“What about us, babe?” Steel asked as he came up behind her, circling his arms around her waist.
“That’s a given.” She craned her neck and kissed his chin.
Diablo sniggered.She knows how to handle him.“Raven saw what Jeb did and she was horrified. She snatched it from me, telling me there was no way Fallon can wear her cut like that.”
Muerto jerked his head back. “Jeb did your cut and Breanna’s.”
“And that’s why I redid them. I’m not going to wear a beautiful vest with some shitty work on it.” She tossed her head.
Muerto laughed. “You’re really something, woman.”
Steel shook his head and pressed Breanna closer to him.
“Forget about the fuckin’ embroidery. I can’t believe Diablo’s taking an old lady.” Paco gestured to the prospects for another round.
“I’ll drink to you taking an old lady, but you, Muerto, and Steel need to stay away from me. There’s no way I wanna catch what you guys got. Life’s too short.” Goldie winked at the club girls, who giggled.
“Enough lovey-dovey shit. Who’s up for a game of poker? I have a wad of cash and I want to make it grow fatter.” Army picked up his tequila from the bar.
“I’m in,” said Paco.
“Me too.” Skull walked over to the poker table.
“I need some cash, and Army’s is as good as anyone’s,” Brutus said as he picked up his drinks, with Sangre, Eagle, Shotgun, and Cue Ball following him.
Anxious to be with Fallon, Diablo picked up the bag and went up to his room. When he came in, Fallon was sitting up, leaning against the headboard.
“Did you have a good rest? Your color’s come back.” He sat next to her on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah. I was doing okay, but then all of a sudden this wave of exhaustion hit me.”
“You’ve had a rough few weeks.”
She nodded. “I’m trying real hard not to dwell on it. I know I have to deal with it and let the grief and anger work its way through. Breanna’s helping me with it. She’s been great.”
“She’s good with stuff like that.”
“I don’t ever want to think about Charlie again, but I know I have to.”
“It’ll take time. Do you want anything? I can get one of the girls to bring you up some food.”
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry. What do you have in the bag?”
He pulled off his boots, then stood and took off his jeans. He hung his cut up in the closet and crawled next to her. Grasping her hands, he caught her gaze. “My heart goes out to you ’cause you’ve had a lotta shit you’ve had to handle in your life. Your strength has amazed me. You need to know that no matter what happens in life, we have each other. I love you, woman. I’ve never loved a woman the way I love you. I need you to fill in the dark spaces of my heart, and you need me to hold you through the dark shadows of your memories. We need each other, and I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman. I thought I was content just living life with the brotherhood until you woke something up inside me. I want us to be together forever. I want you to wear my patch.” He handed the bag to her.
With trembling hands, she opened it and pulled out a black leather vest. Her gaze darted to him, then back to the vest. She held it up and turned it around. In scrolling lettering, it read “Property of Diablo.”
“Do you know what that means?” he said in a low voice.
“Yeah. Raven told me. It’s beautiful. The lettering is so intricate and artistic. Simply lovely.”
Diablo chuckled.
She leaned forward and slipped it on, then stood up and went into the bathroom. He watched her as she modeled it in the mirror, turning this way and that to see how it looked on her.
“You look beautiful with it on,” he said, pride swelling inside him.
“I love it.” She walked over to him and sat next to him. “For so long I’d been afraid, lonely, and miserable. Charlie kept telling me that no man could ever love me, but a spark of hope lived inside me. But as the years went by, the spark faded more and more until it was practically nonexistent. Then I met you and you made me believe in myself again. You made the spark reignite, and now it’s a bonfire inside me, burning with love and admiration for you. I love and want you more than anything else in my life. I can’t imagine a life without you. I love your patch, and I’ll wear it with love and pride. I’ll work hard to be a good old lady.”
