***Crane***

 

 “Romeo,” Ronin snaps.

Romeo’s head whips up from the beer he’s nursing. “Yeah, Prez?”

“Come on over here and keep Crane’s Old Lady company,” Ronin tells him and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

My face must be all telling because I feel Ronin’s fingers grabbing my shoulder before he pins me with a look not to defy him. “You know this has to happen.”

Yeah, I fucking know. Don’t have to tell me that one of my brothers is going to test my Old Lady. To see if she’s faithful to me, and to the club. Fucking hell. I can snatch up every stray cunt, even fuck her in front of my Old Lady and she wouldn’t have a damn thing to say about it…but an Old Lady? She needs to keep that cunt for her Old Man alone.

Can I just add that I won’t ever touch another cunt for as long as my woman lives? Because I don’t fucking share and in return I respect her so damn much to give her the same loyalty. With the added bonus that no other woman can live up to her, she’s as perfect as they come.

Delicate fingers slide over my abs, relaxing me slightly, before I hear Faya’s voice. “Go on and have a chat with Ronin. I could use a beer.”

I make sure to connect my gaze with her bright gray eyes. “Wait for me.”

The smile she gives me shoots straight to my damn heart. “I have no other place to go, baby.”

Fuck. The way her voice turned husky at the end. Shiiiiit.

“Now would be a good time. You know….before you whip out your cock and fuck her. Because I have other things to handle and cunts to fuck too, you know?” Ronin sounds annoyed and yet there’s laughter flowing into his voice.

My woman smacks my ass before she leaves my side and sits down on a barstool. I reluctantly turn toward Ronin. “Lead the way.”

He walks into Church and sits down in his chair. There are twelve seats and a large dark wooden table. It’s not a big space and I’ve seen a lot of charters have bigger tables, more chairs, and a much nicer decorated Church. But Ronin is more of a ‘get to the fucking point without complicating shit along the way’ kind of Prez. That right there is an outer visual of his Church.

He doesn’t need the classy shit. Hell, that’s also the reason he doesn’t have a table with him being the head. Nope. Round table, everyone gets a say in things. That’s always been his way too. Open, honest, respect.

Keywords of the fucker that’s ploughing a hand through his hair and staring at me. “Didn’t see this one coming.”

“What?” I chuckle in all innocence. “Me claiming an Old Lady? Or the woman I was sent to handle ending up to be my Old Lady?”

“Both, man. Guys like us don’t take a partner for life to bring into this shit, you know?” He gives me an all telling stare.

“I’ve killed someone an inch away from her. She didn’t even flinch but had an attitude to throw at me instead.” I smile remembering the first minutes I met her in the alley.

“No shit?” Ronin raises his eyebrow and nods slowly. “Nice.”

“Yeah, no shit. And she just keeps getting better and better. I’m telling you, giving me this assignment was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Ronin snorts. “Here I thought she was the best thing…”

“Shut it, Prez. You know damn well what I mean.”

We both laugh before Ronin’s face turns serious. “The fucker called and changed his mind. If she was still breathing he wanted her brought to him. Something about keeping him busy for the next few months. You know this fucker snatches up a bitch every few months to keep locked into that BDSM dungeon he’s got going on underneath his backyard, right? I’m thinking he fucked up with the one he had and wants to replace her with your woman. Killing two birds with one stone, or so to say.”

“Why the fuck does he have a hard on for this woman, huh? Sounds to me like it’s way more personal than her just being a material witness to her roommate’s murder.” Shit, what is my woman, or Ronin for that matter, not telling me?

Ronin’s mouth twitches. “Would you believe it if I told you that I heard a rumor that the roommate gave him crabs?”

“No shit?” I can barely hold back my laughter.

“Uh huh, no shit.” Ronin chuckles.

He traces two fingers along his jaw. “You know…I had another call this morning. Happened to be a rival of this mob fucker. If you’re serious about your Old Lady, I might…”

“I fucking am,” I growl.

He holds up his hand. “If she pulls through, then I might have another job for you that will clear things up for you and her both.”

I nod for him to continue. “I’m listening.”

It takes another hour to go through shit before we walk back inside the main room of the clubhouse. Glancing around, I don’t see Faya.

Ronin smacks my chest. “Near the door. Check it out.”

My gaze hits the spot Ronin just mentioned and pride hits my chest. Why? Because my Old Lady is standing there, arms across her chest and glaring at Romeo. Romeo, on the other hand, is standing a few feet away from her, holding a bag of peas against his forehead.

“What the fuck happened, Romeo? Lost your touch?” Ronin chuckles.

Romeo points at my woman. “That cunt.”

“Watch your damn mouth,” I snap.

The fucker glares at me but nods. “Your Old Lady smacked me on the head with a beer bottle.”

I shrug. “You must have had it coming then, didn’t you.” I hold my arms open and Faya sways her hips toward me, wrapping that lush body against me so I can pull her even closer.

“You did good, sweetheart,” I murmur against her hair, breathing her in at the same time.

She tightens her arms before she pulls back and crashes her mouth against mine.

“Missed you.” Faya manages to mix those two words in between kisses.

My hands cradle her face while I guide her for a better angle before I break our kiss. I know she passed the club’s final test, and I know for fucking sure she’s all in, just like I am, so I give her one final option.

“I need to handle some shit, I’ll be gone for about half a day. You wanna hang out here, or do you wanna stay alone in our cabin?” Yeah, I said our cabin so she knows I’m all in.

Again with the smile that strokes my heart. “I’ll stay here if you don’t mind…if…”

“If what, sweetheart?” I question.

“If that Romeo idiot stays on the other side of the room,” she growls while shooting him a glare.

Both his hands go up and the bag of peas he was holding against his head hits the floor. “I got no problem with that.”

Ronin snorts. “It’s settled then. Crane, go handle it. She’ll be waiting for you. I’ll make sure to protect what’s yours.”

I give him a chin lift before I lock eyes with my Old Lady. “Behave.”

There’s that smile again warming my heart before I walk out the door to handle shit. I need to make sure nothing comes for her, because she’s mine, and mine alone.