I had known something was afoot. They’d ridden out with that look about them that something serious was going down.
“Okay,” I said calmly. “Tell me about what happened. How bad was it?”
He shook his head. “Bad. Because we were the deciding vote and everybody in that room was already convinced that we burned Vulture’s place down before we’d even opened our mouths.”
“But you didn’t burn Vulture’s place down. That means you have the truth on your side. They’ll see that one day,” I reassured him.
“It doesn’t matter. We rode with Viper. Vulture’s clubhouse burned. Vulture wound up having a heart attack because he lost everything. And we voted for Viper to have his territory. When you put those four things together, it tells a story that we can’t argue our way out of no matter how hard we try or how clean our hands actually are.”
I thought about that for a moment. “What does that mean for the club going forward?”
“It means every club in the region is going to be watching us and thinking we’re untrustworthy. Old allies are going to keep their distance until they figure out what we are now. The ones that were neutral sure as hell won’t be trying to cross the line into being allies.” He ran one hand through his dark hair. “We ain’t the bad guys, Winter. I need you to know that.”
“I know, babe,” I reassured him. “I’ve known that for a while now. And those other clubs that actually know the Dark Slayers, they know it too. Viper can shape the story all he wants, but stories don’t hold up forever against the truth. They always eventually fall apart. You know that.”
“Reputation matters in our world,” he responded quietly. “Ours took years to build and about ten minutes to lose.”
“Then you protect it the same way you protect me,” I whispered, bringing up one hand to cup the side of his face. “One day at a time. Don’t let Viper’s lies control the conversation. You keep speaking truth when he lies, keep being excellent in the face of his manipulation and deceit. And trust people to be able to tell the difference.”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and tucked a strand of my hair back behind one ear.
“There’s something else,” he said quietly. “Viper’s got territory now. He’s got over fifty brothers. He’s got a council vote that marked him out as a legitimate regional player.” His eyes held mine as he concluded his thought. “All that means he’smore powerful. He’s a larger threat if he ever decides to come after you.”
“Do you think he’d really come for me?” I asked, feeling my anxiety building.
“I think he’s shifty as fuck and has been building towards something since PATCH. I don’t know what it is but I’m going to do my best to find out what it is.”
“I hope soon we can be free of him,” I whispered.
“I worry that the third favor is going to be the worst of the three.” He paused. “I just want you to know that if I fall, the club will take care of you.”
I took his face in my hands and smoothed my fingers along his cheekbones.
“You’re not going to fall. You’re the strongest person I know. Me and these kittens need you, so promise me that you won’t take unnecessary chances with your safety.”
His hands came up to rest against mine. “I promised to take good care of you. I haven’t forgotten about that.”
“No. This isn’t because I don’t have options or you were the best of some bad choices for me. It’s because I don’t want to live without you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I smoothed one thumb along his jaw. “I’m not afraid of Viper, the third favor or any of your regional biker politics. You know why?”
He nodded his head.
And I told him the truth, “Because for the first time in my life, I’m not alone anymore. I’ve got you and your club at my back. This is starting to feel like I’m finally living my best life, and I don’t want that to end. I don’t want to be sad and alone for the rest of my life so nothing bad can happen to you.”
He laughed. It was a low rumble that sounded warm and masculine. “This is a far cry from living your best fuckin’ life, sweetheart.”
I dropped one thumb to trace his bottom lip. “I’m not that scared girl from the auction block anymore, babe. You helped me get over that. I’m stronger and more confident than I’ve ever been in my life, and I have you to thank for that.”
His expression turned soft and he murmured, “When did you get to be so confident?”
“Somewhere between learning to stand up for myself with the club girls and the property cut that feels like it was custom made for my body,” I teased. “It’s also hard to feel fragile and weak when you’re riding a hot biker’s cock.”
Truth be told, I knew that would shock him. And it did because his face registered shock and then something that looked like amusement. Being unpredictable kept things fresh.
He pulled me into a hug, with one hand at the back of my head and his chin resting against my hair. We sat there just existing in the world. He must have felt the same way, because as we sat there cuddling, I could feel the tension slowly ebb from his body.
“I fuckin’ love you to pieces. I hope you know that, sweetheart.”
