Page 69 of Stoker's Serenity

I was floored and my heart melted at just how pure all of their smiles were and despite the rough appearances, the decidedly ‘outsider’ vibe they all threw off in every direction, I realized they also radiated kindness, the like I’d never seen from a group of “citizens” before.

At least, not in my own personal experience.

“Hey, Orchid!” Hope called from the porch as the door to the garage trundled down and I stepped into the driveway.

“Hey, Hope,” I called softly.

“Everything alright?” Cutter asked Stoker.

“Just peachy, Captain!”

“Ah-huh, looks that way,” he said, eyeing me.

I plastered on a smile and said, “I’ll be right down, just let me go change really quick. I’m sorry I’m holding you all up.”

“No hold-up, honey,” Atlas called. “As road captain, it’s my responsibility to keep us all on track and on time, and we got plenty of it. You go on and get cleaned up, wash your face, we got your landlady to keep us company!”

“Oh, my!” Mrs. Sedgwick cried and laughed with a blush. I smiled and Stoker put a hand to my lower back and guided me from behind up my steps to where I could unlock my apartment door.

Faith and Charity bounded up the steps after us and Faith called, “I want to see your place!”

I smiled and said, “Come on in.”

My bags were packed and by the door, my clothes for the ride laid out on the bed. I just needed to change, braid my hair, and we would be good to go. I was stopped by Stoker’s hand catching mine.

“Give us a minute,” he told Faith and Charity, and shut my front door in their faces. I felt my jaw drop and stared at him agape.

“Stoker! How rude!”

“Hush, they understand,” he said reeling me in. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“What? Did I do something wrong?” I asked. I was forever worried I was screwing something up in a big way. The lives the club led, the rules they followed, they were so different from anything I was used to and I was constantly afraid of misstepping, of doing something offensive, or of angering someone. Even unintentionally, it would be devastating for me.

“No, Orchid. Never. I just need to ask you something important.”

“What?” I asked, half afraid he was about to ask me to marry him or something. I mean, we were good together, and I was so very afraid that I loved him too, and what that could mean for him… I was already afraid for him loving me and what kind of trouble that could cause, but this was Stoker, and I had no real reason to worry for him. He was so confident and brave compared to me, so self-assured.

“I was wondering,” he said, “if…” He reached behind him, under his jacket and vest and brought out a folded package, wrapped in an orange bandanna, the four corners tied together in a short knot, the package flat and square and holding something leather.

“If?” I asked, cocking my head.

“If you would wear my rag, make it official and be my ol’ lady.”

I stared up at him and blinked, stunned.

“You’re serious,” I whispered.

“Yeah, babe. Already told you, I love you. I want to keep you safe, and part of that is declaring you mine before any other dude either in my club or one up north gets the wrong idea.”

“Wrong idea, how?” I asked, mouth suddenly dry.

He explained it, how women wearing the ‘Property of’ vests were considered off-limits to other men’s advances. I listened carefully as he explained the biker’s definition of ‘property’ and it was quite literally everything I had always ever wanted and feared I would never have.

“Yes,” I whispered, a sharp, healing ache throbbing once in the center of my chest with the word. “I’ll wear it, if you’re sure. If you’re really sure you want me in that way.”

“Little Orchid, I want you in that way for always, but I get that always is a really long time and a scary prospect, so I want to give you my rag and tell you for sure I want you that way for now, until you decide you don’t want me, okay?”

The mere thought of my ever not wanting him sent a lance of agony through me. I took the package from his hands and put my arms around him and we held each other like that in the air-conditioned hush of my apartment while the men of his club laughed below and Faith and Charity waited outside my door. I felt guilty about that, but I indulged myself for just a touch longer than I felt was polite because this moment held weight. This moment was so very important to me, for us, and I didn’t want to rush a thing.

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