Page 59 of Ranger's Rise

Chapter Five

Ranger

My phone goes off and I groan reaching for it. Cort will see me in the meeting room at ten of for Church. Nice. I don’t need to be up in twenty minutes.

“Are the kids okay?” Her first thought is for the alphabet soup. She’s a good woman.

I kiss her shoulder. “Yeah,lo’u alofa. I don’t need to leave early.”

She turns fast and I move over wondering why and hoping not to get hit. She’s smiling and I relax. “You speak Samoan?”

Thank fuck. “Just a few words. I asked VP last night.My lovestuck in my head, I guess. I just woke up, I don’t know. I like the sound flowing together.” I shrug. “It came out. It works for how I feel.”

She’s on me and my phone gets dropped. “Call him Raid when you’re not working and you asked him for words because I’m Samoan?”

Shit. I need a second to think, so I reach for the phone and move it to the night table before it’s broadcasting or taking pictures of her beautiful naked body. “Yeah, everyone likes to hear words of comfort in their native language. VP...Raid said you know more than French so I asked. Are you pissed?”

She smiles and I’m glad to see it. “No, that was a thoughtful thing to do. I’m surprised and happy that I mean enough for you to ask.”

She doesn’t know? “You’re everything,lo’u alofa. I know we haven’t had enough time to talk, but my heart says you’re it. You’re my one and I’mall in. I love you, Freedom, even with our crazy schedules, I hope you’re feeling it.”Never have those words come out of my mouth, but they feel comfortable. Home.

A tear falls on my chest and I sit up holding her head against me with my heart beating double-time. Fuck! It’s too soon, VP was right. “I...” have no fucking idea what to say. Shit.

She laughs. “Shut up, Ranger. I need a minute. I just woke up too.” What does that mean? I shut up and wait.

She moves back and wipes her eyes. “I’ve felt it and feel the same. It’s been crazy, but every spare second I have is yours. You own me and I’ve been trying to make time to show and tell you but keep getting sidetracked. It’s fucking nuts the way it happens, but I can’t control all the shit going on around me long enough to say I love you.”

I smile, then hug her tight breathing deep and swallowing hard. She pushes against my chest and my arms drop. “You’re worse than fucking Victory. Not so tight, Ranger Bob. I need to breathe.”

My arms move back not so tight. “Sorry. I’m relieved.”

She laughs and kisses me. I like this reaction better. She loves me too. Pulling away from her sweet kiss I have to make sure she gets it. “I want to claim you, but need you to understand what that means.”

She laughs. “Biker-married.All inmeans forever. I wear aproperty ofcut and will be considered off-limits to the Brothers or they die. I’m yours forever. You don’t leave or cheat and I don’t either. It means we give our futures to each other and work to make that good.”

I guess she knows. “And your name. You give up yours and I cover you with mine.”

She smiles. “Forgot that one. What’s your name?” She heard everything from those Badasses she spied on.

“Ranger Ross.”

She swings her head. Before she can talk, I tell her. “My dad and uncle named me Ranger. In the military, my name was Ross, they didn’t give me a handle. Alpha One Ross was my call sign. In the Club, I’m called Ranger, no one uses last names.”

“That is weirdly impressive. You were a Ranger.”

I nod. “I was and I still am.” I smile at her getting a laugh.

“I’ll stop calling you Ranger Bob.”

“Thanks, it doesn’t feel right.”

Her head swings. “You should have told me.”

With a shrug, I move and have her on the bed. “I’m not changing a fucking thing about you, Freedom. Some because I want to live this life with you and arguing over a name could get me killed. The rest, because I love every fucking thing that is you.”

I’m flipped and hold the fuck on. Holy fuck. “We are spending the time you have this morning talking about every fucking thing that is you and me. I am not going through another fucking day with all this shit piling up.”

“Yes,lo’u alofa.”Since she can kick my ass, I’m not arguing.