Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Shaw closed the distance between us and slid his arm around me. “She did.”
His answer didn’t make my mom happy. Planting her fists on her hips, she huffed, “I might not know everything about MC life, but from what I understand, my daughter has not been claimed unless she’s wearing your name on her back.”
Shaw slid a loaded look at Fox, who headed down the hallway leading to Shaw’s room. “Britta is very much mine.”
“She’s young and—”
Fox returned, holding a scrap of leather in his hand that he tossed to Shaw, distracting my mom from whatever she’d been about to say.
Turning to me, Shaw showed me the back of the smaller version of his cut. I traced my fingers over the patch that said, “Property of Stone.”
Happy tears streamed down my cheeks as he slid the leather vest onto my back. “How long have you had this?”
“Two long years.”
His answer blew me away. “Really?”
He gripped the front of the vest and tugged me closer, his blue eyes filled with emotion as he confirmed, “It was the only comfort Fox could give me when he wouldn’t share your location. I struggled hard with not knowing where you were. Knowing that I was going to make you my old lady as soon as we took care of the bastards who were after you and your mom was what allowed me to hold on for so long.”
“That is…wow,” I breathed.
“I almost gave it to you a dozen times, but it didn’t feel right with what was going on with your mom,” he explained. “I wanted to get you answers about her first.”
“And you did better than that,” I sniffed. “You brought her home to me.”
There was a slight gleam of uncertainty in his eyes as he asked, “So this is home now?”
I nodded. “My home is with you, and you belong here. In Old Bridge. With the family you’ve built.”
“Thank fuck because I wasn’t looking forward to talking to Fox about me transferring to the chapter up in Chicago.” He shook his head with a laugh. “I still hadn’t come up with a plan for what to do if you and your mom decided that you wanted to head back to Hounds of Hellfire territory.”
“Let me get this straight.” Mom looked between the two of us. “You two barely interacted with each other the last time we were here but never forgot each other. Now you’ve been together for barely more than a week, and you’re already his old lady?”
I beamed a smile at her. “Yeah, that’s exactly right.”
“Actually, it’s not,” Shaw corrected. I turned toward him, my eyes widening when he pulled a diamond solitaire out of his pocket. Sliding the ring onto my finger, he added, “She’s not just my old lady. She’s the woman I’m going to marry as soon as I can get her down the aisle.”
“Oh my gosh.” I blinked down at the sparkling gemstone, even more stunned than I’d been when Shaw had shown me the property patch. “How about tomorrow?”
I meant it as a joke, but Shaw took me seriously. “I’m sure Molly and Dahlia can get a wedding organized for us that quickly with the help of the other old ladies.”
“I was being held hostage only four hours ago,” my mom grumbled. “There is no chance I’ll be ready to walk my baby down the aisle to you by tomorrow.”
“Take a little more time, but not too much,” Shaw offered. “I’m not gonna wait long to make the woman I love my wife.”
“Love?” I echoed, pressing trembling fingers to my lips.
“I can’t fucking believe I forgot to give you those three little words while I proposed.” He brushed his lips against mine. “It didn’t go how I planned, but I was thrown off by the possibility that your mom was gonna convince you to leave with her.”
“That was never going to happen, Shaw.” I stroked my palms up his chest before twining my arms around his neck. “I love you too much to ever leave you.”
“Thank fuck,” he rasped, claiming my mouth in a deep kiss that had everyone from the Iron Rogues cheering while my mom shook her head with a laugh. “Because I love you so damn much, baby.”
EPILOGUE
BRITTA
It was amazing the difference one year had made in my life. My mom was healthy and happily single. We lived in Tennessee now. And I was pregnant with my husband’s baby—due any day now, in fact.
One thing hadn’t changed, though. I didn’t expect anything special for my birthday. Except maybe to give birth to our baby girl. But I hadn’t felt a single twinge all day. Not even having lots of sex with Shaw this morning had helped.
“What’s that pout for, baby?” Shaw tugged at the bottom lip I had puffed out. “Are you not feeling up to going out for dinner?”