Tears are now thundering down my cheeks. Krypt stares at me, his face torn. “It hurts me, Ash. Fuckin’ hurts me.”
“I know, honey,” I say, stepping closer, and cupping his cheeks. “But he wanted this for you. Don’t shove it back in his face. Give a dying man his last wish.”
He makes a strangled sound as his hands go up and curl around the back of my neck. “You fuckin’ love me?”
“God yes, you stupid fool.”
“And you’ll be my old lady?”
“If you promise to stay with me.”
He presses his forehead to mine. “I promise.”
“Do I get special cuddles now?”
He barks out a laugh. “Yeah, baby.”
I press myself to him, breathing him in. “Make it count, biker.”
“I always fuckin’ do, and baby, I always fuckin’ will.”
I smile, full and warm as I look up at him. I might have hesitated earlier, but that was before I understood what it is these guys really represent. Being an old lady isn’t about being a possession; it’s about being cherished, protected and adored. It’s an honor that I couldn’t see until now.
I was stupid, but I won’t be again.
This biker is mine, and I won’t be letting him go anytime soon.
I’m one lucky girl.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Stop it.” I giggle, rolling onto Krypt.
He grins up at me. “No fuckin’ way. Watching you scream is too good for me to let you go.”
I laugh and shove at his chest. “We’ve fought before, biker. You know how it ends.”
He pulls me close. “Oh, I remember exactly how it ends.”
I roll my eyes and push away from him, jumping off the bed and sashaying across the room and out the door. It’s Maddox’s birthday today, and all the bikers have rallied together to give him an epic party. It’s great, really it is, because it means we can take a moment to forget the shit that’s been going down.
I went back to work for the first time yesterday. Legally, they had to accept me back. After finding out about the corrupt guards, they were more than happy to open their arms to me. It was a good day, and overall it seemed successful. Plus, Claire is home, lapping up the attention Leo is giving her. Seriously, those two need to get in on.
“Hit me with a tequila,” I say, stopping at the bar and smiling over at CJ, the bar attendant for the night.
“Lemon?”
“You know it.”
He pours me a shot, slides the salt, and then passes me a lemon. I’m about to take it, when Maddox appears beside me. He grins at me, and I can’t help but smile back. We’ve grown a certain respect between us since everything went down, I guess he figured out I wasn’t going to hurt Krypt.
He takes the saltshaker and pours the salt on the little gap between his thumb and pointer finger, then he flashes me a grin. “You have to do it. It’s my birthday.”
I laugh and lean down, closing my mouth over his hand. He shudders as I lick the salt off his skin. Then I take the shot, throwing it back before sucking the lemon into my mouth.
“Again,” he growls.
I do it again, and again, until I’ve downed four shots. My head swims by the time I wave my hand to stop.
“You’re such a pervert,” I slur, shoving his chest.
He snorts. “It’s my birthday.”
“So you keep telling me.”
Krypt appears behind me then, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Fuck off, Maddox. Birthday or not, you’re not sharin’ my woman.”
Maddox grins, baring his teeth in a way that seems almost feral. “You fuckin’ love it as much as I do, Krypt. Don’t go denying you wouldn’t like to fuck her with me.”
My cheeks flush. “Whoa, boys, calm down.”
Maddox winks at me. “Last chance to have a try before this bastard gets too serious.”
Krypt laughs. “She ain’t interested, bro.”
“Aren’t I?” I mumble, turning to face Krypt.
His eyes widen. “Didn’t think it was your thing?”
“My thing,” I snort. “Krypt, was it your hand in my pussy and my palm on your cock the other week while we watched Maddox get his dick sucked?”
Krypt grins. I flash him a sultry look and disappear. Talk about making them pant for it.
~*~*~*~
I keep drinking. The night goes on, and gets louder and more boisterous with each passing hour.
“Hey!” Santana cries, dropping down beside me.
“Hey you.” I grin, blinking through my drunken haze.
“Maddox throws a wild party.”
“He does,” I agree.
“So, I went out with Alec.”
I turn to her, eyes wide. “You did?”