Taming Blade (Kings Reapers MC Book 5)
Page 18
I spin to face him. “Are you saying I make you unhappy?”
“I’m saying we don’t have much to laugh about recently.”
“Oh, and that’s my fault, is it?”
He rubs a hand over his stressed face. “No,” he mutters, sighing. “Fuck, when did it all get so hard?” I shrug and smile sadly, heading off to my room. It’s where I spend most of my time since coming back to the clubhouse.
BLADE
“That was heated,” observes Frankie, leaning on the bar.
I take a seat. “Since we got back, it’s been hard work,” I admit.
“What has?” she asks.
I shrug. “Everything,” I say. “Her, me, sex.” I place my head in my hands and sigh. “I don’t know how to fix it.”
“Who said you have to?” asks Frankie. “Just relax. Let it work itself out. You’re putting all this pressure on yourself, and for what? If you can’t fix it by stressing, take a back seat.”
“And what if that don’t work?”
“Then try something else. She’s right, ya know, we miss your smile around here.”
“Like I said, we don’t have much to smile about lately.”
She eyes me for a second, then shakes her head. “Really?”
“What?” I ask.
“You survived what looks like a severe beating. You walked away with your woman still alive. Better than that, she’s pregnant. You still have a life and you have it together. Wake the hell up and appreciate what you have. Some of us don’t have any of that.”
She’s right, as always. Frankie’s been single for years, then there’s Hannah, who lost her wife weeks ago, and when I really think about the shit the women have been through in this club, I shudder. Tillie was lucky to get out of there with nothing but cuts and bruises.
“You’re right,” I say, heading for the exit.
“I always am,” she shouts after me.
Tillie’s asleep when I return, so I crawl over her, stopping when we’re face to face. I gently kiss her lips and she smiles. “That’d better be you, Blade,” she whispers.
“What would you do if it wasn’t?” I ask.
“I’d shout for him and he’d kick your biker ass,” she says with a laugh.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and she opens her eyes. “For everything. I’ve fucked up so many times, I don’t know how I haven’t lost you.”
“We’re both guilty of that,” she says gently.
“And I spoke to Frankie. She made me go away and think about some shit.”
She raises an eyebrow. “And what did you conclude?”
“I don’t know what that fancy word means, but I realised some shit,” I say, and she laughs again. I’ve missed that sound. “Firstly, you’re amazing,” I say seriously. “Fucking amazing.”
“Well, I don’t like to blow my own trumpet but . . .”
“I’m serious,” I say. “You’ve accepted me and my brothers and all that involves and you’re here, with me. I can’t even find the words because it makes you so fucking brave and strong.”
She smiles with uncertainty. “Blade, what’s gotten into you?”
“Most people would have ran by now. From that messed up first date, and I’ll be honest, Sunshine, I didn’t get it back then, when you freaked out. I was so used to death that I didn’t think how that fucked with your head. But despite everything, you’re still here.”
“I’m not sure it makes me brave or strong. I’ve cried almost every day,” she says.
“That makes you human,” I say. “If you stop crying, then you’ll be conditioned to death too, and I don’t ever want that.”
“Well, I’m pleased you’ve been on some kind of spiritual journey. Does that mean you’re feeling happier?”
“It means,” I begin, “that I love you, Sunshine. I love you so fucking much.”
She smiles wide and then bites on her lower lip. “You love me?” she repeats. I nod, smiling at her cute face. “I love you too,” she admits.
“I’m glad cos I’ve got you one hell of a surprise.” She goes to sit up, but I pin her back down, putting her hands above her head and holding them there. “Not so fast. I need something first,” I say.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“You.” I smirk, nipping at her lip.
Chapter Twenty-Three
TILLIE
Blade spends the afternoon worshipping my body, and when he finally tires himself out, he lets me shower and dress.
“Do I get my surprise now?” I ask.
He’s lying on the bed with his hand behind his head. “I’m still deciding if I’m done with you yet,” he muses, and I groan.
“No more,” I say firmly. “I need a break.”
He gets up and reaches for his jeans. “Then you’d better hold on to these for me,” he says, throwing a set of keys my way. He pulls his jeans on and sticks his feet in his boots. “Follow me.”
We head downstairs. “All done, brother,” says Blu, handing Blade some paperwork.
“Good, man,” says Blade, and they shake hands.
I’m so confused, but I follow Blade out to his bike, and we ride for a few minutes, stopping outside Sweetastic. I frown. I haven’t been back here since it was smashed up, but it looks amazing now. The windows have been replaced and there’s a sign in the window lit up bright. I take my helmet off and move closer. “It’s not finished. I had this in the works weeks ago, but shit happened and, well, it’s not finished. But that gives you a chance to put your touch on it.”
The sign in the window reads ‘Closed’ flashing in neon. The windows are tinted, making it hard to see inside. “You redid the sweet shop?” I ask.
“You need the keys to open it,” he says, so I pull out the set of keys he gave me.
I slip them into the lock and turn it. As we enter, I scream in fright. The lights turn on, people yell “Surprise” and party poppers are fired in my direction. Blade laughs, holding me against his chest. “You need to look,” he whispers.
I slowly turn and see some familiar faces. All the ol’ ladies are here, smiling wide. I allow my eyes to travel around the newly refurbished room. The serving counter is gone and in its place is a bar. Behind it, all the spirit bottles are lined up neatly, all the alcohol I could possibly think of for cocktails.
“You need to think of a name. I have the sign writers on standby,” says Blade.
“You turned it into a bar?” I gasp.
“Not just any bar,” he says. “A cocktail bar, just like you wanted.”
“But how? When?” I stutter.
“When you agreed with your nan that you wouldn’t reopen, I put in an anonymous offer using the club’s solicitor. Your nan accepted straight away. It was done and dusted while we were tied up in that barn. I wanted to show it to you once it was finished, but I realised we both needed something to look forward to. We can’t keep living in the past and going over what shit’s happened. This bar is your future—ours, if you’ll let it be,” he says, smiling.
I kiss him with everything I have. No one’s ever done something like this for me. The women clap and whistle. “We have catalogues and paint choices,” says Sara. “We’re gonna spend the evening choosing furniture and decor,” she adds.
Blade slips a credit card into my hand. “No limit,” he whispers.
“I have savings,” I begin to protest but he kisses me again.
“My ol’ lady spends my money, not her own,” he says firmly. The thrill of his words sends a shiver down my spine.
“I have a name,” I say. “The Tame Blade.”
He smiles against my lips. “You think you’ve tamed me?” he asks.
“Most definitely,” I whisper, grinning.
“I was thinking Sunshine and Liquorice,” he says, and I smile wide.
“I love it! It’s perfect!”
He smacks me on the arse. “Like you. I’ll have the sign writers get on with it. Go and spend some time with your girls and get this place se
t up. I love you.”
“I love you the most,” I say, and he laughs as he leaves.
I take a moment to watch the women all pouring over pictures in magazines. I’m so lucky to have met these amazing people.
I join them, feeling the happiest I’ve been in a long time. It might have been a rough ride, but I think this is the beginning of something amazing. Blade might not realise it, but he’s the one who tamed me . . . or maybe we tamed each other? All I know is, together, we’re complete. He’s my future, my everything, and I’ll do anything it takes to keep him and make him happy as he would for me.
THE END.
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