9

  LAYLA

  I’d never been one to sleep late—which was a good thing, considering how early school started—but the sun already shone through the slits in the blinds when my eyes blinked open. Between the long ride to Roman’s place and everything we’d done in this bed last night, I was more than ready to drift back off to sleep. But the buzzing sound that had woken me happened again, and Roman unwrapped himself from me to twist toward the table on his side of the bed.

  “What?” he grunted.

  I turned over, cuddling into his pillow while I blinked up at him sleepily. Roman didn’t look happy about whatever the person on the other end of the call said. Then he bit out, “I’ll be there, but give me a little bit. Layla’s with me.”

  His casual use of my name blew my mind. Especially since his caller must’ve recognized it since he ended the call right after that without them asking who I was.

  “Fuck,” he grumbled, setting his phone on the bedside table before rolling toward me and snaking his arm underneath my back. “Are you good with grabbing breakfast at the clubhouse? The prez wants me to come in to talk to him about something important.”

  I was curious about his club, but also a little nervous about going there since I had no idea what to expect. Plus, there was another issue. “I don’t have any extra clothes with me, remember?”

  “You’ll be sexy as hell wearing your jeans with one of my shirts.” He traced the underside of my breast, and my nipple puckered. “Even more so when we come back and you’re just in my shirt, hiked up so it isn’t covering these perfect tits of yours while I fuck you.”

  His dirty talk got to me just as much as it had last night, making my inner walls clench. The sexy picture he painted with his words also had me quickly agreeing. “Pick one out for me.”

  “Sure thing, gorgeous.” He captured my mouth in a deep kiss that had me melting into the mattress in a puddle of need before he pulled away to climb out of bed.

  I was still blinking away the sensual fog when he returned, fully dressed and holding a chambray-blue button-down shirt. Holding it out, he asked, “Will this work?”

  I nodded. “Uh-huh.”

  “The last thing I want to do on our first morning together is rush you outta bed, but we need to get going.” Bending low, he brushed his lips against mine. “But I promise to make it up to you later.”

  “Wow,” I breathed as I watched him walk out of the bedroom. Shaking my head, I climbed off the mattress and searched for my panties, bra, jeans, and socks. Then I padded into his bathroom to get cleaned up before tugging on my clothes.

  His shirt was too big for me, but that wasn’t a surprise, considering our size differences. But I thought it wasn't too bad when I left the bottom two buttons undone and tied the ends together.

  Judging by the heated look in Roman’s eyes when I walked into the living room, I looked better than I realized.

  “Whatever Mac needs better be important.” He wrapped his long fingers around my wrist and tugged me against his chest. “You have no idea how hard it is not to carry you back into my bedroom right now.”

  Tilting my head back to smile up at him, I murmured, “Luckily, I don’t have anywhere to be anytime soon, so we can do that when you finish your meeting.”

  “Damn straight.”

  He led me down the stairs and helped me onto his motorcycle. After we put on our helmets, I wrapped my arms around his body, pressing my chest against his back. Being so close to him with his bike vibrating between my legs left me incredibly turned on when we drove through the gates of his MC’s compound. The guy at the gate looked surprised to see me behind Roman, confirming what he’d said about me being the first woman he’d put there.

  I beamed a smile at Roman after he parked and helped me off again. “Thanks.”

  “Any time, gorgeous.”

  We walked into the clubhouse hand-in-hand, and I paused just inside to take in my surroundings. The bar lining one wall seemed like something that belonged in a place bikers called home, but the women lined up at the gleaming wood surface seemed a little out of place. They were all beautiful but dressed to fit in at boring places—like the mall or a family restaurant. Except for the leather vests they wore that were a smaller version of the one on Roman’s back.

  A few of them were visibly pregnant…and they were all grinning at me.

  Roman shrugged from his leather vest and slipped my arms through the too-large holes, making most women giggle. Glancing at them over his shoulder, he sighed and shook his head. Then he pulled me in for a quick kiss and muttered, “Need you to wear this while we’re here.”

  “But why?” I asked, my brows drawing together as I jerked my chin toward the other women. “They’re the only ones out here.”

  “Never know who’s gonna show up, and I’m not gonna run the risk of you walking around in here without my mark on you.”

  His explanation didn’t make a lick of sense, but he seemed to think it was sufficient because he turned and strode away.

  “Who do you think is going to hit on her, Rom?” one of the women asked.

  “Not a single soul with her in my cut,” he tossed back.

  “I’m so confused,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

  “Don’t worry. We’re well-versed in translating alpha biker speak,” a blonde who looked to be about the same age as my brother said.

  The woman sitting next to her with golden-brown hair nodded and waved me toward them. “Yeah, you can consider us the welcome committee.”

  The blonde bumped her elbow against her arm. “It’s only fair that we get to give you all the inside information on Roman since we’re the reason you two met.”

  I remembered what he’d said about why he’d been in my hometown a week ago and realized the two women looked familiar because I’d seen them walk across the same stage as Luther. “Congratulations on your graduation.”

  “Thanks.” The brunette beamed a smile at me as I walked toward them. “I’m Lorelei, and this is my bestie, Karina.”

  Another blonde who looked a lot like Karina added, “And I’m Kiara, her bestie’s half sister.”

  Oakley, Alyssa, and Wendy rattled off their names, too.

  “Nice to meet you all. I’m Layla.”

  Wendy giggled. “Yeah, we know.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “If you’re going to give me all the inside information, maybe you can explain how nobody seems surprised that I’m with Roman.”

  “Aw, she calls him Roman.” Lorelei clapped.

  “Yeah, but that totally makes sense.” Karina shrugged. “I’m with Cash but never call him Cassius, and Lorelei is with Benji, who always goes by Grey. But Roman is a super cool name, even though Rom doesn’t use it with anyone but you.”

  “Aiden likes for me to use his real name, too,” Wendy said.

  Oakley nodded. “Same with Kendrick.”

  “And Garrison,” Alyssa added.

  Feeling a little overwhelmed, I confessed, “I have to admit, this isn’t going at all how I expected when Roman told me we were coming to the Silver Saints clubhouse.”

  “Yeah, our guys are good at defying expectations all around.” Oakley laughed while raising her hand and started ticking off her fingers. “There are no club bunnies. You’ll never have to worry about cheating because all the men are dedicated to their old ladies. Although they’re technically not one hundred percent on the up and up in the legal sense, the lines they cross are limited compared to other clubs. They’d never be involved in something that would hurt women, children, or other innocents.”

  “Um…that’s good to know.”

  “Stop, you’re going to scare her off,” Wendy chided, shaking her head. “Don’t mind Oakley. She wants to be a lawyer, so her mind goes to all that legal stuff.”

  A lawyer and a biker sounded like an odd pairing, same as Roman and me since I was a kindergarten teacher. I already felt more comfortable than expected and felt I had a lot in common with the other women. “I’m not scared. I just really appreciate how welcoming you’re all being.”

  “That’s something else that’s special about the Silver Saints—we’re family.” Alyssa bumped her shoulder against Wendy’s. “And not just because a couple of the guys have claimed a member’s sister for their own.”

  Their teasing made me giggle. “It sounds as though there’s a heck of a story there.”

  Lorelei let out a low whistle. “Girl, you have no idea.”

  And then they filled me in on how some of the couples had met. Tales of kidnapping and worse made Roman’s and my story mild and downright bland, which left me feeling very lucky after what they told me.

  10

  ROM

  “Prez,” I greeted Mac as I strode into his office. Our VP, Scout, stood to the left of the door, whispering with his old lady, Cat. Our enforcers, Nova, Dom, Breaker, Hack, and Patch, were sprawled out in the small seating area with a couple of couches and recliners that had been added when Mac married Bridget.

  I dropped down in one of the chairs on the other side of Mac’s big wooden desk, nodding at Dax, our sergeant at arms, who sat in the chair facing me. Grey sauntered in a minute later, followed shortly by our road captain, Patriot. They stood leaning against the walls, waiting. There were a couple of murmured conversations until Scout slapped Cat’s ass as she turned to leave. “I’ll meet you and the kids at home, Kitty Cat.”

  “Kids are with Dash and Brynn tonight, babe,” she replied, tossing a grin over her shoulder before disappearing down the hall.

  Scout turned and stomped over to stand next to Mac, feet spread apart and arms crossed over his chest. “Let’s get this the fuck over with,” he grumbled.

  Not one of us could give him bullshit about his attitude because it would make us fucking hypocrites. Instead, we got down to business.

  Mac leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his beard before considering Grey for a few seconds, then Hack. “You both watching the Devil’s Jesters?”

  Both men nodded. “They’ve been laying low,” Hack muttered. “Been quiet. Too fucking quiet.”

  We’d been keeping close tabs on the MC ever since they’d paid a dirty judge to throw me in jail on trumped-up drug charges. The son of a bitch even managed to forge paperwork that said I’d signed away my right to a trial.

  After my brothers made things right, freeing me and messing up their drug business, they’d sworn revenge and blood. But there hadn’t been a peep from them since then. We weren’t stupid, though. We knew this was the calm before the motherfucking storm.

  Grey bobbed his head in agreement. “I’ve heard some rumblings from locals in their town, though. Hints that there are internal issues within the ranks. It’s possible they’re keepin’ their heads down while they sort that shit out.”

  “Rumor is that the prez keeps a tight fist on the funds,” Scout contributed. His face twisted in disgust. “I’ve also heard he considers himself above the rules of property patches.”

  I raised my brow at that information. “Sleeping with the old ladies?”

  Scout scowled darkly. “Just a rumor, but I wouldn’t put it past the bastard. No one respects him. They fear him. He’s the lowest of the low. Hit rock bottom years ago. Now there’s twenty feet of crap, then him.”

  Mac grunted in acknowledgment, but he didn’t comment.

  “What do you want us to do, Mac?” Hack asked.

  The prez stroked his beard again, then leaned forward and curled his hands into fists on the desktop. “Something’s brewing. I can feel it. I don’t want to be blindsided by their bullshit.” He turned to Breaker. “Put people on their compound and both businesses. Talk to Bear and use prospects if you need to. I want eyes on them at all times.”

  “Done,” both Hack and Grey said at the same time. Then they stood and started talking a tech language none of us understood as they walked out.

  Mac’s eyes moved to Patriot. “We’ll tighten security on the compound. You’ll be the first to hear.”

  Patriot’s woman, Erin, had a sister who was the old lady of a Devil’s Jester. He’d basically stolen her away from them, which had escalated the animosity between our clubs. Not that a single one of us would change anything. The second Patriot decided to claim Erin, she became family.

  They’d been pretty pissed, then add in their hand in having me thrown in jail, only to lose the judge in their pocket…it wasn’t a stretch to assume that they’d go after Erin.

  Patriot nodded, his lips pressed into a straight line and his eyes spitting fire. He took a slow breath and changed the subject. “We need to talk about the next two runs this week,” Patriot muttered.

  “Two?” Dom asked.

  “Yeah. Got the shipment going to New Orleans. Now there’s another situation. Dash was approached at a cleanup—an unofficial job.”

  Well shit. Dash owned a company that cleaned up messes. But not typical ones. His people worked mostly on crime scenes. And he and a few other employees cleaned up after the Silver Saints when we had to…mete out our own brand of justice.

  “Before you lose your shit, Dash had Grey look into the kid, and he’s legit. He was sent by Sheriff Bartley. He—well, his sister—needs our help, and his contact with us had to remain secret.”

  Mac leaned back in his chair. “I’m listening.” Sheriff Bartley was Alyssa’s father. He didn’t condone our activities, but he’d looked the other way a time or two. However, he was aware of our reputation for protecting those who needed it, especially women and children. If he sent someone our way, he had a good fucking reason for it.

  “The kid’s sister was dating a guy who ended up being part of a human trafficking ring. She found out, and his bosses told him she had to be killed or sold. She got out and ran to her brother. He’s hiding her, but the boyfriend and his boss put people on him, so he has no way to get her out.”

  “Shit,” Patch murmured. “I’d better go with you and make sure the motherfuckers didn’t hurt her.”

  Patriot’s brow furrowed, and he shook his head. “Willa is about to pop, and if you’re not here when she gives birth, she and my woman will try to kick my ass.”

  There was a chuckle at the door, and I glanced over to see Phantom sauntering into the room. “I’d pay money to see that show. Ten bucks says your old lady has her claws so deep in you that you let her win.”

  Patriot rolled his eyes. “Of course I’ll let her win, asshole. If you had a woman digging her claws into you, you’d let her win too, before dragging her off to bed so she can dig them in a little deeper.”

  I snickered, and Phantom shrugged as he settled himself against the wall. “If you say so.”

  “What about Blade?” Nova asked.

  “The Iron Rogue’s doctor?” Mac looked thoughtful as he leaned his chair back.

  “You gonna be the one to tell Grey?” Phantom asked Nova dryly.

  The Iron Rogues were an MC in Layla’s hometown. We had an understanding of sorts. Lee was married to their vice president’s sister. And he just happened to be Grey’s brother-in-law. While things were mostly smoothed over, Grey was still smarting over the fact that Maverick had snatched his old lady not long ago because of a misunderstanding.

  “Nope.” Nova jerked his chin in Mac’s direction. “That’s his job.”

  “I’ll call their prez. Fox is a scary motherfucker if you piss him off, but he also has a reputation for ensuring the women in and around his brothers are respected.”

  Patriot nodded. “I’ll take Dash since the kid already knows him.”

  “Dax and I will go with you, too,” Scout announced. “You might need us covering your asses with firepower.” Scout was one of the best snipers in the world, and since they were dealing with an organization that we had no details about, it would definitely be an asset to have him watching their backs somewhere he couldn't be seen.

  “Phantom, you’ll handle the product run,” Mac ordered. Since Patriot had recently become our road captain, Phantom had taken his spot as captain.

  “Sure thing, prez.”

  “Now all of you get the fuck out of my office,” Mac growled.

  “I need a minute,” I told him, and he lifted his chin in agreement. The others made a hasty exit, and I waited until we were alone to make my request.

  But before I could speak, Mac grinned and folded his hands behind his head. “Need a vest?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ordered yours, Phantom’s, and a few for other brothers a couple of weeks ago,” he informed me with a smug expression. “Figured sooner or later…”

  “How soon can you have it done?”

  Mac stroked his beard with one hand, then picked up his phone and hit a button. Someone picked up, and he growled, “Get your sexy ass to my office, baby.”

  “One of the old ladies did one for Grey, but only ’cause Bonnie closed up shop for vacation. Bridget mentioned her yesterday, so she’s probably back, but my wife will know more,” he explained.

  We had a few places where we sent out for cuts to be customized, but after several brothers had fallen fast and hard for their women, Mac had started keeping property vests on hand. Eventually, he’d even had the names of the patches who were single already added to them. When Bonnie was available, we sent them to her shop in town to have them custom embroidered.

  I could give the vest to Layla as it was, but I wanted more. I wanted to see her name on it, officially branding her as my property and letting her know that no one would ever wear it but her.

  “Jared MacKenzie, don’t order me around like a freaking caveman!” Bridget snapped as she marched into the room.

  Mac grinned and held out his hand. “Then I’d miss seein’ you all fired up.”

  Bridget’s face softened as she went to his side, taking his hand and letting him pull her onto his lap.

  Damn, I missed my woman. We needed to wrap this shit up so I could get her home and bury myself inside her tight pussy.

  “Bonnie around?”

  “She reopened a few days ago,” Bridget answered. Then her curious eyes shifted to me before her mouth spread into a beaming smile. “For Layla? Yay!” She clapped her hands excitedly, and I chuckled. “I just met her, and I already like her! I’m so glad you’re keeping her!”

 

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