Page 81 of Rebel

“We can get it sized,” he said, noticing.

I shook my head.“It’s perfect.”

He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles just above the ring.The gesture was surprisingly tender from a man I knew could break another man’s jaw with a single punch.

“We should tell Charming,” I said.“Isn’t this the sort of thing he needs to know?”

Rebel nodded but didn’t release my hand.“In a minute.”

He pulled me closer, one arm sliding around my waist as his other hand cupped my cheek.His kiss was gentle at first, then deepened with a hunger that matched the urgency of everything else that seemed to happen to us, or around us.

When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath his shirt.

“So,” I said, trying to regain my composure.“Mrs.Rebel.That has a certain ring to it.”

His laugh rumbled through his chest.He tilted my chin up.“It’s Mrs.Morreli, but you already know that.Though if you want to keep your name, I won’t stop you.”

My fingers found the ring, turning it on my finger -- a new habit already forming.Mrs.Morreli.I liked it.

“Come on,” Rebel said, taking my hand again.“Let’s go find Charming.”

As we headed back toward the stairs, the ring on my finger caught the light once more -- a small but significant weight, a tangible symbol of how completely my life had changed since I’d arrived here.

Rebel led me back to the main room, my hand firmly clasped in his.The noise hit us like a physical wall -- music cranked to eleven, laughter, the clash of bottles and glasses.He paused, his gaze searching mine.“Ready?”

I nodded, my fingers instinctively touching the silver band on my left hand.The celebration rolled over us like a wave.Judging by the smiles and knowing looks, someone had tipped them off.Of course they had.Nothing stayed secret in this clubhouse for long.

The main room of the Devil’s Boneyard clubhouse pulsed with energy.Bodies pressed together, the smell of leather, whiskey, and cigarettes creating the distinctive scent I’d come to associate with safety.The speakers blared rock, though the melody was nearly drowned out by the roar of voices.

“There they are!”someone shouted, and suddenly all eyes turned our way.

Rebel’s hand tightened around mine.For all his cockiness, I could feel the tension radiating from him.This was a big step for him too.In the club’s world, what you loved could be used against you.And I could tell, without him saying anything, he loved me.It might not be the fairytale kind some women dreamed of, but I didn’t need all that.All I needed was Rebel.

A path cleared through the crowd as Charming approached us.He stopped a few feet away, looking between us before his gaze dropped to my hand.

“So he finally did it,” Charming said, his deep voice carrying even over the noise.“About damn time.”

A cheer went up from the gathered members.Rebel’s chest expanded beside me, pride straightening his spine.

“You got something to say to me about it?”Rebel challenged.

Charming’s mouth twitched.“Yeah.Your taste in women is better than your taste in bikes.”He turned to me.“You sure about this one, Rio?Not too late to upgrade to someone who doesn’t snore like a chainsaw.”

The laughter that followed eased some of the tension in my shoulders.This was how they showed acceptance -- rough humor and gentle ribbing.

“I’ll take my chances,” I replied, squeezing Rebel’s hand.

Charming nodded, then his expression shifted to something more serious.“We got business to handle first,” he said, glancing around the room.“Everyone’s here?”

A chorus of affirmations rang out.

“Good.”He turned back to us.“Shade filled me in on the timeline.We’ve got moves to make tonight, but before that --” He gestured to a table near the bar where something lay folded.“We’ve got a proper welcome to give.”

Rebel guided me forward, his hand moving to the small of my back.The crowd parted again, giving us a clear path to the table.As we got closer, I saw what waited there -- a leather cut, smaller than the men’s versions but unmistakably a Devil’s Boneyard vest.

My breath caught.I hadn’t expected this.Not today anyway.They’d said I’d have it quite a while ago, but one thing after another happened and it kept getting pushed off.I’d honestly forgotten about it.It made sense something like this would have been at the bottom of their to-do list.

Charming picked it up, holding it so I could see the front.Devil’s Boneyard MC.And under that, my name.Then he turned it around.The club’s emblem -- a stylized skull with horns -- was embroidered in the center.Unlike the men’s cuts, this one said “Devil’s Boneyard” on the top rocker and “Property of Rebel” on the bottom one.

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