“How will I know when I find my girl?” The younger, happier version of me asked after I’d finished laughing. My father carried me over to the couch and sat me down.
“You’ll know, son. She’ll be the most beautiful creature. You’ll want to keep her for yourself, and you’ll want her safe. She’ll want you for who you are, and she’ll be there no matter what. She’ll be your gem in the middle of all the ugly,” he had told me.
“Can’t I find her now?” The younger version of me asked quickly, jumping up.
My father laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know, but you will find her when you’re older,” he told me, and I smiled widely.
“I will keep her safe and lock her high, high up in a tower so no one can hurt her,” seven-year-old me exclaimed as I jumped to my feet.
“No, son. You can’t lock her up,” he told me. “You have to treat her with respect. Make her your equal and make sure no one hurts her. She should be the most important thing in your life besides the MC.” The younger version of me nodded quickly, his long hair bouncing.
“Dominic?” A light voice calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes land on the beautiful figure of my woman as she leans on the door frame. My eyes rake over her baggy t-shirt clad body, and I smile. Beautiful. Even when she’s dressed in comfy clothes.
Longing stirs within me. I’ve waited years for you.
“What is it, love?” I question softly, looking back up at her. A light pink blush paints her cheeks as she smiles at me and gracefully walks forward. She gently takes Reece out of my arms, giving me the chance to stand up before I lay Rosaleigh down. Emerald takes Reece over to his bed and lays him down. He rolls over and snuggles up to a stuffed wolf and a blanket.
I lay Rosaleigh down and once she turns over in her sleep, Emerald and I quietly leave the room. “Follow me,” she says, and I do. She leads me to her room, and as we pass the living room, I see no one there.
“Where are Drax and Sniper?” I ask, stopping in my tracks. They weren’t supposed to leave.
She looks back and smiles a small smile. “I told them to leave and to take the delinquents home,” she answers.
I raise an eyebrow. “Why? They’re supposed to be here to protect you,” I growl. If anything happens to her because they left, I’ll kill them.
A soft hand touches my cheek, and my eyes fall to the beauty in front of me. “I’ll be fine, Dominic, because I have you,” she whispers.
Leaning down, I snag her waist, pull her closer, and capture her lips with mine. She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck, allowing me to wrap my arms around her waist.
I lift her to where she’s hovering above the ground. Her scent envelopes me, and I hold her closer, deepening the kiss. Her body fits to mine perfectly, like two puzzle pieces finally connecting. Her lips move with mine perfectly, and her hands send burning sensations through my body like no one else.
Slowly, I set her feet back on the soft carpet and pull away from the kiss. Emerald’s eyes slowly open, and she gazes up at me, her flushed face and breathing heavy.
“That was…”
“I know,” I rasp, causing her to bite her lip. God, the ways I would love her…
Groaning, I bury my face in her hair, scenting vanilla, and lift her again. This time, her legs wrap around my waist, and I bury my face in her neck, placing my lips against her warm skin. A gasp escapes her. I smirk.
As I kiss her neck, her hands tighten in my hair, and I walk toward her bedroom. I brush little kisses along her neck and collar. I make it to her bed and lay her down, pulling away from her.
“I- I can’t… he… not yet,” she stutters, her bottom lip trembling as tears fill her eyes. The strong woman that was in front of me a moment ago crumbles, revealing the scared girl that got hurt three years ago.
Leaning in, I place one last kiss on her lips before lying beside her and pulling her to my chest. “I know,” I tell her, holding her closer.
Chapter 10
“Wake up, wake up, wake uuuuuuuuuuuuup,” a voice whispers in my ear, shaking me from my sleep. Looking around, I find Reece and Rosaleigh next to me. Emerald is still asleep. Why did they wake me up?
“Hey, guys,” I whisper since Emerald is sleeping. I don’t want to wake her. They smile up at me and crawl on top of me. Rosaleigh’s knee sinks right into my gut, making me groan. “What’s up?” I ask.
“Breakfast?” Reece asks. I nod and with a smile, they climb off. We leave Emerald in bed. They follow me through the living room and into the kitchen.
“What do you want to eat?” I ask, walking into the kitchen. I help the kids up onto stools at the bar. They both put their fingers to their chins and think. I raise an eyebrow at them and smirk. They really are twins.
“Um… eggs and toast,” Reece says. Rosaleigh gasp, “That’s what I was thinkin’,” she says, waving her arms around. I laugh at their cute twin moment. Jayden and Kayden used to act like this when they were younger. My aunt and uncle, their parents, thought it was cute too. That was until they started using their twin powers for evil.
“Okay, eggs and toast,” I announce, going over to the refrigerator. As quickly as I can, I scramble their eggs, make the toast, and grab glasses of milk for them to drink. They wait patiently, thankfully, and when I set the plates in front of them, they dig in.
“Yummmm,” Rosaleigh hums through a mouthful. Reece nods, swallows, and says, “Thank you.”
I grab their cups and pour about half a glass, then put the cups in front of them.
Now that they have their drinks, I’m thirsty. I lift the carton to my lips and take a gulp. “Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice asks, making freeze. Emerald moves in front of me as I lower the carton from my mouth. I set it back down on the counter and screw the top back on.
“She got you,” Reece giggles, shoveling another mouthful of eggs in his mouth.
“Um, I was thirsty,” I grumble, feeling like a kid being scolded by his mother. After a second, Emerald bursts into laughter. I move around the counter and grab her by the waist, lifting her off the floor. As I lift her, I spin, making her squeal and laugh harder. She grips my forearms as I set her back on her feet and peck her lips, mumbling against them, “Morning.”
“Good morning,” she greets back, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. With my hands still on her waist, I lean in, intending to kiss her again, but my cell phone sounds.
Groaning, I reach into my pocket and pull it out. “Hawk,” I answer.
“Prez, we might have a lead on the guys who attacked Lacy and your woman,” a Prospect says. Sighing, I rake my hand through my hair.
“Okay. Spread the word- church in fifteen,” I reply, hanging up.
Turning around, I find Emerald watching me with a slightly worried expression, “Is everything okay?” I don’t want to worry her. I’ll take care of this problem so that, hopefully, it won’t touch her.
Nodding, I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, just have a meeting I have to go to,” I tell her, not wanting to worry her. She nods, laying her head against my chest. She steadies her breathing, matching it to mine, while she closes her eyes. I let her rest there for a minute before I gently push her away.
“I have to get dressed and go,” I tell her, handing my phone over. “Will you call the guys over and tell them they’re excused from church? I’ll fill them in after,” I request. She nods, and I walk back to her room. Once I’m there, I quickly pull my shirt and cut on, then slide into my boots.
Emerald looks up when I enter the kitchen and comes over to me, giving my phone back. I wrap my arm around her waist. “I’ll see you soon,” I murmur against her forehead. She nods and smiles.
“Okay, you don’t have to worry about me, you know. I have Sniper and Drax here to protect me, plus, I know how to handle myself,” she tells me. I sigh, not wanting to leave her. With a smile, she grabs the edges of my cut and pulls me down, planting her lips on mine in a long kiss
.
Responding, I kiss her back, but soon we hear the twins. “Gross, Mommy!” and “Eww, he’s eating her lips!” I pull away from her, a laugh falling from my lips.
Emerald smirks and turns towards the kids. “And now I have the lip eater disease!” She yells, making the kids jump down from their seats. The twins run out of the room screaming, making me and their mother laugh.
Emerald chases after them, after pecking my lips one last time. She disappears from my view, and I head out. I make my way outside and go over to my bike, climbing on. As soon as I’m seated, two bikes pull up into the apartment parking lot. The bikes park beside mine and Sniper and Drax nod at me.
“Take care of my woman,” I tell them. Sniper watches me.
“Are you claiming her?” He asks while Drax heads inside alone. Sighing, I lean forward, settling my forearms on my handlebars.
“I am, but I’m giving her a little time,” I answer, starting my bike up. He nods and walks off to my woman.
I don’t want to rush her into anything, especially with what happened to her three years ago. Normally, we claim our Old Lady when we’re ready, but in situations like this, it’s a little different. I want her, but I promised to take it slow, and that’s what I’m doing.
When I reach the compound, I make my way to our meeting room. Most everyone is here, excluding the Prospects, Sniper and Drax, and Wolf. I take my seat, and as I look around, Wolf jogs in and takes the seat next to me.
Everyone takes their seats, and we begin. “First order of business,” I say, “I’m claiming Emerald as my Old Lady, but she’s been through a lot, so I’m giving her time.” Several brothers smile and beat their fists on the table.
“That new girl at the Roadhouse?” Tank, one of the older members who isn’t as active, asks. I nod, and he doesn’t speak again.
“Next order, the Hell Riders want us broken. I’ve been told that they have a beef with Wolf specifically, but I’ve not been told why,” I say, looking to Wolf. He shakes his head, his expression just as confused as mine probably was when I learned this. “We have people to protect and a town that counts on us to keep it safe. We won’t let these Riders take over,” I tell them.
Several murmurs break out across the room in agreement.
“What’s the plan, Prez?” Tank asks.
“Well, we’ll find the Rider’s new base and I wanna try to dissolve the situation without violence. If- when I claim Emerald, I’ll have two kids, so I don’t want a war on our hands if we can avoid it,” I inform them. Several men nod as I continue, “Some of you have Old Ladies and children of your own, so our families are a top priority.”
“Prez, when will you claim… Angel or Emerald?” Reaper asks, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall behind him. I glance at Wolf and sigh.
“Soon, but I’m trying to give her a little time to adjust back into the club life,” I tell them.
“Hawk, what do you mean ‘adjust back into the club life’?” Ruby, Sniper’s Old Lady, asks. She straightens out her property cut as she leans forward in her chair, ready for my answer.
“When Emerald was younger, her dad was the Prez of an MC that was destroyed a little over three years ago, and she’s had a hard time since,” I answer. Ruby’s eyes widen, and her hand goes to her heart. Ruby knows what it’s like to lose family and go through rough patches. I think she and Emerald would get along.
“So, I’ll have Jayden look into some locations of the Rider’s hideouts and see what he can find about why they’re so focused on Wolf,” I announce. While Kayden and Jayden are not officially part of the club yet, Jayden’s computer skills come in handy. He’s been hacking since he was young. When he and Kayden get older, they’ll be in the club, but until then, they do side jobs or things that won’t get them hurt.
“Until then, we’ll have patrols and shifts on watching the club, bar, and Emerald and Lacy’s apartments,” I tell them. Looking around the room, I see no disagreements, so I bang the gavel and dismiss the group. Ruby lifts her hand, signaling that she’d like to talk.
In the next minutes, everyone filters out of the room. I wait patiently until everyone is gone, then turn to Ruby. She’s a beautiful woman, probably around five foot six inches, with auburn hair and brown eyes. She and Sniper have been together for seven years and already have a six-year-old son. They started dating in high school, and Sniper officially claimed when we graduated.
Ruby moves around the table and sits on it. She gives me a smile and I stand. “What did you need to speak about?” I ask, not knowing what she would say. Ruby is what you’d call a firecracker, she can get feisty when she wants to. When we first met her, she was anything but fiery. She learned to come out of her shell later.
“Can I come meet her?” She asks, “Emerald, I mean,” she clarifies.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m heading back now. Do you want to bring Zeke?” I question. She smiles, nodding. I walk to the door, waiting for her to go first. “I’ll be by my bike, so you can follow me there,” I tell her as she walks through the door. I know Sniper told her where Emerald lives since he’s been there so much.
“Okay, I’ll only be a minute,” she calls as she walks away, towards the compound housing building. Chuckling, I make my way over to my bike and sit on it. Several people leave by the time Ruby gets out of the compound, Zeke running after her. He smiles when he sees me and runs faster.
“Uncle Hawk!” He yells, jumping into my arms. I plant my feet and balance myself on the bike, so he doesn’t make us fall. He hugs me, and I say hi, then I set him back on his feet. Looking to Ruby, I let him go back to her, “Are you taking your car?” I ask, and she nods.
Sniper had to get her a car, so she could drive a kid around, because he can’t ride on the back of a bike. My mind turns to Emerald. She has a bike, and Lacy drives the kids around. It’d be good for Emerald to have a car too. I push the idea to my To Do list and crank my bike, pulling out of the lot with Ruby following.
Pulling into the apartment lot is familiar now. I park beside Sniper’s bike, Ruby parking next to me.
Once out of the car, Zeke runs over to me and I ruffle his dark brown hair. “Okay, buddy, you ready to see your dad?” I ask and he beams a big smile. I feel a little bad because I’ve been keeping Sniper away from Zeke, but at the same time, I don’t feel bad because he’s protecting Emerald.
“Yeah!” I smile back at Ruby and start walking. I head into the building, passing a couple as they walk out. They give me a slightly fearful look, but I just smile. Most people around here know our MC isn’t bad. Some are still skeptical though.
We’re different from most clubs, something I’m immensely proud of. We may kill from time to time, but only to keep people safe or if we’re threatened or attacked first. We never kill without reason. We also help the town. Sometimes, my men are found helping around town. We’ve helped with toy drives, teens that are out of line in school, and we help keep people like the Hell Riders out of the town.
Stopping in front of Emerald’s door, I lift my hand and knock. A minute later, the door opens, revealing Drax holding his gun in his hand. “Prez,” he greets, opening the door. Before I can move, Zeke barrels into the apartment, yelling for his dad.
“Daddy!” I chuckle, glancing at Ruby, who is smiling. I motion for her to go in first, and she does, following her son.
“Zeke, what are you doing here?” Sniper asks, and when I walk in, I see that he’s holding Zeke. He looks over in our direction and smiles when he sees Ruby. He immediately moves over to kiss her. Two familiar small voices shout ‘ew’ at the kissing couple.
The only person I don’t see is Emerald. I turn to Drax. “Where is she?” I ask, knowing that I don’t have to specify. Drax points at her room, and I walk to her door. The door isn’t all the way shut, so I can see her she’s sleeping.
Turning back to the guys, I ask, “How long has she been asleep?” Sniper looks down at his phone and then at me.
�
�About half an hour, but she wanted you to wake her when you got here,” he informs me. I nod and push the door open quietly. She stirs a bit when I sit beside her on the bed, but she doesn’t wake up.
Softly, I brush some hair off her cheek and kiss her lips. Her eyes slowly open and meet mine. “You’re back,” she whispers, making me smile. When I’m with her, I feel complete. Jeez, and apparently, I’m a sap.
“They told me to wake you, and I have someone for you to meet,” I tell her, pulling her up. She nods, leans forward, and kisses me.
“Okay, let me clean myself up a little,” she tells me, standing up from the bed. I nod and watch her go over to her bathroom, closing the door behind her. Laying back, I sigh and lay my arm over my eyes. From now on, things will be different.
Chapter 11
Who does he want me to meet? I brush my fingers through my hair. I know it isn’t his parents, and I’ve already met most of the club men.
My eyes find my reflection. I hope I look okay to meet whoever this person is.
According to the clock, Dominic has been gone for an hour. The meeting was short, then. I straighten out my t-shirt and shorts, giving myself a once over. Simple, but comfortable. I take several deep, calming breaths before stepping back into my room.
Dominic lounges on my bed, his hands behind his head and legs stretched out. Smiling, I run over and jump on the bed, rolling onto him. He sits up, startled, “What was that?” He asks, trying to hide a smile.
I give him a small peck on his lips and murmur, “I just missed you.” With a smile, he pulls me closer and plants a kiss, a deep kiss, on my lips. He’s gentle, holding me by the waist and keeping me close. Then he pulls away, panting, and smiles.
“I missed you too,” he whispers, his voice low and husky. “But we should go because you have some people to meet,” he tells me. I let him pull me to my feet, then pull my hands free, wiping my sweaty palms on my shorts.
“Hey, there’s no reason to be nervous,” Dominic says, grabbing my hand. His thumb rubs slow circles on the back of my hand, sending calming shock waves through me.
Emerald Page 10
