“Do you think so?”
“There are always scammers out there preying on the weak. But it tells me it’s someone local, someone who’s seen us together again, that I can work with. Trust me, okay?” he kissed her gently on the lips, then on the forehead. Her eyes were no longer carefree and full of joy from a few moments ago, and for that alone, Splice was gonna rip this guy apart. “I got this. No one is getting close to you, except for me, yeah?”
She nodded and stroked his face; he felt the touch deep in his gut. “I don’t want him to touch you either. So, while you’re protecting me, please protect yourself, too, Ryan.”
“Always,” he promised.
The ride home was done in almost silence, Lisa not speaking to him via the helmet’s internal microphone, and when he helped her down from the bike, she looked at her house as if it contained unknown monsters.
“We set the alarm, remember, baby?” he reminded her, a hand around Lisa’s nape. Then he pointed out the very visible cameras he’d installed. “A prick would be dumb to creep around your house.”
She visibly exhaled, but it was Splice who took her house keys and went in first. The place was secure; he’d made sure of it.
While he prepared Lisa a coffee, his mind was already working on a solution, but he cocked his head to look at her, to ask, “Do you wanna pack a bag and come to stay with me until I get this sorted out?”
She looked surprised at first, and then she flashed him a smile. “No. Thank you, though. I don’t want to be run out of my home, or I’ll never feel safe here again.”
“Got it,” he answered tonelessly, but he wanted to grab her up and just put her in his basement where nothing could upset her again.
For now, in front of Lisa, so as not to freak her out, he was gonna treat this situation like it was just a pest, but his veins were already on high alert.
The steaming coffee was placed in front of her. He leaned down and pressed his mouth to Lisa’s neck. “When this is behind us, you’ll come to stay, yeah?”
“Of course,” she answered easily, and some of his tension melted away. She was still all the way in with him; that was good. “I meant everything I said yesterday. It feels like a million other things have happened since then, but I’m serious about us.”
“Good, sweetheart. Me too.”
She smiled at him, and he tapped a kiss to her upturned lips.
“Come to the club with me,” he said once she’d finished the coffee. “We’ve got a guy who can look into this.”
“Oh.” She looked unsure but slipped her hand into his. “Okay. I was supposed to go out with the girls tonight. Maybe I should cancel.” She nibbled her lower lip, and Splice groaned, thumbing it free.
“Don’t change anything.” He said. “You’ll be in one of our bars, so you’re protected. I’ll send the probies to keep an eye on you. Or I can skulk in a corner and have my nasty eyes all over you.”
She flushed so lovely and pink, he wanted to take her down to the ground and lick her blush all over.
“Would you really do that?”
“There’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Ryan...” she breathed and leaned into his chest. “I’d feel better if you were there,” she trusted to say, and he felt his chest inflate with that trust and need. “Would the girl’s mind, do you think?”
Splice grinned, “Ask any of ‘em; their old man has probably stalked her all over town more than once, so they’re used to it.”
* * *
Striding into the clubhouse holding Lisa’s delicate hand, Splice clocked about twenty pairs of eyes turn their way like nosy missiles, but all he felt was pride that he had brought his woman to the MC. To show his closest people that Lisa wasn’t anyone casual, she was his one, his soon-to-be old lady, if he got his way.
But having to deal with this situation, he postponed his old lady patch campaign for now.
“Look who it is.” It was Reno who approached them first, grinning from ear to ear. Splice was ready for whatever ribbing the guy dished out, recalling the crap he gave Reno for hooking up with Kylie, so it was warranted.
“Lisa, you must’ve done some awful shit in a past life to be stuck with Splice, damn, I feel for you, really, I do.” He joked, and Lisa burst out laughing.
“I must have been Dracula,” his darling woman joined in and sent a smile up at him, poking him in the ribs.
“I like her,” Reno told Splice, “welcome to the Diablos.”
