Orla sidled up to my side, and held me close. I kissed the top of her head.
“You disobeyed me, Or.”
“I know,” she said, but she didn’t offer an apology. I knew she wouldn’t. She was too headstrong for her own damn good.
“You can’t just run into a goddamn fight with other bikers,” I told her, wheeling her around to face me. I saw the red eyes, the unshed tears and I just about broke. “I would literally go to hell and back to save you.”
“And I would for you too,” she said. “You may think I’m not tough, Alex, but I am. I’ve dealt with more shit in my life than you ever could imagine. It doesn’t mean I don’t want you to protect me. In fact, I love that you go crazy for me, but it also means I would do the same for you. I love you, you fucker, and I will bleed out a son of a bitch who dared to hurt you.”
The swelling in my chest had nothing to do with the fight I’d just had. She was as fierce as I was, especially when it came to me. I should hate it. I should hate the way it made me feel, but I fucking loved the viciousness in her.
She was my little vixen, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Okay Or, you can defend me, but only if I'm flat on my ass and you have a weapon you can actually use in your hand.”
“As if anyone can lay Alex O’Leary flat on his ass,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Exactly,” I said into her hair as I pulled her in, her arms wrapping around to my back as I just held her, smelling that strawberry shampoo she loved.
“You’re such a brute.”
“You bet your damn ass I am,” I told her.
“And I could have so easily used that crowbar,” she said, as I led her inside.
“No, babe, you couldn’t. I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.”
“With one of your guns?”
“Let’s start with knives, yeah?” I rolled my eyes. I loved her tenacity, but damn she was going to keep me on my toes.
Ace nodded toward me as I came inside. Hawk was over with Morena who was patching the injured up.
“Kirby went to the hospital,” Ace told me. “Morena thinks he’s broken his jaw.”
“He didn’t look too fucking good when he was out there,” I replied. “Tough as shit, that kid.”
Ace nodded and moved over to take Sheridan by the waist and pull her in tight, just as I did to Orla.
“Want a game?” she asked, as if we hadn’t just almost lost each other. I couldn’t hide the smirk on my face as she led me over to the pool tables, her ass cheeks on display in her ripped shorties, my name there for all to see who she belonged to.
I was going to tattoo my name all over those creamy thighs and over her tits so there was no mistaking it.
It made my cock hard just thinking about it.
THIRTEEN
Bear
“It’s come to that time, brothers,” Ace said, sitting down at the end of the table in church and calling us in to discuss the patching in of another member. It was Kirby’s turn, and we all knew he would be the next. He’d really outdone himself the last few weeks especially. “Kirby has been with us for the last three years, and he’s really taken on a lot of the shit we’ve had to deal with. Let’s put it to a vote.”
The round of aye’s sealed it, and I grinned over at Ace.
“Then from today Kirby shall be named Fury, as Bear suggested,” he said. “Butch?”
He threw the patches down on the table. I looked down to see one more that I didn’t recognise but when I saw the name, I knew Ace had taken my advice.
Valkyrie.
