Chapter 30 Ford
THIRTY
FORD
I knew I was pressing my luck with this move, but I was tired of waiting. Royce had barely forgiven me, and I wasn’t wasting any more time before sliding my name over her back.
She was still sleeping when I crawled out of bed and moved to the spot in her closet where I had secretly hung the leather cut.
I doubted she’d dug through her clothes to see it, which worked out for me.
Being here in her house for the past week allowed me all kinds of liberties, like napping in her bed where I could inhale that rose scent and let it brand my lungs.
She had no idea that I’d invaded her space, but I was past caring.
She’d invaded my entire life, so she could deal with me creeping around hers.
I hadn’t really told anyone that I didn’t even care that much that my house had burned down.
She wasn’t hurt, and all the important things that I had kept inside of it were now in her possession anyway.
Gus was protected, the rest was just old flooring and ugly walls.
I wanted to rebuild a life with Royce, and with this property patch I intended to do exactly that.
The leather was fresh, the white stitching that identified her as the president’s wife was bright and stiff.
The skull patch representing the Stone Riders was in place, but I also added a small wolf howling as homage to her father.
For me, there was a pink rose I had stitched into the back which was soft under my touch.
It was the rest of the back that tugged my mouth into a smile.
Property of Ford Ryan
Under that, in smaller stitching, I had another few words added, and I knew they’d make Royce laugh.
Fucking finally.
Pressing a kiss to her neck, I felt Royce stir, and then eventually turn. The sheet was barely up over her tits, but her nipples pebbled and poked through the thin fabric, making my cock stir in my boxers.
“Morning.” She smiled up at me with the cutest fucking sleepy expression that it made my smile drop. Fuck, I was in love with her. She might as well have tugged my heart out and sewn it inside of hers.
I leaned down and kissed her.
“Morning.”
“I could get used to waking up to you.” Her raspy words were kindling to the fire burning in my chest.
“Good.” I brushed a piece of her hair off her brow.
“I have something for you.” I held the leather in my hands, suddenly feeling nervous that she might change her mind about us…
about this. She sat up, pushing her palms behind her, then curling her arm around the top of the sheet to keep it over her naked chest.
“Is that—” Her eyes darted to the leather as she lightly bit her bottom lip in curiosity. I knew it was nerves too. She did that when she didn’t want to get an answer wrong, or she worried that she might be embarrassed.
“Before I give this to you, I need you to know that it’s not just because you’re mine.
It’s not just because I want the whole world to know it.
I meant what I said when I told you this club is in your blood.
You were always meant to have this patch across your back, and I’m so fucking proud that you’re wearing it with my name there too. ”
Her gaze became misty as it dropped to the leather in my hands. I took a deep breath and pushed on.
“This isn’t a light thing for me. I’ve never given a patch to anyone…I’ve never even wanted anyone but you, Royce. If you decide you don’t want this, I’ll respect it.”
She moved, throwing her arms around my neck. I held her to me, with the leather between us.
“I have always wanted to be yours, Ford.”
I pulled back and held her jaw, cradling it tenderly while I memorized her face.
“So you’ll wear this?”
She smiled. “I’ll wear that, Ford, and I’ll even move in with you in that apartment.”
I laughed into her mouth as I pulled her in for a kiss.
Once I kissed her enough that she was breathless, she plopped back into her pillows. I stood up and tried to tug at the sheet. “I want to cuddle, come back.”
She flipped over, showing her bare ass cheek, which I gripped with my palm. “We gotta go shopping for some furniture and shit, so get up.”
I didn’t want to leave. Cuddling sounded really fucking good actually, but I needed to get some shit for the apartment.
Killian had been gracious enough not to kick me out as I sat against his daughter’s door night after night.
However, I knew that was because I wasn’t touching his daughter.
I had no doubts whatsoever he’d tell me to get the fuck out now that I’d gotten back into Royce’s good graces.
“Okay, fine,” Royce huffed. She rolled back over and sat up with a fresh gleam in her eye. “But we’re getting one of those cat backpacks with the airholes, that way Gus can come with us.”
Royce had picked out my new living room set and the bedroom set.
I didn’t care as long as she was happy with it.
I’d helped her pack up her things from her room, but the more we packed, the more she wanted to keep at home, saying she wanted to be able to come back and visit and have a space to hang out when I was busy with the club.
So, she basically took her clothes, and a few notebooks for work, and two boxes worth of bath and hair care shit.
Taryn had been in and out enough to see the new apartment and check on Royce, only to dart off again. Now that we were near the club, and Royce was safe, I took my first public church meeting as president where we gathered upstairs in the main part of the club.
It was the original room where Killian had held all his church meetings, and my dad before him, and my grandfather when he led. It felt good to sit in the head chair, wearing the president patch.
The room filled with my men, then Killian, my dad, and Jameson…
and shockingly, Silas joined. His pale blue eyes met mine as he gave me a slight nod, and then he slid into a chair off to the side, not at the table.
If he were anyone else, I’d kick him out, but I knew his history with this club.
I knew that my own father revered him, and not to mention, Silas was like an uncle to me.
Once the table was filled, Kody shut the church doors, and we got started.
“What have you found out about the Murdoch Devil Rider’s?” I asked Killian. He’d led a team down south to figure out who had hired them to dig up that video. Silas led the conversation with the leader, although I hadn’t asked for details on how or which methods he used.
Killian glanced at Silas briefly, then cleared his throat. “They didn’t give up a name exactly, but they told us they knew which club he was from.”
I glanced at the men at the end of the table, seeing the way they shifted in their seats. The way Jameson’s jaw was hard, and his eyes focused on the surface.
“Which club?”
Deep down, I already knew, though. I wasn’t even sure how, or who exactly, but I knew.
“Chaos Kings.” Killian’s chin dropped to his chest as a silence covered the room.
Jameson spoke up, his voice rough. “Not Giles. I already confirmed it wasn’t him.”
“Then how the fuck did they know I had stepped into this role before anyone else in our own club did?” I yelled.
Giles had been with us as long as Silas or Lance…
but Giles was like another family member to us.
He gave me presents growing up, he was blood-related to Jameson.
There was little chance it was him, but I had no idea who else would have known.
“That’s what we’re going to figure out,” Killian explained to the room.
I wanted more answers than what they were giving me, but I knew I had to be patient. “How exactly are we going to do that?”
The church doors opened, and Connor walked in. His face was gaunt like he’d gone through a battle of his own. He wore a leather cut, with a patch and insignia on it, but it wasn’t ours. It wasn’t fucking ours.
I stood from my chair. “I knew you were over there figuring things out, but you fucking pledged?”
Connor dipped his face. “I’m your best bet at figuring this out, Ford.”
“Why?” I scoffed, feeling outraged that my own best friend had left me for so long, and now appeared in a different patch and different colors than the ones he always swore he’d wear.
Connor leveled me with a firm stare, and that’s when I realized he wasn’t just in any cut.
His looked nearly identical to mine, except his name was in gold instead of red, and his president patch was on the right side of his breast instead of his left.
“Fuck you, Connor.” I pointed at the patch.
He pointed at mine. “Fuck you back, Ford.”
“We need to stay focused here. If you’re gonna fight, then go outside, but Connor is going to help us,” my dad spoke up.
My jaw rotated as I processed what this meant. “You’re leading the Chaos Kings now, and you’re going to work with us to find the mole in your club?”
I didn’t buy it, not if he was the new president. “Where is Giles? How come he isn’t here?”
Connor’s head dipped again, and his jaw now looked about as tense as mine.
“He was found dead in his home two nights ago. I’m trying to play catch-up as much as I am determined to figure out who leaked your shit. We’re both being attacked, Ford. We’re going to work together on this, or we’re going to fucking die trying.”
I stared up at my friend, and I realized after such a long time that it might actually be nice to have him back.
“Fine, help us but stay the fuck away from Royce. I don’t care that you’re friends. Don’t touch her and don’t try shit. She’s mine.”
“I want you both to be happy,” Connor said honestly.
Killian tapped the table with his knuckles. “Great, so where the fuck does that leave us?”
I glanced back at my best friend who stepped closer to the table to address everyone.
“I have someone who’s been helping me keep tabs on men in the club.
We’ve had a hunch for a while that there might be a mole, so I’ve had someone unsuspecting following a few of them around and keeping notes.
We’ll bring her in, and then from there we can figure out a direction to go in. ”
“Are the Murdoch Devil Rider’s going to be a problem?” I asked Silas.
He shook his head. “I left the leader intact, and with incentive to work with us.”
It still boiled my blood that I didn’t have a chance to deal with him, or his men for watching that video, but I had to focus on keeping Royce safe, that was the most important thing.
Killian suddenly tilted his head and asked, “Who is it you’ve been working with, Connor?”
My best friend nervously tapped the surface of the table, and then his Adam’s apple bobbed. I watched his expression, knowing mine was twisting with confusion. He seemed apprehensive to share, and I almost thought he wouldn’t until the doors opened again, and in strutted the youngest Quinn sister.
With blond hair styled, her high-heeled boots echoed against the floor, and I think she was even chewing gum.
“That would be me.” Taryn smiled at the table in front of us. Connor winced, and Killian shot to his feet.
The whole room erupted into chaos, and how fucking fitting as Connor was now the king of it.