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Haven gave me a warning look. She was responding to my grin because she was finally where she belonged. It had been over two weeks since our discussion about her moving in with me. I had to wait a week before she broached the subject with Gareth and Annie. I let her do it, but I was present. I wanted to be there in case I had to answer questions or work on convincing them it was the right move. I figured Gareth would be the one to have doubts. I was right.

Annie sat there with an unconcerned smile on her face. Her husband was frowning. “This is fast. I don’t see why you can’t stay here. We don’t mind it, and you should take your time. What if you break up? It’ll mean moving again,” Gareth told her. I had to hold back from growling at his break-up remark.

“Gareth, Tinker and I talked it over. I said yes.”

“She’s my old lady. There’s no breaking up for us. This is for life. We’re together. If we run into issues, it’s our job to resolve them. Having her live with me is the next step. Plus, we won’t have more incidents like last week with that bastard Warrick. He can’t waltz up to the house at the compound.”

He’d voiced more concerns until Annie interjected and told Gareth that this was how the club life went, and as my old lady, Haven had to be a part of it. He’d settled, but I knew he’d watch me to ensure I didn’t hurt his niece. I had no problem with him doing it. I’d do the same if I were in his shoes.

Fast forward, and she was here. The move would’ve been sooner if Lark hadn’t decided to throw a wrench into the works by having her and Maniac’s baby early. It was a happy wrench, so we didn’t mind the delay. They welcomed Ransom Donovan almost a week before his due date. Maniac hadn’t left her side the entire time she was in labor. Those who went into the room to see her during the long hours she was in labor said you could tell he was worried. I didn’t blame him. After Lark had been shot and lost a baby years ago, the doctors had pretty much told her she’d never have a baby due to the damage.

When she and Maniac got together, she informed him she’d never be able to have children. He didn’t care. Maniac needed her in order to be happy. They adopted Flynn and planned to adopt again in a few years, but to their surprise, Lark conceived before that happened. The doctors had closely monitored her, but the couple had insisted they didn’t want to know what they were having. When Maniac came out and announced it was a boy and his name, Flynn yelled “Yeah” and punched the air, making us laugh. He’d been hoping for a brother.

Ransom was nearly two weeks old, and his mom had recovered from labor. With them recovering and adjusting to being home, I’d gotten Haven to move her things. And now that it was the weekend after she moved in, we were gathered to have fun. We had a lot to celebrate. Not only were there new family members to show off, including my old lady, but the Fourth of July weekend party was postponed until Lark could join us.

This time, we’d opened our doors to friends in the other clubs. Not everyone could come, but several from each club accepted the invite. Even the Pagan Souls in Georgia were attending. It had been a long time since we’d gotten to hang with Wrath and his guys. It was about a four-hour ride without stops for them. The Horsemen of Wrath in Florida had promised they’d make the trip soon. Since Diablo had gotten an old lady, and she was pregnant, they were sticking close to home. We didn’t blame them. Diablo’s old lady, Jauhnna, was due any day with their first baby. None of his guys wanted to miss it. They swore they’d make the trip after Jauhnna and the baby were up to it. The Warriors, Marauders, and Patriots were much closer.

Haven was fluttering around. She was nervous about meeting everyone. I’d tried to reassure her there was nothing to be anxious about, but Haven said I wouldn’t understand. She was right. I didn’t. The others would like her without a doubt, and I was confident none would be overly inappropriate with her due to the fact my name was on her back. I’d presented her with her property cut last night at the clubhouse. It was something I wanted to do when it was just our club. Recalling it made me smile.

I’d gotten her over there by saying there might be more work to be done to be ready for today. She’d been working with the other old ladies, members, and prospects to ensure the clubhouse and the food were in order. After we arrived and she found out there was nothing to do, we settled in to relax and hang out for a while. Haven hadn’t thought it was odd that Gareth and Annie were there, too. After all, they’d been helping with the food. The truth was, they knew what was up, and I’d invited them to be there to witness and celebrate with us.

I let an hour go by before I excused myself and went to get the box I had Troian wrap up pretty for me. God knows I didn’t have any talent in that area. I had to admit, she’d done a great job. It was wrapped in gold-and-black striped paper with a fancy gold bow and curled ribbons. I had hidden it in my old room. All the members without houses had rooms, but the others, like mine, were cleaned to be used by our guests. The prospects had given up their beds and would sleep in the storage slash bunker at the rear of the compound’s acreage. I figured some of the single guys in the other clubs would bed down there, too. We had plenty of cots and space there. Extra rooms in the houses were offered up to those with families.

I caught Reaper’s eye as I entered the common room with the box behind my back. When I nodded, he signaled to cut the music playing in the background. Everyone knew that was the signal to shut up and listen. I’d prepped them all and threatened their lives if anyone ruined my surprise. Voices died down and gazes settled on Reaper, who’d moved to the middle of the room. I inched in the shadows along the wall closest to where Haven sat.

“Settle down. There’s something we need to do before our guests arrive tomorrow. We can’t let them come without this completed,” Reaper announced.

“What’s that?” Ratchet called out to ask. Leave it to him to be an instigator.

“Well, it seems one of our brothers went and did something, and we have to rectify his oversight,” Reaper said with a smirk.

“Oversight? What does that mean?” I heard Haven ask. She was close enough that I could hear her. She was asking Annie. I saw Annie trying to keep from smiling.

“It means he hasn’t made it official in every way. If he doesn’t want it to come back and bite him in the ass tomorrow, he needs to make sure he does it tonight,” Reaper told her. He’d heard her as well.

There were mutters from all over the room. Damn, they were playing it up. I saw Haven glancing around. She was looking for me and worried based on how she was tapping her foot under the table. I didn’t mean to make her think anything was wrong. I nodded again so Reaper would know I was ready before I sidled up behind Haven.

“It means I want to do this,” I said, making her jump. She whipped around to face me. All eyes were on us. I tugged her chair away from the table so she was facing me. I took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. Haven was giving me a puzzled look.

“Tinker, what’s going on?” she asked apprehensively.

“Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. It’s the best it has ever been for me. I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me by accepting me as your old man and moving in with me. However, before the hordes descend tomorrow, I need to do this. It would’ve been done already, but I had a delay out of my control.”

“Do what?”

“This,” I said as I took the box from behind my back and handed it to her. She took it, but I saw the surprise there.

She stared at it until someone, I think it might have been Hail, shouted, “Open it.”

Haven smiled and then ripped the paper on a corner. I swear, she took forever to get it off. I would’ve ripped it to shreds in seconds. Annie took the paper from her and crumpled it up. As Haven lifted the lid, I saw her hand was shaking. I slipped my hand underneath the box. Her mouth formed an O, and then she let go of the box to use both hands to lift her gift out. The sight of that leather cut made me swell with pride. As she turned it back to the front to take it all in, the words Property of Tinker and our club name with our logo boldly proclaimed she was mine and this club’s. She gasped and scolded me when she saw her club name on the front.

“Tinker, I can’t believe you made that my name!”

“Baby, it’s your name. You know what it means when I say it. You’ll always be my witch. You’ve put a spell on me. One I never want to be broken.”

This made the ladies sigh, and the guys pretended to gag. I gave them the finger. When she went to put it on, I dropped the box on the floor and helped her. I ran my finger lovingly over the word Witch embroidered over her heart. She smiled up at me. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I kissed her.

We’d spent another hour with the club, listening to their congratulations and teasing, before we went to our house and had our private celebration. I’d taken her the first time with her wearing nothing but her cut. Fuck, it had gotten me off so good that after I came, I was still hard. Round two commenced without delay.

There was no mistaking the sound of motorcycle engines coming to the gate. They jarred me back to the present. Haven and I were outside doing a final walk around the yard to ensure everything was ready. Taking her hand, I walked us around the clubhouse so we could watch the bikes pull in. I wondered who had arrived.

When the gate was opened, and Dravin waved them inside, I saw who it was. With helmets and sunglasses on, it was harder to tell who they were, but I recognized a few bikes. It was the Ruthless Marauders, our friends from Knoxville. They were the closest to us, so it wasn’t surprising they got here first. Everyone was supposed to be here by one o’clock. It was ten o’clock now. The riders stopped outside the clubhouse after finding spots to park their rumbling rides.

Haven tried to hang back when I began walking toward them, but I tugged on her arm and softly asked her, “Do you need me to carry you?”

I knew her independent woman status wouldn’t allow that. She would hate appearing weak. She frowned at me, shook her head, and moved. I chuckled, which earned me a poke in the ribs. I didn’t mind. I maneuvered her so she was tucked underneath my left arm. I went straight to Jinx. It was protocol to greet the president and the other officers first.

Jinx grinned as he held out his hand. I saw him and his guys checking Haven out. They wore approving expressions. She was looking great. Due to the heat, she wore denim shorts, a tight tank, her cut, and a pair of tennis shoes. Her clothes showcased her assets without being overly revealing or trashy. Her red hair was up in a simple ponytail and was a riot of curls. The barest amount of makeup was on her face. She thought she needed it, I didn’t, but I had to admit, it enhanced her beauty even more.

As soon as we shook hands, he was smiling at Haven. “And who do we have here?”

“We have my old lady, Haven. Take it easy on her, Jinx. She’s not used to our life yet, and this is her first time meeting a slew of bikers. I assured her you were friends and would be nice. Haven, this is Jinx. He’s the president of the Ruthless Marauders. They’re the club I told you about from Knoxville.”

She smiled back and presented her hand to him. He took it and shook it gently. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m trying to learn all I can about the biker lifestyle, so forgive me if I mess up. Tell me if I do. Poor Tinker has been trying along with my aunt to teach me, but it’s a lot,” she said.

“It’s my pleasure to meet you. You’ll do fine. Who’s your aunt? Do we know her?” Jinx asked.

“Annie. Her husband, Gareth, is Haven’s uncle,” I explained.

“No shit. Annie is her aunt? Wow. What’re the odds of that?” he asked.

He gave me a look. I knew what he meant by it, but I chose to ignore it. The other members of his club gathered close and appeared eager to be introduced, so I did the honors. All of them were cheerful and charming, the bastards. They put her at ease and made her laugh so I wouldn’t kill them. More than a few of them muttered that I was a lucky bastard. I agreed.

Once she knew all their names, we led them behind the clubhouse, where most of our club was. The Marauders knew their way around, so they could go and do what they pleased. They knew where we were and where stuff was. Greetings were shouted, and we left them to talk to the rest of my club. I moved Haven to the side, away from everyone.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? They’re just like us. They love you. Maybe a little too much,” I tacked on.

“They are nice, but how can they love me too much?”

“You saw how they were admiring you, babe. They were checking out your sexy self and wishing they were in my shoes. I’ll have to watch my back, or I might find myself stabbed before this weekend is over and you stolen. And it won’t be one stab wound, either.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t see that happening. You’ll be fine.”

“You have no idea how tempting you are, Haven. My brothers wouldn’t say no to you being their old lady. Why wouldn’t the others be the same?”

“Vance, I love that you see me that way, but I just don’t. If I was so irresistible to men, why weren’t they flocking to my door before I met you? And for the record, I don’t mean I want them to. I’m thrilled with you seeing me that way.”

I pulled her up against me. “I don’t know what was wrong with those men, but maybe it was because you were meant for me, a biker. I can promise you that other bikers will take notice of you. Now, kiss your old man, woman.”

She pretended to consider it. I was about to take it when she raised on her tiptoes. I lowered my head, and our mouths met. I was lost in a sea of sensations and emotions. I kissed her as if it were our last kiss. She returned it the same way. It took the rumble of more engines to break us apart. She was flushed and had a well-loved look. I loved it. Let whoever was pulling in see it. They’d know she was truly claimed.

Taking her hand, we returned to the front to greet the newest arrivals. This one had some cages mixed in with the bikes. I scanned the bikes, trying to figure out who it was. I couldn’t see the back of their cuts the way they were sitting. It wasn’t until helmets started to be removed that I recognized them. It was the Pagan Souls from Cherokee. The cages contained the kids and women who weren’t riding with their men. They had only a few old ladies and kids, unlike the Warriors.

Agony ambled over to greet us. Right behind him were his officers, followed by the rest of the guys. The women hung back and let the men go first. More of our club had come to greet them this time. It was somewhat chaotic, but eventually, I was able to shake hands and introduce Haven to Agony and his crew. She was overwhelmed with names. I could tell.

“Babe, it’s okay. No one expects you to remember everyone’s name. The guys have theirs on their cuts, so you’re fine. As for the women and kids, that gets harder. However, none of them will be upset if you call them by their nickname, which is on their property cuts like it is on yours until you can recall them. The kids just say, hey, you.”

She scolded me for the last suggestion, but it made her laugh. Not long after the Cherokee bunch arrived, we had the Warriors from Dublin Falls and the ones from Hunters Creek show up. When they pulled up accompanied by buses, I thought Haven would pass out. She glanced over at me.

I shrugged. “What can I say? They’re mostly settled down and fuck a lot, so they keep having kids.” This earned me a slap on the ass, which I enjoyed. I winked and gave her a wicked grin, making her face pink.

The Dark Patriots came on the heels of Terror and Bull’s clubs. No surprise, Undertaker was riding his bike. His old lady, Sloan, was in a cage with their son Caleb, and I’d heard they had a baby a few months back, and so had Hadley, Griffin’s woman. That was six kids for them. Many people worked for the Patriots, but only a few were close and came with them—Beau, Ben, Heath, and Justin. In the case of Beau, Ben, and Justin, they were related to the Warriors through old ladies or members, so they were extended family.

After people were presented to Haven, they wandered off to find the others. I was about to suggest we take a break when the final attendees came through the gate. Wrath and the Pagans Souls of Oconee were here. I laughed when I spotted Wrath’s dad, Rage. He was the chapter’s former president, who stepped down to allow his son to lead. He was officially a part of the club, though he was often on the road traveling the country. Riding behind him was Betty. Those two made an interesting couple, which was immediately apparent when they got off the bikes. Rage was trying to hold Betty’s hand, and I think he was trying to order her around.

“I can get off the bike on my own. And I don’t need you telling me what to do, Rage,” she told him.

“Woman, I’m just making sure you’re steady. I don’t want you falling and hurting that fine ass. Settle down,” he told her as he slapped her on the ass. She swung around and punched him in the gut. He laughed at her.

“You know I love it when you get feisty, woman. Let’s go find a bed.”

“Why would I do that? I’m here to check out the men. Maybe one of them is looking for an old lady,” was her comeback.

“Like hell you are! You’re my old lady, and don’t you forget it,” he said, sounding snarly.

“So you say,” she said casually, then walked away.

I couldn’t help it. I had to laugh. Even after this long, a few years, Betty still liked to deny she was his old lady and often poked the bear by saying she wasn’t. It gave the rest of us hope to see this couple in their late fifties finding each other. Wrath watched them and rolled his eyes. As Rage caught up and murmured to Betty, Wrath came to say hello.

“I swear to God, they make me want to drink every day. I hope you have enough alcohol. I told Dad he’s not setting a very good example for the rest of us. We’re looking for old ladies, well, most of us are, and he’s supposed to lead by example.” Wrath was in his late thirties.

“I think you’d laugh every day with those two. As for old ladies, don’t give up. I’m forty-three, and I just found mine.” I indicated Haven.

“Do tell. Hello, gorgeous, I’m Wrath. Wanna run away with me?”

This made Haven giggle, which was how she was introduced to Wrath and his guys. Eventually, we made it to Rage and Betty. Of course, Betty was a sweetheart and set out to put Haven at ease. Haven and Betty chatted away like old friends as we joined the main crowd. The property behind the clubhouse and inside was overflowing with people and kids. It was loud and chaotic, but I knew it would mean a great time.

The day flew by. After a while, Annie took Haven and ran off, wanting to get her into the thick of things with the old ladies. I knew she’d be alright. If she weren’t for some reason, she’d come to me. That didn’t mean I didn’t keep an eye out for her. Whenever I saw her, she seemed to be enjoying herself. I’d let her go for a while, but eventually, I’d reclaim her.

The pool saw a lot of action with the hot and humid weather. Most people would assume that, as bikers, we’d hate this kind of gathering and want to have a party filled with booze and sex. While there were times we did like that, it wasn’t all the time. It got old. Being surrounded by friends and family was great. Whenever I saw Haven, I was proud to see her with my name on her back.

There had been some flirting like Wrath did when the single guys met her, but it was to be expected. I’d done it, and so had everyone else. It was part of the fun—to poke a brother or friend and see what kind of rise you could get out of him. I prepared Haven for it. She’d gone along with it. Several told me how lucky I was and congratulated me on finding an old lady who was such a sweet one. I couldn’t deny it, although she had a fiery side too.

The massive amounts of food made by the women and Gareth, brought by the women from the other clubs, and more we purchased were consumed. We’d set up numerous tables, chairs, and picnic tables, but still, many of us ended up sitting on the ground. I’d sat under a tree with Haven tucked between my legs. I’d filled a plate for both of us and enjoyed feeding her. She was indulgent and let me.

“Tinker, I’ve had enough. You eat the rest,” she told me when I tried to put another bite of potato salad in her mouth.

“Are you sure? You didn’t eat much.”

“I overate. Besides, I want dessert, so I’m saving my remaining calories for that.”

“You don’t need to save calories. If you’re worried about your weight, don’t be. You’re luscious, the way I like it.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I may be, but not about that. Stay here, and I’ll get us some dessert before it’s gone.”

I eased out from behind her, got to my feet, and went to the food tables. There was a variety to choose from, so I took a tiny amount of some and a larger amount of ones I knew she’d definitely like. When I got back, I saw she had a group of admirers sitting around her.

“I leave you alone for five minutes, and the dogs descend. Do I need to get my gun?” I joked as I pushed through them to retake my seat behind her. She held out her hand for the plate so I could sit. Once I was situated, I took it back.

“I’m going to feed my woman. You watch and see how it’s done. Maybe one day you’ll find one,” I told them. They jeered and gave me the finger.

“Here, try a bite of this, Witch.”

She opened her mouth and took a bite. As she was chewing, Storm, Wrath’s VP, spoke. “I want to know how she got the nickname witch. Most women would be slapping you stupid for calling them that.”

Haven gave me an amused look. I chuckled. “Well, at first, she wasn’t too happy until I explained why I called her that. Once I did, she was good with it.” I paused. I wanted to make him ask.

“Well, tell us, asshole,” Nitro from Cherokee said impatiently.

I was planning to make them wait longer, but Haven elbowed me. “Tell them, or I will.”

“There you go, abusing me again. I hope you guys saw that. I should call her Hellcat, but Regan has that one.” Regan was the woman Steel and Hammer in Dublin Falls shared. “Okay, so I call her Witch because she’s cast a spell over me. I tried to deny my feelings and avoid her, but I couldn’t. She took over my whole mind, body, and soul. That’s why I call her Witch.”

I had no problem confessing that. If they thought it made me a pussy, that was on them. Your relationship was doomed if you couldn’t be vulnerable and honest with your woman. They made ah sounds and smirked, but they didn’t say anything more than it made perfect sense.