"If anything happened to her because of my profession, I'd offer myself up willingly," I agreed, standing. "I am more than aware that I don't deserve her, for a multitude of reasons. But she, for some unknown reason, ended up wanting me as much as I want her. I'm not pushing away that kind of opportunity. But I can promise you I am going to be working on being the kind of man who deserves her."
Paine nodded at that. "With the teen center and Bookjam, man, I think you're well on your way there."
"Have you met Kenz yet?" Enzo asked, watching me with just a tiny bit more skepticism than his brother.
"No."
To that, he smiled. "Any threat I can give you is going to pale in comparison to what Kenz would do if you hurt her sister. So you have that to look forward to at Sunday dinner," he said, moving toward the door, then turning back. "Oh, and you will be at Sunday dinner. It's mandatory. Gina now owns your ass once a week until your death. Get used to it."
With that, Enzo was gone.
Paine hung back for one last moment. "Take care of her," he said, his voice a half-demand, and half-plea.
Having a sister, having the female friends I did, I understood that tone perfectly.
"I will."
Then Paine was leaving as well.
The silence in the clubhouse was damn near deafening for a long moment before Pagan declared, "That was lame as fuck. Not a drop of blood?"
"Over the course of Paine and Enzo's leadership, at least twenty men who had beef with Third Street 'went missing,'" Repo declared. "You don't want them getting pissed off. Cyrus did the smart thing in deescalating the situation."
"Ex-gang leaders as your future brothers-in-law," Sugar said, giving me a smirk. "You sure as fuck know how to pick them, huh? She gets a splinter walking around barefoot at this clubhouse, they are going to be coming for your ass."
I laughed at that, but had a feeling that we had come to an agreement about the situation. They didn't like my job. They didn't like Ree being around it. But they would respect my being in her life so long as I made her happy and kept her safe.
All in all, it was reasonable.
And I knew because I knew Elsie that Paine was a good man, reasonable, more laid-back than prone to violence. He just deeply loved his sisters. Maybe that came from not being able to be physically there for them for so long.
We would all be fine.
Once they got to know me over Sunday dinner, which I was actually looking forward to because I kind of wanted to experience the Wrath of Kenzi first hand, they would all be able to accept my place in Reese's life. I would have Elsie, Amelia, and Alex there to back me up too, to be sort of character witnesses that would help convince the others.
That being said, I had to get a move on. I needed to hit the food store, figuring anything Reese had in her apartment of the fresh variety was likely garbage after the long weekend, and thinking it would be nice to make something to eat instead of ordering in again.
You know, after I got acquainted with her bed.
Maybe her couch.
Her shower.
Her kitchen counter.
Because, apparently, all those things you heard about the shy girls being the most fun in bed, the most open, the most unexpected, yeah, that shit was right on the money. At least in Reese's case. I had barely gotten a taste, and I was fucking ravenous for more.
Luckily, I had plans on being around for a good, long time to get my fill.SEVENTEENReese"What do you mean you and Paine dropped into The Henchmen compound?" I whisper-yelled at Enzo who had stopped in to bring me coffee at work on his way out of town.
I folded my arms tighter around my body to ward off the cold after he insisted we talk outside for a moment.
I mean, seriously?
They didn't even call or text me to confirm the news they apparently got about Cyrus and me? They just stormed all in there like they had any right to cause a scene in my name? They might have been my brothers, and I may have known this would be a touchy subject to broach, and for them to accept, but that was just above and beyond any rational reaction to the situation.
"We got word about you being involved with the biggest whore in that clubhouse, Ree. What did you expect?"
"I expected you to respect the fact that I am old enough, and certainly smart enough, to make my own decisions. Even regarding the 'biggest whore in that clubhouse,' Enzo."
At that, it maybe being the first time I had ever actually been mad at him, and confident enough to say something about it even though I was, his brow lifted slightly. "We were just looking out for you."