Page 38 of Property of Blade (Kings of Anarchy MC: Alaska #1)
I smile, feeling overwhelmed but grateful for the warm welcome. “It’s nice to meet you all.” I look over at Blade, then back at the group of men. “Could they all wear their cuts permanently so I can read their names?”
Hollywood barks out a laugh, the sound loud and genuine.
“You’ll remember them in time,” Blade says, squeezing my hand gently before pulling me toward the kitchen area. “You hungry?”
“A little,” I admit, feeling the tightness in my stomach, whether from nerves or hunger, I can’t quite tell.
“What do we have?” Blade asks Prophet, who’s standing near the counter, sipping what appears to be coffee.
“Something smells good,” I add, letting the scent of whatever is cooking fill my senses.
Prophet smiles, his eyes lighting up with pride. “There are a couple of lasagnas in the oven. Once they’re done, we’ll throw in a few garlic breads. Is that okay?”
“Sounds perfect,” I say, smiling for the first time since I walked in. The warmth from the kitchen and the promise of food makes everything feel a little less overwhelming.
Ranger walks back in, empty-handed. I’m about to ask where Grace is when he steps aside, and there she is, trotting in right behind him, looking right at home. She jumps up on the table with a grace that matches her name and heads straight for Vex.
“Well, would you look at that? Vex has got himself a girlfriend,” Rooster teases, a wicked grin on his face as he watches the cat settle down next to Vex.
Vex, unfazed, shoots back, “Fuck you, you’re just jealous. Hannah says the cat’s a good judge of character, so I bet she doesn’t like you.”
Rooster steps closer to Vex, his eyes narrowing with a playful challenge. “Well, she’s going to fucking love me then.”
Rooster holds out his hand to Grace, and she immediately hisses at him, her fur standing on end.
Without missing a beat, she drops down onto Vex’s lap, clearly claiming him as her territory.
Vex laughs a deep chuckle that shakes his shoulders.
He picks her up gently and walks over to me, her little body tucked safely against his chest.
“Yep,” Vex says with a grin, his eyes meeting mine. “She’s a fantastic judge of character.”
I can’t help but laugh, relieved that Grace seems to be making her own kind of alliances already.
“What did you do to make her not like me?” Rooster asks, his voice dripping with mock frustration as he watches Grace cuddle up to Vex, clearly comfortable in his arms.
“Not a damn thing,” Vex replies smoothly, his fingers gently petting Grace under the chin. She purrs loudly, clearly enjoying the attention. “Grace just knows you’re bad news.”
Rooster raises an eyebrow, his lips turning down in a frown.
“But it is weird she likes me.”
“I’ll say,” Rooster counters, glancing at Vex with a look that mixes amusement and challenge.
Hollywood, who’s been leaning against the counter, chuckles and pipes up, “That color of green looks good on you.”
“Fuck you, big man,” Rooster shoots back. “I don’t see the cat running to you.”
Hollywood grins wide, stepping forward with a shrug. “That’s because Vex is holding her. Everyone loves me, you know that.”
I laugh softly, watching the banter unfold. The tension in the room feels lighter now, Grace working her magic with her discerning judgment of character.
“Can I show you around?” Blade asks.
“I’d like that.”
“Everyone, watch the cat,” orders Blade as he takes my hand and pulls me toward the door.
“Outside?” Blade nods. “But it’s dark.”
“We have lights. We don’t live in the Stone Age,” says Rooster.
Blade flips the switches near the door and guides me outside.
Stepping out into the crisp Alaskan night, guided by Blade’s firm hand, the compound unfolds before me.
Bathed in the soft glow of strategically placed lights, the shadows of trees stretch long across the rugged terrain, creating a contrast between the wild and the meticulously maintained space.
The air is sharp with the scent of pine, fresh earth, and wood smoke, grounding me in the raw beauty of this place.
As I glance back at the clubhouse, its sturdy walls rise against the dark sky, the flags on the walls, each one a testament to the pride of the men who built it.
I feel a warmth inside, and for the first time since I arrived, I realize I feel safe.
Blade leads me deeper into the compound, and my eyes follow the path, taking in the five small sheds scattered at intervals around the perimeter.
Each one is isolated, their rough-hewn structures blend into the landscape, purposefully and unpolished.
The distant hum of the wind through the trees is the sole sound, broken only by the crunch of our shoes against the gravel path.
In the middle of the compound, a cleared area opens up, revealing a fire pit at its center.
The stones surrounding it are worn, each one carrying the marks of past fires.
The area is wide and open, a natural gathering place, its vastness reminding me of how big and untamed the land around us is.
This place is more than just a compound—it’s a living, breathing entity, each corner holding stories of the men who built it, the lives they’ve carved out here in the wild, and now, the possibility of my own story becoming part of it.
Blade sees me staring at the sheds, the light from the compound casting long shadows across their weathered frames.
His voice breaks the silence, steady and calm. “The sheds are used for storage. Mostly food,” he says, his gaze following mine. “If any of us are up here when the snow comes, you can be stuck here for a while.”
The thought of being isolated, surrounded by nothing but the wilderness and a handful of men, is humbling but also a bit scary.
“Does that happen often? One of you getting stuck up here?” I ask, my voice soft with surprise.
Blade nods slowly. “Some of them live up here full-time. Chrome doesn’t like people.” His gaze drifts for a moment, and then he tilts his head toward me. “Are you okay?”
His concern catches me off-guard. I wasn’t expecting him to ask, wasn’t expecting that softness behind his tough exterior.
“Yeah.” I glance up at the sky, the stars scattered like diamonds above us. “It’s beautiful here.”
His eyes follow mine for a second, but then his voice lowers, quiet and intense. “Yes, you are.”
A laugh slips out before I can stop it, the sound light in the still air. I reach up, unable to resist, and kiss him. “Thank you.”
Blade’s arms encircle my waist instantly, pulling me closer. His warmth wraps around me, a solid comfort in the frosty night. “What for?”
I look up at him, my heart racing in a way that’s both familiar and new. “Taking care of me and Grace.” I wave a hand at the clubhouse. “Letting us stay here. No one’s ever taken care of me like you do.”
His gaze softens, the lines of his face more relaxed than I’ve seen them before. “Life up here is pretty simple. You protect what you love.”
The way he says it catches me off-guard, and my gaze drops to his chest, suddenly feeling a little too warm under the weight of his words.
I laugh nervously, trying to shake off the unexpected stir of emotions. “Anyway,” I say, quickly shifting the subject. “I didn’t realize you had a guy like Chrome who prefers the quiet life.” Even to me, this sounds lame.
Blade watches me for a moment but doesn’t press.
The air between us feels thick now, and I know it’s not just the silence.
As much as I’m drawn to him, something inside me pulls back.
I barely know Blade, so he’s still a stranger in so many ways.
And after Travis, after everything I’ve been through, I need to be careful about who I let in and trust. My heart has been through too much already to risk it on a man I barely understand. I can’t make the same mistake again.
“Come on, let’s get you inside before you turn into a popsicle.” Blade’s arms drop to his sides, but he reaches for my hand and leads me back inside.
The warmth of the clubhouse wraps around me as we enter, and Blade guides me into the kitchen.
My eyes go straight to the counter, where plates are stacked high at one end, and not two, but four lasagnas are in massive trays.
If there was any doubt that these men could eat, the sight of it immediately clears it up.
There’s a garlic bread for every person, at least. I glance around, trying to figure out where I fit into this picture.
“Hungry?” Prophet asks, looking at me from across the room.
“How much do you people eat?” I joke, raising an eyebrow.
Blade chuckles, his deep voice low. “We’re big eaters.”
Ranger, ever the helpful one, picks up a plate and hands it to me with a grin. “We eat like the big bad wolf.”
Blade’s eyes narrow, and he shakes his head at Ranger in mild annoyance.
“I can see that.” I give him a teasing smile. “Do you want me to serve the lasagna?”
Prophet shakes his head, his grin full of amusement. “We normally serve ourselves.” He hands me a metal spatula, his eyes twinkling. “You go first.”
I glance at Blade for a moment, unsure if he’s serious, but there’s a quiet warmth in the room. Pulling my attention away from him, I focus on the food instead.
“Thank you, kind sir.” I give Prophet a playful smile and dig into the lasagna with the spatula, scooping out a perfectly crisp corner piece.
“She’s taking the best bit,” Rooster complains, his voice dripping with mock indignation.
“For that, you go last,” Prophet says, his tone firm but with a glint of amusement.
Rooster’s face transforms into a scowl, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he doesn’t say anything else.
Instead, he crosses his arms and huffs, clearly not pleased with being bumped down in the queue.
The rest of the room carries on, unbothered, and for a moment, I’m struck by how easy it feels as though I’m simply another part of their club.