Page 19 of Rebel

Rebel

I should have told Rio why we had three days.I’d had all night to say something.Now it was the next afternoon, and I still hadn’t said shit.She entered the living room, dressed and ready to go.

I cleared my throat.“Um, there’s something you need to hear before we go anywhere.”

“What?”She folded her arms, staring at me.

“The three days I mentioned yesterday.Charming said I had three days to either convince you to be my old lady, or you’d have to go.I did make it clear to him I wouldn’t send you off on your own.If you have to leave, I’m going with you.At least until those assholes are found and dealt with.”

“Old lady?”Her brow furrowed.

“You may have noticed some of the women around here also wear a cut like mine,” I said, tugging on the leather.“Except theirs sayProperty ofand whichever of my brothers they belong to.For instance, Havoc’s woman has one that saysProperty of Havoc.If you agreed to be mine, you’d get one too and it would sayProperty of Rebel.”

She opened and shut her mouth a few times, clearly at a loss for words.

“I know, it’s a lot to process.”I sighed.“It wouldn’t mean I own you.Think of it like a marriage, without divorce.Once you agree, that’s it.We’re together for life.”

“What the fuck, Rebel?I don’t even know you!”She took a step back, looking seconds away from running.

“I know, and I tried asking Charming for time.Three days is all he gave me.As for his reason, a lot goes down here.If you aren’t one of us, then you’re a liability.People from town are only allowed here to party, and there’s surveillance in the clubhouse.Cameras and audio.”

“Three days to decide something that will last the rest of my life?”she asked.

I nodded.“Yeah.It’s… well, you probably think it’s insane.But like I said, if that’s not something you want, I’ll go with you when you leave.Help watch your six until those men are caught.Or buried.I personally prefer option two.”

Her lips twitched like she might smile.“Fine.But I need the full three days to think it over, and I want to know more about what I’m getting myself into.”

“And that’s why we’re on our way to the clubhouse.About this time, two of the old ladies should be setting out lunch for the single guys.”

She followed me outside and climbed onto the back of my bike.We rode over to the clubhouse and parked at the end of a line of bikes.Looked like quite a few people were here already.

I guided Rio through the main doors of the Devil’s Boneyard clubhouse, my hand hovering near the small of her back without actually touching her.She’d made it clear she didn’t like being handled, and I respected that boundary.Rio’s gaze darted around, taking in every exit, every person, cataloging threats.Even after being with us a few days, she hadn’t broken the habit.I wondered if she ever would, or if she’d be on edge the rest of her life.It went beyond her military training.Because of what happened to her, she was in constant survival mode.

“You good?”I asked, keeping my voice low.

She nodded once, sharp and quick.“Fine.”

The main room buzzed with activity.A few brothers played pool in the corner, the crack of balls against each other punctuating the rumble of conversation.Behind the bar, bottles clinked as one of the Prospects restocked the shelves.Music thumped from speakers mounted on the walls, just loud enough to fill the space without drowning out conversation.

I spotted Jordan and Josie near the long wooden table that had seen more than a decade of club celebrations, and the occasional brawl.The scars in the dark wood told stories of their own.Today, they were laying out food -- burgers, wings, and sides that steamed in aluminum trays.It was something the old ladies had started doing a while back, making sure all the single men were fed.

“This way,” I said, nodding toward them.Rio followed, her stride confident but her body tense, like a spring coiled tight and ready to snap.

Jordan looked up as we approached, her eyes quickly assessing Rio before she offered a small smile.Josie continued arranging food containers, her movements efficient.

“Jordan, Josie, this is Rio,” I said.“Rio, these ladies have been with the club for a while.They know the score.”

Rio crossed her arms over her chest, chin tilted up slightly.“Hey.”

“Heard you know how to handle yourself,” Jordan said, wiping her hands on a towel.

Rio’s eyebrow quirked up.“Yeah, I guess.”

I moved toward the food.“You hungry?Josie makes the best pulled pork this side of the Mississippi.”

“Not really.”Rio stayed where she was, still scanning the room.

Jordan leaned forward, elbows on the table.“We’ve all been there, fighting our own demons.”Her voice dropped, intimate and knowing.“Every woman connected to this club has a story that would curl your toes.We’ve all had to prove ourselves, usuallytoourselves, one way or another.”

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