“Come on, I’ll bring you into the fray. I know you’ve met Shovel, Razor, and their Ol’ Ladies, but you haven’t met the rest of the clan.” My eyes meet Bennett’s over the sea of people. He nods in contentment.
“Thanks, I was just, uh... letting Bennett have time with his family.” I shrug my shoulders, not minding a bit, honestly.
“That’s good, darlin’, but you’re family now, too.” That hits me right in my heart. I blink rapidly. It seems we’ve both got something we never had from the members of our family—unconditional love.
“You’re going to make me cry, Bullet. Which, by the way, I want to know how you got that name? I’m figuring it has something to do with the most obvious: bullets.” He puts his arm on my shoulder, guiding me through until I’m next to Bennett.
“Another time, yeah?” He does the guy thing with Bennett, one-armed hug, slaps on one another’s back, and then leaves with a nod. Of course, I never did get the answer, but I’m going to try to finagle it out of him.
“You good?” Bennett asks me, placing his body to surround me, holding me tightly to his side, and kissing the side of my head.
“Never better. You?” My head tips way back. He looks so happy here, and a piece of me wonders if what he said is true, that he’d go wherever I am, including leaving his family, or maybe, just maybe, I can pick up and come back here to his home.
“Oh yeah,” Bennett says. We go through the motions, saying hello to people, me talking to Raven and Persephone, them introducing me to Sadie, Fallon, and Monroe. Even when I’m away from Bennett, anytime I look for him, his eyes are on mine. The girls talk about what everyone has been up to, who’s getting into what, that tomorrow we’re all going to meet up for breakfast because they know after a long ride, I’ll be dead to the world tonight.
“Takin’ my Ol’ Lady now. You can have her while I’m gone.” Bennett’s hand reaches for mine, holding it firmly in his grasp.
“What?” I ask. He shakes his head, and I know he’ll answer when we’re alone.
“Fun sucker.” Raven sticks her tongue out at Bennett like a two-year-old would. I laugh because from what Jolie told me, she’s a hoot no matter what time of day it is.
“Did you just throw down with the phrase fun sucker?” Sadie asks.
“Yes, your child is the one who taught me it,” she says to Sadie. I watch as Raven flips her hair over her shoulder and walks away.
“I’m going to kill my husband. See you guys tomorrow,” Sadie replies, not hiding her smile while she informs us what she’ll be doing to Ruger.
“Later, ladies,” Bennett tells Fallon and Monroe.
“See you guys later,” I reply to them. I take in the sights as we walk inside the clubhouse, thankful that Jolie schooled me in the MC world as much as she could. There’s a bar, a couch with a massive television hung on the wall, and pool tables in the back corner. People are dispersed throughout, some I’ve met and some I haven’t.
“We could have hung out longer,” I tell Bennett when he takes out his key to his room that’s at the end of a long hallway.
“I’m good. My woman needs to soak in a hot bath, then I’m gonna take care of all that soreness I can see you’re hidin’. Then, once you pass out from exhaustion, I’ll take care of the club shit.” Last night, beneath the stars, Bennett told me there will be times I’ll know things and times I won’t. It’s to protect not only the club but me as well.
“You’ll let me know when you’re back from doing alpha man shit.” We’re in his room now, our bags at the foot of his bed, and that’s where I’m heading because his shower is calling my name.
“You givin’ me shit, butterfly?” I hear the playfulness in his tone. I’m spun around, his arms banding around my body, lifting me up. My legs wrap around his middle as he’s carrying me towards the bathroom, and I can’t wait to see just how Bennett soothes the aches between my legs.
21
SHADOW
“Everything go as planned?” Shovel asks. Once he heard my bike come through the gates, church was called. I veered off for a cup of coffee. Not leaving till well after two o’clock in the morning and wearing my woman out has me needing the nasty black sludge Dice makes.
“It went off without a stitch. Got a few planted around the house, in his garage, the patrol car, and his personal vehicle. Fuckin’ man lives like a slob.” I take a sip of the bitterness, needing a jolt of caffeine.
“Thank fuck,” Bullet says. Apparently, he was targeted by this dirty-as-fuck cop, which is saying something considering we’re in real tight with the Sheriff. The problem was, we needed proof. This deputy couldn’t go missing, not with the way his family is entrenched in the community of Ely.