Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
WHIP
It's Friday evening and the clubhouse is pumping with music, laughter, and the smell of barbecue wafting through the air. Violet's twenty-fifth birthday party is in full swing, and watching her smile as she talks with Savannah and the other old ladies makes me happier than I can express.
She's wearing the red dress I picked out for her this morning, along with a different collar I placed around her neck four days ago.
It's a daytime collar, so it's a little more discreet.
I don't want everyone knowing she's in the lifestyle, especially in a workplace setting when that could bring up some odd conversations.
But, things have become as natural as breathing now, even as she wears the collar.
I watch her as her fingers unconsciously touch it when she's nervous, and she wears it with pride. What she doesn't know yet is what really happened to Derek.
The official story is that Derek left town after a "conversation" with some of the brothers.
Cruel spread word that he got scared, packed up his shit, and headed west. Even filed a police report about his missing person status being closed—apparently Derek called his mother from somewhere in Nevada, said he needed a fresh start.
The truth is much darker.
Derek died three nights ago in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
I put two bullets in his chest and one in his head after I broke three ribs, his jaw, and both knees.
He begged for his life right before I pulled the trigger.
He promised he'd never go near Violet again, that he'd disappear forever.
But promises from a man who hits women aren't worth the air they're spoken with.
I have no regrets. I'd do it again tomorrow if it meant keeping Violet safe. The world is a better place without Derek in it.
"You look like you're thinking heavy thoughts," Cruel says, appearing beside me with two beers.
I accept one, taking a long pull. "Just watching my woman enjoy herself."
"She fits in good here. The ladies love her."
"Yeah, they do." I watch Violet laugh at something Savannah says, her whole face lighting up. "How's club business going?"
Cruel's expression darkens. "Viper's stirring up shit about your woman again. Says you're too distracted, making decisions with your dick instead of your brain."
I turn to look at him fully. "What kind of decisions?"
"The Derek situation. He's been asking too many questions about why Derek really disappeared."
Anger settles in my gut. "What exactly has he been saying?"
"That it's convenient how Derek just vanished right after threatening Violet. That maybe certain brothers took things too far. That the club could be exposed if anyone starts digging."
I set my beer down hard enough that foam sloshes over the rim. "Where is he?"
"Back room, shooting his mouth off to anyone who'll listen."
I'm already walking before Cruel finishes talking. The back room where we hold official business is thick with cigarette smoke. Viper's yapping his jaws with a few of the younger prospects, his voice carrying clearly.
"...club's supposed to come first, not some lawyer's piece of ass. We've all got women, but we don't let them change how business gets done..."
"Got something you want to say to me directly, Viper?" I ask from the doorway.
The room goes silent. The prospects suddenly find their boots fascinating, while Viper turns to me with that smirk he's been wearing more and more lately.
"Just wondering if we're going to have problems from your girlfriend's ex vanishing into thin air."
"No problems," I say simply. "Derek got the message loud and clear. He won't be bothering anyone again."
"Because he's dead."
The words hang in the air. I feel every man in the room tense, waiting to see how this plays out.
"Because he's gone," I repeat, stepping into the room. "And if you've got an issue with how club business is handled, maybe you should take it up with Ripper instead of gossiping like an old woman."
Viper stands up slowly. He's a big man, taller than me and broader, but size isn't everything in a fight.
"Maybe I'm tired of watching you make decisions that put the club at risk. Maybe some of us think you're too soft now, letting some girl turn you into something you're not."
"And maybe," Ripper's voice cuts through the tension as he enters the room, "you've forgotten your place in this club."
Every man snaps to attention. When the president speaks, you listen.
"Viper, you got something to say about how I run this club?" Ripper grumbles, his voice deceptively calm.
"I'm just saying—"
"You're just running your mouth. About decisions that have already been made. About brothers who've proven their loyalty time and again." Ripper's gaze sweeps the room. "Whip handled the Derek situation exactly how it needed to be handled. End of discussion."
"But—"
"End. Of. Discussion." Ripper's voice carries absolute authority. "In fact, I think it's time we had a talk about your future here, Viper. My office. Now."
Viper's face reddens, but he doesn't argue. He follows Ripper out, leaving the rest of us in silence.
"About time," one of the prospects mutters.
I head back to the main room, needing to put some distance between myself and the confrontation. The party continues around me, but I can see some of the brothers watching for signs of drama.
Violet appears at my side, slipping her hand into mine. "Everything okay?"
"Just club business." I bring her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles. "You having a good time?"
"The best. Thank you for all this."
"You deserve it, baby."
She leans up to whisper in my ear. "Victorio's here."
I turn to see Victorio standing near the bar, looking distinctly out of place in his expensive suit among the leather and denim. But he's here, which says something about how serious he is about building a relationship with his daughter.
"How's he holding up?"
"Better than expected. Savannah's been introducing him around, making sure everyone knows who he is."
I squeeze her hand. "And the results?"
This afternoon, Violet got the call confirming what we already knew—Victorio is her biological father. The DNA test was just a formality, but having official confirmation seemed to lift a weight off her shoulders.
"Ninety-nine point nine percent match," she says, smiling. "He cried when I told him."
"Good. He should know how lucky he is to have you in his life."
"Speaking of which," she says, producing an envelope from her purse. "He brought something."
I open it to find a handwritten note and two concert tickets.
Santiago, Thank you for loving my daughter and helping her become the strong woman she is today. These are for the Van Gogh exhibit she mentioned wanting to see. I thought perhaps you two could go together.
Victorio
"He remembered you mentioning those tickets Derek wouldn't let you use."
Violet's eyes shine with unshed tears. "He's trying so hard to be part of my life. I never expected..."
"Hey." I cup her face gently. "You deserve good things. You deserve people who fight to be in your life, not people who make you feel like you're asking for too much."
Before she can respond, Ripper's voice booms over the music. "Can I have everyone's attention?"
The room gradually quiets as all eyes turn to our president. Viper is nowhere to be seen.
"Brothers, ladies, friends," Ripper continues. "We're here tonight to celebrate one of our own. Violet, would you join me up here?"
Violet looks at me nervously, but I nod encouragingly. She makes her way to where Ripper stands, and he places a protective hand on her shoulder.
"This woman came to us broken and afraid," he says, his voice carrying to every corner of the room. "But she showed us strength, courage, and loyalty. She's proven herself worthy of our protection and our family."
We're interrupted by Cruel approaching with a smile and a small wrapped gift.
"From all the brothers," he says, handing it to Violet. "Consider it a welcome to the family present."
Violet unwraps it carefully to reveal a beautiful leather journal with her initials embossed on the cover. Inside the front page, every member of the club has signed their name or road name.
"It's for whatever you want," Cruel explains. "Some of the old ladies use theirs for recipes, others for planning events. Savannah keeps track of club business in hers."
"This is beautiful," Violet says, running her fingers over the leather. "Thank you so much."
Victorio appears beside us, looking more comfortable now that he's had a few beers and some chats with the brothers. "May I?" he asks, holding out his hand for the journal.
Violet passes it to him, and he flips to a clean page, writing something before handing it back. She reads it and tears spring to her eyes.
"What's it say?" I ask.
She shows me the page where he's written:
To my daughter - May you always know how proud I am of the woman you've become.
Love, Dad.
"First time I've ever written that word," Victorio says quietly. "Feels good."
Violet hugs him tightly, and I can see him struggling with his own emotions. Finding out you have a daughter at forty-seven years old has to mess with your head, but he's handling it better than I expected.
"Speech!" someone calls out from across the room, and soon the whole club is chanting for Violet to say something.
She looks panicked, but I nod encouragingly. "Go on, baby. They're family now."
She stands up, the room gradually falling quiet. "I don't really know what to say. A month ago, I thought I knew who I was and where my life was going. Then everything changed, and I ended up here, with all of you."
She pauses, touching her collar unconsciously. "I found a father I never knew I had. I found a man who sees me as strong instead of broken. And I found a family that accepts me exactly as I am."
"To family!" Ripper calls out, raising his beer.
"To family!" the room echoes back.
As everyone drinks, I pull Violet close, pride swelling in my chest. She's come so far from the frightened woman who showed up at our gate with a bruised face. Now she's holding her own in a room full of hardened bikers, speaking with confidence and grace.
Later that night, after the last of the guests have left and we've cleaned up the clubhouse, I take Violet back to my apartment. Our apartment now—I officially asked her to move in yesterday.
She's quiet during the drive, processing everything that's happened. Her real father attending her birthday party, being officially welcomed into the club, and learning the truth about Derek.
"How are you feeling?" I ask as we ride the elevator up to our floor.
"Like my old life is completely gone," she says. "Like I'm someone entirely different than I was two weeks ago."
"Is that a good thing?"
She considers this as I unlock our door. "Yes. The woman I was before would never have had the courage to tell Victorio the truth, or accept what you did to Derek, or wear your collar with pride. She would have been too scared, too worried about what other people thought."
I pull her into my arms once we're inside. "And now?"
"Now I know who I am. I'm your woman, your submissive. I'm Victorio's daughter. I'm part of the Dungeon MC family. And, I'm someone who doesn't accept less than she deserves."
"Happy birthday, baby," I murmur against her lips.
"It's been perfect. But I think it could end even better."
I don't need her to spell it out. I can see the desire in her eyes, the way she's already reaching for the zipper of her dress.
"Bedroom," I command. "Strip. Wait for me."
She hurries to comply while I take a moment to pour myself a whiskey. The day has been a lot—Viper's confrontation, the news about Derek's body, Violet learning the truth about what I did. But seeing her accept it all, seeing her embrace this life completely, fills me with so much pride.
When I enter the bedroom, she's kneeling beside the bed, naked except for her collar and the club necklace. The sight of her like this—marked as mine in every way that matters—makes my cock hard instantly.
"Perfect," I say, beginning to undress. "Today you officially became mine in front of everyone who matters. Tonight, I'm going to show you exactly what that means."
I retrieve the items I'll need from our toy drawer—rope, a new vibrator I bought for her birthday, and something she hasn't seen yet. A leather leash that matches her collar.
Her eyes widen when she sees the leash. "Santiago..."
"Stand up."
She rises gracefully, and I clip the leash to the ring on her collar. The symbolism isn't lost on either of us—she belongs to me completely.
"On the bed. On your back."
She complies, and I begin restraining her spread-eagle style, each limb bound to a corner of the bed. When she's completely helpless, I step back to admire my work.
"Beautiful. My perfect submissive."
I spend the next hour worshipping her body, using every technique I know to drive her wild with pleasure. The new vibrator makes her scream when I use it on her clit, and by the time I finally sink into her, she's already come three times.
"Who do you belong to?" I ask as I move inside her.
"You," she gasps.
"Who protects you?"
"You do."
"Who loves you more than anything in this world?"
"You," she cries as she comes again, her body clenching around me.
I follow her over the edge, spilling myself deep inside her as I whisper her name like a prayer.
Afterward, I untie her carefully, massaging feeling back into her limbs. She curls against me, sated and sleepy.
"I love you," she murmurs against my chest.
"I love you too. Forever."
As she drifts off to sleep in my arms, I think about everything we've overcome to get here. Her abusive ex, her painful past, the secrets that kept us apart for so long. We've faced it all and come out stronger.
Derek is dead and buried, literally. Viper is no longer a threat to our happiness—Ripper stripped his patch tonight and banned him from club property. Violet has her father back in her life. She's officially part of my world, wearing my collar and my club's protection.
Tomorrow we'll start our new life together. We'll plan for the future—maybe a wedding, maybe kids, definitely a lifetime of happiness. But tonight, I'm content to hold the woman I love and know that she's safe, cherished, and completely mine.
Some men dream of conquering the world. I'm content knowing I've conquered the heart of the most incredible woman I've ever met, and that she's given me hers in return.
The past is buried with Derek and the future belongs to us.
And I intend to make every day of it count.