Forge slapped him on the back. “I’ll be right there with you. You don’t have to wait to claim her. Not anymore.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“If word gets out that you’ve claimed Sable, it might actually bring an end to this bullshit.”
“I’m not going to use her as bait.”
“You don’t have to. She’s been bait from the very beginning.”
Dog clenched his teeth. “I want to talk about Honey and Sweetheart. You’ve heard the shit they’re saying.”
“I’ve already talked to the men. Every man has turned them down. No one wants rotten pussy and that’s what they’ve become. They don’t want to believe they were in the wrong for doing what they did. I know Sable. She’s been part of this club her whole life. Her loyalty lies with us. She doesn’t need her parents to help her. She’s got us and that’s all that matters. We can take care of her. Beth’s told me about what her mother and sister are saying. I hear all and I see all. I’m going to take care of it. What she needs now is for you to be by her side. Don’t wait around until this mess with Hank and Grass is over. Do it now. I nearly lost Beth. My biggest regret was not letting her know how I felt sooner.”
“I’m not the kind of guy who shares his feelings.”
“You think I am? I can share my anger, show my fury, but when it comes to love, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. It’s all a messed-up blur.” He shook his head. “The truth is we only get one life and I don’t want to hear of or see you wasting it. It’s not right. Take what you want. Love that woman, and in the end, she’ll be coming back to you, always.”
Forge climbed onto his bike and he turned over his ignition.
He had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask Sable to marry him, to show the whole club who she belonged to.
There was no point in waiting.
Riding into the clubhouse, he caught sight of her mother and sister. As usual, they were sitting in the laps of a couple of the club men. In the distance, he actually saw Sable hanging out laundry. No one offered to help her.
Once again, she was all on her own.
Beth came running out of the kitchen with an apron wrapped around her waist and flour decorating her cheek.
She was the only person within the club who wanted anything to do with his woman. Well, he was done with it.
Beth threw herself into Forge’s arms, kissing him like she needed him to breathe or something.
“Sable,” he called, shouting to be heard over the noise.
She lifted her head and glanced at him.
“Get your ass over here.”
She shook her head, finished putting the item of clothing back on the line, and walked over to him.
Taking hold of her hands, he stroked his thumb across her knuckles.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
She smiled.
Damn, she made him ache for all the right reasons. Reaching out, he pushed some of her hair back from her face. She was perfection.
Beautiful.
Sweet.
All his.
No other man had ever touched her.
He wasn’t going to let anyone else know just how perfect she was.