She closed her eyes, thinking over everything he had said, and all the things she had experienced while in River Run.
“How do you honestly feel about me being in the MC and how we make a living?”
She leaned back and looked at him in the face. How did she feel? “Honestly?” She stared at him, and then he nodded. Before she answered she lifted her hand and ran her finger between his eyes. His entire body shook as if he couldn’t control himself, and she realized a man of this size and power was just as breakable as she was. “Honestly, it doesn’t bother me.” She smiled and pushed his hair away from his face. She ran her fingers over his beard, loved that the short coarse strands tickled her skin, and sighed. “I have been around illegal and immoral things my entire life, and none of them had been anywhere near this kind of set-up.” She glanced at the ceiling and let her gaze travel over the natural pine structure and beams. “You actually care, as does your club. These women are going to sell themselves no matter what.” When she looked at Malice she could see he still had this hard look on his face.
“We do bad shit, too, Adrianna.”
His body was strung so tight that she could feel the clench and unclenching of his muscles under her hands. “We all have done bad shit in our lives.” Did she want to know every little thing that made up Malice? One day, yes, but right now she was content with the man he had showed her. “You know, when I first started dating Phillip he was nice and sweet, a real gentleman.” The low sound that came from Malice was very hostile, but she felt no fear from it. “But even though he showed me this really great guy on the outside, I knew deep down he was no different from the men my mother always hung around.”
“Why did you stay with him?”
She shrugged, still feeling shame and self-disgust that she hadn’t been stronger and that she allowed herself to be subjected to that. “I don’t know. Maybe I thought I didn’t deserve better.”
“I don’t ever want to fucking hear you say that again.” His tone was hard and brooked no argument, and she was seeing that strong biker that didn’t take shit from anyone break through.
“You’re right, Malice. I shouldn’t allow myself to think like that.” This was a long road for her, but she knew she didn’t want to do it alone. “But even though I fell for Phillip’s façade I also believe that I have grown stronger from everything that has happened.” He hadn’t asked her about a detailed report of her past, and for that she was thankful for. Some things were meant to stay behind them.
“I’m not like that motherfucker.”
Would she ever get used to his growly attitude? She didn’t think so, but she liked it. It made her actually feel alive, and that was the first time she had ever said that or felt that way. “Believe me, I know that, knew that instantly.”
He pulled her closer to him again, and she rested her head on his chest. The sun had already set, and although there was laughing downstairs, and it broke up the silence that surrounded them, there was this tranquility in her. If this was a bad mistake, then it was the best one she had ever made.
****
Adrianna stared out her bedroom window and watched some of the girls work on the garden outside.
“Do you want to talk about anything?”
Adrianna looked at Molly and shook her head. “Not really. Things have been going well, actually.” Adrianna turned back around and stared at Kendra, who was laughing at something Cecilia said. The windows in the cabin were pretty thick, and so she didn’t hear a car approaching until she saw the dark van with a massive cross making its way toward the cabin. But the Brothers that were there watching over them that day were already on it. There were no fences or gates around the property, because honestly unless someone knew about this place it was pretty much off the map.
Tuck and Pierce were here today, and they stood in front of the driveway, blocking the van from moving any closer. Two men climbed out of the vehicle, one from the driver’s side, the other from the passenger side. For a moment they seemed to just be talking, but when of the guys handed Tuck a piece of paper she swore she could feel the blast of anger come from the biker. Tuck all but threw the paper back in the other guy’s face, and when it was clear the van people were not moving, Tuck reached behind him, grabbed the gun that was tucked in the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, and pointed it at all men. The women working in the garden realized what was happening, and Pierce moved toward them and ushered them inside. Adrianna didn’t move, and she watched as Tuck kept raising his hand that held the gun at the guys, and clearly shouting at them. Finally the guys climbed back in the van and backed out. She had no clue what that was all about, but she did know that Tuck, or any of the other bikers for that matter, didn’t overreact about anything. They did things for a reason, and clearly those men in the van were a threat. She watched as Tuck got his phone out, and then he was bringing it to his ear and talking to someone as he moved toward the side of the cabin.