by Harley Wylde
Fury burned through my veins and my stomach felt like it had been engulfed in flames. He’d known yesterday morning. Why the hell hadn’t he told me sooner? Logically, I knew the chances someone would get inside the compound and snatch me from the house were slim to none. I hadn’t technically been in danger while I’d been in bed with Wolf, unless I counted the threat to my heart. I was falling for the man way too fast. Still, a part of me couldn’t believe he hadn’t shared the news with me immediately.
Wolf rubbed at the back of his neck. “I wanted to have some time with you, the two of us, enjoying one another’s company and having an awesome start to the day before I had to tell you about the ugliness heading our way. When I left Church, I’d had every intention of telling you. I just… I didn’t want to see the fear in your eyes. I knew I’d have to tell you, but I wasn’t ready.”
“Our way? They only threatened me and the doctor.”
“You’re mine, Glory. If someone’s coming for you, it makes it my problem. The club’s too. You aren’t facing this alone, beautiful. And whatever asshole thinks he has a right to spew such nasty shit about you had better have his affairs in order, because when I get my hands on him, his death will be slow and painful.”
The man looking back at me wasn’t the sweet Wolf I’d come to know and care about. There was danger in his eyes. Death. Destruction. A darkness I had to admit I’d suspected was there, even if I hadn’t seen it. A shiver raked down my spine when I realized he meant every word. If someone tried to hurt me, he’d kill them and in a brutal way. It should have scared the crap out of me. Maybe I’d been around the bikers too long. All I felt was relief that someone like Wolf had my back.
“I’m not used to relying on other people,” I said, sinking onto the kitchen chair. “I’m sorry I got so upset. But, Max, you can’t hide stuff like that from me.”
“I wasn’t hiding it,” he said, dropping onto the chair beside me. He reached for my hand, rubbing his fingers across my skin. “I had every intention of telling you. After I’d given you a morning to remember.”
“And Sienna?” I asked.
“He didn’t mention her. Either he isn’t aware of her existence, or he doesn’t care about her. I’ll keep her safe, Glory. Both of you. If you leave the compound and I can’t go with you, make sure you take one of my brothers or at least a Prospect.”
“I will. What does this mean for me right now? How much freedom do I have until he’s caught?” I asked.
“Honestly, not a lot.” He winced. “I know you’re used to doing your own thing and not answering to anyone. I don’t want to put a leash on you, Glory. You’re my woman, my heart, and it would kill me if something happened to you. Whatever goodness I still have would be gone in the blink of an eye.”
I smiled. “Max, you act like you’re a monster. You are the kindest, sweetest man I’ve ever met. I know you’re capable of violence. You wouldn’t be part of this club if you weren’t. It doesn’t make you a bad man, or an evil one. Even the most innocent person out there has the potential to do harm to someone. It’s called being human.”
He sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to mine. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Maybe I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. Ever think of it that way?” It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I loved him. I knew it was way too soon to say those words. Never having had a boyfriend, or been in love, it felt like I would burst if I didn’t tell him how I felt. Excitement. Fear. Longing. It all filled me, and I didn’t know what to do with it.
Wolf kissed me, his lips soft against mine. He threaded his fingers in my hair and I leaned into him a little more. I knew if I didn’t pull away, things would go much further. When it came to Wolf, I seemed powerless to say no. Of course, I didn’t usually want to say no to him. He might act like the sex between us wasn’t different from before, but I knew we had something special. And it wasn’t because he’d been the only man to give me an orgasm. The way he made every nerve in my body light up, the heat I felt from just a look, was the sort of thing books were written about. I wouldn’t have felt like this with anyone else.
“I can’t think when you do that,” I murmured as I pulled back. “My body overrides my mind and I want to tear off my clothes.”
Wolf laughed and lifted me, placing me on his lap. “You’re too much, Glory. But in a really great way.”
“It’s your fault. Before you, I never would have given a guy half a chance. If they got close, I’d have run the other way. Somehow, you wormed your way past my defenses, and now I feel like a needy mess who constantly needs your touch. It’s been two nights, Max! What the hell did you do to me?”
“Glory, you’re nineteen. I’m pretty sure being horny is part of whatever hormone surges you have at that age. Maybe your body is trying to make up for lost time, so you want sex frequently.” He leaned in closer, dropping his voice. “And you make me feel the same way. Until you, I could go weeks, even months without touching a woman. Now I want to bury my cock inside you and not leave our bed for days on end.”
“Is this what they call the honeymoon phase?” I asked.
He went still, his gaze locked on mine. Had I said something wrong? I watched and waited, but the longer he went without saying anything, the more my anxiety tried to send me running the other direction.
“Honeymoon?” he asked softly. “Married people have those. Are you saying you want to be my wife?”
My heart leapt for a moment and I tried to analyze how those words made me feel. Did I want that? To be his wife? What sort of insane person married a guy after dating for two days? Were we even dating? I didn’t know what to call our relationship. My somewhat organized life had been turned upside down by the biker holding me.
“You claimed me,” I said slowly. “And it’s forever.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I did, and yes, it is. I’m not letting you go, Glory.”
“Are the others married to their women?”
“In one fashion or another,” he said. “Outlaw, or one of the other hackers, usually works some magic to make us legally married without the ceremony and paperwork. Unless a brother wants the romantic wedding for his woman’s sake. Not all women want the white dress and preacher, though.”
I turned his words over in my mind. Did I want to be married to him? And if I said yes, would I want an actual wedding? I’d never thought I’d have a husband or family, not after I found out I was pregnant with Sienna. Until Wolf, I’d thought I’d never trust anyone enough to get close to them, much less have a relationship. Perhaps I should have been asking what he wanted. Did Wolf want to get married?
“I would never force you to do something you don’t want,” I said.
“And you think I wouldn’t want you as my wife?” He shook his head. “Sweetheart, if you want, I’ll go get your name tattooed on me right fucking now. Marriage around here is just a piece of paper. What we have already is so much more. If you want the paper showing you’re mine and I’m yours, if you want a ring, then I’ll gladly do all that and more.
“I want you to be happy, Glory. This club may be my life, and they have my loyalty, but you’re the reason I smile when I wake up in the morning. You’re the reason I look forward to every damn day. Just say the word, Glory. I’ll call Outlaw right now, or we can set up a real wedding.”
I leaned into his side and rested my head on his shoulder. “You won’t think less of me if I ask to have something showing I’m officially yours, not just in the club’s eyes but to everyone outside this compound?”
“No, baby. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
I picked up my head and looked at him. “Let Outlaw know I want him to marry us. And yes, I want rings. They don’t need to be fancy, but I want something to show the world I’m off-limits.”
And I wanted all the damn women in town to know he was mine. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to those words, so I held them back. I had a feeling he knew what I was thinking anyway. He smirked and ran his hand t
hrough my hair.
“Rings plural, huh? Staking your claim?”
“Would you rather I pee on you?” I asked.
Wolf burst out laughing and hugged me tight. “You’re too much, Glory. To answer your question, I’m not into golden showers, so peeing on me is out of the question.”
“But a ring isn’t?”
“I’m not too crazy about taking you outside the compound right after I find out some asshole wants to torture and kill you. You want rings for us, I’ll have someone bring them here.”
I reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, handing it to him. He’d planted the idea in my head of us being married, and now I wanted it to happen. Considering he’d already made me his, until death do us part, by club law, asking for Outlaw to make things official in the real world didn’t seem quite so crazy. I’d already jumped in with both feet. If walking away wasn’t an option, why not go all the way?
Wolf pulled up Outlaw’s name in his contacts and hit the call button, then put it on speaker so I could hear too. When Elena answered, my stomach dropped, and I worried something bad had happened. Why else would she answer his phone?
“Outlaw’s phone,” Elena said.
Wolf’s brow furrowed. “Why didn’t he answer his own phone?”
Elena sighed. “Because he overdid it with his hands, and he can’t grip the stupid thing. If you’re calling to ask him for some computer magic, you’re out of luck.”
“Well, fuck,” Wolf muttered. “I wanted him to marry me and Glory, but if he can’t type…”
“I’ll get Shield to do it,” Outlaw yelled from the background. “Wire, Wizard, and Surge are all working on the other issue right now.”
“Thanks,” Wolf said. “Can you have him email something for me to print off when it’s done? Just in case Glory decides she wants to frame it or put it in a scrapbook.”
I eyed him. “What do you know about scrapbooking?”
“Not a fucking thing, except women seem to like using them for preserving memories.”
Elena snorted on the other end of the line and I heard Outlaw laugh. “Congratulations, you two. I’ll call Shield and put him on speaker for Outlaw to make your request. If you decide you want to celebrate and need some alone time, I’m happy to babysit that sweet girl of yours.”
“Thanks, Elena,” I said. “She’s sleeping right now, but I may take you up on that in a little while. Maybe Wolf and I can have a romantic dinner here at home.”
Wolf wagged his eyebrows at me and I snickered. Yeah, he’d taken “romantic dinner” to mean he’d get laid again. And he was probably right, only because I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off him.
Wolf ended the call and looked up some local jewelry shops on his phone’s browser. He had to call three before anyone would agree to bring a selection of rings to the compound. I’d started to worry I’d be ringless until the psycho who’d torn up the clinic could be caught.
“While we wait, why don’t we watch a movie?” Wolf suggested. “After you change. No one gets to see you in pajamas except me.”
I looked down at his shirt and wrinkled my nose. “It’s your shirt, Max. Not pajamas.”
“Well, if it’s mine, perhaps I should take it back.” He reached for the hem, tugging it up my thighs and I smacked his hand.
“Behave! We don’t have time for that.”
“Not now, but later.” He winked. “Definitely later.”
I got up and hurried to the bedroom to take a quick shower and dress. I didn’t know what the future would hold for us. The man who’d decided he wanted to hurt me could ruin everything. Snuff out my life before I’d really had a chance to live. Or I could have my happily-ever-after. For now, I’d take things one day at a time. It was hard to plan the future when you didn’t know if you’d have one.
Enough morbid thoughts, Glory. Wolf will keep you safe.
It would be hard for the asshole who wanted me dead to get anywhere near me if Wolf never left my side, and so far, he didn’t seem inclined to give me much space. I should have felt suffocated. Honestly, even though he’d known about the threat since yesterday, he hadn’t treated me differently. Ever since I’d agreed to be his, we’d been inseparable. His hovering and constant presence made me feel cared for. Loved, even. I didn’t know if Wolf would ever actually love me, but it was clear he felt some sort of affection for me. It would have to do. Either way, it was more than I’d ever hoped to have. Wolf had given me so much, and I refused to let someone take it away.
I’d fight. And I’d win. Because I wanted a few decades, or more, with Wolf by my side, and I’d do anything to make it happen.
Chapter Ten
Wolf
One week of wedded bliss and the universe decided today everything would go to hell. Bandit had lost the doc while she’d been at her practice. Someone had smuggled her out the back of the clinic with none of us the wiser. She’d been gone three hours and I could only imagine the horrors she’d already faced at the hands of the monster who had her. We hadn’t learned a damn thing about the fucker.
Wire had traced the plates on the car we’d seen leaving the scene after the clinic had been ripped apart. They’d come back stolen, which had left us with nothing. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t stupid. So far, he hadn’t made a single mistake, which made fear snake its way through me. If he got Glory, I didn’t know if I’d find her in time. Or at all.
We’d assumed it was the man who’d assaulted the patient at the clinic the night of the break-in. But after talking to her, we’d discovered her brother’s best friend had hurt her. He’d checked out, which meant we’d been chasing ghosts. I still thought it was whoever the other woman had been speaking to, but she’d vanished, and I had no fucking clue who’d been on the other end of that call. Had the victim been in the sights of another psycho without knowing it?
I strode through the clubhouse, hoping someone would have a lead on the doc. The club whores were out in force, at least six on the dance floor and another half dozen trying to get into the pants of my brothers. I knew everyone needed to blow off steam right now, but it pissed me off to see so many lounging around, drinking, and screwing the club pussy. A woman’s life was in danger, and my own woman would be next.
Bethany, a woman I’d fucked more than once, sauntered over. The intent in her eyes was clear for anyone to read, but I wasn’t in the mood. Even if I didn’t have a woman at home, I’d still have given her a pass tonight. Before she reached me, I held up a hand in hopes she’d get the hint and back off. Didn’t hurt it was the one sporting a wedding band. I’d opted for a black rubber one so I didn’t have to worry about catching on tools or weapons, and I’d bought Glory a platinum band with diamond chips scattered across it. It had taken some convincing before she’d relented on anything remotely sparkly.
“I bet I can make you smile, Wolf,” Bethany said, moving in closer.
“Not in the mood. Now or ever. Leave me the fuck alone.”
She frowned for a brief moment before plastering a smile on her face. “Not even for the best blowjob of your life?”
I snorted and kept walking. “Sorry, Bethany. You’re not good enough to claim that title.”
I heard her outraged shriek behind me and should have braced myself. Whatever she threw, hit the back of my knee and my leg buckled. I went down on the sticky floor, pain shooting through my stump and up through my knee and thigh. The noise around me came to a screeching halt.
“You fucking bitch,” I growled as I pushed myself to my feet and turned to face her. I saw the empty bottle of whiskey on the floor and knew that was what she’d thrown.
Bethany backed up a step as I advanced on her. I didn’t give her a chance to escape, closing my fingers around her throat and squeezing tight enough she knew I meant business.
“Wolf.” She clawed at my hand and arm, trying to free herself.
“You’re a convenience for the club, Bethany. Nothing more. A hole to fuck. A mouth that’s okay at sucki
ng cock but not overly great. I told you to back the fuck off and leave me alone.” My hold on her tightened as I backed her to the wall and held her there, her toes scraping the floor as she tried to find purchase. “You have no power here. None. Whores spread their legs and do as they’re told. If you can’t even do that much, you’re fucking worthless.”
A hand landed on my shoulder and I cut my eyes that way, noting Demon had walked up. Another growl rumbled through me and I focused on Bethany again.
I heard more steps and soon Frost and Doolittle had joined us.
“She threw a bottle at him,” Doolittle said. “At his bad leg.”
Demon’s eyebrows arched as he stared at Bethany. “You think it’s okay to assault a brother?”
“S-sorry,” she stammered. “C-can’t b-breathe.”
I narrowed my eyes and squeezed a little harder. Fury licked through me, making me want to destroy her. I’d never been so pissed at a woman before, and I didn’t know why her behavior had set me off so bad now. Wasn’t the first time a whore hadn’t remembered her place. Wouldn’t be the last.
I released her, letting her drop to the floor.
“You okay?” Frost asked, his head cocked to the side.
I ran my hands up and down my thighs. “No. I need a shower.”
Demon rocked back on his heels. “This isn’t about her throwing the bottle. What happened before that?”
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Kept pushing to get in my pants,” I said.
Demon climbed onto the nearest table and looked out over the small crowed. “Listen up, bitches. Wolf is off the market. Touch a brother who has an old lady, unless he invites you to do so, and the consequences will be severe. Fair warning, none of us will want you touching us. Why go slumming when we have perfection at home?”
I heard a few gasps from the women in the room as Demon got off the table. He eyed Bethany and I noticed I’d left fingermarks on her neck. I bit back the apology that rose to my lips. Anyone else and I’d have felt like shit for hurting them, but if she’d only listened and left me alone, I wouldn’t have lost it. Besides, showing any weakness to these women would be a mistake.