EPILOGUE

“We’ve only just got started, Icy…” – Rider

 

 

 

      There was a lot to be grateful for and most of it began and ended with his old lady he had on his lap curled deep into his ribs and Rider wasn’t letting her go from that spot anytime soon.

     His nerves were still rattled over almost losing her. He’d loved her all night long and into the morning, reassuring himself she was here.

      It wasn’t about priorities, though she was his, deep in his fucking bones, she was all of it, that’s how it was when a biker took an old lady, there was no shitting around with half measures, and not from the moment he got Zara back in his life, no fucking around with anyone else either, least, not for Rider, his woman kept him plenty satisfied and he’d go to his grave with his dick still hard for her. She was all he saw, breathed, tasted.

      This morning and most of the afternoon he’d wanted to make sure she was okay and not fronting it for his sake.  His boys bustled around but took glimpses at her as if assessing if Zara really was Queen material for their club, Understandable, the last queen associated to the club, old lady to the former douchebag president, was a bitch incarnate and hadn’t deserved any of the boys' loyalty or protection, but Rider knew his men approved Zara, most all of those crazy soft hearted fuckers had stopped by his room at some point to bring her food, coffee, those candy things she liked, Preacher even brought a stack of her Disney movies which pleased his girl no end.

      He’d taken her to her therapy, sat in the waiting room being eyeballed by the old receptionist like she’d never see tatts and a leather cut before, probably thought he was gonna kill all the fish in the tank with his bare hands, whatthefuckever, he’d been there to support his woman, then he’d taken her out for burgers and fries, her favorite comfort grub. Over beef patties and malt shakes they’d talked, even laughed, she’d asked him for stories about Tiny, he knew she was trying to keep his brother alive in some small way and he loved the fuck out of her for that. Zara had reassured him she was good and he had to take her word for it. He didn’t bullshit himself into thinking all her problems would magically disappear now Hades and the rest of the Rebels were being fucked by devils in hell, Nah, but he could see with his own eyes she was better than that night he’d found her.

      Shit, thank fuck he’d found her when he had.

      What ifs.

      His old lady was his priority, there was no what if he hadn’t found her, or hadn’t planned a raid on the Rebel’s flop. Somehow someway he would have ended up in Zara’s path, fucking fate, and all that new age bullshit.

      She was his. He was hers.

      Rider suspected his old lady would always hold a piece of herself back, self-preservation, he knew it well. He understood and he was fine about it. Because as much as Icy loved him, he loved her twice as much but there would come a day when all those extra guarded walls came down allowing her to live fully again, he would love his woman better than anyone else ever could and the day she decided to drop her shields, he'd be the lucky sonuvabitch holding her hand, every day she gave him a little more of her heart.

      Fucking perfect.

     Zara gave him bone deep peace on a whole new level and he could be exactly who he was, she never asked him to change.

      Together they would build something more.

      A new day one for everyone.

      For right now he was with his Zara and later he would dole out what was needed from his men, the trouble was dying down, he hadn’t had a visit from the sheriff in days but he knew it was expected those fuckers never left his club alone for long. Hawk had arrived where he needed to lie low for a while. He was going to miss that shithead, maybe being in Texas a while would bring some peace to his friend.

      Since the Russians were beginning to make noise, he needed to rule out aggravation from the law so he could deal with those annoying Bratva shits trying to worm their way in.

     Things were steadily getting back to an orderly routine way of life.

      Thank fuck. Murder was all well and good but give Rider a minute to breathe and love on his woman and he was happy.

       He noticed Lawless had his head stuck in one of his books kicked back on a couch, one of his latest stray kittens he'd taken in wrapped around the back of his neck like it was the only place the cat wanted to sleep. Rider rolled his eyes then shifted his gaze over to Preacher chewing the fat with Jed. His road captain was heading out of town later tonight down to Lincoln Nebraska to scout out the problems there for him, maybe not the best idea but he had his orders to keep his shit together where Red Light was concerned, just as well Red Light was a nomad nowadays, those two had history that needed sorting if he ever wanted Red Light to rest his boots in the club on a permanent basis, he needed more good brothers patched in around his table.

     "Prez, some of us are headed down to Otis' to drink the place dry, you and Z-girl coming? We’re gonna sit and watch Preacher strike out with the hot bartender." Called out Grinder as he swung into his coat.

     "Nah, brother, another time." Rider gave a second's thought to breaking his tracker's legs when Grinder sent a saucy wink Zara's way. His damn men were gonna mess with him forever about his old lady.

      “Rider?”

     “Yeah, baby?” she moved against him, fingers inched up his chest, her taste still colored his tongue. He’d woken at the crack of dawn that morning, even before the light had crept in through the curtains with her climbing on top of him, before his eyes were fully open she was seating the hell down on his dick in a long impale making them both groan together. If he didn’t know Icy was perfect for him before that he did, then.     

      He made room for her to burrow into his ribs, an arm around her shoulder, her head on his chest and her dainty little fingers inching up the hem of his shirt to touch skin.

     "I think I want to call my parents today." her inhale expanded against his own chest wall. Turning to face her Rider dropped a kiss to her forehead, tracked down to her lips.

      His girl taking steps. Fucking proud as hell.

     "Yeah? you thinking we should take a trip?"

     "You'd come with me?"

     "Not gonna let you go alone, Icy. They need to meet your man. Know you're safe, even if you don't tell them anything that happened, they're gonna want to know you're good with the man you're with."

      "Maybe. I’ll see how a call goes first." she chewed on her lip. He kissed her again.

     "However, you want it to go down."

     "It feels like a good day; you know...fresh start."

      He understood. The MC life was always gonna be club life, sometimes dangerous, oftentimes turbulent, never dull, it was how he thrived. Outlaws walked a fine line and one percenter's didn't care about any lines at all, Rider was somewhere in between that. He had a feeling in the coming weeks the irritating Russians were gonna make him question those lines. Whatever the outcome, it would be in his club's best interest. The cold country mafia with fingers in pies in most every state were going to learn that lesson the hard way if need be.

      For today he was about his old lady and his club, everything else could take a back seat.

     Making sure she was good.

      Fear and failure had never crossed his mind before yesterday, but both had hit him in the face, never wanted to go there again.

     "You want to go do that phone call now?" she stiffened beside him. He skated a hand to her hip, kissed the side of her neck coaxing her down from the obvious anxiety. "I’m right here with you, Icy, not gonna let you go through it alone, no matter what."

 

 

******

 

 

Four years ago

 

     "Mom. I'm going to be seeing you at Christmas." Alice Freeze wasn't known for her hysterics, always calm in a crisis and could whip up a mean eight layered salad with only half a minute’s notice, but on the rare occasion when she let rip the whole world knew about it. Zara hugged her tighter, the bustle of the airport loud around them. Her dad stood in the usual three-piece suit, with his spine stiff not saying a word.

     "I'm just going to miss you is all. It's been nice having you home for spring break. You'll call as soon as you get there?"

     "Of course, I always do." she took her backpack from her father's grasp. "See you soon, dad."

     "Don't forget you have the intern interview in a few months, Zara, you must be ready for it. I stuck my neck out for you to even get on the list." Zara inwardly sighed, she hadn't really thought this all through when she'd gone to law school, that at the end of her schooling she'd have to become a practicing corporate lawyer, her place already fixed in place within her father's prestigious Boston firm with two of his stuffy friends she didn't like at all. Not to mention the arranged marriage hook-up she knew he was trying to wrangle with one of those partner's equally stuffy sons.  Now she was in her graduating year before she’d have to take the bar exam, and all those life decisions were careening towards her full tilt.

      The truth was she didn't want to be a lawyer, she found it boring as hell, now she was fucking committing the rest of her life to something that didn’t interest her. She'd simply never had the courage to fight her parents on what they told her was best for her. What was best for her was living her own life her way, whatever that may be, maybe she could meet a tall filthy guy and bang his brains out, you never know, it could happen. In any case, she was going to enjoy her last year of school before she took the law bar exam, she’d color outside her box, she might even let Morgana talk her into some risky shit like staying up past nine pm.

     "I know, dad. I will be. Look, I have to go, they're boarding soon."

      She watched them for a minute stood at the gate, her mom smiling tucked into her father's side, his arm wrapped around her. As apathetic as he projected they really did love one another, when he thought they were alone at home they'd often laugh and make out like teenagers. Zara wondered why then he'd never been able to show her much of any affection at all.

      She waved and turned to walk to her gate to take her back to college in Colorado. She'd deliberately chosen a school far away, shying away from her father's choice, her last-ditch attempt at freedom. Deep in the mountains, what really could happen in Armado Springs anyway...

 

 

Present Day.

 

 

     "Hey, Mom? it's me." Zara clung to the phone, her bones tight like they could break any second, hearing her mother’s voice after so long, having a conversation that wasn't lies upon lies, without one of those men leaning over her shoulder threateningly. Her heart beat fast, she wanted to cry so badly.

     "Oh, baby! is it really you? Jerome! it's Zara! hurry! sweetheart, where have you been? are you coming home? We've been so worried when we didn’t hear from you, we'll get you whatever help you need, we promise, just come home to us, daddy and I aren’t mad. We love you so much, baby."

      She'd figured her parents had never bought the backpacking around Europe and Asia lie, it just didn't fit in with the plain jane personality Zara had before she'd left home.

     "Mom, I'm good, I swear. I'm---I'm in Colorado. I'm happy, so happy and I can't wait to see you both again."

     "Zara?" her father's voice, must have picked up the extension in his home office. Her mom was crying.

     "Hi, daddy. I miss you. I was just telling mom I can't wait to see you. Soon."

      "Zara. Sweetheart. We've missed you very much. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Please, whatever you want, just don’t cut us out again, your mother is heartbroken. It's so good to hear your voice, Star." Her childhood pet-name. Emotion clogged her throat. Was that her father's voice cracking? it couldn't be. He sounded older. Tears welled in her eyes and without moving she reached out a hand behind her, felt herself slipping into that emotional vortex, the next second warm fingers curled around hers, the second after that Rider's warmth was at her back, holding her in one strong arm, kissing the top of her head.

     "Mom...dad. I'm so sorry. I can’t explain now, just…so sorry." Zara couldn't speak after that, she was stretched thin with sentiment, sobs shaking her chest, she didn't notice Rider taking the phone out of her hand until his voice rumbled, keeping her pressed against his chest, his hand going to the back of her nape. "Hello, Sir, my name is Rider Marinos, Zara is a little upset right now so until she can speak you have me, no ... yes, ma'am, she's absolutely as she said, she's happy, just overcome to talk to you after so long, you have a very smart daughter... me? I'm her man, sir ... a while now ... yes, I do, she’s my world. Zara and I were thinking of heading out to Boston next week, after thanksgiving with my family, if that suits you both. Sure, that's fine."

      All the while Rider had the bizarre calm conversation with her parents she sobbed into his chest, clinging to him, not because she needed protecting, or scared she would have to tell her parents the truth, she'd already decided she could never devastate them that way. It was because she'd missed them. They might not have always been the kind of parents she would have wanted at times, but she loved them, hearing their voices made the last three years all that more real, she'd missed a whole chunk of their lives. She only hoped they still had a place for her.

     "You okay now, baby?" she looked up into incredible blue eyes, nodding, she scrubbed her face, took a shuddering breath.

     "Here is Zara again. Yes, ma'am, I look forward to meeting you, too."

      Such a polite man was her outlaw. she giggled watery scrubbing a finger under her eye, taking his pressed kiss before he handed back the phone but stayed in touching distance of her, stroking her back.

     "I'm such a cry-baby." she laughed. Her mom was crying again just the same. "I just miss you both and I'm sorry for any worry I caused I hope you don't hate me."

     "It seems we've missed a lot, Zara." her father's voice austere but she could hear the softness and intrigue there as well. Things had changed for all of them. "You have a gentleman in your life now?"

     "Yes, daddy. That was Rider. I can't wait for you to meet him, I know you have a ton of questions and will be naturally and understandably skeptical, but everything is great, you'll see when we come to visit.  I don't want to swell his ego because he's stood right here," fingers caressed her neck in that way that made her shiver, she didn't need to look up to know he would be smirking. "but he's pretty wonderful, you'll like him, I promise."

      The call lasted another twenty minutes, she'd cuddled on Rider's lap and caught up on book club meetings and the latest charity events her mom was involved in with a promise she would come home soon and another promise to call again later.

     "Pretty wonderful, huh?" the laugh was in his tone. Zara crinkled her nose, jabbed fingers to his ribs, leaning into his massive chest. He was so achingly wonderful.

     "I knew that would go directly to your head."

     "Not just my head, Icy. Want to fuck you. Wanted to fuck you the whole phone call while you wriggled on my lap."

      He was already unbuttoning her jeans, helping them down her legs, before he split them over his lap, his hands going to his own jeans, pulling out his hard cock.

      It took no work at all pulling her panties to the side and pushing inside her. They both moaned against each other's tongues, their kiss turned up to scorching immediately.

     "If this is how one conversation with my parents works you up I might be worried, biker man." hands spanned her waist, he held her down tight on his cock making her work herself on him, drawing him deeper. The feeling was exquisite.

     Faster. Harder. Panting breathes mingled.

     "Rider ... will I fit in with your club way of life?"

      He blinked and craned his neck back. Kept her working his thick length, the pleasure was already coming fast and thick, crawling through her body, she moaned, dipped her head, panted with her forehead against his shoulder, the chair beneath them creaking its protest.

     “Short answer yes. Long answer fuckin' yes. Doubts, Icy?" He shoved up hard, she cried out in ecstasy.

     "No. I just want you to be sure, not to regret anything. It was always you, Rider, from the first time I saw you all cocky and gorgeous fucking me with your eyes, and then after that, as if no time had passed at all it was still you. For me I am sure. I mean everything is calm now, normal. What if it goes wrong? You allowed me to be broken, didn't try to fix me.  You just let me breathe. It seems too good to be true and I don’t want to screw it up. I need you so much and I… I’m not exactly biker-bitch material if you haven’t noticed. I wear Disney socks for god's sake."

      Rider smiled, touched lips to her nose before licking her lower lip, catching it in his teeth. "Icy. Baby. You’re perfect as you are. Like this sexy shy as fuck flower in desperate need of water. These months, I watched you blossom in a way that was really fucking beautiful to see, made me want you even more. My strong capable girl. So proud of you. And you’re a fuckin’ perfect old lady for me. I don’t know why you trusted me with all your shattered parts, someone like me being loved by someone like you, never happen in real life, or it never did before, I won the outlaw lotto, but I’m damn sure I’m gonna do all I can to show you what that means to me, Icy, every day you need it. And you ask if it's you who is good enough for this club ... baby, it's me who should be thankin’ fuckin’ god right now. I need you right back. Never doubt it. It's a burn in my chest how bad I need you. I want you more than I wanted anything before."

      Pink bloomed over her face. That lovely flush of heat and love. "I love you, Ambrosio." She circled her hips, planting his cock ever deeper, wanting to keep him there.

     "Thank fuck for that. Now shut up and kiss your man and fuck me to the finish."

     "God, I really do love you." she laughed, their mouths meeting in the middle, and she did just that.

      To breathe again was a wondrous feeling for a girl who had stopped living three years ago.

     Loving can heal and mend your soul, so freaking much and with the unlikeliest of people, who would put together a boring academic girl whose former idea of a good time was buying two pints of vanilla ice cream, with a notorious hardass stubborn outlaw and figure the love they’d have for one another would eclipse all else? Day by day, week on week her heart had opened to Rider, she’d become to know this great bad man for everything he was and striving to be, it wasn’t easy being a president of outlaws, call her biased but Zara thought he was the best president she’d even seen, amid her nightmares she’d let in a good person, a true person, and did the unimaginable by trusting him and was rewarded by that gift with one of her own in return, it was the salve that righted so many wrongs.

     Simple love was funny like that. When you least expected, it healed wounds, it gave and it enriched.

     "So ... Is this our story over, biker-man? I mean, now you hooked me into your dirty web and all." It was later, after more sex and a great honking pizza the size of a Buick, Rider rode them to the compound to finish up some paperwork, it was never an off day for the president. Her arm around his waist, he’d just parked his bike and they were headed towards the clubhouse entrance.

     "Over? you kidding, Icy? this is day fuckin' one. I got a lot more dirtyin’ to do yet. I’ve been takin’ it easy on you," his lips were smiling when they came down to hers and they kissed for a long time until her mouth was beautifully swollen, her fingers clenched on the sleeve of his long undershirt. Giving his nose a little nuzzle with hers, Zara's smile was equally satisfied, after all she was in love with a big badass biker man and he was just as crazy about her.

     "We have a lot of in between days to make up for. I intend to collect. I hope your old bones can take it. I have a biker thirst.”

He growled low in his throat at her challenge. That noise could turn her on faster than anything. It reflected in the heated look in the depths of blue. He’d take everything she had and more, that was a given.

      “All I'm hearin' is we're gonna be havin' a lot of fuckin' sex. I'm ready, baby. Test me. Work me out good and hard, live on my cock, I got what you need anytime you want it, just climb me. I’m yours to use." he grasped a gentle loving hand around the back of her nape, fingers working up into her hair until she was drawn as deeply into his hard body as was physically possibly for two people and not be fused together. "You ready, Icy?" he ground his cock against her as if he could dry hump his way through their layers of clothes and sink inside her.

      Oh yeah, her Ambrosio was so ready to get to that making up part.

      All around them engines roared to life as club members rode off to their homes, out for runs, or to have some fun. Each of them loyal and pledged to Rider and Zara was grateful these wonderful crazy outlaws with their own set of rules and a sliding scale of morals had her man’s back in times of good and bad.

      In front of everyone, he'd declared Zara his old lady. A risk for an outsider not used to their world. Was she now a biker queen? she could see a new slogan T-shirt in her near future. For now, she extended up on the very tips of her toes to reach Rider's mouth with a little help from her man as he bent down at the same time, peppering him with kisses, arms held on his shoulders, she felt light and free.

      So free.

     Giving her love to him was never the noose she imagined, he was never going to hold her back from whatever she wanted out of life. Rather, Rider would be at her side.

      Her biggest champion. Her greatest love.

     "I love you, Ambrosio Marinos, today, yesterday and all the days in between and to come. Yes, yes, I am absolutely ready." his laugh hitched her up to his body, legs wrapped around his lean waist, Zara was so light-hearted she felt wild with it and wanted to show her man in every way possible what he meant to her. "Take me inside and then take just me again and again." she issued.

      If this was a Disney story, she mused simultaneously as Rider marched them towards the door, it would be happy ever after instantly, it felt like it as happiness fizzed through her veins, being carried like Cinderella by her own prince charming. Only, Rider was no Prince and this was a disreputable MC with lovable rogues. She rather preferred her badass biker man to any fairy-tale. And as he’d said, their story was far from over.

      Maybe over time her priorities and goals had changed and that was a natural progression of life.                

      Each stumble had led her right here.

      Life was progression, sometimes you didn't see the roadblocks in your way until you crashed into them, or in Zara's case they crashed into her, but that didn't mean she'd ended up in a place she hated. The opposite, in fact, she was where she'd always wanted to be, it had just taken a lot of time and soul breaking to realize she was in her place with her person to do a helluva lot of living now. She didn't need an adventurous life, though she knew she would get that every single day with her bad biker man, she didn't want riches, she was already beyond rich with the love of a great man and growing friendships with people she was closer to that her own blood, and she didn't need nor want her old life that had been mapped out for her since she was little more than a teenager.

      In someone else's eyes her life might not seem perfect or ideal, but to Zara Freeze, she was never happier than in that one beat of a moment wrapped around Rider sensing she was loved without reason or measurement and boy, that was a gorgeous feeling.

      Her soul was calm, no longer turbulent, she was no longer afraid of what would come, instead she was filled with joy and excitement, eager to reach the day after and the one after that.

      Now she belonged in the MC, and them to her.

      Every day would be challenging.

      She grinned at Rider as he dropped her down to her feet outside of the entryway, her belly flipping over as his hand grasped hers, he was always so impatient, god, let him please be always this impatient to want to touch me.     

      Uncle Jed was making margarita's specially for Zara and if she wasn't careful the whole jug would be gone by the time she got inside, those bikers might take the piss about her frou-frou drinks being in a men's MC bar but it never stopped them chugging them back either.

      A slide of his hand under her hair to rest at the nape of her neck reminded Zara of who was right there, always. She adored him. Completely.

     "You're smilin' again, baby." the grin in his voice.

     "I'm happy."

     "Glad. Really fuckin' glad."

     "Are you happy, my bad biker man?"

      He pressed her into the wall swiftly. Pressed in and smiled that wickedness she knew he was capable of. The smile that promised a lot of dirty. "You gonna make me talk about feelings?"

     "Only if you don't answer."

     "Got you and my club, baby. I'm happy."

      It reflected in his eyes. The admission further warmed her insides and she gave his hand a little squeeze.

     "Hey, Icy-girl?"

     "Yeah, Ambrosio?"

      He held the door open for her, the noise of the MC greeting them. As she figured, she could see three dirty rats sat at the bar hunched over the girlie shaped long cocktail glasses they supposedly hated, she chuckled and almost didn't hear Rider ask in that rough timber she loved so much.

     "How you feel about havin' kids with me someday? We’ll take a whole brood home to Boston for your folks to spoil like brats, that should appease ‘em."

      Zara blinked. Completely stalled in her step. Had he said...? he had. He was grinning like it was no big deal at all. Like one of those crazy clown people.

      This was big. Huge. Colossal. It was life and someday it would be them.

      Kids. He wanted kids with her. Wow.

 Oh, Rider. Her bad biker man never ceased to amaze her every single day.

      And maybe when she'd recovered from that shock and could breathe again she'd give the answer he so obviously wanted.

     Little badass biker babies with his beautiful eyes and enormous heart. Sounded right to her.

     "Come on. Let's get you drunk on those girlie fuckin' drinks so I can take advantage of you," he ushered her inside, his light whiskey tone did things to Zara to make her feel good, his hand slid to her butt, blue eyes twinkling like he knew he was always going to take the feet out from under her.

      Such a bad man.

      Her bad man and she wouldn't have Rider any other way.

      Her girl Cinderella only wanted a pair of new shoes and ended up a princess.

      Forget the white knight.

      She had a badass biker man.

      Her salvation came without a glass slipper.

      So much better. Because he was dirty through and through.

 

 

THE END.