White Heat (Lost Kings MC #5) (50 page)

Ignoring me now, Bull stands next to Murphy and bumps him with his elbow. “I heard Serena came with you. All the upstate whores becoming old ladies now?”

In the time it takes me to roll my eyes, Murphy has Bull laid out on the ground.

“Jesus, Murphy!”

He grins and shakes out his hand. “He needs to learn some manners.”

I prod Bull with my foot and he doesn’t make a sound. He does appear to be breathing. Not that I check very thoroughly. “Should we leave him here?”

He takes in the area. “Yeah. He’s safe from getting run over. Bear eats him, that ain’t my fault.” He wraps his hand around my arm, pulling me back out front. “I’ll deal with any shit that comes up.”

Serena walks over to meet us, worriedly glancing at me, then Murphy. It’s pretty obvious what she’s thinking. “He was helping me put some stuff away in the kitchen,” I say.

“Oh, sure.” She hesitates and I feel bad for her. I think she’s looking for more than she’s going to get from Murphy. But then he surprises me by slinging his arm around her shoulder and kissing her forehead. “I feel bad, I didn’t get to congratulate Hope, and she was so nice to—”

“You’ll see her in the morning,” Murphy assures her and she beams.

Well, I guess that means she’s staying over. I hope to hell Heidi and Axel don’t come back tonight.

Shaking my head, I pick up some of the empties people left scattered in the yard and toss them in the trash. I turn and almost smack into Tawny. All day I’d managed to avoid her.

One hand on her bony hip, she gets right in my face. “Think you’re hot shit now because he gave you a patch?” she challenges.

“Not at all, Tawny,” I answer calmly, taking a step back.

Her mouth twists. I’m sure it irritates her that I won’t cower anymore. “You’re still—”

“A whore. Yup. Got it. Thanks.”

She takes a few steps closer and I flex my fingers. I’ve never wanted to be some trashy, fighting type of biker girl—I grew up around plenty of those types of women—but I won’t lose any sleep over popping this bitch in the mouth either.

“How he could ever forgive your whoring ass—”

“Good thing it’s none of your fucking business,” I snarl. She steps back, unaccustomed to club girls defending themselves. But a surge of power runs through me. I’ve let this woman intimidate me for years. Over
nothing
.

“Not that I owe you any sort of explanation whatsoever, but I
never
fucked your man, Tawny. He tried. Many times. You can think whatever you want about me, but I never. Not once.”

Her jaw hangs like a dead fish as she tries to come up with a response.

“He’ll never be faithful,” she spits at me.

“Wrath? Tawny, what you know about my man wouldn’t fill a shot glass. We’ve already been there and lived that life. Just because your man’s a pig doesn’t mean every brother’s like that.”

She opens her mouth, but I cut off whatever shit she’s about to say. “If you think the entire organization doesn’t know you fuck around behind Sway’s back, you’re a seriously deluded
old
woman. So how you think you have any business judging me is a mystery.”

“Everything okay?” Wrath’s rumbly voice instantly soothes me. His arms wrap protectively around my body, holding me close. He probably got here just in time.

Tawny narrows her eyes, and I can see her contemplating the wisdom of mouthing off to him.

“Your man’s lookin’ for you, Tawny,” he says. I have no idea if that’s true or not. His tone certainly makes it clear that she needs to depart.

Once she’s gone, Wrath turns me in his arms, staring down at me. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve been dying to tell her off for years.”

He doesn’t laugh like I expected. “Heard you defending me. You do trust me.”

“There’s no one in the world I trust
more
than you. We’ve already hurt each other so much. There’s no point doing this,” I tap my vest. “If we’re going to go back to that.”

He stares at me for so long, I start to squirm. “Thank you,” he finally says.

“For what?”

“For putting into words exactly how I feel.”

A lump forms in my throat. “When I think about all the mistakes I’ve made—”

“Don’t.” He cuts me off. “We couldn’t do it back then. And we probably wouldn’t have lasted if we tried.”

My throat constricts even more as I recognize the truth in his words and he’s not even finished. “I have my own regrets, Trinity. But I think I know what it takes to make this work now. How much I need you.” He runs his finger over my cheek, possibly brushing a stray tear away. “How much you need me too?”

“I really do.”

His breath releases in a puff. “Good. Love hearing you admit it.”

I smirk and he laughs.

“No more looking behind us. Only forward from now on. We’ve forgiven each other. Made peace with things.” He raises an eyebrow, looking for me to agree or disagree.

“Yes,” I whisper.

“Good.” He drops down on both knees in front of me. “Say yes to me one more time, Angel Face.”

Out of his pocket, he pulls out a blue velvet box. It’s oddly familiar and I gasp when he opens it.

“When did you? How did you? Did you go back?”

“Nope. Ordered it that day when you and Hope went next door and had it shipped it to me when it was ready.” He plucks the ring out of its velvet nook and takes my hand. “You gonna marry me, Trinity?”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

He raises his eyes to mine. “It’s not a question.” But underneath his cocky demeanor, I see he’s waiting for an answer.

“Yes, I’m going to marry you.” I watch, completely fascinated as he slips the ring on my finger. “It’s so beautiful,” I whisper.

He stands, brushing gravel and dirt off his pants.

“You didn’t have to get on your knees.”

“Yeah, I did. You’re the only woman who can bring me to my knees.”

“Well, that’s fitting, because you’re the only man who’s ever gotten me on mine willingly.”

A flash of pain crosses his face, and I wish I’d chosen my words more carefully. “Come on, your work here’s done,” he says.

A lot of words bubble around in my head, but I can’t get any of them out. Instead, I glance at the ring. The ring he picked out for me
months ago
.

“You’ve really been planning this since we went to Boston?”

“Trinity, I think I’ve been
planning this
since the night I met you.” He grabs me and brushes his lips over my forehead, on my cheeks and finally against my lips before finally pulling me into the clubhouse and down to our room.

There’s no hesitation as he strips me out of my shoes. Slips my vest off my shoulders, lifts my dress over my head and stares at me for a few seconds, before unhooking my bra. He tosses it on my desk, and slides my vest back on.

“That’s perfect,” he says with a grin.

I wiggle my fingers at him and model my engagement ring
.
Oh my God, I love this man. Oh my God,
we’re engaged
.

I help him out of his clothes and push him back on the bed. The way his arms encircle me, holding me tight leaves me breathlessly happy. His hands slide down, gripping my ass and squeezing.

“Wyatt, I need you to do something for me if I’m really going to be your ol’ lady and your
wife
.” Wow, that word feels weird.

He leans up and kisses my forehead. “What’s that, baby?”

This is hard for me, but it’s also important. With him, I feel almost whole. I almost forget all the horrible shit I’ve been through.

Almost.

I roll off him and to the side and he turns to face me, concern creasing his forehead. “What, baby?”

My tongue slicks across my upper lip as I consider how to say this.

His hand cups my face, his thumb rubbing over my bottom lip. My eyes close and I lean into his touch. It’s easier if I can’t see him.

“I need you to claim every part of me.”

He’s silent.

I said that out loud, right?

My eyes pop open to find him staring at me. Not in the excited lustful let’s-get-to-it way I expected. He’s thoughtful, almost pained.

“Why?”

What? “I need you to erase every bad memory. I can’t explain it, I just want to know you’re the only…you’re the last—”

“Okay,” he says slowly.

“Own me.”

“Okay.”

“
Everywhere
.”

“Okay.” He gathers me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. “You’re mine. Don’t ever doubt it. Anyone who hurts you dies,” he says very matter of fact.

Maybe I’m nuts, but it only makes me love him more.

Tawny came awfully close to being the first woman I’ve ever hit tonight. Hearing the shit she spewed at Trinity, pissed me the fuck off.

Hearing Trinity so calmly defend us, filled me with so much pride, I knew it was time to propose. Her ring had been burning a hole in my pocket for days.

After her sweet, sincere, but awkward
claim every part of me
request, my dick’s jumping for joy.

My head is not.

Trinity’s request, while beyond fucking hot, also disturbs me. I put a lid on that, because in no way do I want to make her feel bad about herself.

“Couple things, Angel Face.”

She raises an eyebrow.

I reach out and run my finger across her bottom lip. Her tongue darts out and licks. “Don’t distract me.”

She smiles and runs her hand over my chest. I gently place my hand over hers to stop her.

“We do things my way.”

“Of course.”

My dick really likes the way she’s so quick to say that. But I want her to understand how serious I am. She rolls over, arching her back, so her perfect little ass is in the air. Perfect for me to lay a crisp smack on. “Settle down,” I warn her.

She looks over her shoulder and pouts.

“We’re doing this, I want to do it right, so I don’t hurt you,” I explain.

Her eyes close. “It’ll hurt no matter what. Just do it.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck me, fucking hell.

I roll her over, capturing her under me. “I don’t get off on hurting you. If we do it
right
, it’ll feel good.”

She snorts. “I doubt that.”

“
Mmm
, I love when you lay down a challenge for me, baby.”

Soft laughs tumble out of her as I kiss and lick her neck. My hands slide down to her hips, and I lift off her enough to pull her up and sink my cock into her pussy. “I think you’re more turned on by the idea than you’re letting on.”

“Only because it’s you,” she says with a gasp, as I thrust into her harder.

I keep a firm grasp on her hips. “When
I decide
you’re ready, I’m gonna fuck that ass so perfectly, you’ll be begging me to do it all the time.”

“Sure. Whatever you say.”

“Keep challenging me, baby. I fucking
love
proving you wrong.”

Her moans and sighs are all I need to hear.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

It feels different but familiar when we enter the clubhouse the next morning. Sleeping bodies scattered all over the clubhouse as we make our way to the dining room and drunk, passed out people on the floor—familiar. That I don’t care, because I don’t live here anymore, is new.

Wrath, Trinity, Z, Lilly, Murphy, and Teller are waiting for us in the dining room and cheer when we enter.

“Hey newlyweds!”

“How was the wedding night?”

“Was it worth saving yourself for?” Z teases us.

Rock rolls his eyes at me. “I told you we should have eaten breakfast at home.”

“There’s no food there.”

Wrath and Trinity are wearing matching mega-watt smiles. “What’s up with you two?” I ask.

Trin all but explodes out of her chair, shoving her hand in my face. “We’re engaged!”

“Holy fuck!” I jump out of my chair and hug the crap out of her. The guys go nuts. I guess Wrath and Trin had been waiting until we got here to share their news. Lilly runs over to hug Trinity and check out the ring.

“Ohmygod! I’m so excited!” I turn and hug Wrath, so hard, he gags. “You’re choking me, Cinderella.”

“Sorry.” I turn back to Trinity. “When? How? Unless it’s a naked proposal, I don’t need that image in my head.”