Luna's eyes widen slightly, but she doesn't pull away. "Our house?" she repeats, a question in her voice.
Shit. Too soon, too much, too fast. But I've never been good at backing down, so I double down instead.
"If you want it to be," I say, meeting her gaze steadily. "I'm not saying move in together right away. But this place is strategic territory, and more importantly, it matters to you. That makes it matter to me."
She looks at me, right eyebrow raised, those blue eyes seeing more than I'm comfortable showing most people. "You're serious."
"I don't say things I don't mean," I tell her. "Especially not to you."
Before she can respond, Rage calls out from the side of the house. "King! Got those blueprints you wanted!"
I release Luna reluctantly, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before stepping back. "We'll finish this conversation later," I promise.
"Count on it," she says, a hint of a challenge in her smile that makes my blood heat despite the work still to be done.
I head over to where Rage is unrolling a set of blueprints on a makeshift table. The plans show not just the restoration of the house to its original state, but the strategic modifications we've been discussing: reinforced doors and windows, improved sightlines, a secure room in the basement.
"Steel says we can incorporate most of this without changing the external appearance," Rage reports. "No one driving by would notice anything unusual."
"Good," I nod, scanning the plans. "What about the security system?"
"Torch is handling that. Says he can have cameras covering every approach, motion sensors in the perimeter, all of it feeding back to both this location and the clubhouse."
I trace a finger along the property line on the blueprint. "And the wall?"
"Beast found a landscaper who owes him a favor. We're calling it a 'decorative stone garden wall,' but it'll be solid concrete core with decorative stone facing. Strong enough to stop a truck if needed."
"Timeline?"
"Two weeks for the basics to be livable, another month for full implementation of the security features." Rage hesitates. "Assuming we don't get interrupted."
The Iron Eagles have been suspiciously quiet since their initial probe of our defenses. No further incursions into our territory, no retaliation for the seven prospects we put in the hospital. It's not a peace offering. It's the calm before the storm.
Vulture is planning something bigger. The question isn't if they'll strike again, but when and where. My gut says they're gathering intelligence, identifying our vulnerabilities, preparing for a coordinated assault rather than another probing attack.
"Double the guard rotations at the clubhouse," I decide. "And I want at least two patched members here at the house at all times, even when construction crews aren't working."
"Already on it," Rage assures me. "Tank's setting up the rotation. No one goes anywhere alone, and everyone's carrying."
I nod, appreciating as always the fact that my brothers often anticipate my orders before I give them. "Any word from our contacts about Eagle movements?"
"Nothing concrete, but there's been chatter. They've been recruiting, bringing in muscle from other chapters. And Vulture himself was spotted in Millfield yesterday."
Millfield. Just thirty miles east, the same town where they killed Earl Jenkins, the mechanic from the video I showed Luna. The town has effectively become Iron Eagles territory in the last few months.
"He's sending a message," I mutter, mostly to myself. "Letting us know he's close, but not making a move yet."
"Psychological warfare," Rage agrees. "Trying to keep us on edge, waiting for an attack that doesn't come until we start getting sloppy."
He's right. It's a classic tactic, one I'd use myself in the same situation. Keep your enemy in a constant state of alertness until exhaustion sets in, then strike when their guard finally slips.
"We won't get sloppy," I say firmly. "Keep everyone sharp, rotate the watches so no one gets burned out, but maintain full alert status."
"You got it, boss." Rage rolls up the blueprints and must notice me glancing at Luna. "We'll keep her safe, King. All of us. She's one of ours now."
Luna's not just my woman now. She's become part of the club in a way that transcends her relationship with me. She's earned her place through her skills, her courage, her willingness to stand with us rather than run from the danger.
"Yeah," I agree, watching as Luna laughs at something Beast has said, her head tilted back, entirely at ease among men most people cross the street to avoid. "She is."
