Page 38 of Royal's Reign
“More than enough,” he drops his head, and for amoment I’m not sure if he’s trying to lull me into a false sense of security. But then his head comes up, and he looks me straight in the eye. It’s then that I realize his head drop was to hide his shame. “I just wanna talk.”
“Let him in,” Gio’s voice comes from behind me. I look over my shoulder to find her dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, looking like an angel. Not one sign lingering from our lovemaking, other than the sparkle in her eye and blissful expression.
“Sis,” he exhales, stepping around me when I move back from the door. “How are you doing?” He asks his arms quickly wrapping around her shoulders, bringing her to him.
“I’m okay.” She tilts her head back so she can look up at her brother’s face. “In fact, I’m really good.” A smile lights up her face, her eyes finding me.
“So, you love him too, eh?” Grinder asks her.
Her cheeks flush, eyelashes flutter, lips press together as if holding in a scream of excitement. She’s got that innocent and mischievous look down to a tea.
“I do,” she nods her head just in case her brother doesn’t pick up on the rest of her body language. “I love Noah like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve pretty much carried a torch for him since I was eleven, but I guess I’d put it down to adolescent infatuation.”
“That’s news to me too, by the way.” I quickly assure, because eleven! I had no idea.
“But I can categorically say that I am one hundred percent, crazy in love with Noah King, and I need youto be good with that.” Stepping back from her brother, she holds out her hand to me. I make quick work of getting to her, take her hand with my right and wrap my left arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight into my body. I bring her hand up to my mouth and brush a kiss over her knuckles.
“I’ve asked her to be my Old Lady, and she’s agreed, but I need you to know that I intend to marry her, Grinder. Whether you accept that, that’s up to you, but I’m hoping you do.”
“For fuck’s sake, Royal, you’re not fucking waiting around, are you?”
“Not when it comes to this, no.”
“Then I guess as ma’s not here, it’s my duty to welcome you, officially this time, to the family.” He holds out his hand to me. For a moment I hesitate, thinking that he might fool me, and while I go in for the shake, he takes the chance to take a hit. When I tentatively hold my hand out towards him, he takes it — no trick, just a good old handshake. However, when he pulls me into him, his arm coming around me for the man hug, it doesn’t surprise me when he growls into my ear loud enough for me, but not enough for Gio to hear. “Prez or not, fucking hurt her, and I will end you.”
I turn my head, my mouth near to his ear, and reply, “And I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Epilogue
One month later
Royal
Leaving Gio sleeping soundly in my bed, I make my way downstairs to see what the damage is from the wild party that had been going down last night.
I’d officially made Gio my Old Lady yesterday; a celebration fit for any club president, his new lady and our club family, had been held long into the night.
Despite his words, I’m not sure if Grinder still has a simmering anger deep in his belly, not for Gio, but for me. One I can understand but thought had been resolved.
He knows I would never hurt his sister, or groomed her or any of that sick shit, but I can only guess the feeling he has of deceit and disrespecttoward me still lingers. Not so much as my club brother. More for the years of trust, brotherly love and bond we’d built from being kids. An alliance formed from shared grief almost destroyed both of us.
A bond with cracks. Ones I hope are superficial, which can be repaired in time, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that.
It was two days after Grinder had verbally given me his consent to make Giorgia mine that I’d asked him to join me down in the cellar. With the smell of bleach still lingering in the air, as his president, I ordered him to take a hit. To do what he needed to do, so we could get our friendship back on the right track and our positions in the club restored respectfully. He’d hesitated; his regard for club rules had him questioning himself, but he’d clenched his fist, pulled back his arm and made his first blow.
I took the punishment with only one thing on my mind, it was worth every cut, every bruise, if it meant I could keep both Gio and Grinder close.
Grinder could have really gone to town, and I wouldn’t have blamed him, but after one mighty punch to the face, giving me a cut lip and a bloody nose, three or four blows to the ribs, leaving a rainbow of bruises, he’d fucking hugged me. That was when I knew for sure we’d be okay.
My thrashing from Grinder was nothing compared to the verbal lashing he got from Giorgia, when she caught sight of me after, despite me assuring her I was okay with it. Everything was okay.
Since then, club life has been pretty much back to how it should be. The regular runs have been going like clockwork. The Saint’s garage is booked up solid for the next four months. I’ve even caught Gio in there many times. If she’s not talking pistons, crankshafts or clutch mechanisms, she’s sketching artwork for the custom projects. She’s a fucking talented artist and wasted staring at numbers in her office job. One thing I plan to change in the not-so-distant future. With the way things are going with the garage, I’m sure it would benefit from her working there full time.
I take in the chaos that litters the communal space in front of me as I stand by the apartment door. Boulder and Banshee are both laid on top of the pool table. The only things they’re wearing are a naked Poppy and Cherry. Not sure who is meant to be with whom as they’re just one tangled mess of legs and arms. A double twinning, so to speak.
Junk is asleep sitting up, his head tipped back, mouth wide and a loud rumbling snore. I’m surprised it hasn’t woken up everyone in the whole fucking clubhouse. Junk being Junk has his pants open, his shrivelled dick hanging limp, no doubt left like that after receiving a blow. The table in front of him is littered with bottles, overflowing ashtrays and remnants of white powder, I’m sure my men would have indulged in while partying hard. The whole place is a mess, but come afternoon, when everyone has slept off the liquor and drug-induced slumber, I’ll put them to work clearing this place up.
Gio and I had taken our private little party upstairs early. The fucking had been out of this world. I had made it clear to her now that she was officially my Old Lady how much attention I would be bestowing on her. So, I haven’t got a clue what else had gone on throughout the night while we were otherwise engaged.
