CHAPTER 16
SNAKE
I keep my hand on the small of my woman’s back as I lead her toward the kitchen and dining area on the backside of the warehouse. She’s already walked through the huge rooms to get to the back where we had family day, but she’s never been in the thick of dinner at the compound.
It can be a lot.
“Graycie-girl,” I murmur, “almost everyone will be here for dinner. We are most nights, but also everyone wants to meet you. Officially.”
Her steps come to a stop, and she blinks up at me. “Officially?”
I use my thumb to smooth out the little lines between her eyes from her eyebrows furrowing. “Yeah,” I rasp, “because I’ve claimed you. Officially. They wanted to meet you before because you’re Opal’s best friend and new to town, but this is different. You’re the Vice President’s Old Lady.”
Her lips part, still a little swollen from me kissing her. The emotions that flit across her hazel eyes have me grinning.
“Opal told me about Old Ladies and the hierarchy and a little about club life,” her words are soft, unsure at first, but they gain speed. She clears her throat and glances away, a blush creeping up her neck. “And club whores.”
The words land between us like grenades.
My movements are fast as I push her up against the wall with my hand around her throat in a very loose hold, just enough to keep her in place.
But my Graycie doesn’t look at me with fear.
Her eyes glaze over with lust, and my cock immediately springs to attention.
Fuck.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Angel. I fucked Sindi and Clarice, who are both club whores here.
I’ve never been a fucking monk. But I wasn’t going through women like water, especially the last few years.
It was getting old. I wanted something real, but never really thought I would find it.
” A smile curls my lips as she blinks up at me.
“Then you walked out the back door of the clubhouse, and everything shifted.”
“If they fuck with me, I won’t back down,” she warns me and she sure as fuck isn’t helping with my dick problem. I’m fucking throbs at seeing the fire in her eyes.
I groan, “Never back down, Graycie-girl.”
The smile she gives me is filled with satisfaction. I kiss her hard, unable to stop myself. I press my body against hers, strongly considering taking her back upstairs.
Someone clears their throat and Graycie lets out a gasp as she turns her head and her eyes widen.
“Just wanted to let you kids know that dinner is ready,” my mom’s voice fills the space around us, and I let out a grunt as I let my forehead fall onto my woman’s shoulder.
“Be right there, Ma,” I growl and my woman has the fucking nerve to giggle. I hear my mom’s footsteps move away as I husk, “You’re not the one who has to walk into dinner with a raging hard-on, Angel.”
“Maybe not,” she shrugs her other shoulder, “but my lady balls are still blue.”
I rear back from her to find her eyes sparkling and an adorable smile lighting up her face while I bark out a surprised laugh. When I tuck her into my side, she melts into me and I finish leading her to dinner.
Right before we walk through the doorway, she stiffens and I pitch my voice low so only she hears me, “Don’t worry, it’s not like they’re waiting on us.”
She blows out a relieved breath as we step into the large dining area with an open concept industrial kitchen on one side. Opal is already waving wilding to get Graycie’s attention. Like we wouldn’t be able to find her.
Graycie chuckles and gives my waist a squeeze, possibly in apology. Because we clearly aren’t moving fast enough and Opal is up and practically tackling my woman to the ground. Thankfully, I’m there to keep them both up right.
“Fucking hell, Opal,” there’s a warning in my words, but no real heat, “be careful.”
My sister doesn’t even look at me, she simply pulls my woman back toward the table where Opal is sitting along with Sidewinder, Ryker, his parents, and my parents.
When I see the chair open next to my woman, relief hits me.
If I couldn’t sit next to her that shit wasn’t going to work for me, and I don’t give a fuck if it made me look like a bitch, I was going to flip my shit.
Opal is already pulling Graycie down into her seat and grinning like mad while practically vibrating. If I had any concern about her feeling a certain way about me claiming her best friend, I clearly don’t have anything to worry about.
“Hi Jackal and Vera,” Graycie smiles at Ryker’s parents, their faces showing surprise that she remembers them before they mask it. “It’s nice to see you again, Warden and Patsy,” her eyes soften just slightly as she greets my parents and I swear both of them melt right in front of me.
What the fuck?
Damn it.
Now I’m going to be competing for my woman’s attention and time.
I can already feel it.
Before she can get swept up in a conversation with the ladies, I lean down and murmur, “I’ll grab you a plate. Do you have any allergies or preferences I should know about?”
Fuck. Needing to ask just reminds me how much I don’t know about my woman.
“No,” she whispers back with a slight shake of her head, “no allergies and I’m not all that picky. Except I hate tomatoes,” she grimaces.
I chuckle and watch as goosebumps skate along her neck and arm as my breath fans over her skin. “How about ketchup?”
“Ketchup is a food group,” she tells me solemnly.
“Noted,” I chuckle and kiss her temple before straightening up.
When I’m at my full height, I realize everyone around the table is staring at us, their eyes darting between me and my woman. Let them watch. Let them see it all.
I make a little salute motion with two fingers before I saunter off toward the buffet style dinner.
It’s easier to serve and Patsy and Vera have it down to a science at this point.
Opal might be in charge of the clubhouse, but not the kitchen when it comes to anything other than supplies.
My sister can’t cook to save her own damn life, let alone anyone else’s.
Even though I know my woman is safe, I keep an eye on her as I dish up lasagna for both of us along with some salad and bread sticks.
I almost stomp my foot when I realize I’m going to have to make a second run to get drinks.
Sidewinder pops up next to me with a look on his face like he wants to say something.
“I’ll get you and Graycie something to drink,” he says after swallowing hard. He nods towards my hands. “Looks like you have your hands full and I really don’t want you to have to spend too long away from her. You look like you’re about to explode,” he adds on while eyeing me warily.
“Thanks,” I grunt and head right toward the table.
I almost stumble over my feet when I get a good look at her because she has a hand over her mouth like she’s trying to physically hold back her laughter while amusement dances in her eyes. She’s looking between Mom and Opal like they’re her personal variety show.
As I place a plate in front of Graycie, I catch Mom teasing Opal. “Come on,” Mom prods her, “you might as tell us the next book club read. We’ll just find out eventually.”
“Absolutely not,” Opal snaps.
Vera leans forward, her tone sickly sweet, “I guess Opal doesn’t realize we’ve been reading romance since before she came around.”
The look on my sister’s face is pure fucking horror. I can’t help but chuckle as I put my plate down, take a seat, and take the drinks Sidewinder delivers.
“Yeah,” Jackal rumbles, “maybe, but the romance from back in the day wasn’t pure porn.
” The table freezes before we turn toward our former Prez, slowly.
When he glances around, he shrugs like he’s not at all bothered.
“What? I’ve seen what you’re reading now,” he points his fork toward Vera, “and some of it made me want to clutch my pearls. Me. And I’m a fucking biker for fucks sake. ”
Graycie and Opal have gone bright red and are frozen to the point that I’m almost afraid of them literally cracking. My woman wheezes out a laugh before looking toward Opal.
“This is exactly why I keep refusing your book club invitation,” she deadpans.
Opal blinks a few times, and I notice Sidewinder pause slightly before sitting down again in his seat, his eyes fixed on his plate. “I’ve never even heard of a book club. I’m certainly not part of one,” my sister sounds like she’s telling the god’s honest truth.
But we all know better.
The table erupts in laughter and some of my brothers at other tables, having heard the exchange, join in.
A feeling of family wraps around me, one of those moments which bind us together, one we tell stories about later.
Graycie must feel it too because her body relaxes as she picks up her fork.
When she glances up at me, the smile on her face is pure light.
I brush a few strands of hair back off her face and lean over to kiss her forehead. “Eat up, Graycie-girl,” I murmur, “and enjoy.”
When I pull back, there’s understanding on her face. She nods, ever so slightly, before tucking into her plate while smiling, laughing, and engaging with everyone around the table.
It feels good.
Not just having her at my side while surrounded by my family, but the way she blends into the tapestry of my life, of this place, of this family. It’s effortless, like she was always supposed to slide into the spot at my side.
Because she was.
My chest puffs up with pride because she’s perfect. For me. For this club. For my family.
Remembering how she brought up club whores has my gut clenching. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but I’ll keep my eyes open. The club whores have been keeping their distance so far.
Clarice might try to stake a claim she’s never had. Sindi has never wanted a patch, but Clarice is a different story. Her and Lola are cut from the same cloth.
I’ve never touched Lola.
It’s been a while since I’ve been with any of them. Still, that doesn’t mean they won’t try some shit. I know my Angel can handle it.