Page 47 of Rebel

I followed him back through the clubhouse to the lot out front.I climbed onto the back of his bike, my arms going around his waist.It didn’t take long to reach the house.When we got inside, I went to the spare room to get a change of clothes.But before I could go into the bathroom, he reached out to take my arm.

“You should use my bathroom.It’s bigger.You’ve been sleeping in my room anyway.”

I stared at him, trying to see if there was some hidden meaning to his words.He just watched me, leaving the decision to me.I gave a quick nod and went into his room, then into the adjoining bathroom.

I shut the door and leaned against the sink.I’d chosen violence and vengeance.I’d chosen to stand with the Devil’s Boneyard against their enemies.Against my enemies.And for the first time since I’d met Rebel, I found myself considering a future I’d been afraid to contemplate -- one where I fully embraced this life, with all its darkness and loyalty.One where I belonged at his side -- not just as a woman he protected, but as his equal.

His old lady.

The thought should have terrified me.Instead, it felt like coming home.Whether I wanted to fully admit it or not, I’d made my decision.I’d stay with Rebel.

Chapter Eleven

Rio

Steam followed me out of the bathroom, curling around my bare shoulders like phantom fingers.I’d scrubbed until my skin turned pink, washing away blood and grime until the water ran clear, but I couldn’t erase the memory of tonight’s violence so easily.Rebel’s T-shirt hung loose on my frame, the worn fabric soft against my freshly cleaned skin.I’d swiped it the morning I’d woken up in his bed and hadn’t given it back.Something about sleeping in it gave me comfort.

The bathroom mirror had shown me a woman I was still learning to recognize -- battered but not broken, eyes clear and determined despite the bruising.I stepped into Rebel’s room, my hair damp against my neck, and found him sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me.

He’d showered in the other bathroom while I’d taken my time under the hot spray.His hair was still wet, slicked back from his forehead, and he’d changed into clean sweatpants, his chest bare except for the tattoos that mapped his history across his skin.The Devil’s Boneyard insignia dominated his right pectoral, a reminder of where his loyalties lay.

The room felt different now -- more intimate in the soft glow of the bedside lamp.What had seemed Spartan before now registered as intentionally minimal.No distractions, no sentimentality.Just the essentials and space to breathe.It suited him.

“Feel better?”he asked, tracking my movement as I padded barefoot across the floor.

“Cleaner, at least.”My voice sounded rough even to my own ears.“Thank you.For having my back tonight.”

He shrugged, the gesture dismissive but not unkind.“You didn’t need me.You had those Army fuckers handled.”

“Still.It’s good to know someone’s there.”

A half-smile played across his lips.“Getting soft on me, Rio?”

“Maybe.”I sank onto the bed beside him, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his skin but not quite touching.“Or maybe I’m just tired of pretending I don’t care.”

His eyes sharpened, that intense focus that always made me feel like I was the only person in his world.He didn’t rush to fill the silence, just waited for me to continue.It was one of the things I’d first noticed about him -- how he could be still in a way few people managed, patient in his confidence.

I drew a deep breath, gathering my courage.Tonight had shown me something about myself, about what I was capable of and what I wanted.The woman who’d walked into the Moretti hideout wasn’t the same one sitting here now.The more time I spent with the club, the more I changed.I wouldn’t run from anyone who hurt me.I’d face everything head on, and I knew I’d have the club at my back and Rebel by my side.

“When I found Ellis and Denton tonight,” I began, my fingers tracing the edge of a bruise on my thigh, “I could have killed them.Part of me wanted to.”

“Why didn’t you?”No judgment in his tone, just curiosity.

I considered the question, searching for the truth beneath my actions.“Because death would have been too quick.Too easy.”I looked up, meeting his gaze directly.“I wanted them to remember.To know I’m not just some random woman they can terrorize.I have people behind me now, and I belong to something stronger than they are.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes, but he remained silent, letting me find my way, find the right words.

“I’ve been fighting my whole life, but especially since my discharge from the Army,” I continued.“Fighting to survive, fighting to stay independent.Fighting against needing anyone.But tonight, standing in that room with you behind me, I realized something.Being part of something doesn’t make me weaker.It makes me stronger.”

I shifted to face him fully, forcing myself not to look away despite the vulnerability of the moment.“I’m ready to be your old lady.”

The words hung between us, simple but profound.In the world of the Devil’s Boneyard, they carried weight that went beyond typical relationship labels.Being an old lady meant belonging -- to a man, yes, but also to the club.To a family bound by loyalty stronger than blood.

Rebel’s expression remained steady, but I caught the flash of something primal in his eyes before he controlled it.“You sure about that?Life with me, with the club -- it isn’t always going to be pretty.”

“Pretty’s overrated,” I replied.“I don’t need pretty.I need real.”

A slow smile spread across his face, satisfaction and something deeper warming his features.“All right, baby,” he said, the endearment rolling off his tongue with newfound possession.Without breaking eye contact, he reached for his phone on the nightstand.

---