“Are you leaving me tonight?” she asked. “Is that what this is, a break-up over drinks?”
I choked on my first swallow, and it took me a second to recover before I could answer her. “Fuck no!” I croaked out. “What the hell gave you that idea?”
She took a drink and closed her eyes as she swallowed. I admired the way her throat moved as she swallowed the whiskey.
“I don’t know. I thought you and your club might be tired of me and all the problems I brought. It occurred to me today that getting rid of me is worlds easier than dealing with Viper,” she explained. Then, after a beat, “Sometimes, I just worry that I’m too much.”
I pointed at her with one finger while still holding my glass. “That right there is crazy talk. I already told you that you’re my one. It’s you or nothin’.”
A soft smile slipped onto her face. She took another sip of her whiskey and rested her chin in both hands. “Alright, tell me what this is all about. I’m all ears.”
Looking her in the eyes, I did my best to explain the situation without alarming her. “We’ve got a man on the inside of Viper’s crew. He showed up with enough intel to tie Viper up for good,” I told her. “Storm came up with a rock solid plan. If this all goes off without a hitch, we’ll get the last favor out of the way and Viper will be taken care of. That means this whole sorted situation will finally be done. You won’t have to worry about Viper or his club ever again.” I held her gaze. “Don’t you think that’s worth drinking to?”
She was quiet for a moment before she nodded. “Yes, but only if you come back safe and sound. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
I snorted a laugh before sitting up straight. “You don’t have to worry your pretty head about me, sweetness. I’m fuckin’ hard to kill. And Viper couldn’t take me down on his best day.”
Her expression brightened. She picked up her glass again and took a sip before responding, “Now that you mention it, you do have a bit of a dangerous look about you.”
Waggling my eyebrows, I asked, “Is it the muscles or the tattoos?”
She actually laughed as I poured a little more whiskey into her glass. “I think you intentionally engineered this look so everyone would think you’re a badass.”
I leaned back in my chair, relaxed and happy that my old lady felt comfortable teasing me that way. “What would you say if I told you that I just wanted the outside to accurately reflect the inside?”
“I’d say there is at least some truth to what you’re saying. But after spending so much time behind the bar watchingpeople, I can see through that carefully crafted persona of yours.”
“Now that is genuinely concerning,” I told her in a mock stern voice.
She laughed, and the sound of it made me feel things, soft and tender things that I usually didn’t feel. Winter had come a long way from the scared woman she was when she first arrived. I thought about the ring box sitting in my jacket pocket upstairs. I had plans for this beautiful woman but for now, I needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
“Tell me your bit of truth. What do you think of this situation?” I asked playfully.
She answered immediately. “I’m proud of you. Not just because you stepped up for me when no one else did. I think you’re a good man all around and I’m proud to be your old lady.”
I hadn’t expected her to say something so deep. Before I could respond, she continued, “I’m proud of you for being slow and methodical instead of running off half-cocked to beat the stuffing out of Viper.” She swirled the whiskey in her glass before finishing, “The man who bid impulsively money he didn’t have at a biker rally to save me has learned patience. I hope and pray that it helps keep you safe when the time comes.”
“That man may not have had patience, but he had excellent instincts,” I countered.
“You nearly caused Storm to lose his mind,” she said.
“You’re not lying about that part, sweetness. I have a lot of respect for Storm and the other club officers. We sometimes put them in impossible situations, and they always rise to the occasion.”
“Yeah, they’re good people,” she agreed.
I picked up my glass. “Here’s to this being over, so you can just be free of all this bullshit. If you want to leave me, I’ll support that. But I’d rather you stayed with me and enjoyed lifeat my side. I feel like I have good shit to offer. I’m loyal and won’t ever hurt you. We could make a family one day and have a decent life together.”
She was quiet for so long that I regretted saying all that. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes. She leaned across the table, hooked one hand behind my head and pulled me forward for a long kiss. When she pulled back, she said quietly, “Come back to me. No matter what happens tonight, fight to stay alive and come back to me. I don’t care if you’re injured, I still want you.”
This woman really knew how to tug at my emotions. She made me feel so many fuckin’ things that I didn’t know how to respond. I swallowed thickly and murmured, “Don’t you worry. I’ll always fight hard to stay alive and come back every fuckin’ time,” I vowed.
She picked up her glass and held it up for a toast. I lifted mine and we touched them together. “To surviving long enough to make a life together,” she whispered.
“I’ll fuckin’ drink to that, sweetness.”
***
Storm came through the clubhouse at midnight. I’d stopped drinking hours ago so I could have a clear head for this mission.
