“Maybe you should stop saying nice things.”
He chuckled. “Hearing you were gone, I wanted to kill Raven for being so stupid with your safety. You’re the only precious thing in my entire world. I can’t give you up. I don’t want to give you up, and I’m not giving you back. You’re mine, and I will destroy any man who thinks they can take you away from me.”
She reached out, touching his cheek. His skin was rough with a couple of days’ growth. “I have nowhere else I’d rather be.”
They both jumped as someone knocked on her window.
“Lovebirds, come on,” Raven said. “We’re all waiting for you inside. Don’t make me vomit.”
Abriana smiled, pulling away from Ugly Beast. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she waited. “We better go inside.”
Ugly Beast climbed out, and she was already on her feet. He placed a hand at her back, and it was then she realized he was wearing a wedding band. Pausing, she turned to him, grabbing his left hand, and sure enough, he was wearing a ring.
“You’re wearing a ring?”
He’d refused to have one at their wedding.
“I feel it’s only appropriate.” He stroked the curve of her hip. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
He guided her toward the clubhouse, and as she entered the main room, she came to a stop.
There were streamers and banners, welcoming her home.
She was already an emotional wreck, but seeing this and the Hell’s Bastards all there, she was overcome with happiness.
Ugly Beast turned her toward him, cupping her face as he slowly got down on one knee.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Trust it,” Raven said.
Staring down at Ugly Beast, on his knees before her, it kind of scared her. “I married you to get closer to Garofalo. Smokey knew why I wanted to kill him, and so do many members of the club. To do what I wanted, we had to plan. We had to make sure Garofalo would give us something. He gave me you. I didn’t want to marry you. Once all of this was over, I was going to let you go. I can’t do that, Abriana. I’ve got to go back on my word. With the club as my witness, I’m about to tell you something I’ve never said to another living soul.”
She didn’t know what was going on. Her heart was pounding, and as he said his next words, she knew she was never going to be the same again.
“I’m in love with you. I want to be with you. I want you as my old lady, by my side, wearing my ring, and my patch.”
She turned her head to see Smokey holding out a leather jacket. He turned it around for her to see the inscription on the back.
Ugly Beast’s Old Lady, Hell’s Bastards.
“I’m claiming you as mine. I’m not telling you this will be easy. Far from it, in fact. You’re mine, and I love you.” Ugly Beast got to his feet, holding the jacket. “Belong to me, Abriana. Be mine. I will make up for all the crap I put you through.”
With tears falling down her cheeks, she stared at the man she’d been scared of, turned on by, and then broken because she knew there was no chance of him ever loving her. Only, he’d just admitted to loving her.
Silence fell in the clubhouse, and she cupped Ugly Beast’s face. The scarred mess that she actually found so incredibly beautiful. He wasn’t perfect, yet neither was she.
“I never wanted the prince growing up, I always had a thing for the beast,” she said, throwing her arms around him, pressing her lips against hers.
He wrapped his arms around her.
She heard the clubhouse erupt with applause.
They were not perfect. In fact, they were monsters in leather, but to her, they were family. More family than she had ever known in her entire life.
Her loyalty was to them, and it would remain so.
“Welcome to the club,” Smokey said, gripping her shoulder as Ugly Beast finally let her go. He kept hold of her hand, and she smiled, loving the deep connection she felt with him.
Bottles of beer were opened and sprayed all around them, and Raven pulled her into a hug. Still, Ugly Beast didn’t let her go.
The music was turned up loud. She couldn’t even think. He wouldn’t let her go, and she ended up resting her head against his shoulder as they made their way around the clubhouse. The party spilled into the backyard. Fires were lit, as were the barbeque pits.
Ugly Beast didn’t take her outside though. He kept hold of her hand, leading her upstairs to their bedroom.
Once they were inside his room, he pulled her toward the bed, holding her on his lap. “I know I’ve shocked you.”
“Do you really love me?” she asked.