Luke noticed my hesitation and asked, “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“It’s a lot to take in.”
“Yes, it is, but it all pays off in the end.”
“And the girls?” I looked up at him with a perched brow. “Are they a payoff?”
His expression didn’t harden, but it did change. He thought for a moment before saying, “It’s a give and take. They help out around the clubhouse. Cooking, cleaning, and keeping the place running. And we give them a place to hang while they need it.”
“And?”
“And sometimes it’s more,” he admitted. “But that depends on the situation. Nobody’s forced. Nobody owes. It’s just how things work around here.”
Something inside me tightened. These girls were a part of his world, and they weren’t going anywhere. He didn’t seem to think there was any issue with them, but I wasn’t sure I felt the same. In fact, I knew I didn’t. I wasn’t one to share, especially when it came to relationships.
I wasn’t sure he felt the same until he looked down at me and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’m not one to stray, Presley. Never have been, and the same goes for most of the guys. Once they find their ol’ ladies, that’s that. It’s all or nothing.”
His tone wasn’t defensive. It was steady and certain, and I wanted to believe every word he said. I really did. He searched my face like he was reading every unspoken word. And that’s when he said, “Trust is something that’s earned. You don’t have to worry. I’ll earn it.”
“And I’ll earn yours.”
“You’re well on your way.”
“You, too.”
The black brace wrapped snug around his wrist looked out of place against my bare skin and the rumpled sheets. I carefully took it in mine and asked, “What happened to your hand?”
“It’s fine.”
“It doesn’t look fine.”
“It is.”Before I could question him further, he peeled it off, and with one quick motion, he tossed it to the floor. He lifted it and quickly twisted it back and forth. “See? All good.”
“If you say so.”
His knuckles were bruised and cut, and the deep blue colors looked to be fading, but still crept halfway up his arms. My eyes lifted to his forearms when I spotted more bruises and scrapes. They were a clear sign that he’d been in an altercation, but the second his gaze met mine, I couldn’t help but ask, “Does it hurt?”
“Nah, this is nothing. I’ve had a lot worse.”
Of course, he had. Unfortunately, that didn’t make me feel any better. I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles, before nestling back into the crook of his arm.
“Honest and no half-truths, right?”
“Yes?”
“There will be good days and some really bad ones.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “That’s how this life works. Things will get loud. They will get messy and sometimes even dangerous. But when they do, you don’t face it alone.”
His words settled deep in my chest.
“These guys are my brothers, not in name or blood, but by choice. And if one of us takes a hit, we all feel it. We stand together, and if you’re with me, that means you’ll never have to face the hard times alone. We show up every time.”
I studied his face and the conviction that lay in his eyes. This wasn’t bravado. This was a promise. A way of living that I’d never imagined, and while it was a lot to wrap my head around, it warmed my heart as I muttered, “Family.”
“That’s right… Sometimes it’s the one you’re born into, and sometimes it’s the one you build. Either way, you protect it. You fight for it, and you don’t go running when things get hard.”
“I get it.”
“No, you don’t, but one day you will.”
