“You’re not my boss,” I argue.
He grins. “Baby, I’m whatever you need me to be.”
I chew while mentally screaming into the void. “They do know you,” I say once I swallow. “That’s the problem.”
Blade’s expression shifts. Not hurt. Not surprised. Just… knowing.
“They think I’m no good for you,” he says quietly.
I don’t deny it. He already knows the answer.
He looks away for half a second, jaw flexing. “Bella doesn’t trust me with her little sister.” A humorless huff. “Can’t blame her.”
I kick his boot lightly. “Hey. That’s not it.”
He lifts a brow like he’s calling me out without speaking.
“They know you,” I insist, setting the sandwich down. “They’ve seen you protect everyone you care about. They’ve seen you fix cars at midnight without being asked. They’ve seen you drive across town to help Brooke move a couch because Tim was being useless that day.”
He rolls his eyes. “That couch weighed less than the box of pillows she tried to carry.”
“And,” I add, leaning in, “they’ve seen you rip a guy off Switch at that biker rally for grabbing Bella’s arm.”
His eyes flick back to mine at that one.
“They know you’re loyal,” I say. “And fierce. And dangerous if needed.”
A tiny twitch hits the corner of his mouth. “So what’s the problem?”
I exhale. “They also know you like your walls. They know you keep people out. And they don’t want me being one of the people you push away.”
Something changes in his eyes. Slow. Serious. A storm settling into certainty. “I’m never going to push you away,” he says.
The words land like a hand closing around my heart, steady and strong.
“Bri.” His voice drops, rough. Honest. “I’m not letting you go. Not now. Not after last night. Those sisters of yours can come at me with pitchforks if they want. Won’t change a damn thing about how I feel about you.”
There it is. The truth. Bare and unshakeable. I swallow hard, my stupid eyes threatening to do emotional things.
He nods at the food again. “Eat your breakfast. You’re gonna need the energy…for later.”
My face heats. Bold of him to assume. Accurate, but bold.
He heads for the door, then glances back with that half grin that ruins me. “And Bri?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell Bella and Brooke I said hi.” He winks. “And that I’m not scared of them. I’m going to prove to them anyone else who doubts me that I’m the only man for you.”
And then he walks out, leaving me sitting there with breakfast, butterflies, and the dawning realization that my sisters are absolutely going to flip their shit. My sisters know him very well. That’s exactly why they’re terrified. Because if anyone can break my heart…It’s Blade Jameson.
THIRTEEN
BLADE
Church is tense tonight.Not loud like normal, no laughter bouncing off concrete. Tonight the air vibrates like a live wire. Everyone feels it. Everyone knows shit is changing in Perdition whether we like it or not.
We’re all seated at the long chapel table. Mason at the head, calm and carved from stone. Dagger looming beside him, built like he could go through a wall just for the hell of it. Piston and Tank exchange low comments, but even they aren’t joking like usual. Rev taps his pen in that edgy rhythm that says silence makes him itch. Switch sits across from me, jaw tight, fists clenched, laser-focused and pissed off… which means something’s seriously wrong.
