Two weeks later

“Hellcat! Where are you?” I hear Zander yell, as the screen door to the house we’ve been staying in slams. We’ve been living in the house that the Savage Brothers’ owned on the lake. It’s been a good place. It has felt like home, but today we’re moving out. I’m nervous, but I know that with Zander, any place will be great. We bought a home on Cherokee Lake and it’s beautiful. It’s everything I have ever wanted. It’s on the water with a large deck for club gatherings or just me and Zander relaxing in the evening. It’s homey, and it feels…peaceful.

Zander decided to stay on as Diesel’s Vice President. I’m not sure what made him decide to leave Dragon and his crew, but when he asked what I thought, I left the decision completely up to him. All I could give him was the truth—I’d be okay no matter where we ended up, as long as we were together.

Diesel has been having personal problems. He had an old lady who died a few months ago, and left him with a little boy. The sweetest little boy I’ve ever met in my life. From all accounts, his mother sucked, but it makes me sad that the little guy will never get the chance to know his mother’s love. Diesel asked Zander to come in and help watch over the club, while he devoted more time to his son, Ryan. I think it’s good. Zander likes the men, and I’m even fitting in with the other old ladies, especially Brenda, Copper’s old lady. She’s not Nic, but we have bonded. Life here is just…good. Really good.

“In here, Cowboy,” I yell back, packing up the last of our clothes in the suitcases. I smile as his arms come around me, I straighten up and feel Zander push up against me. He burrows into the side of my neck, and I tilt to the side to give him more room, my hands resting on his.

“I missed you,” he whispers, biting on my neck, and I know he’s leaving another mark. He says he feels the need to mark me every day, so I never forget who I belong to.

That will never happen, but I like looking in the mirror and seeing the small bruises from his loving. I wear them proudly.

“You’ve only been gone an hour, Zander,” I tell him on a sigh, as he sucks the lobe of my ear into his mouth, his warm breath sends delicious chill bumps over my skin.

“Hellcat, I miss you the minute you leave my arms,” he grumbles, and I can’t argue, because I feel the same. “Are you ready to roll?” he asks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Are you sure this is what you want, Cowboy?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. This is it, Hellcat. This is where we’re supposed to be.”

“Did you talk to Dragon?” I ask him, because that’s the only misgiving I have. Dragon, Dancer, and Bull are Zander’s family, the only ones he’s ever claimed as family. He loves them. So, having him decide to just leave them makes me nervous.

“Yeah, sweetheart. Quit worrying everything is good. We’re meeting them in Vegas in two weeks for the wedding.”

“Nicole still has no idea?” I ask, turning around to hug him close.

“Nope, so don’t be giving it away next time you and her have one of those two-hour long conversations.”

“Hey, I don’t get to see her, so we have to have our weekly catch up chats.”

His rough fingers brush the side of my face, his thumb brushing back and forth at the top of my cheekbone. “Sweetheart? Are you going to be okay with this? I don’t want to take you away from Nic. If you want to stay in Kentucky…”

I stop him with the touch of my fingers against his lips. I laugh as he instantly sucks them into his mouth. I frown for just a second as I catch a glimpse at the missing pinky. Most days I don’t notice it and it doesn’t bother me. Zander has made it clear it doesn’t bother him. I shake it off. It’s just one more shadow of the past that I fight from time to time. Zander is my tomorrow—my future. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that we’re together in it and as long as I have that…I have everything…

“Hellcat?”

I shake off my thoughts and smile up at him.

“I love you, Alexander Dawson.”

“Ugh, that name,” he jokes. He’s happy. You can see it all over him. I make him happy.

“It’s beautiful,” I argue, shaking my head at him. “The point is, you are my future. I have Nic, I’ll always have her. You though aren’t my family, you’re everything to me. You are the one person in this life I couldn’t survive without. I’m good, as long as you’re with me.”

“Then let’s get to our new home. We have a lot of work to do.”

“Work? Zander the house was completely done and our furniture was moved in two days ago! We can’t work, the club is coming over tomorrow. I need a day to relax.”

“Sorry Hellcat, but you don’t get that today. I’m on a mission.”

“A mission? Already? Are you going out of town?”

“Nope. I’m going to fuck my woman in every room of our new home. Then I’m going to eat her sweet little snatch outside, under the stars, by the water until she begs me to stop.”

Heat and electricity run through my body at his words.

“Well what are you waiting for, Cowboy? I ask him, grabbing a suitcase, which he takes out of my hand, while grabbing the other one. I let him get away with it. I’ve learned with Zander to just let the He-Man tendencies take over—they usually lead to really good places.

“You just want me for my dick,” he grumbles walking out of our old bedroom.

“Well that and your tongue…” I joke.

“I’ll show you my tongue, damn it.”

“I’m counting on it Cowboy. I’m counting on it.”