Command (Storm MC 6)

His gaze came back to mine, and his face turned serious. “I don’t mean the fucking furniture, Scott. I’m talking about the fact Marcus isn’t around any longer, and the fact seven of our men have left, which in my opinion was probably the best thing to happen to the club at this point.”

“The best thing because?” I needed to know where he stood on this because if I was going to assemble a team of guys ready to support me at any turn, I had to make sure I selected the right ones.

His gaze turned sure, and when he spoke, the truth in his words rang out loud and clear. “If I’m gonna come back here and even think about taking your back, I wanna know that the men by my side support you one hundred fucking percent. When we’re out there at war with these assholes and they’ve got us by the dick, I wanna know I’m standing next to a man who would rather have his dick cut off than give up our club.”

“Sounds about right,” Griff said as he joined us and caught the last part of the conversation.

Colt turned to Griff. “I hope to fuck I never have to have my dick cut off, but my loyalty runs that deep. Those members that left didn’t share the same sense of loyalty as far as I’m concerned or else they’d still be here.”

“I’m with you on that,” I said.

Colt’s seriousness vanished and his grin returned. “You boys up for a ride? Been too long since we’ve all been out. Thought we could blow off some steam before we get down to business.”

A ride hadn’t been on my agenda today, but I eyed Griff and said, “Sounds like the best fuckin’ idea anyone around here has had for weeks. You in?”

He nodded. “Yeah, brother, I’m in.”

We rounded everyone up and ten minutes later, our pipes deafened the neighbourhood.

Best fucking sound in the world.

4

Harlow

“It’s nearly seven, babe. Do you need to be at work by eight?”

I cracked one eye open and attempted to get my bearings. Scott’s legs came into sight as the sunlight streaming through the window hit me. Squeezing my eyes closed again, I grumbled, “Why is it seven already?”

Scott chuckled and the bed dipped as he sat next to me. His hand trailed down my back and then he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “This is why you’ve gotta stop doing those shifts at Indigo. You’re exhausted.”

My eyes blinked open and I rolled onto my back. “I’m not exhausted; I just wish I had more time in bed this morning.”

The way his brows pulled together told me he didn’t believe me. “When’s your next shift at Indigo?”

“Tomorrow night.” I sat up and p

ushed the sheet off me. Swinging my legs off the bed, I stood so I could go to the toilet. Scott, however, moved fast and blocked me.

“I’ll take you and pick you up tomorrow; you were in no shape to drive last night.”

He was right. He’d arranged with one of his boys to get my car home early in the night so that he could pick me up at the end of my shift, and I’d been so tired when he arrived. Smiling up at him, I nodded. “I agree. Thank you.”

“Fuck me, did I just hear that right?” he muttered.

“No need to be a smartass about it.” I pushed him gently so I could move past him, and his eyes crinkled into a smile. God, I was a sucker for those crinkles. He could ask me to do anything and I would do it if he flashed them at me.

I showered and got ready for work, and then met him in the kitchen where he had coffee ready for me. Taking it from him, I drank some before saying, “Your mother called me yesterday.”

The way he said, “Yeah,” made me think he already knew this.

“Did you know she was going to?”

He drank some of his coffee while his gaze moved to mine. “She told me she was going to try and organise to meet up with you.”

I leant against the counter and cradled my mug with both hands. “Scott, she was so strange on the phone that I didn’t know what to say. I think I must have come across all wrong.” Just thinking about it now caused my body to tense up. Making a good impression on his mother rated high on my list of priorities, and I’d been so caught off guard when she rang that I ended up rambling like an idiot.

“Just be you. She’s feeling as nervous as you are.”