Page 12 of Property of Blade (Kings of Anarchy MC: Alaska #1)

Tessa tilts her head slightly as if she’s considering it. “I’ve tried before. They all look...” she pauses, searching for the right word, “... annoyed.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised.

“Yeah.” She shrugs. “He’s nice to me when he comes into the café, but outside of it, it’s as though I don’t exist.”

“That’s weird,” I say, frowning at the thought.

“You’re telling me.” She gives me a playful wink as I finish washing and drying my hands. “Have a good night.”

We step out of the bathroom together, and as we pass the men’s room, the grumpy old man from the café walks out. He sneers at us, his eyes narrowing with disdain.

“I see you’re sitting with the Kings.” He spits on the floor right in front of us, making a point of it. “You watch yourself, girlie. They ain’t right.”

Before I can respond, Vex appears, almost out of nowhere, glaring at the man. “Do we have a problem?”

Blade steps up behind Vex, towering over the old guy. The man quickly shakes his head, grumbling as he shoves past them. Blade’s eyes follow him, and Vex meets his gaze, exchanging an unspoken understanding.

Tessa, sensing the shift, says with a forced smile, “Hi, Vex, fancy meeting you here?”

Vex barks out a laugh. “Outside the toilets?” His voice is full of amusement.

The smile slips from Tessa’s face, and she glances over at me, her eyes telling a different story. “See you around.”

I watch as she walks away, and once she’s far enough out of earshot, I turn to Vex, slapping his chest with a playful slap. “That was rude.”

“What?” Vex looks between Blade and me, his expression darkening.

“She likes you,” I say, raising an eyebrow, clearly amused by his reaction.

Vex’s eyes bulge. “She does not.”

I give him an appraising look, shaking my head with a smirk. “Men can be so stupid sometimes.” I walk back to the table, feeling a little lighter.

Blade sits down next to me, but Vex leaves the bar.

I glance at Blade, the curiosity creeping in. “I hope that wasn’t because of me?”

Prophet chuckles from across the table, his voice light with humor. “No, it’s because of Vex.”

Blade slides my credit card back across the table to me. “This one was on me.”

I shake my head, pushing it back toward him. “No, that’s not what we agreed on.”

He nods, a small, reassuring smile tugging at his lips. “You can get the next one.”

A flutter of butterflies stirs in my stomach at the thought of another date, another chance to spend time with him. Quietly, I murmur, “Okay.”

Blade winks at me, and I swear those butterflies in my stomach take flight, tumbling around in a storm.

To calm the rush of emotions swirling inside me, I ask, “How did you get the name Blade?”

Without missing a beat, he reaches behind him, pulls out a knife, and holds it out to me.

I look down at it, my breath catching for a moment.

The craftsmanship is undeniable. The blade is sharp, gleaming with intricate patterns etched across its surface, swirling and twisting as if something ancient, something from a time long past.

I can feel the weight of it as I take it from him, the handle solid in my palm, a perfect fit.

It’s made of dark and light striped material, bone or horn, maybe.

It’s smooth, the curves flowing seamlessly from one to the other.

The black-and-white stripes almost seem to dance as my fingers trace them, hypnotic in their elegance.

It’s more than just a weapon. It’s art, pure and simple.

Every detail, curve, and line are crafted with such care, and I can’t help but admire it.

“I made it,” Blade says, his voice low, but there’s a hint of pride in it.

I blink, my mouth hanging open for a moment. “It’s beautiful.”

He holds out his hand, and I reluctantly pass the knife back to him, feeling the loss of its weight in my palm. “Do you make many of them?” I ask, curiosity slipping into my voice.

“Not really. Why, do you want one?” he responds, his tone light but with that underlying hint of challenge.

My face heats as I blush, and I feel a little silly admitting it. “You’re going to think this is nerdy, but I whittle.”

“Whittle?” he asks, clearly intrigued but a little confused.

I rush to explain, my words tumbling out faster than I intend. “I carve things. It keeps me busy when I’m watching TV or listening to a podcast, so I don’t bite my nails.”

Blade slips the knife back into its sheath, then reaches for my hand, his gaze focused on my nails. “You don’t look like you bite your nails.”

I can’t help but laugh—the sound light and a little nervous. “That’s because I whittle.” I smile at him, the moment feeling oddly comfortable despite the strange conversation.

“I’ll make you one,” Blade says, his voice steady, but there’s a glint of something in his eyes.

“Wait!” Ranger and Hollywood both say, their voices are sharp with a mix of surprise and urgency.

Ranger doesn’t hesitate. “You promised me one.”

Hollywood chimes in, “And me.”

Blade smirks, unfazed by their sudden outburst. “And you’ll get it. After Hannah.” He shoots them a look, letting them know there’s no arguing.

The food arrives, and my eyes widen when I see what Blade has ordered. Not only does he have a pizza for me, but he also ordered himself a massive burger loaded with all the fixings, a side of fries, and chicken wings. It’s a feast.

“Dig in,” Blade says with a grin, motioning to the spread of food.

I glance from the pizza to his towering meal. “I thought you were going to help me eat my pizza?”

His brows furrow in confusion, and he nods. “I will.”

I point to his food. “But you’ve got all that.”

Blade nods again, unfazed. “Yeah.”

I look at all the food on the table, and it hits me—there’s enough here to feed the whole bar.

I can’t help but ask, “Do you always eat this much?”

Before Blade can answer, Ranger chimes in with a straight face, “I don’t. I’m trying to watch my figure.”

The table erupts into laughter, and Blade leans in closer, his voice playful but serious. “I have a high metabolism, and I haven’t eaten much today.”

I take a bite of my pizza, savoring the cheesy goodness as Blade picks up his burger, diving into his meal with a kind of focused hunger that makes me smile.

We settle into a comfortable silence, each of us enjoying the food, but now and then, our eyes meet, and I can’t help but feel the spark of connection.

I finish my third slice, wiping my hands on the napkin. “I’m done,” I announce, leaning back in my chair and stretching slightly, feeling pleasantly full.

Blade looks at me, his brow raised in concern. “Are you sure?”

I nod, but there’s a hint of a smile on my lips. “Yeah. I can’t eat anymore.”

Without missing a beat, he reaches over and grabs my remaining slices, effortlessly finishing them as if there was never a doubt.

The night winds down, and before long, it’s time to leave.

I stand up and walk around the table, giving each of the men a hug.

Some of them are stiff, unsure how to respond, but others pull me in tightly, almost too tightly, making it feel as though they don’t want to let go.

There’s a sense of protectiveness in the way they hold me, and I feel a warmth spread through me as I move from one to the next.

When I reach Blade, he pulls me in, his arms wrapping around me as if I’ve become a part of something bigger. He squeezes me close, just long enough to make my heart skip a beat, then lets go, his hand resting briefly on my back.

“Thanks for tonight,” I say softly.

“Anytime, Hannah,” Blade replies, his voice low and comforting.

He walks me out to his truck, opening my door before we head off into the night. As we pull away from the bar, my eyes catch something in the side mirror, a flash of a familiar face. I blink, trying to make sense of it, but my heart sinks when I realize who it is.

Travis.

He’s standing outside, talking to someone, and for a moment, everything else fades away. Time rewinds to a place I thought I’d left behind. My stomach tightens, and I quickly look away, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling.

“Is everything okay?” Blade asks, his voice cutting through the silence as if sensing something’s off.

I nod, forcing a smile, but it fades quickly. “Yeah, just... well, I thought Travis would have left town.”

Blade doesn’t push me, but I feel the weight of his attention. The rest of the ride home is quiet, the only sound being the hum off the engine.

When we pull up in front of my house, I hesitate, my words stumbling out in a rush. “D-do you want to come in for a coffee?”

Blade glances at his watch, conflicted. “I can’t. I’ve got a job.”

Disappointment creeps into my voice. “Oh, someone’s run off the road?”

He smiles, shaking his head. “Nah, I have a few jobs, and this one can’t wait.”

“Okay.” I nod, a little deflated. “Well, ah, see you around.”

“Wait.”

Blade’s voice stops me, and before I can process it, he’s opening his door and hurrying around the truck to open mine.

“You didn’t have to,” I say, surprised by the gesture.

“Yeah, I did.” His voice is low, but there’s a playful edge to it.

He walks me to my front door, and when we get there, I notice something taped to it. A fake red rose, the kind that’s clearly meant to look romantic but only comes off as a tacky joke.

“Ugh,” I groan, feeling the irritation build.

“Secret admirer?” Blade asks, his voice tinged with amusement.

“Probably Travis. Some guys can’t take no for an answer.” My hand instinctively touches the scar on my face, a reminder of everything I’ve been through with him, the way he made me feel less than. Without thinking, I rip the flower off the door. “This is going straight into the trash.”

Blade doesn’t say anything. He just watches quietly as I open my door. Grace darts out, her little gray fluff ball body wrapping itself around Blade’s leg.

“Grace!” I gasp, worried.

Blade kneels gently, picking her up. “Hello, Grace.” His voice softens, and when he hands her back to me, his words are full of care. “Make sure you don’t let her wander outside. There’s lots of wildlife who’d eat her.”

“I won’t,” I promise, feeling a strange warmth at the concern in his voice. I smile awkwardly and take a step inside, my hand still on the door. “Thanks for a lovely night.”

Blade takes a step back, his eyes lingering on mine. “Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?”

“Yep.” I swallow, trying to fight the awkwardness that’s bubbling up. “Okay, well, see you around.”

I shut the door, the weight of the night settling in as I put Grace down and lean against the door.

My heart feels heavy and light all at once.

It feels as if I should have just shaken his hand.

But there’s something in the way he looked at me.

It made me feel seen in a way that no one else has for a long time.

A knock sounds on my door. My heart jumps, and I hurry to answer it. When I open the door, Blade stands there, his expression intense but soft, like he has made up his mind about something.

Before I can say a word, he steps closer, his hand reaching up to gently cup my face. His touch is warm, reassuring, and everything else fades away. His thumb brushes against my cheek, and my breath catches in my throat.

And then, before I can respond, his lips are on mine, soft and insistent.

The kiss is slow at first, as if he’s testing the waters, but it quickly deepens, and I melt into him.

The world outside my door disappears. It’s just him and me, the feel of his lips, the warmth of his hands, the way he makes me feel like I’m the only thing that matters in this moment.

His kiss makes my head spin, and I lean into him, letting him lead, feeling the spark between us grow hotter with every second.

It’s almost as if he’s kissing away all the doubt, all the fear, all the things I’ve carried with me for so long.

I let go of everything, surrendering to the feeling of being wanted as if I’m not broken but whole.

When he finally pulls back, I’m breathless, my heart pounding in my chest. He looks at me for a moment, his gaze tender, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I’ll see you soon, Hannah,” he says, his voice low, a promise of things to come. Blade holds out his knife to me. “So you don’t bite your nails. I’ll get it off you next time.”

Nodding, words fail me. I take it from him, watching as he steps back, then turns to leave.

Once he’s gone, I close the door behind me and lean against it, still feeling the heat of his kiss on my lips.

The night feels different now, charged and alive.

I’m excited to see what’s next for Blade and me, but one thing is for sure—there is going to be a next time.