“Was makin’ a statement.”
She didn’t need to ask it because she already knew the answer, but she asked it anyway. “Which was?”
“Who you belong to.”
She pursed her lips. Her being on the back of his bike was definitely a statement, she couldn’t deny it. She knew it when she climbed on and wrapped her arms around him. But still... “I wasn’t wearing your cut.”
“Not yet.”
That was a line she wasn’t sure she wanted to cross. Because the minute she slipped on a “Property of Trip” cut that’s exactly what she became. Property. However, she saw the way things were headed, especially when she knew he’d claim her in front of the rest of the committee, that was the direction this was going anyway.
She had tried to ignore it. But it was getting to the point where she couldn’t ignore it anymore. Trip would want to push on, claiming her and making her untouchable to the rest of his brothers.
Hell, to any other man.
Or at least that was supposed to be how it worked. Though, that was one of the reasons the Fury imploded in the first place. The biggest reason. Not only because Trip’s father cheated on his ol’ lady, which was common amongst the Originals, but because he slept with Sig’s mother. And not just once, either. When the truth was discovered, it had been going on for years. Years. Like a dozen or so. Stella had no idea how they got away with it for so long.
It always seemed that when a brother claimed an ol’ lady, it meant she was to remain loyal to her ol’ man. But her ol’ man? He didn’t follow the same rules. The problem only came about between Buck and Razor because Silvia was Razor’s ol’ lady. And while bikers didn’t care if another brother cheated on his ol’ lady, they had a huge problem if he cheated with one of theirs.
Total fucking hypocrites.
But that was the way of the MC. She also did not want to live that. Where Trip was her one and only and she had to watch him getting whatever whenever from whoever.
She refused to live that life. She was also not going to let him rule her life, either.
If she ever committed to a man again, it would be fifty-fifty. She was not a doormat for a man to wipe his dirty boots on.
Not now. Not ever.
“Are you going to push this? Because if you are, I’m going to push back.”
He rolled into her, crowding her with his presence. “Not gonna push shit. Want you there. But want you to wanna be there. Hopin’ you see it’s where you belong.”
Being on the back of Trip’s sled felt right. Once again, that warm feeling of home swept through her like it had earlier during the run.
Born into the Fury, maybe it was where she belonged. Had fate brought her full circle?
That warmth in her belly suddenly mixed with uncertainty because it wouldn’t take much for things to go badly. Like it had when their fathers were wearing those same cuts the guys wore today.
That unsureness and worry pushed away that warmth. But her gut turned to a block of ice with his next question.
“Would you have another one?”
Shit. She could hardly inhale enough air to ask, “One what?”
His palm slid from where it was settled possessively over the S pendant lying between her breasts to her belly. Right where her scars were. Right where her stretch marks were. Right where she nurtured her own baby while he grew inside her.
“Kid.”
Her heart began to pound in her ears. Why was he doing this now? They’d had a good day. A perfect day full of sun, smiles and laughter. Why was he bringing the darkness into the night? “I... don’t know.”
“Want a son.”
Stella moved her hand to settle next to his, not touching, but close, as she remembered her stretched belly, the moment Kade was placed on her chest with his umbilical cord still attached. The first time he latched on and nursed. When he ate his first solid food. When he said his first word. When he first said, “Momma.” When he first stood, first walked. First rode a bike without training wheels. His first skinned knee she kissed. The tears—both hers and his—on the first day of kindergarten.
When he caught his first fish with his father on the shore of the Susquehanna River. A Sunny. But she would have thought it was a fifty-pound tuna with how big his smile was. How big his father’s smile was.
All of those memories so precious. Priceless.
While she was glad she had those, she was also sad she no longer had new ones to store away. And never would. That opportunity had been ripped from her.
Even so, she never wanted to replace Kade. Never. He’d always own her heart. And not just a piece of it, either.