She nods and pushes her way into my arms, her forehead on my chest, while her fingers clutch my t-shirt. “I know. It's just hard. I don’t know why they have to be so disappointed that I want to live my own life.”
“You will live your own life. You’re going to do amazing at what you want for yourself and your career. They’ll see, Win. Just keep talking to them, update them, and let them know you still love them. And if they continue to be assholes, then they can fuck off. We’ll have our own family someday.” I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her gently. I love her. I will do anything for her, and that means making her dreams come true as well.
Before she can respond, the loud rumble of a bike engine reaches us, and we both watch as a large, tattooed man with sandy blond hair wearing a leather cut backs up his bike in a parking spot before swinging his leg over to get off. Even with shades on, I’d recognize my cousin anywhere. Taking Winnie’s hand in mine, I lead her outside and over to the only member of my family that I actually like.
“Finn,” he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me in for a one-armed hug. “Been a while, Cuz. Good to see ya. And who's the girl? She’s way out of your league.”
He laughs, and I elbow him, scowling slightly while Winnie laughs. “I’m Winnie,” she answers and holds her hand out to him. Jake just smirks, and before I can stop him, he scoops her off her feet into a giant bear hug. She giggles at his antics, but I hate that he’s touching her, family or not.
I jab him in the side, and he doubles over. “Hands off my girl, Cuz. You may be older, but I’m taller, and I’ll kick your ass.”
Jake laughs. “Alright, enough fucking around. So what do you two have planned for the day?”
“We just rolled in this morning. Haven’t really made any plans yet,” I tell him, my hand sliding behind Winnie’s neck, just needing to hold her.
Jake’s eyes move to my bike and back to his. “Well, this is pretty much town, and honestly, nothing here really gets interesting until weekend evenings. If you guys want, we could head to the clubhouse. I can introduce you to some of the guys, and we can hang out there. Today’s kind of a chill day before the party tomorrow.”
“Are you guys celebrating something?” Winnie asks, and Jake’s eyes light up with mischief.
“Nope. Just another bonfire night, and it usually turns rowdy.”
I glance down at Winnie. “What do you think?”
She smiles and nods her head. “Sounds fun.”
My attention slides back to my cousin. “What she said.”
Jake laughs and heads toward his bike. “Follow me. And don’t be alarmed, but they will stop you at the gate, just follow protocol.”
I nod at him, and we go to get on my bike again. I make sure our bags are strapped tightly before handing Winnie her helmet and strapping my own on. Soon, we’re following Jake out of town and onto a country road. We travel a few miles before turning down a dirt road that eventually leads to a gated entrance. Jake rides on through and we’re stopped. Two men approach, both wearing the same leather cut as my cousin, only their patches read PROSPECT. One walks around my bike, and the other guy pats down my waist and sides. Once they're satisfied, the gate opens, and my cousin is waiting on the other side. He directs me where to park my bike.
“You guys can stay in my room tonight at the clubhouse,” Jake says, and helps grab my bag so I can take Winnie’s.
“We appreciate that, man,” I tell him, and he pats my shoulder.
“I’ve been waiting to get you out here, Cuz. Follow me, and we’ll get you guys situated before you meet the family.”
I follow him into the clubhouse, taking in the bar, the many various pool and game tables, and walking past the sectioned off area with couches, chairs, and dining tables. He brings us down a hallway where doors line one side of the wall. Jake opens one of the doors and leads us into a hotel-sized room that contains a dresser, a bed, and another door that connects to a bathroom.
“So the bathroom only has the shower in it, but plenty of hot water. I did change the sheets, but word to the wise, these walls are paper-thin.” He smirks between the two of us.
Winnie’s hand grips mine tighter, and her cheeks blush adorably. “Thanks,” I clip out, and the cheeky fucker laughs.
“Okay, one serious thing though, this is on business and goes for everyone in the club. In private or off grounds, I’m Jake. But here, with my family and on the property and in every aspect of club business, you both call me by my road name. Bullet. It's a huge sign of disrespect otherwise, unless you’re a wife or old lady. When my brothers introduce themselves, it will be their road names, and you cannot ask about their real names. My road name is me,” my cousin explains. Winnie and I dip our chins in acknowledgement. I would never do anything to disrespect my cousin.
“It will be quiet here for most of the morning and afternoon. I have another job to take care of, so if you guys want, feel free to shower, relax, catch a couple Z’s even. I can check on you when I get back and give you the tour before the grill fires up.”
“Okay. Thank you, Bullet,” Winnie responds and smiles at him. I can see the way my cousin takes it in, and if he didn’t look like such a hard ass, I’d think he melted a little. But he’s big, kindof scary, and wears a permanent scowl usually. He leaves and then it's just us.
My arms instantly wrap around Winnie, holding her close to my chest. Her arms wrap around my waist, and her head tilts back to look at me. My fingers brush over her cheeks, and I notice the faint purple smudges under her eyes. “You should rest, Daisy.”
“Will you lie with me?” she asks sweetly, pressing her lips to the edge of my jaw. Like I could ever fucking turn her down for anything.
“I’m going to wash up quick, then I’ll join you,” I tell her, taking her hand and leading her to the side of the bed. My hands work quickly to help her out of her jeans, taking her shoes and socks off slowly and folding everything before placing it on top of the dresser. She takes off her sweatshirt, and I watch as she unclasps her bra as well, sliding it out of the arm holes of her t-shirt, and I grin, knowing she absolutely will not sleep in a bra. After tucking her under the covers and kissing her temple, I head to the bathroom to shower.
The hot water instantly relieves the tension I’ve been holding since leaving home. My muscles relax under the spray, and it feels like taking my first real breath in ages. We did it. We’re here, and while I don’t have a for-sure plan, my cousin is at least happy to have the visit. Maybe Winnie and I can build a life here in Tennessee. After showering, I towel off and throw on a pair of boxers before sliding into the bed next to my girl. She’s already sleeping when I take her into my arms, one arm sliding around her waist and my other under her head, so I can feel her little breaths on my skin. Feeling her breathe deeply and feeling her heart beat steadily is all it takes to lull me into sleep.
After some much-needed sleep, Winnie and I get ready, and when Bullet stops by to check on us, we follow him to the common area. Unlike this morning, the room is now full of people. Several patched brothers are talking, playing pool, and having drinks at the bar that is being run by a stunning woman with light brown hair who is also wearing a patched vest that reads PROPERTY OF SNAKE. There are more women here as well, all aging from what I would guess is close to my mom’s age to around mine and Winnie’s ages. A few kids are also running through the area, and I catch Win smiling at them. Bullet introduces us, and everyone is friendly; some show great interest, while others are just polite. After an hour or so, we’re all ushered out back to where a few picnic tables and other tables are set up. What catches my eye, though, is the large pig roasting off to the side, and a row of more tables with other various foods and desserts on top.
