Page 21

S taring at my flowers, I can’t help but smile. Hayes had them delivered a couple days ago from a local florist. The woman was sweet as she explained how they picked out the colors based on my preferences. She even told me that my husband knew me very well.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he’s not my husband.

I want him to be, though.

Laura is still out of touch. Tiny checked in with his buddy, but he hasn’t been able to get into the place yet. I guess they care an awful lot about their customer’s privacy. So he’s doing some recon on the place, hoping to see her.

I’m sure she is there and fine, but not being able to talk to her has me worried. She shouldn’t have to go through this alone. I feel like such a shit friend that I let her drop off the face of the earth like that.

Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, I take one last sniff of the flowers before I make my way to the main room. It’s where Hayes has been with some of the other guys most of the evening. I hung out with them for a bit but decided I needed a break. I urged Hayes to stay, though.

Now I just want to be alone with him.

He clocks me the moment I enter the room. I can feel his eyes follow me as I make my way over to the old poker table. The guys are laughing as they throw chips into the pot.

Not Hayes. He is focused on me.

“Savage? You calling?”

He quirks an eyebrow at me as I make it to the table.

“Am I calling?” he asks me.

“You could…or we could take a ride,” I tell him.

He throws his cards down. “A ride sounds much better than losing all my money to these fools.”

The guys start cutting up, teasing him for being pussy whipped.

He doesn’t even blink an eye. He leaves them behind, threading his hand between mine as he pulls me out the door.

It’s a pleasant night for once. Not too unbearable. Still, Hayes hands me his leather jacket, making me put it on.

After we are suited up and on the bike, he takes off like a bat out of hell, making me laugh. I always loved when he drove a little wild and reckless. Makes me feel free.

As he winds us through the city streets, I hold on to him, letting my eyes fall closed. This is all I’ve ever wanted. To be on the back of Hayes’s bike. It’s the only place I felt like all my worries and fears melted away.

The same is still true because all my guilt from being a bad friend to Laura, my worry that we haven’t found Phillip and my fear over this stalker have faded into the background. Right now, it’s me and Hayes. That’s all that matters.

As the bike slows, I let my eyes drift back open. I recognize the area immediately. Medina Lake. It’s somewhere we visited often as kids. It was our favorite little hideaway from the world. Somewhere we could go where it was just us.

As he comes to a stop in the familiar little alcove in the trees, I can’t help but smile. It’s like he knew I needed this connection to our old life right now.

He helps me off the bike, pulling his blanket off as well as soon as I’m clear of it. Taking my hand, he leads me down the moonlit beach, placing the blanket down over the sand. Once he settles on the ground, he pulls me down so my back is at his front, his legs surrounding me.

“Do you know how many times I thought about stripping myself bare and running into the water to see what you would do?” I admit to him softly.

“If you had, I’m not sure I would have been able to remain a gentleman,” Hayes says, kissing my neck.

I giggle, looking out over the lake. “Maybe that was the point. Why did you never make a move back then anyway? I know you had to have seen how I felt.”

“I was scared,” he admits softly. “I couldn’t be what you needed. There was no way you were ever leaving this place, and I had something inside of me urging me to go.”

“Maybe if I had done what I thought, you would have stayed. Our lives would have been different,” I murmur.

“Maybe, but there’s no point in dreaming about what-ifs. Life is here right now. We made our decisions, and we have to live with them. Do I sometimes wish I could go back and love you the way you deserved back then? All the fucking time, but I also know that I wasn’t the man I am today then. I would have fucked everything up. I needed to do some growing up.”

He’s right. We both did. I can see that now, even though it felt like such a betrayal back then. I should have trusted in fate. That he would come back to me like he has.

“I suppose you’re right. Still, the look on your face would have been worth it. To see your innocent little Bails running naked into the night.”

He nuzzles closer to me. “I would have followed you in. You know that, Bails. Don’t you know I’d follow you anywhere, even if it’s off a cliff to our death?”

“I would never ask you to.”

“You wouldn’t have to. I would do it without a second thought. I love you, Bails. More than anything in my life. Always have and always will.”

Turning in his arms, I press a kiss to his lips. “I feel the same exact way. It’s always only ever been you. It always will only be you. I think everyone could see that.”

“Even that fiancé of yours?” he asks softly.

I nod. “Especially him. He settled for what I could offer him, but I think he always knew that he would be second to you. Breaks my heart to think about it now. He deserved better. He was a good man. He just wasn’t you.”

He kisses my forehead. “He didn’t settle, Bails. He took what you gave him because he saw what I have always seen inside of you. You are this beautiful star, shining so bright. He loved you, and even if you couldn’t love him the same, he was content with that.”

“How can you know that? You never even met him.”

He sighs. “I don’t need to meet the guy to know that he wasn’t a fool. To be loved by you is a precious thing. Even if you couldn’t give him your all, a little bit is enough. I know, because if the roles were reversed, I would have done the same thing. You are worth it, Bails.”

In that moment, looking up into Hayes’s eyes, I believe his words.

Listening to Bailey talk about her former lover should have made me irrationally mad. If he was alive, maybe it would have.

Instead, it made me sad to see how affected she is by his death. She might not have loved him like she loves me, but she did care for the man.

I should honestly thank him. He took care of my girl when I couldn’t. For that, I will forever be grateful.

Looking at her now, I know that if she never walked back into my life, I would have always had this missing piece. She was always meant to be here by my side. I knew that as a kid, and I know it now.

I have no doubts about her. It’s time I make it official.

“Bails, my little hellcat,” I start.

She smiles up at me. “Yes, Hayes. What are you buttering me up for?”

“You are the single most important person in my life. The moment I met you, I knew you were something special. That never changed, even if I was an idiot for a little bit there.”

“You’ve always been an idiot, babe.” She pinches my side, making me growl.

“I’m being sweet.”

“I know, continue. This is fun.” She smirks up at me.

I press a quick kiss to her lips before continuing. “You’re a little brat, but I love that about you. I love every single piece of you. The good and the bad. I want it all for the rest of your life. I never want to leave you again. I don’t want to question whether you will ever speak my name again. You’re mine, Bailey Watts. Let’s make it official. Be my old lady.”

Her humor fades as shock settles in. “What?”

“Be my old lady, Hellcat. The guys love you. I love you even more. You are the heart of the club. Without you, I don’t think we would have come together so quickly. You belong with me.”

“Are you being serious? Being an old lady is serious, Hayes. It’s like no take backs. You can’t decide in a year that you need to go find yourself on the back of your bike. You will be stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

I frown. “I want that, but now I’m wondering if you feel the same. Do you not want to be with me, Bails?”

I cup her face, looking into her eyes. The frantic look in her eyes fades as she stares at me.

“I do want to be with you. I want to be your old lady, but I know you never wanted to stay here. You always wanted more than San Antonio,” she admits softly.

“I did once. I thought the grass would be greener elsewhere, but being away from you and this place made me realize that this will always be home. I’m already staying here forever, if that’s what you are worried about. With or without you, this club is where I will stay until the day I take my last breath. Tell me you’ll be there beside me when that day comes.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

My heart drops at her words.

Then she continues. “I plan to die first, obviously. I refuse to live a single day without you from this point on. You promised never to leave me again, which means I get to die first.”

“What? I didn’t agree to this. My life without you wouldn’t be bearable, Bails. Don’t make me do it.” I pretend to pout.

She giggles. “Sorry, dem the rules.”

“I see.” I nuzzle into her neck. “Can’t we just die at the same time?”

“I don’t think it works like that,” she tells me, angling her neck so I have better access.

I press my lips to her skin, kissing her softly.

“You’re my old lady. You die when I let you die. I say we die together so we never have to be apart together.”

Biting on her neck, I smile when I hear her let out a little moan.

“I can agree to that,” she says, her tone a little huskier.

“Good, because I wasn’t giving you a choice.” I push her forward a little to stand.

“Where are you going?”

Reaching down, I pull her to her feet. Leaving the blanket on the ground, I start the short walk back to my bike.

“You’re my old lady now, so we need to seal it. Make it official.”

“Oh, we need to go tell the guys?” she asks, adorably confused.

When we get to the bike, I move behind her, bending her at the waist. “Hands on the bike, Bails.”

She shivers at my demand, but does as I ask.

“Oh,” she mutters as I start to unbutton her pants.

She’s silent as I strip her bare. Then I drop my own pants, positioning myself behind her.

“I’m going to be the only one to own this body. Hope you’re ready for the things I plan to do to it.”

She doesn’t answer me, but her chest is heaving with her arousal. Reaching down, I slide two fingers inside of her. She’s so wet and ready. She loves being owned by me.

She rests her head on my seat as I start a steady pace with my two fingers inside of her. Once she is rocking back against me, I pull them out and replace it with the head of my cock. Taking the two lubed-up digits, I circle her asshole, letting one finger slide in slowly as I slide my dick inside her pussy.

She moans out, arching against me.

“You like me fucking your ass? One day, I’ll fuck it for real. I’ll dump my load inside and make you hold it in so I’m always inside of you. Would you like that?” I ask.

I feel her clench around me at my words. I don’t even need a physical response. My girl is dirty, but I fucking love it.

“Hayes, I need…” She trails off.

I know what she needs. I will always know what she needs because she is mine.

I thrust inside of her, keeping my finger deep inside her ass as I start to fuck her with abandon. My free hand holds her hips, the slap of our skin the only noise in the night sky.

When she comes, howling my name to the moon, I can’t help but feel like something monumental just happened. Like I have been waiting for this moment my entire life.

Pulling out, I let my release cover her skin. Within it, I write my name.

Savage .

I am a savage. I am willing to do the worst of the worst to my enemies, but I love with a passion that none other can rival.

Now this woman will be the only one who gets to experience that.

I might be writing my name on her skin, but it’s hers that lives in my heart.

From now until the day it stops beating.

Bailey Watts owns me.