“Did you ever live here?”
I shook my head. “When Ava and I first moved here, we had a place in town. When she started school and wanted her own place, I bought the house—though I did crash here on occasion and more recently when I was fixing up the house. I used to crash here more often when I was getting things off the ground.” I pulled her close. “And I look forward to breaking that bed in with you.”
She grinned. “That can definitely be arranged.”
“Christ, had you so many times today and getting hard just thinking about you,” I growled, taking her mouth, needing her taste on my tongue. “Fuck,” I breathed against her lips. “Better get you inside before I turn us around and take you home.”
She smacked my chest playfully. “You are not taking me home, Ruston King. I want to see your club, meet your family.”
“They’re yours too,” I murmured, taking her hand, intent on taking another step to bring her into my world.
We walked into a familiar scene: rock music blaring, the smell of booze in the air, Ryland slinging drinks behind the bar, not because anyone had to, but because he liked it. Ava, Dallas, and Lanie playing pool; Cason and Tank locked in some sort of discussion I likely needed to be a part of, and prospects milling around, ready to do whatever any of us asked.
“Looks familiar, but different,” Grace remarked, taking it all in, and I knew she was thinking of home.
The gravity of what I was asking her to give up wasn’t lost on me. I resolved to make sure she never regretted it.
“Grace!” Ava exclaimed when she spotted my girl.
“Be back.” Grace accepted the kiss I planted on her before striding off toward the women, looking edible in the tight jeans that hugged her ass.
“Prez.” Ryland slid a beer my way in greeting as, with a head tilt, I gestured for Cason and Tank.
“What’s the word?” I asked once they’d sidled alongside me at the bar.
“We should meet,” Cason returned.
I nodded in agreement. “Later.” My gaze searched the room, finding Grace with my sister, her head thrown back in laughter. I remembered finding her in a similar pose at the Knights compound, and a sense of relief settled in me that she could find that here.
“Understood.” Cason nodded, his gaze following mine. “She settling in okay?”
I managed to force my gaze away from my gorgeous woman to give him my attention. “Hasn’t had much opportunity yet since she was laid up,” I replied, thinking how she was already pushing to get a car and a job within days of feeling better.
Grace was a force all her own I had no hope to contain. Not that I’d dream of trying to diminish her spark. Hell, I’d fan the flames to light her up.
“What’s the word on Pike’s boys?” I asked. Ever since we’d intercepted the truck on the pass, I’d been allowing the four of them to hole up in one of our barracks. They were under the Bloods protection for now.
“They want to talk to you,” Tank supplied.
“They want in?” I wanted to know.
Tank shrugged. “They want to not get dead, that’s about as far as I got with them.”
I turned eyes to Cason. “You do the run on them?”
He nodded. “Some petty theft, possession with intent to sell—weed, nothing heavy—some failed classes between the four of them but nothing that would hit our radar. Seems like Pike scooped them up recently—recruited them because they’re desperate. None of them have much and came from even less.”
I nodded. “Give me a few, then bring them in.” I wanted to make sure Grace was good before I disappeared for a bit. Though, watching her now, I clearly didn’t have much to worry about. She was laughing and shooting pool with Dallas, Lanie, and Ava as though she’d known them all her life.
I strode across the room, delivering chin lifts to my sister and the other girls before taking Grace’s hand. “Gonna borrow my girl for a bit,” I announced, tugging Grace toward my office.
I threw the door closed, locking it before I moved into her space, backing her against my desk and forcing her to sit on it.
“Doin’ okay?” I asked, moving in between her legs, my hands cupping her face. Despite our position, my intent wasn’t sexual. But it was primal in my need to take care of her.
“Yeah,” she answered. “I know homesickness will kick in at some point, but this feels familiar in a lot of ways.”
I stroked her hair back gently. “You were a club princess all your life, baby. Here, you’re queen.”
