The most amazing feeling of safety and love wrapped itself around Chloe, allowing her to fully relax for the first time since Logan walked out the door a few weeks ago. She put everything out of her brain and allowed herself to sleep, knowing the man surrounding her would keep the world at bay at least until she woke.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“HEY, BROTHER, DAMN good to have you back.” LJ held out a meaty hand. When Rocket grabbed it, LJ pulled him into a rib-shattering hug complete with a heavy back slap that stole his wind. And it damn sure didn’t do any favors for his sore body.
Still, it meant he was home, alive, and done with DarkOps.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.” Well, maybe back in bed. Buried inside his woman. But, damn if it didn’t feel good to be back in his cut and strolling into the clubhouse. Being absent so long really drove home where he belonged.
With his club family.
And his woman.
Chloe was off taking care of a few tasks at her house while Rocket met with Copper and the rest of the executive committee. Soon as the meet was over, he’d swing by and pick her up. Then they’d be heading to his place where he intended to barricade the door and keep her naked and satisfied for the next three or four days.
“How’d everything go in my absence?” Rocket asked the prospect he’d left in charge of his business for the past three weeks. LJ had been working for him almost two years now, and was personable, hardworking, and respected by everyone he came in contact with. He was turning out to be a perfect number two. The guy would make a great brother too. He was due to be patched in any time now. Actually, he was long overdue, but with all the chaos in the club recently, his patch-in had been delayed a few months.
Of course, LJ hadn’t bitched once. He’d taken on every chore the club assigned him, shitty or not, and performed it like a rock star. About nine months ago, he’d suffered a nasty beating while trying to protect Maverick. Ended up in the hospital for a good few days. Never wavered in his loyalty for a second. There wasn’t a brother in the club who wouldn’t vote him in in a heartbeat. Which reminded Rocket, he was supposed to be on the fucking party planning committee. Once again, LJ’s patch-in had been postponed due to club drama.
“Smooth sailing, Rocket. We’re actually ahead of schedule on the bank renovation.”
Rocket smiled. “Good work, man.” He shook LJ’s giant hand again. LJ stood for Little Jack which was pretty much the complete opposite of the six-foot-six-inch three-hundred-pound monster of a man. “Appreciate you stepping up.”
“Thanks for trusting me.”
“No one better for the job.”
LJ beamed, the hulk looking more like a boy who’d been given a treat.
“Prez in?”
“Yeah, most of ’em are there. Think they’re just waiting on you and—”
Maverick burst through the door.
“Maverick.”
He strode into the room with a shit-eating grin on his face and a bandage on his neck. New tat probably. Seemed like he was gunning for Guinness Book status. “Yo, LJ, you seen the porn with that tall blonde chick with big tits? You know, she’s sucking off that guy with the Godzilla dick, then he comes all over—”
“Seriously?” LJ cut in with a laugh. “The porn with the big-titted blonde and Godzilla-dicked dude? You pretty much described ninety percent of the porn out there.”
“Hmm.” Mav pursed his lips. “There was this thing in there I wanted to try with Steph, but I couldn’t find it again. Oh well. I’ll just have to get creative.” He waggled his eyebrows then turned as though just noticing Rocket was there. “Hey, Rocket, glad you made it home in one piece, brother.” Mav hugged him much the same way LJ did but without LJ’s bulk, Rocket didn’t feel quite so squashed by this one.
Still laughing, LJ said, “I don’t know how that sweet woman of yours puts up with your perverted ass, Mav.”
There went the eyebrows again. “That woman happens to love my ass. And my—”
“That your trap I hear running on and on out there, Maverick?” Copper’s voice boomed out of the chapel.
“Looks like our master calleth,” Mav said with a slap for LJ’s back. “Let’s roll, Rocket.”
They joined the rest of the exec board which consisted of Zach, Jig, Viper, and Copper. Screw had also been sitting in lately as he was working closely with Zach as backup enforcer. He hadn’t technically been patched long enough to hold an exec position, so he wasn’t allowed a vote, but he’d been vital to Zach over the past few months. After taking a vote, it became clear no one had issue with him attending the meetings.