“Because letting you into my circle is a huge deal. I didn’t come down here because I wanted to. I did it for the club.
“To start up your own truck?”
“Yes, we really are looking to expand with more businesses. The next generation is starting to arrive, and we want to ensure they’ll have a future they can control.”
“Oh, I like that.”
“It’s not like what you see on the shows or in movies. We come from all walks of life. We’re not unintelligent. We have nurses, lawyers, business owners, and more.”
“Sounds like your own little village.”
“That’s exactly what the original founders were striving to create. A community that followed a specific set of rules, that weren’t in line with the ones society has chosen. It sounds great in theory, but being truly committed to that way of life can prove challenging. Like when you meet someone when you’re undercover, and you want to tell her, but you have to be sure she’d be open to learning about that part of your life, be able to keep a secret and get permission from the club President who sent you to L.A. in the first place.”
“Stone?”
“He’s the one.”
“I can see how he’d be a man you’d listen to.”
“He’s smart, too. His father was President before him, so he knows what he’s doing. It’s that way with a lot of us. When I say, they’re family, I mean it.”
“I can understand that. It’s a hell of a legacy to pass down, though. Was your father in it, too?”
I nod my head.
“So you really don’t know anything else?”
“This was my attempt at normalcy. For the first time ever, I’m living alone, working a nine-to-five, and taking a step away from club life.” It seems crazy to say when I’m a thirty-year-old man.
“Did you feel you needed to do that?”
“I did. I wanted to see what the grass was like on the other side.”
“Was it greener?”
“Smart ass,” I mumble.
“Hey, I’m genuinely curious.”
“There’s a different kind of freedom for me here … and you.”
She glances away. “I’m trying to understand, Shayne. It feels a lot like a load of crap. A way to make me gloss over the fact that you spent a lot of time lying to me. Okay, you had to get your President’s permission, but why didn’t you do it sooner?”
“Because I had to be sure I wanted to take that step. It’s about ownership. I’m telling my club you’re mine to care for and be accountable for your actions.”
“Yours?”
“Mine. And we both know it.”
“Hmmm. Do we? ’Cause there’s no ring on my finger, and you’re in the doghouse. You broke my trust. I could’ve understood a few months in, but this is over half a year. Did you really still question my character?”
“A claiming is real close to marriage for us. No matter how much time passes, they’re going to view you as mine.”
Her mouth forms an ‘O’.
“So you see why I held back. Not for my sake but for yours. I don’t want to pull you in too deep to something you’re not interested in. I’d be perfectly happy keeping you forever, but it’s got to be mutual, or it becomes illegal.” The tone is amused, but I’m serious. Xia has become an obsession.
“I’ll be honest; I don’t even know what I want to ask. I’m still trying to decide how I feel and I know we have more to talk about, but I’m on overload. I want to know more about what it means to date someone in a club. I’ve always thought bikers’ stance on the law was gray at best.”