“My behavior is my choice. It’s not your burden to bear,” I tell her gently. “You didn’t make me react that way. That was totally on me.”
She exhales shakily. “The smart side of my brain knows that, but the emotional side hasn’t gotten the message.”
I reach out and take her hand in mine, giving it a firm squeeze. “How about if I promise to keep control of my temper moving forward.”
“Can you really do that?”
I give her a serious nod. “For you, I will force myself to change.”
“I’d like to know you won’t serve hard time on my account,” she says bluntly. But something about her voice makes me think she means that as a joke.
“Emily, you’re not just some person I check in on out of habit. You matter to me. That means you don’t have to keep running around alone while pretending everything is fine.”
Her eyes lift towards mine, and the raw emotions I see there churn up all kinds of feelings that I’m not fully ready to deal with right now.
“I didn’t want to be a burden,” she says.
“You won’t ever be that to me.”
I take a moment before I speak again. I want to choose my words carefully because whatever I say next isn’t small, and I need her to understand exactly what I’m offering.
“If you’re staying here, and if this guy is still a threat, then you need more than a job. You need real protection. You need something official that lets me stand between you and whatever danger comes your way.”
She frowns slightly. “What do you mean?”
I look straight at her. “I mean we make it look like we’re together.”
Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth to object.
I continue before she can get the words out. “If you’re my woman, I have every reason to be at your side with the DA,the police and every damn body else. No one questions a man standing up for his partner. It gives me legitimacy, Em. And it tells anyone watching that you’re not alone.”
Her expression is filled with shock, confusion, and something else I can’t name. She searches my face like she’s trying to find the catch.
“And you’d… do what?” she asks softly. “Put me in your property cut?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes. And I’ll buy you an engagement ring. One protects you in the biker world and the other protects you in the world outside this clubhouse.”
Because the truth is I would do far more than that. But I keep that part to myself, for now.
Emily stares at me, like she isn’t sure she heard me right. I don’t push because this is a decision she has to make for herself.
When she finally speaks, her voice is subdued. “If we do this… people are going to talk.”
“They already do,” I say. “They’ve been calling you my cabin girl for ages. We can use that to our advantage. It helps our relationship seem organic.”
A small breath leaves her, not quite a laugh, but close enough that the pressure in my chest eases a little.
“Are you sure this will help legally?” she asks.
“It gives me standing,” I say. “If you’re my partner, it makes sense that I’m involved. The DA will take us more seriously. The police will listen to you if you have me at your side. And no one questions why I’m protecting you.”
She nods slowly, absorbing each piece like she’s organizing it in her mind. “Yeah, I’ve had that experience of not being taken seriously because I’m young and a woman before. It wasn’t much fun if I’m being honest.”
“Well, this fixes that problem,” I say. “It helps keep you safe by making everyone think you have a badass biker lookin’ out for you.”
She looks down at her hands for a long moment, then lifts her eyes again. Her expression is a mixture of emotions, fear, trust and determination. It’s a good look for her.
“Okay,” she whispers. “If you think this is the best way… then I’ll do it.”
