That’s it. She snuggles into me, but I lean over to open a drawer and point inside. “I was going to make a big announcement, and do this in front of everyone, but I can’t imagine you not having this right now.”
She sits up straighter and peers into the drawer like she’s not sure if something is going to jump out at her. I jostle her and grab her hips which makes her shriek and smack my chest in admonishment.
As she reaches inside, I keep my eyes fixed on her face. Her eyes widen when she feels the leather and then she’s quickly pulling it free to hold it up in front of her.
Tempest is embroidered on the front and the back where it says ‘Property of Mayhem’ is clear for everyone to see. She blinks up at me, tears filling her eyes that she tries not to let fall.
“You already know you’re it for me,” I tell her honestly. “I love you, Addyson. So damn much. I want it all, the future we dream of together, the one we’ll make a reality together. Will you wear my cut, be on the back of my bike, and enjoy this road with me?”
“Of course,” she breathes out, a few tears escaping and sliding down her cheeks.
I reach into the drawer and pull out a box. Her intake of breath when I open it and hold it between us tells me everything I need to know. The moment I saw the antique art deco ring, I knew it was the one for her.
“I can’t just have the club recognize what we are. I need us to be tied together in all ways. Will you let me slip my ring on your finger? Will you marry me and be my wife?”
“Yes,” her voice cracks.
I take her mouth in a kiss filled with the love I have for this woman. As if she can read my mind, feel my soul, she mumbles, “I love you, Briggs. I love you.”
“Fuck, Addyson,” my voice is husky, “I love you so fucking much.”
The need to slip my ring onto her finger, where it belongs, is overwhelming. It takes me seconds to get the job done after we pull away from each other. I’m about to slip her cut around hernaked body, my cock hardening at the thought of it, when there’s a knock on my door while both our phones go off.
Our eyes meet, our faces wearing the same curious expression, when Duckie yells, “Might want to get out here Prez. Scythe and Tallulah just pulled through the gate in a cage.”
Addyson jumps off my lap before I can stop her to race into the bathroom while exclaiming, “Oh, does that mean Joplin is here too? Get dressed.” The door slams closed right before she groans, “Damn it, I’m all cummy.”
I fucking lose it. I’m laughing so hard when she comes out that it takes me a moment to pull my clothes back on. My eyes take her in as she does the same.
“I’m not sorry I made a mess of you,” I tell her honestly as I hold her cut up after shrugging on my own.
She looks at it, then the ring, and up at me with a big smile on her face. Sliding her cut into place on her shoulders is indescribable. It’s final, in a way that would have scared me before she came into my life. At the same time, this is a beginning.
“Come on,” she prods while grabbing my hand and tugging me along behind her.
Of course, if I wanted to, I could stop us. But why would I want to? This is too much fun.
It’s quiet when we step into the common room. Tallulah is standing there, shifting from foot to foot while Scythe watches her with amusement in his eyes and his daughter in his arms.
The moment Tal sees Addyson, her shoulders drop. And then she’s moving. Scythe follows and shoots me a look, but I already laid the reality out for him. He knows Addyson is mine.
“Holy fuck,” Tallulah gasps, “you’re wearing his cut. Is that a giant rock on your finger?” My brothers gasp like fucking schoolgirls, and I roll my eyes while Tal looks around with wide eyes. “Okay,” she holds out the word, “seems like we’ll come back to that after all proper announcements are made.”
Tal’s focus shifts to my woman and then they’re hugging, the action containing so much relief it’s almost too much to witness. “I’m okay,” Addyson promises her best friend as they release each other before correcting herself, “I’m more than okay. You didn’t have to come all this way. You basically just had a baby.”
“Who do you think you’re dealing with?” I watch as Tallulah holds my woman’s shoulders, their eyes locked and filled with glistening tears. “You better believe that I had our shit packed during a blessed nap, and then I told Scythe to get his ass in the car because I have a sister to check on.”
“Okay,” Scythe cuts in, “let’s not make it sound like you had to twist my arm. It might have been in a cage, but the open road with my girls? I was in, even if we weren’t checking on my little sister.” He plops their daughter into Tallulah’s arms and teases her, “Here, this will help.”
I snort out a laugh, and more than a few brothers join me. When Tal looks up at her Old Man, he winks at her and kisses her forehead. She melts against him and he glances around the lounge nervously.
I’m not the only one who notices with the way Addyson is narrowing her eyes at the man. I have a feeling he’s looking for Sin. Call it payback, if you want, but I’m not filling him in.
Addyson has no such hidden agendas and blurts, “If you’re worried about Sin popping up, don’t. She’s gone. Don’t knowwhere, I wasn’t in charge of escorting her off the premises, but it happened.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” Scythe breathes out, his body relaxing while Tallulah rolls her eyes.
“I was looking forward to some drama, but fine,” Tallulah sighs before stepping closer to my woman, Joplin cradled in her arms. “I’ve been wanting to do this since she arrived,” her voice is thick with emotion and years of sisterhood as she looks down at her daughter, “Addy, it’s my greatest joy to introduce you to your niece, your god daughter, Joplin.”
