Maybe Soul is right, and he won’t ever settle down. If it weren’t for Aimee, I wouldn’t have. But as I make my way into the clubhouse and find her on the back patio with a camera aimed at the desert, I’m happy it didn’t come to that.
I step outside, shutting the slider behind me. “You got my gift.”
“I did.” She smiles, holding the camera up between us. “It’s been a long time since I’ve taken any pictures.”
“No pressure.” I shrug, wrapping my arms around her waist. “You just mentioned you missed it, and I thought—”
She cuts me off with a kiss. Her lips meet mine, and I can’t contain the growl that climbs my throat. There’s nothing like the feel of this girl. The smell of her. If it weren’t mid-morning with the club buzzing around, I’d lie her out right here and fuck her.
“Thank you.” She sinks back on her heels, breaking our kiss. “Speaking of pictures, I have a question for you. What are those pictures on the wall in church?”
“The ones of the road?”
She nods. “Are they anything in particular?”
“We all take a picture on our first run as a ranking member and hang it on the wall. It’s a way to mark becoming a leader in the club.”
“I love that.” She smiles.
“I thought you might.” Leaning in, I brush a kiss on the apple of her cheek.
“Maybe I could start something similar, but different, of course.”
“What were you thinking?”
Her gaze drifts inside. “There’s an empty wall in the kitchen. I was thinking we could fill it with pictures of the club. The guys, their families. Something to make this place feel more like home.”
“I told you we could build our own home if you want.”
Aimee doesn’t know it yet, but I already negotiated a piece of property with Steel, so we have a spot whenever she’s ready.
“I know, and we can when the time is right. But that would beourhome. This is different. It’s for the club’s family.”
“Hmm.” I look over my shoulder and glance through the glass.
Chaos is playing darts with Luna, while Ghost sits on a couch working. A few members and patch bunnies are walking around talking. I love that my girl is finally seeing the club for the family it is.
“What do you think? Will Steel approve of it?”
“I think he’ll love it.” I hug her tighter. “And I love you.”
She giggles when I bury my face in the corner of her neck. “I love you too.”
“Good.” I pull back and notice her face fall when she spots Patch inside. “Did you go speak with your father this morning?”
While Iwas dealing with the feds and finding ways to keep them out of the clubhouse, Aimee decided she was finally ready to face her father, who has been in Patch’s care since we saved him from the Iron Sinners.
“It didn’t go well.” She frowns.
“How so?”
Aimee sighs, slipping out of my grasp to drop into one of the chairs on the patio. “He told me everything that happened. How he’s worked for them since I was born. How he used their blood money to pay for almost everything we had, and how that’s the real reason Mom left. He explained how he messed up some documents and that Titan took a big loss because of it. He finally admitted that he was the reason Titan kidnapped us that night. It had nothing to do with the Twisted Kings. Titan didn’t even know about my ties to you until later, when his men searched my father’s house and found our letters.”
“That’s a lot to process.”
“It is.” She sets her camera down. “But when he was done, he still had the nerve to ask me why I’m staying. He wants me to leave with him.”
Amusement falls from my face.