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Chapter Fifteen

R age

Killer whistled low as we entered Mac’s apartment. I watched as his eyes raked over Mac’s living room with the floral prints and mismatched furniture. “Fuck, it looks like my Tinamatua’s place back in New Zealand.”

I cuffed him on the back of the head. “Watch your mouth, asshole.”

Mac laughed as she set her keys on the counter. “Your who? And this is all mostly Sarah’s stuff. She loves thrift store treasure hunting.”

Killer smirked. “My grandmother.”

“And where is this famous Sarah?” Dread asked, lingering near the entry like he was afraid to touch anything. His shoulder was still bandaged from the shooting, but he’d insisted on coming to help. Said he was tired of sitting around on his ass all day.

“At work. She should be home soon, though.” Mac’s voice held a hint of nervousness I wasn’t used to hearing from her. “I texted her that we were coming.”

I slid my arm around her waist, pulling her against my side. “You okay, baby?”

She nodded, but I could feel the tension in her body. This wasn’t just about moving her shit out. It was about making our relationship official to the world—starting with her roommate.

“Where do you want us to start?” I asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She visibly relaxed. “Bedroom, I guess. I’ve already packed most of my clothes.”

Killer and Dread exchanged a look that I ignored. They’d been giving me shit all morning about being domesticated now.

The jealous bastards could fuck right on off.

I followed Mac down the hallway to her small bedroom at the back of the apartment with Hewie and Louie trailing behind me.

True to her word, several boxes were already stacked near the door, and her closet was half-empty.

“Damn, woman.” Dread whistled, eyeing the closet. “You think you got enough shoes?”

Mac’s nose wrinkled. “Don’t judge me.”

I couldn’t help but smirk. I’d said something similar not even a day ago when trying to Nike slides in the closet. She’d given me the most adorable death stare before telling me she’d find them.

“Killer, start taking those boxes to the truck,” I directed, pointing to the stack. “Dread, you good to help with the bookshelf?”

He rolled his eyes. “I got shot in the shoulder, not the dick. I can handle tossing books into a box.”

“Jesus fuck,” I groaned at the same time Mac fell into a fit of giggles.

I wasn’t surprised. Since patching up Dread’s shoulder, they’d become fast friends. She wasn’t the slightest bit bothered by his constant crude language. In fact, she thought he was funny.

For the next half hour, Mac carefully packed her collection of ceramic ballet dancer figurines into a box while I dismantled her bed frame.

The last thing I ever thought I’d do in my lifetime was move a chick in with me permanently.

It was crazy.

And yet here I was doing just that and fucking happy about it.

“Grab an end, babe.”

Mac grabbed ahold of the heavy bed and hefted it from the floor. Together we moved toward the front door. The sound of keys in jingling in the lock made Mac freeze mid-reach for the handle.

“McKenzie? You here?“ A female voice called out as the door slowly opened.

“Uh, yeah. Right here,” she said softly, shuffling back as she shot me an anxious glance.

A moment later, a brunette stepped inside, her eyes widening as she took in the scene.

She was exactly as Mac had described. Petite, dark-hair, bright eyes, and a sweet face that made her look younger than she probably was.

“Sarah,” Mac smiled, somewhat strained. “These are?—”

“I figured,” Sarah cut her off, her eyes darting between us nervously. Her gaze lingered on my tattoos before jumping back to look at Mac. “So, it’s really happening? You’re moving out?”

Mac set down the rail she’d been holding. “Yeah. I meant to talk to you about it earlier, but…”

“But you’ve been MIA for weeks,” Sarah finished, her tone carrying a hint of hurt. “I feel like I barely see you anymore.”

Killer and Dread exchanged another look before Killer cleared his throat. “We’ll take these boxes out to the truck,” he said, hoisting two large containers like they weighed nothing.

Dread followed, giving Mac a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he passed.

That was probably the smart move.

I followed, wanting to give them some space, when Mac caught my hand. “Stay,” she murmured. “Please.”

I nodded, squeezing her fingers.

If that’s what she needed, I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Can we talk privately?” Sarah asked, her eyes flickering to me and back to Mac.

“Anything you want to say, you can say in front of Rage,” Mac replied, her spine straightening. “He’s the reason I’m moving, after all.”

Sarah’s face fell. “I just... I’m going to miss you. That’s all.” She sighed, looking around the room. “It’s gonna be weird not having you here.”

The sincerity in her voice surprised me. I’d been expecting judgment or resistance, but Sarah just seemed genuinely sad to see her friend go. I felt a grudging respect for that.

“I know it seems fast,” Mac said, her own face falling. “But it’s right, Sarah. We’ve practically been living together already.”

Sarah nodded, her eyes finding mine. There was uncertainty there, but I didn’t sense any hostility. “You’ll take care of her?”

In that split second, Sarah had just earned my full respect. “Always.”

Mac’s hand squeezed mine as a silent thank you.

Sarah’s smile was small but genuine. “Well, I guess I should help you pack then, huh?” She crossed to Mac and pulled her into her arms. “I’m keeping my emergency fashion crisis privileges, though. Your wardrobe is way better than mine.”

Mac laughed, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Deal. And you know, just because I’m moving doesn’t mean we won’t see each other.”

“You promise?” Sarah asked, her eyes glassy. “Because I kind of need my best friend.”

“I’m not disappearing,” Mac assured her, pulling Sarah into a bigger hug. “We’ll still do brunch on Saturdays, and you can come visit anytime.”

I wasn’t entirely sure about that last part, but I kept my mouth shut. This mattered to Mac, so I’d make it work.

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, wiping quickly at her eyes. “God, I’m being so dramatic. It’s not like you’re moving across the country.” She looked at me, a hint of mischief entering her expression. “We’ve been inseparable since we were kids. Prepare yourself.”

“Great,” I replied dryly, earning a playful smack from Mac.

Sarah laughed, and all the remaining tension vanished. “Come on,” she said, hooking her arm through Mac’s. “Let’s tackle the bathroom. You always leave stuff behind.”

As they headed down the hall, I saw the way Dread looked at Sarah as she passed by.

I drug a hand down my face.

Fuck me. The last thing I needed was my brother fucking Mac’s best friend, then breaking her heart when he didn’t call her for a repeat.

I was just about to tell him not to go there when the front door opened again. Male voices carried through the apartment, and I felt my shoulders tense instinctively.

“Sarah? You home, babe?”

That voice.

I recognized it immediately from the day I showed to get Mac when he was bothering her.

Chad.

Stepping out into the hallway, I strode toward the living room. Dread, who appeared to have just come back in, was squaring off with Chad and some scrawny fucker I didn’t recognize.

“Who the fuck are you?” Chad demanded, his posture stiff as he eyed my brother.

“He’s with me,” Chad jump when I entered the room. The recognition in his eyes was immediate, followed closely by poorly concealed unease.

“Oh,” His eyes went wide as Killer stepped around him. “You again.”

Yeah motherfucker. “Me again,” I agreed, crossing my arms over my chest. I was getting sick of this prick and his fucking attitude. “You got a problem with that?”

Chad shook his head as he stepped away from Killer. “No. No problem. Uh, where’s Sarah?”

“Helping Mac pack,” Dread supplied, clearly enjoying the way Chad squirmed under his stare. “She’s moving in with Rage.”

The weasel dick motherfucker with a patchy beard who came in with Chad snorted. “Seriously? That hot bitch is shacking up with you?”

I turned my attention to him, letting my expression darken. “The fuck you just say?”

Chad’s friend blanched, backpedaling immediately. “No, man. No disrespect. Your bitch is hot.”

My jaw tightened. This little fucknut calling my woman a bitch made me want to rearrange his face.

Dread must have caught the shift in my mood because he stepped slightly closer, a silent reminder to keep my shit together.

“Why don’t you two fuck off somewhere else while we work?” he suggested, his tone deceptively light.

Chad sneered, some of his courage returning now that he was standing next to his buddy. “Last I checked, this is still Sarah’s apartment too. I’ve got every right to be here.”

I started to take a step when Mac and Sarah emerged from the bathroom, arms full of girl shit. Mac’s steps faltered when she saw Chad, her expression cooling noticeably.

“Chad,” she said flatly.

“Mac,” he shot back, his eyes traveling over her in a way that made my blood boil. “Heard you’re moving out. Can’t say I’m sorry to see you go.”

Sarah’s head snapped toward him, her expression hardening. “Chad! What is wrong with you?”

Mac ignored him completely, walking straight past to set her things in one of the empty boxes. She was trying not to let him see that he got to her but I noted the tension in her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin, her pride covering her discomfort.

Fuck that.

I was going to gut this fucker for making my woman uncomfortable.

“Killer, take that box to the truck,” I said calmly, never taking my eyes off Chad. “Baby, why don’t you grab your stuff from the kitchen?”

She glanced between me and Chad, realizing that I was really close to blowing a fucking gasket. Once she was out of earshot, I crossed the room, backing Chad against the wall.

Pure fucking terror flashed across his face as I leaned in close so only he could hear me.

“If I ever catch you looking at my woman like that again,” I murmured, keeping my voice low, “I’ll cut your fucking eyes out and feed them to you. Understand?”

His face went deathly white. “I—I wasn’t—“ he stammered, trying to backpedal.

“Shut up,” I cut him off. “Nod if you understand me, motherfucker.”

He nodded jerkily, sweat beading on his forehead.

I smiled darkly. “Good boy.”

Stepping back, I patted his cheek hard enough to sting before moving back to where Dread was standing with an amused grin on his face.

“Shit,” Chad’s friend muttered, his own face having gone several shades lighter.

“Come on, Tommy,” Chad said, his voice pitched higher than normal. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Good fucking idea.

They practically tripped over each other in their rush to get the hell out of Dodge.

“You scared the piss out of those two,” Dread and Killer chuckled. “Surprised they didn’t leave a wet trail on the carpet on their way out.”

I shrugged, rolling my shoulders to release some of the tension. “Fucker had it coming. You see how he was looking at her?”

“Yeah. You don’t have to explain it to me, brother,” Dread said, his expression turning serious. “I’d have done exactly the same thing.”

Mac and Sarah returned from the kitchen, both carrying boxes of what looked like cookbooks.

“Where’d Chad go?” Sarah asked, glancing around.

“Said they had somewhere to be,” I lied, taking the box from Mac’s hands. “Something about meeting someone.”

Sarah frowned.

Mac just raised an eyebrow at me, obviously not buying it.

“What did you do?” she asked quietly.

“Nothing,” I insisted, pressing a quick kiss on her mouth. “Just had a friendly chat.”

Her lips twitched. “Right.”

The rest of the packing went quickly.

I was grabbing the last box when I overheard Sarah and Mac talking quietly in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry about Chad,” Sarah was saying, her voice sincere. “The way he acted today was completely unacceptable.”

“It’s okay,” Mac replied. “It’s not your fault.”

“It kind of is,” Sarah sighed. “I should have listened to you sooner about how he treats you. I guess I just didn’t want to see it.”

“Hey,” Mac’s voice softened. “You’ll figure it out. Just... promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”

“I promise,” Sarah said. There was a pause, then, “You really love him, don’t you?”

“I do.” The certainty in Mac’s voice made my chest tighten. “He’s the real deal, Sarah.”

I moved away, not wanting to eavesdrop any further, when Mac appeared in the hallway. From the look on her face, she knew I’d been listening.

“Ready to go?”

She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. “Let’s go home.”

I liked the sound of that.

Home.

Our home.

After another round of goodbyes to Sarah, who hugged Mac like she was going off to war, we were finally on our way.

Once we made home, we spent the next couple of hours unloading and arranging her things throughout the house. By the time Killer and Dread left, Mac and I were both exhausted.

She collapsed onto the couch, phone in hand. “I should call my mom,” she said, worry creasing her brow. “About tomorrow.”

I sat beside her, pulling her feet into my lap. “Want me to give you some privacy?”

She shook her head. “No.”

I nodded, beginning to massage her feet as she dialed. Her eyes fluttered in pleasure, but I could see the tension on her face as the phone rang.

“Hi, Mama,” she said when the call connected. “Yes, I know. I’ve been dodging your calls.” She rolled her eyes at me, making me smile. “I’ve been busy. Actually, that’s why I’m calling. About Sunday dinner…” She paused, listening. “Yes, I’m still coming. But I’d like to bring someone” Another pause. “My boyfriend, Rage.”

She paused, listening to her mother saying something on the other end, then laughed. “Rage, yes. Well, his name is actually Bryce, but everybody calls him Rage.” She listened again, her fingers nervously twisting a strand of hair. “You’ll have to ask him yourself. He’s a tattoo artist. He owns his own shop.”

Smart girl, leading with my profession rather than the club.

“No, I haven’t told Jack yet. That’s why I’m telling you first.”

Her voice took on a pleading tone. “Mama, please. This is important to me. He’s important to me. I need you to help be a buffer with Jack.”

I squeezed her ankle in silent support. There was no need for her mom to be a buffer. Her brother could like it or not; I didn’t give a fuck. Mac was mine. End of story.

“Thank you,” she said finally, relief clear in her voice. “And Mama? He has tattoos. A lot of them.” A pause, then she laughed. “Yes, they’re very nice tattoos. He’s very good at what he does.”

Another moment of listening, then her eyes met mine, soft and full of love.

“Yes, I am. Very happy.” She smiled. “I love him, Mama.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Every time she said the words it felt like winning the lottery.

Mac smiled again before wrapping up her conversation with promises to arrive tomorrow around five. When she hung up, she looked both relieved and terrified.

“How bad was it?” I asked, continuing to massage her feet.

“Better than I expected,” she admitted. “She said she’d do what she can with my brother, but she can’t make any promises.”

I chuckled. “It’ll be okay, baby.”

“Baby steps,” she said, more to herself. “Though she asked if she has to call you Rage.”

This time, I laughed out loud. “What’d you tell her?“

“That she’d have to ask you herself,” Mac grinned, poking my ribs with her toe. “This is going to be interesting.”

“Interesting is one word for it,” I offered, thinking it was going to be anything but. I wasn’t trying to fool myself. Her brother was a cop and, well… I was on the other side of the law. And it still didn’t matter.

Her smile faltered. “I don’t care what my brother thinks. I love you, and that’s all that matters.”

Damn right it didn’t fucking matter. He might be her blood, but I’d end his fucking life if he tried to come between us. Pulling her into my lap, I captured her lips in a deep, possessive kiss.

“I love you too,” I murmured against her mouth. “And I’m not going anywhere, no matter what your brother says.”

“Good,“ she whispered, her fingers threading through my hair. “Because I’m not giving you up either. You’re stuck with me now.”

As I carried her to our bedroom, I couldn’t help thinking that stuck was the wrong word entirely.

I wasn’t stuck with Mac.

She was the one who was stuck with me, and it was going to stay that way.