by Jenika Snow
“I love you so fucking much, baby.”
She kissed him again. “If I didn’t want this I wouldn’t be here.”
He pulled her in for a hug, and for several seconds just stood there, not moving, not breathing. She rested her head on his chest, right over his heart and loved the steady sound of it beating.
It lulled her, calmed her, and made her realize this was real.
He was real. This relationship was real.
“Let’s get that drink, and then let’s go to my place so I can properly show you how much I love you.”
God, she hoped she never got comfortable in the relationship, that they were always like this. And then he stopped and faced her, this serious expression on his face.
“What? What’s wrong?”
He cupped her cheek, his expression turning soft, loving.
“Move in with me, baby.”
Her heart stalled.
“I want to go to sleep and wake up next to you every day. I want to know that you’re mine and not going anywhere.”
She was stunned, frozen. “Yes, I want that too.” The words spilled from her mouth, the feeling that this was the right move so strong she couldn’t breathe.
She clutched at him, loving that she wasn’t afraid of this new venture, and that this felt exactly where she was supposed to go with her life. She didn’t need hearts and flowers. Constance just needed, wanted, a man in leather, riding a Harley, and rough around the edges to love her.
And that’s exactly what she got.
Two weeks later
Constance looked around the space that had once been her apartment. There was nothing left as she had packed everything up, and it was loaded onto the back of the waiting truck. Her life had changed completely, and it was about to do so again. Vengeance had not only wanted her to be his, and his old lady, he wanted her to move in with him, and she had agreed.
This was part of her old life, and she wanted to put it behind her, needed to more than anything. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she felt a sense of peace wash over her that no amount of sitting in the graveyard had given her.
“You okay?” Demon, the Prez of the Soldiers of Wrath, asked, standing beside her. She adored his wife and his son.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you so much for doing this.”
“Vengeance is a great guy.”
“I know. He’s been fantastic to me. I’ll be a good old lady for him. I promise.” Deanna had already warned her that Demon felt Vengeance was moving too fast with this.
He shook his head. “I’d be willing to take a bullet for every single one of my men, and we would all fight for each other. We live by our own code. We’re not in this for the pussy and the fun. It’s our life. You’ve got to be ready to fight for that because if you don’t, you’re dead.”
Vengeance had explained everything to her. By agreeing to be his old lady, she had taken on the responsibility of the club. She had to put the club first before anything else. If they were raided and cops asked her questions, she had to reply no comment or keep her mouth shut. No one was allowed to know club business, and she had to keep her shit together at all times.
The only law was that of the club, and what Vengeance didn’t realize was that she was so fucking happy about that.
All of her life she had been so concerned with what everyone else thought of her, and she looked forward to no longer having to worry about it. Yes, there were going to be people who judged, but she felt like it was going to be different. With Vengeance and the club, she was going to be part of their lives.
“Hey, sexy lady,” Vengeance said. He pulled her against him. His hand went straight to her ass and grabbed it hard.
She chuckled and wrapped her arms around him.
“Are you ready to go?”
“More than you can know.”
“I know this has been your place for a long time. You were going to live here with your ex.”
“Yeah, I was. Wow, that seems so long ago.”
“I’m here, and you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to,” he said.
She laughed. “Please, Vengeance. Everything is gone, and I don’t want to stay here. It just seems so weird to be leaving. I thought I was going to have to stay here for so long.” She sighed. “I’m really happy.”
“You don’t look it.” He nibbled her neck.
“I am. I’m so happy.” She cupped his head and made him look at her. “I can’t wait to be your old lady, and I hope we can do a lot more of that riding you love.”
He smacked her ass, causing her to yelp, and for good measure, she slapped his.
“Come on, let’s go home,” he said, wrapping his arm around her neck and kissing her head.
Leaving the apartment in Vengeance’s arms felt right. Having the club with their bikes surrounding the moving van made her feel part of it all. Demon was at the lead with Deanna at his back. She saw several of the men had their women with them as well.
“Where’s your bike?” she asked, turning to Vengeance.
“You really think these guys would have given up their ride to move your stuff?” He laughed, opening the van door. “I’m afraid not, babe. We’ve got to drive the van.”
“That sucks!”
“That’s life.” He helped her up into the van, and she glared at the other men even though it was childish to do so. She had been really looking forward to riding back to his clubhouse on his machine. She loved the hum of it between her thighs, and especially as she was pressed up against Vengeance. The scent of grease, leather, and even cigarette smoke had become a comfort to her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“No. I wanted to ride on your bike.” She crossed her arms, trying to show him that she was really pissed off, and he just burst out laughing.
“God, I love you.” He reached over, cupped her face, and slammed his lips down on hers.
Whenever he told her that he loved her, she couldn’t stop the warm fuzzy feeling that filled every part of her. She loved him, more than anything did she love him.
This life they were about to be part of was something she wanted. Looking out of the window, she watched as the bikers started to pull away from the curb, leaving her old life behind. A couple of the people she knew stepped out and nodded at her, and she smiled, giving them a wave. She had quit her job at the florist shop, wanting to make a clean break.
“Is there anything you’ll miss?” he asked.
“No. My life here wasn’t that great. I didn’t really do much. I’m a boring person. You do realize that, right? I’m totally boring and I expect you to be so much fun.”
“Okay, give me a list of everything you want me to do that is fun.”
“I expect to get blind drunk, dance on tables, and us fuck out in the open,” she said, and he swerved the van.
“Fuck!”
“I’m hoping for us to do a lot of that as well. A lot of sex, a lot of fun.”
“Woman, you’re going to get us killed.” She moved across the seat and rested her hand against his already thickening cock.
“I told you, I’m hoping this will be a lot of fun. I want you to teach me to fight, how to shoot, and how to dance.” She pulled her hand away, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’m not the world’s best dancer, but I think you can be taught a few things. I can teach you how to shoot. We’ve got a place out back of the clubhouse. Why do you want to defend yourself?” he asked.
She thought about Craig. She didn’t know why, but something didn’t sit well with her. She was leaving her old life behind, and part of that was Craig as well.
“I don’t know. I think every woman should know how to protect themselves. You’re not going to be around every single day, and if something happens, I want to be prepared.”
“Then I’ll teach you, baby. I will teach you everything you need to know.”
He kissed her head once again, and she stared out at the bikers that surrounded them. They were all deadly in their ow
n way, and she knew some of them didn’t trust her relationship with Vengeance. She got it. To them she was an outsider, someone who lived by society’s rules.
She would show them not to presume. She was loyal, and she loved Vengeance more than anyone else in her life. She would stick by him through everything.
Chapter 10
“You really did it,” Weasel said. “Your woman is now part of the Soldiers of Wrath. Congratulations.” Weasel held up his beer and took a long sip.
“Are you going to give me shit about this?” Vengeance asked. They had gotten all of Constance’s things into his room, and whatever didn’t fit went into storage. Next week he intended to take her to go and look for a house.
He was serious about making a life with her. He wanted kids like some of the guys had, and he looked out toward the play area where Demon’s kid was. He was a cute little guy, and even though he was still so young, he was a little spitfire, and was growing up to be tough like his dad.
“I’m not going to give you shit about anything. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Weasel sighed. “Your girl does fit in well.”
“I don’t know what it was but that life was squashing her, really fucking with her head, and I’m glad I’ve been able to get her out of it.” Just thinking of the woman he had first seen sitting on the ground right before her parents’ and dead fiancé’s graves was enough to give him the chills. She’d been dead inside, only he’d seen a little fire still there, smoldering beneath the surface. She was a rollercoaster, and he loved riding her in more ways than one. “I don’t know if you’ll ever understand what I’m feeling but I love her, Weasel. She’s my heart.”
“You haven’t known her all that long.”
“I know in my heart, and that’s all that matters to me. She means just as much to me as the club does, and I would die for her. I’m not going to let that feeling go, not now, not ever.” He looked toward his woman, who was laughing with Deanna and Demon. She looked so at ease that he just knew he’d made the right decision. Joker and Amy came up behind her, and it wasn’t long before they were all laughing at something Joker said.
He would feel jealous if it wasn’t for the leather cut that claimed her as his own that she was wearing.
“Have you told her about Renee?” Weasel asked.
Just like that, his smile left. He’d not spoken to Renee in a very long time, and in fact he’d not seen her in a lot longer. Looking toward Weasel, he stared at his brother, who held his hands up. “You don’t talk about Renee,” he said.
“She’s your sister, Vengeance.”
“I don’t give a fuck if she was my fucking mother. The shit she said about the club for that little prick.” He shook his head.
Even now, thinking about that conversation, how she had said some hurtful shit about his club, how it was where scum was, where the lowlifes found their way, pissed him off. That had been months ago, and even if he was pissed, he did miss her.
He had always been close to Renee. For so long they only had each other to care for. All they’d ever asked for was his loyalty. He’d gladly given it. The life he could have lived would have killed him years ago. Drugs, sex, alcohol, those were the choices he made, and yes, they could be easily available at the club, only he’d not wanted any part of it and kept his nose and veins clean.
Some of the brothers snorted or shot up, but he didn’t agree with it. Demon kept a handle on the club brothers, and providing they were there when needed, he didn’t give a shit. He liked to stay clean and clear.
“She’s still your sister and the thing about family, you forgive.”
“I don’t feel in a very forgiving mood right now.” With that, he stormed away and made his way toward the back of the clubhouse, needing space.
He had lost count of the number of times he’d been about to phone her. Of course he never had.
“Vengeance? That’s your new name, right? When are you going to see that you can be so much more?”
“You mean like your fucking boyfriend.”
“At least he knows how to make an honest living instead of fucking everything that he sees, or killing people. You’re the worst of the worst, and you hang out with a bunch of scum—”
It had been so fucking hard to keep quiet and let her shit on him.
After that their relationship had changed. Just the thought of her had him sick to his stomach. It was his responsibility to take care of her, and yet he’d not done that. He’d turned his back on his own sister and allowed her to leave the country with that asshole.
“You okay, babe?” Constance said, moving into his arms and wrapping hers around his waist.
“Just dealing with some past shit.”
“I saw you storm away from Weasel. He really doesn’t like me.”
“That’s not about you.” He kissed her head. “This is different drama, and you don’t have to worry about it.”
She smiled and looked up at him. “Have I told you that I love you today?”
“Not today, princess.”
“Then I love you.”
He held her tightly. It was hard not to think of Renee. The moment that Weasel said her name it was like floodgates had been opened, and now there was no getting away from it. Renee was his baby sister, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she had made a go of it with that asshole. Her boyfriend didn’t strike him as the kind of person that was hard-working. He looked like a bum and had found a meal ticket with his sister.
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” Vengeance said.
“About what?”
“Family. I can’t remember if I told you if I had any or not. I didn’t mean to lie. I have a sister. A baby sister, and she’s been gone a couple of years now. We parted on bad terms, and I didn’t mention her because I haven’t seen her in such a long time.”
“Do you miss her?”
“I miss the girl she was before her boyfriend poisoned her mind. She said stuff. I said stuff, and it ended.”
“You worry about her?”
“Yeah, I do. I … for the most part I don’t think about it and then Weasel brought her up, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s okay.”
Constance rubbed his abs. “Then you know what you’ve got to do.”
“What?”
“Call her.”
Chapter 11
He stared at the phone for long seconds, knowing he should call Renee, but all he could do was sit there. Hell, Vengeance didn’t even know if she used the same phone number, and sure as fuck didn’t think she’d welcome a call from him.
Fuck it.
No matter what anyone said, Vengeance didn’t want to go down the road with Renee right now. He was happy, and having Constance in his life made him want to bask in that and not worry about what might or might not happen.
No, opening that can of worms was not going to happen. Even if he planned on reconnecting with Renee at some point because she was family, always, right now he needed to think about himself and Constance.
Constance stared off into space as she thought about how much her life had changed. She stared at the wall, at the damask wallpaper that spiraled with design.
Although she’d quit her job, she was still obligated to fulfill a few more days. But she was happy with that, and a part of her was sad to go.
“You sure you’re okay to close up?”
Constance snapped out of it and smiled at Dianna, the part-time worker they’d hired not that long ago. “Of course. I got this.” She smiled and lifted her hand to wave goodbye.
For the next hour she finished cleaning up, trying to keep her mind focused on other things aside from how giddy she was with happiness.
Vengeance had opened her eyes, made her feel alive. He made her feel like there was hope to be happy. She loved him, like she really loved that hardened biker.
She grabbed the bag of trash that needed to be taken out at the end of the night, turned off the lights, and grabbed her purse. Going home to
Vengeance tonight would be an incredible experience. She’d only gone to the cemetery once in the last month, and although she paid her respects, and told her parents how she’d fallen in love with Vengeance, she felt no sadness.
She was at the cusp of her life, just starting out, and she couldn’t be happier.
For a moment, she stared up at the sky, feeling like her life had finally come around full circle, like she didn’t have to worry about the past anymore. Of course she wouldn’t forget about it, but she wouldn’t dwell on it either.
Constance was about to turn around and head to her car, to go home to her man, which had her giddy and excited, when the sound of shoes on the pavement had her stopping.
“Dianna?” she said but got no response. Her heart started thundering and her palms started to sweat.
She dug in her purse for her keys and her cell, dialed in Vengeance’s number just to have him there, to ease her fear, when the sound of footsteps right behind her had her spinning around. She heard the line connect, heard Vengeance’s voice on the other end, but she was frozen in place.
Before she could make out who was behind her because of the shadows, or call out and hope Vengeance could hear her on the phone, which was now on the ground, a hand was placed over her mouth and she was hauled backward.
The stench of garbage seemed overly intense, but her senses felt overpowered right now. Then she scented alcohol.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim streetlight slashing across her attacker’s form, but when she realized who it was she struggled tenfold.
Craig.
“I didn’t know how to get your attention, how to tell you that I wanted you.” His breath smelled heavily of liquor. “But then you’re deep with that fucking biker. Don’t you know he’s not good for you?”
Bile rose in her throat.
“I just wanted to see you, to show you how good we are together, how much I want you,” he ground out. He cupped the side of her face in a painful hold.
With all her strength she shifted and tried to kick him between the legs, but he moved before she made contact.