“Coming from someone who beat the shit out of Slice, then shot my brother in the chest?”
I roll my eyes. “I maimed, I didn’t kill.”
“Mmmmm,” he murmurs, kissing my nape, sending shivers up my spine. “You were smart. You stayed alive.”
“Are you saying that I win at being a biker’s old lady?” I tease, rolling over and kissing his lips. “When you have so much to lose, you’re going to fight, Dex. Anyone would. I’m not leaving my family. You’re going to be stuck with me for a long-ass time, don’t you worry.”
There’s a knock at the door, so I quickly throw on some clothes while Dex answers it.
“Faye,” he calls out, so I wander into the living room to see who is here. I stop in my tracks when I see them.
Arrow. Tracker. Irish. Rake. Vinnie. Talon. Ranger.
They stand in a line.
“Hey,” I say, scanning each of their faces. “What’s going on?”
“This is an intervention,” Rake says, crossing his arms over his chest.
I raise a brow. What did I do now? “I haven’t cleaned your rooms since I was pregnant. And whatever I did do, I get a pass because I was just kidnapped.”
Tracker grins, then says, “Faye, come here.”
I close the space between us, and he pulls me into his arms. “Don’t fuckin’ disappear on us again, you hear me?”
I nod against his hard chest. “It’s not like I did it on purpose.”
I hug them each in turn, then smile as I look them over. “You guys came here just to give me a hug disguised as an intervention?”
“We’re just happy you’re okay,” Irish says, smiling at me. “This club would crumble without you, Faye, and you know it.”
I do know it, but I try to be modest.
“That’s not true. You guys did fine before I got here, and you’ll do fine if something ever happens to me. Now do any of you want something to drink? Coffee?”
Asher wakes up and starts crying, and Arrow of all people mutters, “I’ll get him,” then disappears.
Look at them.
Muscled, tattooed, badass men, but all with good hearts.
Arrow returns with Asher in his arms, and I head into the kitchen to get everyone something to drink and eat. Dex follows me inside and wraps me in his arms from behind, nuzzling my neck.
“Those men would die for you, in an instant.”
I turn around and look him in the eye. “And I’d do the same for them.”
“I know.”
My expression gentles, and I lift my hand and cup his cheek. “I love you, Dexter Black.”
He lifts me onto the counter and kisses me softly. The kiss is gentle, sweet. Rake walks into the kitchen, ignoring us sitting here and staring into each other’s eyes, and opens the fridge. He pulls out a bag of green grapes, closes the fridge, and turns to watch us, crunching them in his mouth.
“Are you two gonna fuck here? Because we can leave.”
“Can you?” I ask him, smirking. “Looks like you’re going to sit there and watch, shoving grapes into your mouth.”
He throws a grape, just as Dex moves aside, so it hits me right in the face. I narrow my eyes at him. “I was just kidnapped, and this is how you treat me?”
“How long are you gonna play the kidnapping card?” he asks, chuckling and popping another grape in his mouth.
“Probably forever.”
“Noted.”
Dex kisses me again, then exits the kitchen, mock-punching Rake on the way out. Rake comes up to me and rests his head on my shoulder. “You know if they killed you, I don’t know what would’ve happened to Dex. You make him so fuckin’ happy, Faye. It’s so amazing to see, even after all of these years.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Except to make us food? Because I’m hungry and you’re just sitting here.”
I purse my lips and gently push him off me, then loudly say, “I was just kidnapped, and this is how you treat me?”
“Does anyone else feel like a skank when we play Never Have I Ever?” Tia asks, drinking from her cup. In celebration of me being alive, we’re having a gathering at the clubhouse, and we’re playing a version of the game we call Circle of Death. It’s probably our favorite drinking game, and we’ll find any excuse to play.
“Never have I ever had a threesome,” I say, then glance around the table. Whoever drinks has had a threesome before, and I’m curious to see who. Yes, this game is personal and invasive, and you learn things about one another that you probably never wanted to know. When Tia and Lana drink, I stand up with my mouth wide open. “Lana! Oh my god!”
She covers her face with her hands and tells us to shut up.
“Tracker is such a lucky man,” I say, laughing. I look at Bailey. “Not going to lie, kind of expected you to have had one with Rake. Thought he might have corrupted you by now.”
“Rake’s had enough of that to last him a lifetime, I think,” Bailey says in a dry tone, but I don’t miss the amusement dancing in her eyes. I raise my hand and give Tia a high five. “You’ll have to tell me the details later,” I tell her, then lower my voice. “I’m assuming it wasn’t with Talon?”
She shakes her head, cringing a little. “Another story for another day.”
I love Tia. I’m so glad Bailey brought her into our lives.