Page 83 of Rebel

Rebel pulled me against his side, his hand possessively on my hip.I felt the eyes of the room on us -- some curious, some approving, some calculating.My left hand came up instinctively to rest on Rebel’s chest, the silver ring catching the light.

The flash went off, immortalizing the moment.

“One for the wall,” the photographer said, gesturing to the clubhouse wall where dozens of photos chronicled the club’s history.

I looked at that wall -- fights won, brothers lost, celebrations and mourning captured in faded photographs.Soon our picture would join them, marking this night as significant enough to be remembered.

Rebel kissed my temple, his lips lingering.“No going back now.”

I turned to face him fully, my hands coming up to rest on the leather of his cut, fingers tracing the patches that told his story in the club.“I don’t want to go back.I’m right where I belong.”

His eyes darkened, and he lowered his head to capture my lips in a kiss that drew whistles and catcalls from around the room.I didn’t care.Let them watch.This was my family now, my world -- for better or worse.

Chapter Nineteen

Rebel

I leaned against the kitchen counter, beer in hand, watching Rio tear through my house like a force of nature.She’d been at it for less than two hours and already half my shit was stuffed in trash bags.Before I could ask what she planned to leave, the front door banged open and three of my brothers from the Devil’s Boneyard MC piled in with boxes of what looked suspiciously like new furniture.

“What the hell is this?”I asked, straightening up.

Rio flashed me a grin that hit me right in the gut.“Reinforcements.”

“You got yourself a woman who’s too good for you,” said Phantom, dropping a box with athudthat shook my floor.“Figured we’d help her whip this place into shape.”

I shot Rio a look.“You called in the cavalry.”

“Damn right I did.”She tossed her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder, those blue eyes challenging me to argue.“You want me staying here, want me to make this place a home, then it’s out with the old and in with the new.”

“But…” I glanced around.If she was going to do this, why hadn’t she done it sooner?Then again, wehadbeen incredibly busy.With her issue, Java, and dealing with the Morettis and Vata, it hadn’t exactly been quiet around here.Or had she been waiting on something more official showing she was mine, like her ring and property cut?Whatever the reason, she could do what she wanted with this place.It was her home too.

The guys laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile.Rio had already carved out a place in my life that felt inevitable, like she’d always been meant to be there.

“Move your ass, Rebel,” she commanded, pointing to a stack of flattened boxes.“Start packing up that disaster you call a bookshelf.”

I saluted sarcastically but did as I was told.Within thirty minutes, my house had transformed into a war zone of activity.Chaos and a new Prospect, Andrew, showed up with an actual couch -- not just any couch, but a deep sectional that looked like it cost more than my bike.When I raised an eyebrow at Rio, she just shrugged.

“I saw an ad in the paper.A man’s ex left it behind and he wanted it gone.Got it for a steal.”

The music started next -- someone had hooked up a speaker, and the heavy bass of Metallica thrummed through my house.The sound bounced around the space, mixing with laughter and the scrape of furniture across my floor.

“Christ, brother, when’s the last time you cleaned under this?”Chaos held up a dust bunny the size of a small animal that he’d discovered under my TV stand.

“That’s been there so long it deserves squatter’s rights,” I shot back, but I felt a twinge of embarrassment as Rio glanced over, her nose wrinkling.

She didn’t say anything, just tossed me a roll of trash bags and went back to organizing the kitchen cabinets.That was the thing about Rio -- she called me on my shit without making me feel like garbage.It was refreshing as hell.

More club members streamed in as the evening progressed.Someone ordered pizza -- the good kind, not the cheap shit I usually got.Beer flowed, and the work somehow continued despite the party atmosphere that had developed.My bachelor pad was steadily transforming into something that actually looked like a home.

I caught sight of Rio across the room as she directed two Prospects where to place a bookshelf that had appeared from nowhere.A lock of hair had fallen across her face, and she blew it away with a puff of air, hands on her hips as she surveyed her domain.Something warm expanded in my chest at the sight.

“She’s something else,” a voice rumbled beside me.

I turned to find Azrael beside me, watching Rio with an appreciative nod.

“Yeah,” I agreed.“She is.”

“Don’t fuck it up,” he advised, slapping me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stumble.

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