“Can I…” I try to pull myself from his hold again.
“No,” he says, making it clear he isn’t letting go and it’s pointless to try and argue.
I just narrow my eyes at him, but it does nothing. I don’t even get the half smile he gives me when I get a little pissy when he’s being bossy with me.
“I messed them up,” I rush out. “You all kidnapped me and I forgot them. When I finally got back to my house, I kept missing them, which is your fault, too! I always take them at night, but you fuck me until I pass out and I forget,” I finish yelling, getting myself all worked up.
“When will you know?” he asks, way too quietly. His face unreadable.
“I already know.” The words just hang there.
“Say it, baby. Put me out of my misery.”
“Misery?” The word comes out strangled, and I can feel the burn of tears in my nose.
“Yeah, misery. Tell me I put my kid in you. That you’re going to be locked to me for life. That when I pull this ring out that’s been burning a hole in my pocket for the last week, you’ll have no choice but to say yes.”
“You want to marry me?”
“Babe, I tagged your ass. You’re as good as married.” His hand comes around, grabbing the tags on my neck. I’d noticed them on Julie and Vincent and a few of the women downstairs. “These mean you’re mine. You can come and go from the club as you please. We don’t tag our women unless they’re it for us.” He leans in, brushing a kiss across my lips. “Forever.”
A tear slips out, but I realize I’m crying for a different reason now. Lucias kisses it, stopping it in its tracks.
“Don’t cry. I don’t like that shit.” He growls like I can stop my tears, making me giggle.
“Say it,” he pushes.
“I’m pregnant.”
His big hands go to my face, cupping me, holding me in place as his mouth comes down on mine and he devours me.
“You’re happy,” I say breathlessly when we finally pull back from the kiss.
“You gave me something I thought I’d never have.” He rests his forehead against mine like he’s savoring the moment.
“I never wanted the club,” he finally says after a few beats. He pulls back, looking me in the eyes, his face serous. “I love my dad, but this place started to fall apart after my dad lost my mom.”
I can see the pain flash across his face, and I bring my hands up to rest on his chest, rubbing little circles.
“I was thirteen when she died. It was rough, but hell, it almost killed my dad. He stopped spending so much time at home and more and more here at the club. Not that I blamed him. She was all over that house. Everywhere I looked, I saw my mom, so I did the same thing when I turned eighteen. I enlisted to get the hell out of here.”
I bring my hands up, wrapping them around his neck, wanting to hold him close.
“It got easier with time. Then I got word he died, too.”
“Oh, Lucias.” He’s breaking my heart. I lost my parents, too, but I didn’t even know them. Didn’t have to go through the pain.
“He was gone long before that. He died with her. After she was gone it was wild. Club was full of drugs and sex. Went downhill and I couldn’t find the need to care or a drive to come back. Then Savage got blown to shit in Afghanistan, and we came home. We needed something. I wanted to put this place back together again, so I did. We cleaned up shop. Kicked the trash out and played more by the rules. The drugs were gone; I didn’t want any of that shit. So were the women. Unless you were tagged, your ass wasn’t coming in those club doors. I only wanted people that were trusted to be here. Kind of like I was telling you before. We don’t have ass running around the club. You have to go down the road for that,” he says. It’s all making sense now.
“When I got back here, all my focus was on this club and getting Savage back together. And well, Savage never chased ass because he only ever had eyes for Julie. Then there was you. What I’d been wanting since before I even took off for the military. A family. I’ve gotten it with the new club we built. Everyone down there is my family, but I was missing something. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that you were it. Fuck. Been busting my ass getting this place together and I knew in that moment I’d been doing it to get it ready for you. I wanted it ready so that when I got you, I’d already have my shit together and I’d be ready.”