Page 9

Axel

The familiar rumble of my bike fades when I kill the engine, and Brooke’s arms unwind from around my waist as she straightens up before climbing off.

I’m about to swing my leg over the seat and climb off as well when I hear the unmistakable roar of another motorcycle approaching behind me, so I turn around to watch one of my brothers pull into the underground garage beneath the clubhouse.

Fuck! I haven’t figured out what to say to my brothers about the new dynamic between Brooke and me. I was hoping to talk to the club president, Saint, before anyone else found out. There goes my chances of kissing Brooke goodbye.

I was convinced that I would be the last one to show and that all of my brothers would already be in the clubhouse when I did, allowing me a moment alone with Brooke before I left for Church.

There is no fucking way I can touch or kiss her in the presence of one of my brothers.

Every guy here sees Brooke as something like their niece or little sister.

I can’t say for certain what their reaction to our new relationship will be, but I don’t have high hopes it’ll be favorable.

I want a chance to speak to Saint first before I announce our relationship to the rest of them.

If I can get his approval, the others will follow his lead.

Brooke isn’t just another girl being introduced to the club.

Because of her father, Brooke is already part of the Steel Rebel family.

Hell, she’s been a fixture of the clubhouse longer than me.

Before me, Kane was the head mechanic for the club.

He ran the auto shop, and there is little that our members value over our bikes, which made Kane one of the most trusted and valued guys in the club.

He trained me to take over the position from him when he retired.

I’ve always been aware that it was Kane’s faith in me that cultivated the high respect I have in the club hierarchy today.

But that doesn’t mean the guys won’t have something to say about a dark horse like me pursuing their pseudo-baby sister.

It’s always been an unspoken rule that the daughters of club members are off limits.

I climb off my Harley just as the other rider takes off his helmet, and I am surprised to see that it’s Gray, the MC's spook. Gray is a rare sight as he’s always away working as a mole for the club, gathering intelligence on our behalf.

For the most part, he stays away from the clubhouse to maintain his cover.

He’s probably the only guy in the club who doesn’t have the Steel Rebel emblem tattooed on his skin.

Even when he’s here, he hovers on the outskirts, keeping himself apart from the rest of us.

He doesn’t look surprised to see Brooke with me, though I don’t think anything surprises Gray.

He always knows more than the rest of us.

He smiles at the girl I’ve claimed as mine.

It’s harmless, but it’s enough to have me glowering with possessiveness.

I fight the need to wrap an arm around her and pull her close to me, to stake my claim before one of my brothers gets any funny ideas.

Soon.

Patience!

“Hey, Gray,” Brooke calls out happily, running her fingers through her mussed hair as she hands me back the helmet. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“You’re a rare sight yourself,” the man responds with a chuckle.

“Yeah, well, college has been kicking my butt. This semester in particular was hard, but I just need some time to adjust to the course load.”

“You’re a smart girl; I know you’ll make us all proud.”

Brooke flushes at the compliment. “I hope so. I want to find a job in city when I graduate.”

“You want to stay in Chicago?” Gray asks, his brows lifting in surprise. “Don’t you want to explore the world a little?”

The question sets my teeth on edge. It’s a valid question; Brooke has never left the state as far as I know. Kane wasn’t much of a traveler, preferring to stick close to the clubhouse. It would make sense for Brooke to want to get out and see what the world has to offer.

Fuck, Gray is right. Brooke is just getting started. She hasn’t had a chance to explore the world and or really even learn who she is. And now I’m about to tie her down to a city she’s known her entire life.

I question if maybe I jumped the gun. I gave into my baser needs without considering what she might want for her future.

My thoughts are racing so quickly second guessing the promises I’ve made this girl that I don’t notice the hand creeping up the back of my thigh and nearly jump out of my skin when I feel a touch glide over my ass, gentle and caressing.

“I want to stay.” Brooke’s words break through the fog of my thoughts. Her eyes are on Gray, but somehow it feels like she’s talking to me. “I love this city, and everyone who matters to me is here. My memories are of my father here too. Why would I want to be anywhere else?”

A long silence follows her words. I study the girl, looking for any sign of deception, but those beautiful innocent gray eyes are clear and the smile on her face is easy and genuine.

Gray clears his throat. “You’re right. This is your home.

Everyone will be happy to hear you want to stay, but you know we’d all support you if you wanted to see the world.

Let’s catch up some more at the cookout, okay?

” He waits for her nod before turning to me.

“We’re late. Do you want to head inside? ”

“Go on ahead,” I tell him, waiting until he’s disappeared through the into the garage elevator before I slide my hand to Brooke’s nape and pull her lips to mine.

She gasps into the kiss, surprised by the sudden move, but then melts into my embrace.

Her mouth parts for me, and I kiss her like I hadn’t spent all day making love to her.

“Axel,” she breathes when we break apart, her lips wet and swollen, eyes dazed when they lock on mine. “You better head inside now, or Saint will send someone to come looking for you.”

I caress her nape, and I find myself getting lost in those beautiful gray eyes. “You are mine, Brooke,” I rasp. “If you want to leave the city or state, heck, if you want to move countries, you won’t need to do it alone.”

Her eyes widen in surprise. “Y-you would come with me? Leave the Rebels for me?”

Before I can respond, the elevator door opens once more and outsteps Saint himself. His eyes move from me to the hand I have on Brooke’s nape, then to her face. It’s obvious by her swollen lips and our proximity that we were kissing, but he doesn’t say a word, simply nodding for me to follow.

“I have to go,” I tell her. “I’ll find you at the cookout, okay?”

She nods, licking her lips before pulling back. I give her one last look before leading Brooke into the elevator after Saint. The ride upstairs is quick and quiet. We part ways outside the elevator, and I follow Saint through the heavy oak door into the clubhouse.

“We’ll talk after Church,” Saint says, and it’s clear it isn’t a suggestion.

“Figured,” I say with a sigh, following him to the room where we hold Church, our weekly club meetings.

I catch the faint aroma of coffee before my eyes settle on the familiar faces of my MC brothers gathered around a long wooden table.

I take off my leather jacket and slide into my seat, the worn leather creaking under my weight.

The chatter dies down, and the room falls into silence when Saint moves to the head of the table. He’s a huge guy with golden hair and a permanent scowl on his face. He glares at me, which I assume is in response to my late arrival and his having to come find me.

“Now that everyone is here, we can finally begin,” he says, his voice commanding the attention of the room. “We have a shit ton of things to discuss but first…the Chrome Vipers.”

A murmur breaks out in the room at the mention of our rival MC. The Vipers have been our enemies for as long as I’ve been in the club. Their president is sadistic, old-fashioned motherfucker known for his cruel nature. And his men eagerly follow his example.

Unlike the merit-based elections held in our club, their president’s seat has been passed on from one generation to the next.

But rumor has it that the current president was not able to conceive a son.

The man has only one daughter, and there is no way in hell those misogynistic assholes would let a woman lead their club.

I fear for what might happen to the girl. Her father is certainly growing desperate for a grandson. Who knows what a monster like him might do for an heir.

“We’ve long suspected they’re behind the illegal auction at the Den,” Saint says, and the room falls into silence once more.

It’s no secret that Saint’s fiancée was rescued from an illegal sex auction Saint happened to stumble into and disrupt.

We’ve long since taken care of the lowlifes running the auction, but there’s no way a small gentlemen’s club like the Den had the resources to pull off such an endeavor without additional backing.

“Right. So why haven’t we taken those fuckers out yet?” calls out one of the guys, and the others nod in agreement.

“Because we don’t act without evidence; we’re better than that. I’m not going to start a war without concrete proof of their involvement. And to get it, we’re going to need an inside man.” Saint nods at Gray, and it’s suddenly clear why he’s here tonight.

Only the most senior club members, those of us who attend Church every week, even know Gray is one of us. He spends most of his time away from the club, and most recently, he was visiting our sister club in the South, the Steel Outlaws, giving them a hand taking down a trafficking ring.

We all nod in approval, but Saint doesn’t go into detail about how Gray will infiltrate the Vipers. My best guess is that he’ll find work at one of the club-owned businesses, maybe ask to join as a prospect.