Page 158 of Property of Stone
“That’s where this story ends.”
She pulled in a breath.Bullshit.“You mean that’s wherehisstory ends.”
“Yeah. Don’t need to hear the fuckin’ details. Just like I ain’t gonna share what happened to your ex. Just know they both got what was comin’ to ‘em.” He dropped the remainder of the still-smoking cigarette to the driveway and ground it out with his boot. “Shoulda figured this out by now but got a thing about motherfuckers puttin’ their hands on females. I see that problem, gonna solve it.”
“Obviously. You solved it that day in the parking lot. You also solved it today.” She shouldn’t be relieved that Wren’s father was dead, but truthfully, she was. Was she a bad person for thinking that way?
At this point, she didn’t care if she was. Vic got what was coming to him, which was a generous helping of karma.
“Need to know if you’re gonna be able to deal with that kinda shit.”
She considered him. If she wanted to be with Stone, she needed to completely accept him for who he was and his lifestyle for what it was. If she couldn’t deal with the way he handled problems, she needed to leave. This was not a half in, half out situation. That wouldn’t be fair to Stone, or even the kids.
She also needed to remember the man spent over a year in prison for her without expecting anything in return. If she hadn’t tracked him down, he never would’ve searched her out to collect. He would’ve simply done his time and moved on.
Who else would’ve stopped Vic that day?
So many other people witnessed what happened at the popular shopping center and not one other person stepped in.
Not one.
Stone wasn’t a white knight.
He was a dark King.
And,holy shit, she loved him for who he was. For stepping in to help a woman he didn’t know. For how much he loved his daughter, despite them butting heads. For how much he cared about a six-year-old boy who wasn’t his blood.
He didn’t have to open his house to her and Wren, but he did. He took on that burden without complaint.
Her heart ached simply at the thought of leaving him and Sunny. Of breaking up their unlikely family.
Of never waking up next to Stone again.
Of never feeling his mouth on her. Of never feeling his hand spread possessively pressed to the small of her back. Or his heated eyes raking over her, causing every part of her to tingle.
Or his elusive smile pointed her way, making her heart swell.
“Do I have a choice?”
One side of his mouth pulled up. “Not if you wanna be my ol’ lady. Gonna come with the territory.”
“Then I guess I’ll deal.”
Both sides of his mouth were now hiked up. “Good choice.”
She hoped so. Time would tell.
What a crazy last few months. She’d gone from a personal chef and single mother, trying to make ends meet, to running successful online cooking tutorials and soon, to becoming a biker’s ol’ lady.
“Will I get to wear a Property of Stone cut?”
He snorted softly. “Damn right you will. Gotta tell every other motherfucker out there you belong to me.”
“How do I tell the world that you belong to me?”
He gifted her with one of those heart-stopping smiles. “By wearin’ that fuckin’ cut.”
At first she thought the cuts the women wore were oppressive. Now she couldn’t wait to put his on. Would she wear it all of the time? Of course not. But like his brothers’ ol’ ladies, she’d be fine with wearing it on the club runs. And maybe around The Castle to remind the other women that Stone was off the market.
