“As much as I love the idea of you staying with me, you should probably go. I don’t want you jeopardizing your spot in the club for me.”
I feel him suck in a breath. “Are you saying you approve of me joining now?”
“Last I checked, you’re a grown man and you don’t need anyone’s approval.”
“Aspen…”
“Look, I don’t understand why you want to join, but if you really want to do this, then I’ll support you. If you want to walk away instead, I’ll understand. I just don’t want you staying here because of me.”
“Not everything is about you,” he teases.
“Are you sure about that?” I quip, making him laugh.
“No, seriously though, I’m not staying here because of you. Yeah, you are part of the reason I came here to begin with, but that’s it. Now that I’ve gotten to know everyone, I like the guys. I like what your brother has worked his ass off building. These guys are a family, and I want to be a part of that.”
“But they break the law, and you are the law,” I say quietly.
Asher squeezes my hip. “I was the law, but I’m not anymore.”
“Are you okay with that? Truly? That’s a big jump.”
“Before I met you, I started questioning my job. I loved what I did, but I didn’t like all the red tape. I hated being forced to invade some of the groups I did. Don’t get me wrong. I had no problem building cases against assholes like Ragged Anarchy, but when I had to build cases against guys like your brother, I fucking hated it. The guys here aren’t inherently bad. They just do some bad shit sometimes. That’s it. They aren’t out there on the streets taking out rivals and shit. They are different.”
“They are the exception,” I say softly.
“Exactly. The club’s moral compass aligns with mine. They just deal justice out immediately instead of having to wait for it. I can get behind that.”
I touch his jaw lightly and make him look me in the eye. “You’re sure?”
His eyes soften. “Yes.”
“Okay.”
“Does that make you look at me differently?”
“No, not at all. Is that something you were worried about?”
“No, not really. Not with who your brother is, but it was something I needed to ask.”
“I would be a hypocrite if I had an issue with it.”
“No, you wouldn’t. It’s different being okay with a loved one doing something you don’t necessarily agree with than it is being okay with someone you want to be with.”
“True…”
On the nightstand, his phone vibrates.
“You should probably get dressed and head out there,” I tell him.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
“I’m sure.” I nod.
Asher leans down and kisses me softly. All too soon, he pulls away.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time,” he whispers against my lips.
Me too.
