by Mallory Funk
“Oh right,” I say, still being awkward and now rubbing the back of my neck.
“Well, I can see that she doesn’t want you gone, so why don’t you come in for a beer. We will fire up the grill tonight for your welcoming,” my dad says as he gestures to the clubhouse.
“Thanks,” Pyro says with a chin lift. It doesn’t escape my notice that he hasn’t let me go since I turned around. His hands are on my hips.
My breath catches at the realization.
Everyone walks inside. I look up and see Bullet’s eyes lock mine. I see something in them that I can’t explain.
I don’t think much about Bullet’s look though because Pyro came after me. This feeling of someone wanting me that much is better than I could have imagined.
Bullet turns around and walks into the clubhouse without saying a word.
I turn around and face Pyro.
“Why’d you come here?” I ask needing to hear his answer.
He looks me right in the eyes. “I came here for you. I was a fool thinking that I could keep you away because of my shit. Life’s too fucking short and I'm going to prove to you and your club that I’m the man for you,” he says with determination in his eyes.
I feel a glimmer of hope that this might be the thing I have been waiting for because, if I'm hearing him correctly, he wants me to be his Old Lady. He wants to PROVE that to me and my club. I mentally did a happy dance because it would just look ridiculous if I was standing here dancing. It’s way too early to be embarrassing myself in front of him.
“What made you think that I would want you to claim me?” I ask, not really meaning the words.
He came for me which is all I needed.
He shakes his head with a smile. “I took a chance. I couldn’t wait anymore, and I wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer anyway. You were mine from the second that I opened my eyes and saw your smiling face. It just took me too long to realize it.”
I can’t begin to form words. When I don’t say anything, he turns me towards the clubhouse.
“Now let’s go inside because if you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to kiss you and I don’t want our first kiss to be with all these people watching,” he says nodding towards everyone looking at us.
I look around and notice that he’s right. There are a lot of brothers and Old Ladies watching us.
I can’t help the blush that comes over my face. I got so excited seeing Pyro that I forgot to worry about what my family would do.
“Okay, you can all move along now. Nothing to see here,” I say in embarrassment.
I hear chuckles as I turn back around to Pyro who has a smile on his face.
“Let’s go. They will keep watching. We can talk later,” I say as I grab his hand and head inside the clubhouse.
Pyro follows me and the smile never leaves his face. I would give anything to keep him smiling like that.
I can’t help the sigh that escapes. I believe that he heard it, if the small chuckle that escapes him is anything to go by…
When we walk into the clubhouse, it’s already full of Old Ladies getting food ready for Pyro’s welcoming party. I narrow my eyes a bit because they had to have known that he was coming to have so much food already on hand.
My dad raises an eyebrow at me, and I can see by the look on his face that he already knew that Pyro was coming.
I’m guessing that I wasn’t told because they didn’t know he was here for me. They didn’t have any reason to believe that Pyro was coming for me.
We walk to the bar and grab a beer.
“Krista, can I talk to you for a minute?” my dad asks in a tone that I can’t ignore even if I wanted to. I should know, I heard that tone every time that I tried to sneak out growing up.
I nod my head and reluctantly leave Pyro’s side.
He walks toward his office and I follow. I guess this is a private chat. This could go one of two ways…
Once the door closes, he doesn’t waste any time.
“What’s the deal with you and Pyro?” he asks in a serious voice.
I shrug my shoulders. “I like him. I took care of him when he got shot protecting Ella, and there was just something about him. I didn’t think that he was very interested because once he left the hospital, I barely saw him.”
He stares at me for a few moments and I start to squirm under his gaze.
“He’d better know what he’s doing. No one fucks with my daughter. You want him gone, you say the word,” he says, looking me directly in the eyes.
“I know, dad. I-I just want something for myself, you know?”
He nods his head. “I know, baby girl. I’m sorry that it took you running away from me to see that. This man came all the way here for you knowing that he was walking into your family. I’m not going to get in the way of that but, the second that he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass and send him on his way.”
“Thanks dad,” I say pulling him into a hug.
“You’re my daughter. It fucking killed me to see that note saying that you needed to live your life without constantly being watched. It fucking sucks, but I was stuck in my own head. I didn’t want to think about the day that you weren’t just my baby girl but, instead, someone’s woman. I wasn’t ready to share you. I’m not sure that I am now, but I’m willing to try because I can’t wake up another morning and have you gone, and not knowing where you are,” he says pulling back from the hug and looking me in the eyes.
My eyes well with tears. I had no idea how much I hurt my dad by running, but I can see it now.
“Thank you dad. I really like him, and I want to see where this goes. I can’t believe that he came after me,” I say with a smile.
My dad chuckles. “Of course he did. He would have been a fool not to.”
When I only smile at him, he laughs.
“Now, go have a good time with your man,” he says pulling away and walking toward the door.
My man. That has a nice ring to it.
I can’t help the excitement that flows through me by having Pyro here.
I sure hope that he knows what he’s getting into because I’m not going to let him go.
Chapter Two
Pyro (Declan)
I watch Krista walk away behind her father. I have no doubt that he’s asking if she really wants me here, but that’s fine. I could tell by her reaction when she saw me that she wants me as much as I want her.
I look around the clubhouse and some huge motherfucker comes up to me. His eyes narrow dangerously at me. I narrow my eyes back at him. He has this fierce protectiveness about him. I can instantly tell that he cares about Krista. He stares me down, but I don’t back away.
He doesn’t say anything for a couple minutes.
“Krista is a special woman. ‘You think that you deserve her?” he says in a low voice. I don’t think that anyone else heard him but me. I wonder if he’s had a thing for her but never made a move. It would explain why he looks like he wants to hit me.
I slowly nod my head. “I’m going to be all that she needs. Do I deserve her? Fuck no, but I’m going to try my fucking hardest to. She’s the best kind of woman. I would be a fool to let her walk away.”
He studies me for a few moments, probably trying to see how serious I am, and then nods his head. He turns and walks away without saying another word.
Krista comes to my side seconds later. I didn’t see her coming, so I’m not sure how much of the conversation she heard.
“What did Bullet want?” she asks curiously and looks across the room in his direction.
I shake my head. “Nothing baby, you know how brothers are protective of their own.”
She nods her head but looks sceptical.
Thankfully, she doesn’t ask anything else.
I spend the evening getting to know her family. Lots of brothers and Old Ladies are welcoming me, but I do get a ton of narrow-eyed stares that I know are warning me what would happen if I hurt her.
Fuck that. Ther
e’s nothing to stop me from claiming her.
I mean, I still have a little problem, but I really hope that we can work through it.
Krista takes me to her room at the club. She has a room beside her father since he raised her himself and never wanted her far from him.
If I ever get my dick to fucking work, I’ll have to take her somewhere else. There’s no way that I’m going to want her dad in the next room. With the things I plan on doing to her when I’m ready and able, she’s not going to want anyone to be near.
She seems shy at first, but I pull her into my arms and breathe in the scent of her.
“There is no reason to be nervous, baby. We are just going go sleep,” I say into her ear.
I feel her nod her head.
“I still can’t believe you are here,” she says with a blush.
“When you left, I felt like I couldn’t fucking breathe. The light was fucking gone. I know that sounds corny but fuck it. It’s about time that I tell you how I really feel. After we lost Stacey and I saw my fucking broken brother, I knew that I couldn’t be without you anymore. Then Torch came to me and told me to man the fuck up because life is fucking short. I knew that it was true, and the thought of never seeing you again made me fucking ache,” I tell her and pull back so that I can look her in the eyes so that she knows how serious I am.
I see tears well in her eyes.
“You came after me when I thought that you wouldn’t. I thought that maybe I was just imagining your attraction to me. When I saw you standing at my clubhouse and in front of my club, everything just felt so right. I sure hope that you are ready for the clingy woman that I am going to be. You’re stuck with me, Pyro,” she tells me with determination in her eyes.
“Ain’t nowhere I’d rather be, baby,” I tell her and pull her in for a kiss.
Her lips are soft, and the way she melts into the kiss with a soft gasp has me wanting to devour her right now.
I put my hand in her hair and kiss her deeper.
The way her tongue tangles with mine is better than I could fucking imagine.
I reluctantly pull away.
“Fuck,” I say in a low, husky voice.
The small whimper she gives let’s me know that she didn’t want to stop either.
“Let’s get to bed, baby. I want to hold you,” I say, my voice low and husky.
She nods her head.
I go over to my bag and pull out a shirt for her to wear. I want to see her wearing my clothes. When she takes it with a shy smile and heads into the bathroom joined to her room, I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.
My breath catches when she comes back into the room. Fuck, she looks good in my shirt.
I give her a wink and head into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I strip down to my boxers and leave the bathroom. I place my cut on her dresser and climb into bed.
I love that she doesn’t hesitate to put her head on my chest and arm around my waist.
This feeling; it’s right. It’s something that I didn’t know I was searching for.
Until her.
Krista
I wake up from the best sleep that I can ever remember having.
I’m still holding Pyro. I look at his face and he looks peaceful.
I’d like to lay in bed and stare at him for hours, but my full bladder and growling stomach make it impossible to do that.
I get out of bed slowly so that I don’t wake him. I know that I hate being woken up and I’m not sure if he is the same way. Either way, I don’t want to risk it
I finish up in the bathroom and pull on a bra and pants before heading out into the kitchen.
I know better than to go into there braless. When I walk in, I’m not surprised to see Veronica and Nora working on breakfast. They are a couple Old Ladies that are more like mothers to me than anything else.
Rexy, a club brother, is sipping on coffee staring out the window. He’s always up early and a pretty quiet guy, so I know not to bother him. He always seems to be thinking about something but has never opened up about it.
I grab a coffee and sit down. I’ll help the Old Ladies after I have some much-needed caffeine.
No one talks, but it’s not an uncomfortable silence.
Bullet walks into the room and the tension immediately gets high. I think that everyone was already aware of my feelings for him before I left, and how he didn’t make it known that he felt the same way. I mean, I can’t be sure that he didn’t make it known to others and was warned away, but he definitely didn’t make it known to me.
“Krista,” he says in his deep voice. My name sounds like a growl coming from his lips.
I can’t help the shiver that comes over me. I curse myself for having that reaction to him when I have Pyro in my bed. I shouldn’t be having a reaction to another man like that. I have a man now.
“Bullet," I say, my voice stronger than I feel. He’s still as sexy as I remember. He’s got blonde hair that’s cut short on the sides and longer on the top. He spends a lot of time working out. You can tell that he has amazing muscles from how they show through the tight shirts he wears under his cut. He’s tall, around six-foot-four, and has dimples that have always made me want to swoon when he smiles. Those dark brown eyes were always ones that I wanted to get lost in, if I ever had the chance.
He makes his coffee and sits beside me. Veronica and Nora are looking between us but, thankfully, they don’t say anything.
I might have let my crush on him slip one night after a few too many beers. Sure, they may have already suspected it, but when I was with the Old Ladies, I let it out and went on and on about how hot he was. I remember being so embarrassed the next day. The sweet women that they are acted like I hadn’t declared my feelings for Bullet. They kept my secret. I’ll always be thankful to them for that.
The tension in the air is so thick that I think about getting up and running back into my room. Before I can make a move to get up, Pyro comes in and smiles when he sees me looking at him. Even just waking up he’s sexy. How is that possible?
He takes a seat beside me and grabs my coffee. Immediately after taking a sip, he starts coughing and gagging like it’s the worst thing that he has ever tasted.
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out. I cover my mouth, but he looks at me and narrows his eyes.
“Holy fucking hell, baby. What did you do to this poor coffee?” he says in a scratchy voice.
Everyone else chuckles.
“What?” I ask defensively, taking my cup back and taking a sip of the delicious concoction.
“That’s not coffee. That’s pure fucking sugar,” he says with a gag, and thanks Nora when she hands him a cup and places the sugar and cream in front of him on the table.
He puts a splash of cream in that barely even alters the colour of the coffee. The coffee is supposed to change colour!
I look at his cup in disgust. Rexy snorts at my reaction.
“Krista likes to pretend she drinks coffee but, for her, coffee is basically just cream and sugar with a slight hint of coffee,” Veronica says with a laugh. Everyone nods their heads in agreement.
I cross my arms over my chest and sit back in my chair. A pout comes to my lips and both Pyro and Bullet let out low curses.
I look at Pyro and he shakes his head at whatever thoughts run through his head.
When I turn my head to Bullet, he’s doing the same thing.
Rexy snorts and gets up. “Good luck,” he says to me before he leaves.
I give him a questioning look, but he doesn’t see it. I wonder what he was wishing me luck for.
Nora and Veronica put a plate in front of me and I realize that I forgot to help them. When I start to apologize, they wave me off and tell me to eat.
All of us eat in silence until my dad walks in.
He looks at Pyro. “Pyro, ‘you good to watch my girl while we deal with club business?” he asks.
Pyro immediately nods his head. “Yeah,
do what you’ve got to do.”
My dad looks at Bullet. “Church in fifteen.”
Bullet nods his head and finishes up his coffee.
I look at Pyro. “Well, it’s my day off. What do you want to do?” I ask, bringing our plates to the sink.
“Whatever you want, babe,” he answers.
“Well I need to stop by my dad’s place to get a change of clothes. Then we can head out and I can show you my town.”
“Sounds good to me, babe. Whenever you’re ready,” he says.
“Okay, let’s go.”
We get up and Pyro walks me to his bike. I feel a rush of excitement. The only bike I have been on is my dad’s, since no biker puts a woman on the back of his bike unless he has claimed her.
I climb on behind him and automatically put my arms around his waist.
I can feel every hard muscle of his body against mine and on my hands. I can’t wait for the day that I can feel him without any clothes. I’d love to explore Pyro’s body. I don’t think that there was a day that I didn’t think about that since I have met him.
I give him my dad’s address, and he pulls out of the clubhouse.
We aren’t on the road long because my dad lives close to the clubhouse just in case the club needs him urgently. He has a house on an acreage just outside of town. Not that I spent much time there lately. My dad has me at the club most days. It’s going to be a while before he trusts me like that again.
My dad had put a GPS on my phone to track me. After knowing how much I scared both him and the club, I don’t mind having it on my phone if it gives him reassurance.
In time he will learn that I’m not going anywhere.
I have a quick shower and change my clothes. I decide to take Pyro to my favourite diner.
When I get out of my room, he is sitting on the couch. He was looking at his phone. Before his eyes meet mine, he tries to shake off whatever thoughts came from it.
“Pyro? What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Declan,” he murmurs.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
“None of this ‘Pyro’ talk. I’m your man. You call me Declan,” he states.