little teasing.
“I’m fine,” I say, shooting him a look that’s both amused and exasperated. “It’s just… you know, something’s different about tonight, and I can’t put my finger on it. That and I’m still reeling about earlier today. I’ve never done that before.”
“Done what?” Bodie frowns, leaning closer, his voice lowering like he’s ready to uncover some hidden truth.
“Been on the family side of things.” I glance down, feeling the weight of the admission.
“Even with the…” I hesitate, not wanting to name the Greenbacks here.
“Well, you know. It was always the wild parties. Not barbeques and babies.” And yes, Bodie is well-informed about everything.
So far, he’s the only one. Finn thought it best to test out our discussion on him first and see how Dozer might take the same news.
He frowns, “But it’s time, Lil. You’re not going anywhere, and you love him.
This is his family, and by bringing you tonight, he’s telling us all that you’re his.
For a HOC to do something like that… It’s significant.
A game changer. He wants you here in every way you can be, and he just declared that to the whole fuckin’ club.
Kendra snorts into her drink, rolling her eyes. “Subtle as ever, Bodie.”
“Hey, I didn’t ruin the surprise,” he quips, not missing a beat.
“What surprise?” I perk up.
His smile falls. “Oh shit.”
“Bodie!” Kendra screeches.
My gaze bounces between them. “What surprise?” Does my voice pitch at the end? Yes, it does, because I knew it. I knew something more had to be going on here.
Kendra moves to stand behind Bodie and covers his mouth with her hand. He tries to pry it away. I laugh as they struggle.
Bodie finally breaks free and yells, “Septic, come get your woman! She’s manhandling me! She tried to touch my penis!”
“I did not! You fat-faced liar.” She punctuates this statement by giving him a titty twister.
He slaps her hand away. “Ouch, Ken. That fuckin’ hurt.” He clutches his hand over his nipple and massages it.
“Oh, stop being a crybaby.” She has no sympathy and smacks his arm. “If I tell Goose you ruined the surprise, a titty twister is the least of your worries.”
“God, you’re so fuckin’ mean, woman. Go pick on someone else for a change.”
I laugh at their antics, the sound bubbling up unexpectedly and loosening something inside me.
Then I spot Finn out of the corner of my eye, returning from wherever he disappeared to.
He heads toward the bar, stuffing something behind it.
The moment his eyes land on me, a slow smile spreads across his face.
He strides over, not bothering with pleasantries, as he pulls me off the stool and into his arms. I let out a soft laugh, but my heart pounds as his lips brush against my ear. “Miss me?”
“Maybe,” I tease, my hands sliding over his broad shoulders. I feel the firm muscle beneath his cut as I pull him closer. His familiar scent—leather, soap, and the leftover scent from the bonfire—fills my senses, wrapping me in a comforting haze.
Bodie watches us with a knowing smirk. “Don’t get too comfortable, Goose. I was just about to steal her away from you.”
Finn doesn’t even spare him a glance. “That right?” His gaze is locked on mine.
His hand weaves into my hair. In the next heartbeat, he’s kissing me possessively.
It’s a claim, a reminder that I belong to him and no other.
The world around us blurs as he dips me back slightly, the cheers and wolf whistles fading into the background as I lose myself in him.
“Fuck, I found my new addiction,” Finn says while licking his bottom lip.”
“What?”
“Whiskey, on your lips, baby. Nothin’ like the taste of it from your mouth.”
His hands settle on my waist, the heat in his stare is doing crazy things to my body, lighting me up from the inside out. “Now tell this fool once and for all who you belong to, Lil’.”
“You. Just you.”
The corner of his mouth kicks up. “You sure?”
Going up to my tippy toes, I place a peck on his lips. “Never more sure. Why? You change your mind about me?”
He palms my face and combs my hair back away from it, tucking strands behind my ear. “Never.”
“Well, you two are just too disgustingly sweet for me. Please tone it down,” Kendra jokes.
Finn pulls me into his side and puts his arm around my shoulder.
We bullshit with Bodie and Kendra for a bit before Griz joins our little group and gives Finn shit for “stealing his girl.” It’s only because we’re flush against each other that I feel Finn’s body tense, but soon after, he jokes it off all in good fun.
The moment passes, and after a while, I feel lighter than I ever have. The music cranks up around us, the beat thrumming through the floor beneath my boots, and the crowd grows louder.
“Come on,” Finn says, tugging me toward the dance floor.
“Dance with me.” My heart flutters like there’s an excited bird caged inside with happy wings.
His demand takes me off guard, but before I can question it, he pulls me toward the dance floor, weaving us through the crowd, and pulling me into his arms once we reach the center.
The weight of the night lifts, and my world zeros in on him alone.
My arms circle his neck, his hands slide to my ass.
After pulling our hips together, he grinds his lower body against mine.
I softly comb my nails through his hair and lovingly caress his scar.
His piercing gaze holds mine as we get lost in each other and the rhythm of the music.
There’s a slight crinkle beside the corner of his eyes, and a slight smile on his mouth. Brushing my fingers over his bottom lip, I say, “You could let that smile loose; you know? It wouldn’t kill you.” I tilt my head this way and that. “Come on, I know it’s there somewhere.”
He fights it briefly, but then it breaks free—an unguarded smile builds. It’s beautiful, and I can’t help but grin back at him.
“There it is,” I whisper, my heart swelling at the sight.