Page 135 of Legacy

He stands up, swooping me off my feet and planting his lips on mine. My feet dangle above the ground, and my body clings to his.

When he finally sets me on my feet, I swear my heart is still floating above us. With the stars, full of hope, because this man has given me everything I didn’t know I could have.

“I love you, Jesse King.” I lift to kiss him again.

He smiles, murmuring against my mouth. “I love you too, sweetheart. ’Til my dying breath. And even then.”

39

Reagan

Two Weeks Later

My heart races asJesse makes the final turn into a neighborhood at the edge of the Vegas suburbs. The bike leans, and my fingers grip tighter. Every movement makes me tense, and even if he made it sound simple—lean when he leans—it’s easier said than done.

I’m probably the worst person he’s ever had on the back of his bike, but hopefully, he doesn’t care, seeing as it’s my first time.

Wind whips my hair around, and I melt against Jesse’s body. The road gets dangerously close with our turn, but just as I lose my breath, I’m pulled back up.

It’s terrifying and exhilarating.

At least it’s a good excuse to hang onto Jesse because I’ll never get tired of the feel of him.

When he finally rolls to a stop and cuts the engine, he holds out a hand to help me off. My feet are shaky as I find my footing and slip off my helmet.

“She survived,” Havoc says, grinning as he hops off his bike.

He was amused at how nervous I was before we left the clubhouse, and he’s chuckling now as he watches me wrangle the helmet and peel it off.

“She did great.” Jesse swings his leg over the bike. He strips off his own helmet and tips my chin up, planting a kiss on my lips. “My little koala bear.”

My heart flutters. “I think I like that nickname.”

He winks at me, brushing my lower lip with his thumb.

Jesse never teases me about the fact that this world is new to me. He appreciates handing me these experiences and easing me into my new reality of being a biker’s old lady.

As he pulls back, I take a look around the neighborhood. Unlike the compound, gated and closed off from the rest of Las Vegas, there’s nothing special about the street. It could be any other strip of houses in the Vegas suburbs.

“This is it?”

“Everything all right?” Jesse asks.

“I expected something more secluded for a safe house.”

He laces his hand in mine. “If something happens in a neighborhood like this, the cops will show up. It’s rare our rivals will take that risk, so it’s as safe as it gets.”

Looking around, I consider what he’s saying. The lavish houses. The pristine landscapes. People who live herehave something to protect. Their houses are armed with security systems, and if something were out of place—like a group of bikers rolling up in the middle of the night—they would call the police.

Maybe it does make sense after all.

“Let’s go.” Jesse leads me up the front steps of the house, with Havoc behind us.

He punches in a code and then uses a key to open a secondary lock before the door opens. Even in this neighborhood, it’s clear Ghost has security set to a maximum.

We step inside the house, and it’s as nice as the outside. Pristine and comfortable. It looks like home. Perfectly spotless and decorated.

The girl with straight black hair and piercing blue eyes I remember from the cage to my right greets us. I barely recognize her all cleaned up, and since she never spoke, I still don’t know her name. But it’s good to see color on her cheeks, even if her clothes hang baggy on her frame.

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