Chapter Twelve

For the next three days Roy felt as though he was on the most wonderful honeymoon imaginable. He and Clive spent their time at Clive’s house, which Roy quickly agreed he would move into, and they spent their days lolling around half dressed talking about everything and nothing. Their lovemaking was spontaneous and often and when Roy felt his sweet mate needed sustenance, he was happy to cook.

The only interruptions from the real world came in the form of phone calls to Clive, usually from Trent which he handled quickly with a “no, I’m not coming in today.” Which was fine on day one, and even on day two, but by day three Roy could tell Trent was getting twitchy. Roy wasn’t sure what the problem was with Clive either.

“Hey, babe,” he said casually, after placing a lightly grilled steak and salad on the table in front of his mate. “Did you fancy going into the Epitaphs later? Trent must have called four times today. He must be keen to see you.”

“Trent will have gone home by the time we get there,” Clive said just as calmly, cutting a piece of steak. “He always picks Marly up from work no later than six every day. This looks great, thank you.”

“The other members are probably missing you,” Roy beamed at the comment about the steak, he got a warm glow at any praise from his mate, but he wasn’t going to be dissuaded from the conversation. “They could be thinking, after that meeting, you don’t want to be there anymore. It’d settle them to see you back there as though things were normal.” Privately Roy did think his mate was still upset with the Epitaphs, but he didn’t say so.

Clive chewed silently on his steak and when he swallowed he sighed. “I don’t know what I’m doing with the club. I don’t know what to do full stop. Do you know how many times I wanted to suggest we go out for a meal, or maybe catch a movie, visit a club that wasn’t mine, and just do something that dating guys do?”

“You’re ashamed to be seen with me.” Suddenly, the steak tasted rancid and the lettuce leaf in his mouth made Roy want to throw up.

“You silly bear, it’s got nothing to do with being ashamed to be seen with you.” Putting down his knife and fork, Clive reached over the table. “Babe, I’m as proud as anyone could be you’re mine, and I’m yours. I just don’t want to see you getting hurt by anyone or anything. I haven’t got a clue how the Epitaphs are going to handle me marrying a man, let alone an officer of the law and there’s still your job to consider. I know you said you were going to put in your resignation, but face it, we haven’t done much of anything in the past few days. How’s it going to look for you and your reputation if someone in uniform sees you out with me?”

Clive wasn’t lying. Roy would scent it if he was and then he got annoyed with himself for even thinking his mate might lie. The man mentioned marriage as if it was a foregone conclusion. “You’re right. I’m being overly sensitive. This is all new to me too. I’ll probably feel better when my stuff is here.”

“So will I. I want us to have a home together.” Clive smiled, and Roy fell in love with his handsome features all over again. “My old habits are bound to cause a few upsets between us too until we both settle into this. Look at it this way. With all the crap we had foisted on us in those first two days, is it any wonder I just want to keep you here with me and let the real world go to hell for a while?”

“But you do want to keep me?” Roy had heard humans didn’t feel the mating pull in quite the same way shifters did. His bear needed the reassurance.

“Forever and ever and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Now, let’s not let this steak go to waste. You’ve cooked it beautifully. Tomorrow, you can go and talk to your bosses and after that you and I will go to the MC. I’ll let people know you’re with me, as my life partner and we’ll let the chips fall where they may. How does that sound?”

Freaking terrifying. No, not terrifying – get a grip of your furry self. Roy knew it had to be done. As much as hiding out with his mate was idyllic, it wasn’t the way to live their lives together. Telling his sergeant he was leaving wasn’t going to be an issue. He would take the time to drop a few hints about Jeff around the office and get their clubrooms raided while he was at it. He should have done that the night he got the information, and he would have done except his mating melted his brain. But as he chewed through the two steaks he’d cooked for himself, Roy was still worried. If the bikers accepted his place with Clive, then he’d be a biker for the foreseeable future – a sharply perceived contrast to the life of law and order he preferred. If they didn’t accept him then Clive would have to fight whoever the club picked at their future president. Neither option was appealing.

/~/~/~/~/

Clive was still feeling the effects of the delicious steak as he stood outside on his back porch, enjoying an after dinner cigarette. In deference to Roy’s sensitive nose, he was trying to cut down, but smoking gave him a chance to think. Usually. It wasn’t working tonight. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out he saw a text from Trent.

Fancy two visitors? Marly tells me you two have had enough time to bond and wants to congratulate you.

You don’t know where I live, lol, Clive texted back.

That’s why I’m texting. Marly baked you guys a cake specially. Do not make me tell him you’re being a paranoid old bastard. This is a shifter thing not related to the club. Our kind have got to stick together.

Clive didn’t have a problem letting Trent know where he lived. It had just never come up before. Texting the address, he added, It’d better be a big cake. I’m not missing out because you shifters are greedy.

Be there in twenty. For gods sake, be decent.

Taking a last drag of his cigarette, Clive stubbed it out and threw it in the rubbish bin. He really did want to take Roy out. Truth be told, he wanted to drag Roy to Glitters and show him off. How an old man like him got a young stud like Roy he’d never know, but he was so damn proud and more than a little in love. The words had been on the tip of his tongue so many times over the past three days, but he’d held them back. He remembered how upset Marly had been when Trent wouldn’t be seen out in public with him. He had to walk the walk, before he could talk the talk. Let’s get the shit out the way first, he thought as he headed inside to let Roy know they had visitors coming.

/~/~/~/~/

“The biggest problem you’re going to have with the club is Roy’s job,” Trent said, relaxing back on the couch, with Marly perched on his lap. The remains of a chocolate honey cake and half a bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table. “No offence Roy, but even if we’re legit, we’re still bikers. We still get pulled over when we go on runs, and some of our members have really embraced the outlaw mindset, meaning they don’t trust cops.”

“I’m not committing a damn crime just to prove my worth,” Roy put his arm over Clive’s shoulder. They were sharing a large easy chair. “How would it work if the members knew we were partners, but I didn’t come to the club much?”

“No.” Clive scowled. “If you’re not welcome there, neither am I. They handle Trent and Marly, they can handle me and you.”

“You know,” Marly said quietly, “we might have to start thinking of moving on anyway. Oh, not you Roy, I know you’ve just arrived in town, but Trent’s been with the MC for ten years now and hasn’t aged a day. We’ve been talking about where we might go or what we might do.”

“Shit,” Clive said, and Roy noticed how he studied his friend. “You know, I hadn’t really noticed but now you mention it, you haven’t changed a bit since I met you.”

“You have, although you’ve managed to stay in good shape for an old dude,” Trent grinned. “I wasn’t going to mention moving just yet, what with all the shit going down lately. You know I’d always have your back for as long as I’m able, but yep, time is ticking on and sooner or later someone else is going to say something about my perpetual youth and that’s when things get hairy. We weren’t sure about it. Marly has friends and a job he loves; I have the club but moving on is a fact of life and I’ve pretty much outstayed my welcome in Orlando at least.”

“That’s a part of shifter life I hadn’t considered,” Clive said quietly. “It must be sad, especially if you have human friends. If you stick around you have to watch them die.”

“That’s just it, we can’t stick around,” Marly said. “Ten years, fifteen tops. Your friends get older and you don’t. Unless they’re in on the shifter secret, leaving becomes a part of life. We all know too many people to start sharing our secrets with them.”

“That’s why I came to Orlando in the first place.” Roy smiled down at Clive. “I’m damn glad I did, but if you guys are moving on, then maybe we could all go together. That could solve a lot of our immediate problems and it could be fun to go together if you were interested.”

“I’m going to miss Harley and Bronson, Asaph and Roan, but Bronson’s already said he’s not ready to go yet. Harley hasn’t had his tattoo shop open that long, and he’s building a solid reputation for himself. Asaph and Roan have their new club Breathless, so they won’t be moving for a while either.” Marly smiled up at Trent. “But it’d be good if Clive and Roy came with us, wouldn’t it?”

“Make a change to have some company,” Trent agreed. “This is my first time moving with a mate in tow. But you have to admit, it would solve your problems with the club and your position. We go to a new town, no one knows us. New ID’s, a fresh start. Not another MC but we could run a bar or a club or something similar. Band together and go into business.”

Roy felt a fissure of excitement. Like Trent, he’d always moved alone before and frankly, it sucked. Moving to a new place where you didn’t know anybody, adapt to a new job with new rules and policies, make nice with human friends and then bam, ten years down the track move again. It might be a fact of shifter life, but it was also a pain in the ass. “Clive?” He said hesitantly. “It would mean giving up your house and business.”

“Levi could probably get a gun dealers license and he and Saul could take over the club,” Trent said, and it was the offhand way he said it that had Roy tensing.

“You knew I was legit and you never said anything?” Clive leaned forward in the chair, sounding shocked.

“You’ve been legit for years and you didn’t say anything? It’s a bit hard not to know when some shipments we get in and send on we get paid for, and others just mysteriously disappear.” Trent shrugged. “Didn’t bother me. You had a reputation to uphold the same as I did. But now that’s out in the open, what do you think? Marly took a while to come around to the idea, but he knew it would have to happen eventually. This will be his first move for age reasons. I’ve done it half a dozen times and chances are Roy’s done it more often than me. You have a lovely home here, a solid business. This isn’t going to be easy for you.”

“I’m not going to age any more either, you did say that, right?” Clive looked up and Roy tenderly stroked the wrinkles that gathered at the corner of his left eye.

“You’re already stronger, faster and over time your senses will become more acute. Apart from that, physically you won’t change. I’ll be looking at this ruggedly handsome face for centuries to come and loving every minute of it.”

“Oh my god, that’s so sweet.” Marly glanced up at his mate. “Roy looks at Clive just the way you look at me sometimes.”

Roy saw those two getting lost in a private moment and took the time to say softly to Clive, “this is your decision, babe. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll be with you all the way. If you want to stick it out a few more years, just say the word.”

“It would solve both of our problems to go, but we’ll need a home,” Clive said, looking around the living room. “I don’t mind traveling to find a place, but when we get there I need a home to call ours. I spent too many years homeless and then in the marines, to be happy with motels and rented apartments for long.”

“I’ll buy you a house anywhere you like. You don’t even have to sell this one if you don’t want to. You could rent it out and we could come back here in another twenty years or so as our sons.”

“You guys can do that?”

Roy could tell Clive was tempted but it was Trent who answered.

“You’d be amazed how often shifters pass themselves off as their own sons and later their grandsons. People move on, their memories blur. The worst thing that happens is someone comments on how like their parents a shifter might look, and that’s easily dismissed. I wouldn’t mind a big house this time around either. Marly, your apartment is sweet, but it’s really small.”

“And maybe some land,” Marly said excitedly. “Somewhere so we can just shift and run out the back door. Can we afford that?”

“I told you before, we never have to work another day in our lives if we don’t want to,” Trent mock growled. “We work because otherwise we’d get bored and besides, we fit in better if people see us doing something constructive in a new place.”

“Like joining a biker gang.” Clive laughed. “What about you, babe? Can you afford to keep me in the lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to? I imagine you’ve never made much money in law enforcement.”

“That wasn’t the only thing I did. I’ve always had a hobby or two,” Roy smirked. “I was only a young cub when the gold rush in California ended, but I picked up a nugget or two and my mom stashed more away for me for when I left home. I had my own stills during prohibition and made a hell of a lot more money then. I never invested in the stock markets, so didn’t lose it during the recession. In fact, I made a killing then. The thing is, living a long, long time, you get to see patterns in history. You can afford to take long odds, especially in real estate, and hang onto investments, riding out the ups and downs that could cripple people living a regular lifetime.”

“I don’t know whether to be annoyed or impressed.” Clive shook his head. “You used to run illegal moonshine and you worry about me running guns.”

“Things were a lot different back then,” Roy caught Trent’s eye who nodded. “Easier in a lot of ways, more difficult in others. After a while you learn to adapt. Who knows, in another hundred years, we could be looking at relocating to Mars or a space station somewhere.”

“Not a lot of room to run up there,” Marly shuddered. “Let’s just focus on this move for now. Clive, are you in?”

Roy didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Clive said, “yes.”