Page 23 of Wild Side (Vicious Reapers MC #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

MAVERICK

The last thing I wanted to do was leave her this morning, warm and naked in my bed, but I had to finish the inventory with Viking so we could get everything approved by Bullet and get the shop emptied out and closed up.

That is another form of revenue for the club.

We own the building and can rent it out. And I plan on making that shit happen.

I’m so fucking happy to be out of the surveillance equipment business, I feel like I need to pinch myself. It almost feels like a dream. Thankfully, it doesn’t take us long to finish our inventory list, and we separate, both of us needing to get some shit handled.

“Hey,” Viking calls out.

I stop, turning my head to look over at him. “Yeah?” I ask.

“I’m going to leave you off the new rotation for the truck escorting job until you and your woman get settled. I can spare you for maybe a month,” he calls out. “But I’m finalizing shit today.”

“Appreciate it, brother,” I reply. “I’m going to get her shit wrapped up, hopefully in the next two weeks. Gonna have to talk to Ivy about legal shit for her father, if there’s anything we need to do since he just disappeared.”

Disappeared.

I crack myself up.

Yeah, I fucking disappeared him my damn self.

“Sounds good. I’ll work you in the next round of men. Also, might want to think about getting a place to live. Not sure a pregnant girl wants to be living at the clubhouse.”

Jerking my chin toward him, I smile. “Yeah, thought about that already. Meeting with a realtor today. Not sure what we can afford with the cash I got on hand, but hopefully, we can find a decent place to rent.”

Leaving the shop, I head straight for Piggy’s sister’s bakery. I know how much Zadie loved the shit she got there the other day.

Downtown is only a couple of minutes away, and I’m not surprised to see Lainey behind the counter when I pull into the empty spot right in front. I’m also not surprised that both Dakota and Posey are there as well. I think I would be more surprised if they weren’t all three together.

Throwing my leg over my bike, I disengage, then walk toward the door. All three women’s heads whip around at the sound of the bell over the door, and their mouths press together in a thin line, effectively stopping whatever conversation they were having midsentence.

“Did I interrupt your shit-talking?” I keep both my expression and my tone serious.

Their eyes widen, then they all burst out laughing. “Kind of,” Dakota confesses.

“Where’s Zadie?” Posey asks.

My lips twitch into a smirk before I clear my throat. “I had some shit to do early this morning, so I’m grabbing her some breakfast.”

“Nice man,” Posey says. “Smart man.”

I’m not sure I’m either, but if I’m going to get her fully committed and moved here, a little bit of buttering up never hurt anyone. Lainey smiles and moves toward the case of sweets. “Do you know what she likes?” she asks.

Looking around, I realize that I have no fucking clue. I remember she had a muffin of some kind and talked about a cupcake. No goddamn clue about anything other than that. I open my mouth to say that when Dakota begins speaking.

“Zadie liked the cupcakes, at least she told me she did.”

“How about four cupcakes and four muffins?” I ask.

Dakota laughs behind me. “It sounds like you’re taking it to a pregnant woman,” she says, “so it’s perfect.”

After I pay Lainey, I start to leave the bakery when Dakota calls out my name. Stopping, I turn to face them, not wanting to be rude and have my back to the three. Dakota’s eyes find mine. They hold my gaze for a long moment before she speaks.

“I like her,” Dakota says. “A lot.”

“When you guys figure out where you’re gonna live, let us know. We’ll help Zadie get settled.”

My eyes flick around, and I give them a smile before thanking them, then slip out and head back to the clubhouse. My mind wanders during the short ride. I think about Goose, about Zadie, and for the first time in months, I feel at peace with us.

It’s going to work out.

I know it is. I can feel it deep in my gut.

Pulling up to the gate, I jerk my chin at the prospect in the gatehouse, then ride up the driveway. I park in my usual spot next to the Jeep. Picking up my phone, I text the prospect who is working in the bar today and ask him to take the Jeep back to the rental place.

I gather the pastry box and make my way into the clubhouse. It’s quiet inside. I don’t even see the prospect I just sent a text to, which surprises me. Shocker isn’t even sitting in his normal place at the end of the bar.

Again, a surprise.

My brows knit together as I take in the place. I don’t think it’s ever been this quiet before. I start to head to my bedroom, but then I hear some noise in the kitchen. Shifting directions, I make my way toward it, open the door, then stop as my eyes connect with her body.

Zadie is bent over slightly, her head in the fridge. Clearing my throat, I watch as she turns her head, her eyes finding mine over the door of the fridge. She straightens and closes the door, then turns to face me completely. Her lips curve up into a grin as her eyes focus on the box in my hand.

“You got something from the bakery?” she asks in a whisper.

“I did,” I murmur.

Ice and Daisy stand, then scoot past us and out of the kitchen, leaving us alone.

I’m not sure I like them in here alone with Zadie.

Not that they would say anything, but still, it feels like two worlds that should not ever collide.

Lowering my head, I touch my mouth to hers, gently shoving the box against her stomach.

“Go and get something to eat, honey,” I mutter against her lips.

I don’t have to tell her twice. Before I realize what’s happening, she turns around and rushes toward the table. I watch as she places the box down in front of her and then opens it, letting out a gasp.

She whips her wet hair around, her smile as big as the fucking sky. It’s in this moment that I realize I would do just about anything to make her smile like this.

I would give her the moon and the stars.

I would shed the blood of my enemy and my brother for her. I would do anything she asked. But the fuck of it all, I don’t think she would actually ask me a goddamn thing. That’s what makes me willing and ready to do whatever the fuck is needed for her—anything.

ZADIE

A blueberry muffin, a lemon poppyseed muffin, a spice crumb-topped muffin, and a chocolate-chocolate chip muffin. Heaven. I haven’t even checked the cupcake flavors, but there are four gorgeously decorated cupcakes that have my name on them for later tonight.

Chase moves around the kitchen in the background, and as much as I want to focus on what he’s doing, the blueberry muffin isn’t just calling my name; it’s screaming it. Crying for it, really. Unwrapping the paper from the bottom, I lift it to my lips but don’t open my mouth, not yet.

I inhale to let the scent of sugary sweetness flow through my body. Amazing. Not just a little amazing, downright fucking fantastic. That’s how good this smells. I wish I could bottle the scent and carry it around with me.

That’s how good it is.

Opening my mouth, I sink my teeth into the soft, fluffy vanilla muffin and tear out a chunk.

A blueberry pops in my mouth on my first chew.

It’s heavenly. Absolute perfection. I almost let out a moan when the sound of clanging metal causes me to shift my focus from the heavenly muffin to the kitchen.

Standing with his back to me is Chase, but I can’t tell what he’s doing at the stove.

Instead of just staring at his back, I decide to ask him what he’s doing.

He turns his head to look over his shoulder, but only slightly.

His eyes find mine, and he smirks before he turns back to the stove and tells me what he’s focused on.

“I’m making breakfast,” he simply states.

I’m not sure what that means, considering I’ve already eaten half a muffin in two bites. I open my mouth to ask him what he’s talking about. The man brought me four muffins and four cupcakes. I can’t imagine what else he thinks I should be eating.

“Scrambled eggs. You need protein for both you and the baby. Then we need to talk.”

Snapping my lips closed, I can’t help but find his concern sweet. I probably do need protein. I can’t imagine it’s healthy to only eat carbs.

“And fruit. You need fruit, too,” he says, being so damn sweet I can’t even think.

A few moments later, my muffin has vanished, and Chase sets a plate in front of me. Eggs with white cheddar cheese melted on top, along with a small bowl filled with strawberries. Looking down at the bowl and plate, I take it all in, and my heart races at the same time my stomach flips.

“What? I do something wrong?” Chase asks as I hear him place another plate down before the chair scoots across the floor, and I imagine he’s sinking down onto the seat. But I can’t look away from the food in front of me.

“Zadie,” he calls out, which forces me to lift my head. My eyes find his almost instantly. He’s watching me, a brow arched as he stares straight ahead at me, then he dips his chin slightly, his eyes never leaving mine, before he speaks again. “What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice dropping slightly.

“Nobody has ever made me something so nice before. It’s perfect,” I whisper.

He presses his lips together and moves them back and forth. I watch for a moment, unsure of what to say. I’m telling him the truth, though. My father barely cooked, and what little he did stopped when I was able to do it myself.

“I could kill him all over again,” Chase whispers.

I know he’s talking about my father. And his words should make me feel guilty, because I agree with him. My father being killed doesn’t bother me at all. My life is going to continue the way it has for the past three years.

The only time I even saw him was when he demanded I appear for some function or another, which were few and far between. And I hated it, because he always made me put on some front.

I always had to watch everything I said and did. Otherwise, he would give me a look, and in that look I knew he was going to be angry with me. I tried my very hardest not to let that happen, because I wasn’t sure what his wrath would look like.

Finding out what his wrath felt and looked like was about as much as I imagined. It was brutal, painful, and I have no doubt that if there hadn’t been anyone around, it would have ended much differently. Because I know deep in my heart that it would have been me who is dead right now, not him.

“It’s done,” I whisper.

Chase jerks his chin once, and he growls, “It sure as fuck is. No fucking person will ever touch you again, honey. You’re mine now, and I will protect you until the day I die.”

My heart doesn’t just squeeze, it flutters. I am his. For as long as I breathe, I belong to this man—mind, body, and soul.