Page 55 of Master's Rise

Freedom spins me around. “He claimed you. That’s like married in biker world. You’re his ol’ lady.”

Oh fuck. “Married? I’m married?” My squeak has her head moving up and down like it’s true.

Oh My God. “He didn’t give me a ring or anything.”

Her head keeps moving but now she’s smiling. “I’m not married. No ring. No papers. You get papers when you get married. I didn’t get papers.”

Beacon is laughing. I look at him still stuck on married. “You never laugh. You hardly smile.” The smile is gone. “I didn’t get papers,” I tell him.

There’s the smile again. “You get a cut. It’s a property of cut that will have Cort’s name on it.”

“Oh. He said a cut will be here later. So, I’m biker-married?” This isn’t just crazy it’s utter lunacy.

He nods. No. I look at Freedom’s still nodding head and reach up to hold it still. “Stop it. Is this real? I’m biker-married and it’s done? There’s no paper.”

She laughs. “You don’t need paper. You only needed to agree and it’s done. He’s President. It’s like law. No one fucks with you or the whole Club will go to war to fix it.”

Holy mackerel. “No paper. I’m biker-married.” Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll believe it.

She laughs. “No paper. You already love him. Now you don’t have to do the flower power wedding trip shit Victory would have surely killed you with.”

“Oh shit, no none of that.” No hashish laden goodies. No seventies ugly colored flowers and crystal decorations, no cleansing for every step I take.

As she’s pulling me away, Beacon is laughing. “You dodged a bullet doing it this way. Good going, Seren.”

I nod automatically. “I dodged a bullet.”

Cort scoops me up and all I can do is hold on. “We good?”

I nod automatically again. “No paper. You claimed me and I get a cut with your name. We’re biker-married and I’m old.”

He laughs. “Notoldan ol’ lady.”

My head’s moving again. “Yeah, that.”

“You’re cute, Kram. I love the cute, the sassy and the smart. Kiss me so we can get back to work. I want to pick up your cut too. They said it would be ready before you’re off. My name on your back will be an honor I don’t take lightly. You’re my everything, little Kram.”

He kisses me and I’m back to barely-breathing-no-chance-of-thinking.

When he leaves, all the Brothers do. I’m standing in the lobby with Victory excitedly talking to Sammy, my workers are still watching like the lobby is packed and Freedom is standing by me not saying a word.

I take a deep breath. I’m married biker style. It happened in five minutes.

“Your head clear yet?” Freedom asks.

What? No, it’s not clear! I’m fucking biker-married! “Yeah.”

She laughs then pulls me to a table. “The man loves you. He just told you you’re his everything. Think about who he is. That means something. He doesn’t spout shit, he does shit. You knew he was claiming you but didn’t question it?”

“I was busy getting busy. I thought I’d ask today. All he said was,I’ll claim you tomorrow. Since his dick was still in me, I figured he meant better sex or something.” I think about that as she laughs. “I don’t know how it could get better.”

She laughs more. Sammy drops pizza and waters on the table and Victory sits smiling like she won the lottery. I look at Freedom. “He says what he means. You need to ask if you don’t get it. You love him and he obviously loves you. You got this.”

I laugh in a not so cute, high-pitched sound. “I don’t even know whatthisis. Do I have to make him dinner every night? Change my name? Shouldn’t we have talked about expectations? The future...something?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “What are your expectations of him?”

Ummm. I love who he is. He helps people. He’s crazy about it but I love that too. He makes me laugh and treats me like I matter. “I don’t really have any. What should they be?” I don’t have married friends. Harmony's husband left when she got pregnant.