Chapter 4

4

BLADE

A fter I'd stitched and bandaged up Elise, Storm held out his hand and helped his sister off the exam table. I wanted to snatch her hand away and tuck her into my side. Since I knew staking my claim on her right then would lead to a fight—probably a very violent one—with Storm, and I didn't want to ruin everyone's Christmas, I stepped back and let him lead his sister back to the clubhouse and into the kitchen.

People were picking at their food, but by how they all perked up when we walked into the room, they'd been more interested in learning what had happened.

Storm took Elise to the table where Fox, Mav, and their women sat. "Need to talk," he told the men gruffly. Sensing his urgency, especially when they saw my expression as well, they nodded and climbed to their feet.

Fox's gaze shifted to Elise, then back to me, rather than Storm. Not much got past our prez, which was how he'd earned his road name. "Molly and Dahlia will take care of her," he assured me, though Storm was the one who responded.

"Thanks." His face softened when his eyes went to his sister. "You'll be okay?"

"You're, um…all going?" she asked.

"I won't be long," Storm assured her, putting his arm around her for a quick hug that made me want to rip the limb clean off.

"Okay." Elise's brown eyes darted in my direction for just a moment, but it was long enough for me to see a spark of disappointment. I suppressed a smile as I followed my brothers to the door. Before I left, I glanced back and winked at her. Twin spots of pink bloomed on her cheeks, and her plush mouth rose slightly at the corners.

As I made my way to the prez's office, I wondered how much of that pretty blush would cover her body when I made her come. "Dammit," I grunted, trying to think of something that would get rid of the steel shaft in my pants. Carefully, since I was painfully hard, I adjusted myself before entering the office.

I quickly dropped onto a chair and silently exhaled in relief when no one seemed to notice the state of my groin.

Before anyone could speak, Whiskey joined us, followed by a few enforcers—including Deviant, who was our tech expert. I felt an irrational surge of aggression toward Whiskey, but I couldn't help it. Especially anytime I thought about my woman on the back of his bike. As grateful as I was to him for showing up in time to save Elise from that bastard, I hated the idea of her wrapped around him.

I was incredibly relieved when Fox started the meeting because it took my mind off all the ways I wanted to kick Whiskey's ass. And my fury at Elise's attacker eclipsed my growing hunger for her.

"What happened?" Fox asked Storm.

Elise's brother explained the situation, and as he told them about the drug deal she'd witnessed, the tension in the room became deadly.

The Iron Rogues often worked outside the law, and we had our own brand of justice. Our hands were all kinds of dirty, but we didn't tolerate any association with drugs. Any members caught using were given the choice of rehab or leaving the MC—the first time.

We didn't allow them in our businesses, and we'd even assisted local law enforcement in busting up some drug rings in the area…unofficially.

Our zero tolerance for drugs was no secret, so finding out that this lowlife had not only violated our rules but then attempted to kill an innocent woman to avoid being caught had every one of us itching to put a bullet in the asshole. Especially since she belonged to the club—first as Storm's sister and now because she would be my old lady.

Fox's dark gaze landed on Deviant. "Have Savage send over the security footage. Do whatever you have to. Get me a motherfucking name."

After Deviant nodded, Storm spoke up. "I can comb the security footage?—"

Fox held up his hand, making Storm go silent. "You have to leave on a run tomorrow."

Storm blinked, then his expression filled with guilt. "Right. Shit. Can't believe I forgot." A tortured look entered his eyes, and he ran his hands through his hair. "But my sister?—"

"She's got all of us, brother," Mav assured him. "You know every one of us will protect her with our life. And we'll let you know as soon as we have something to go on."

"I'll come right back."

Fox shook his head. "No. Focus on the run and on your woman. If shit hasn't been handled when you get back, we'll get you up to speed and let you handle the asshole. Blakely comes first. You've waited long enough, and that situation could blow the fuck up any day."

I understood why Storm was torn. He felt like he was choosing between his sister and his woman. Not that he'd claimed her since she'd just barely turned eighteen a week ago. She wasn't living in great circumstances, and he wanted to get her out before anything damaging happened.

My instinct was to tell him that I would take care of Elise myself, that she was mine and I'd never let anything happen to her. But I had a feeling that would only make matters worse. His head was a mess right then, and he needed to clear it and focus. So I made the vow silently, if only to make myself feel better.

We strategized for another ten minutes, then agreed to meet again the next day after Storm and the others accompanying him had left. It was still Christmas, and a party was in full swing. The last thing any of us wanted was to ruin anything and make Molly or Dahlia cry—which they did way too fucking often since they'd been knocked up.

When we returned to the kitchen—with the exception of Deviant, who'd chosen to get right to work—everyone was eating, and the mood was light.

My gaze immediately found Elise, and my lips curved up when I saw her talking to Molly with a beautiful smile. Dahlia was on the other side of Elise, and she leaned in to say something, making all three women burst into laughter.

Seeing as how I'd made up my mind to keep Elise, I was happy that she seemed so comfortable with the other old ladies. It would make her transition much easier. Although after hearing her comments to Storm about his absence in her life, I realized she wasn't as familiar with our lifestyle as I'd first assumed. Some women struggled with the concept of the MC being a brotherhood and the lines drawn between them and the club business. However, some MCs, like the Iron Rogues and the Silver Saints, made sure our women knew our commitment to them was every bit as strong as our loyalty to our brothers. The only secrets I would ever keep from Elise would involve club business, and considering the nature of it, I wouldn't want it touching her anyway.

I took a step toward her table, but halted when Storm took the chair directly across from his sister. The last thing I wanted to do was drive a wedge between the siblings or cause a fight on Christmas. Fighting my instincts and desire to be near her, I went back to my original seat.

From my vantage point, I had a clear view of Elise, and I couldn't drag my eyes away from her. After a few grunted responses, my tablemates stopped trying to engage me in conversation, leaving me to eat and brood in relative peace.

Several times throughout the evening, Elise glanced my way, and when our eyes met, I didn't bother to hide the heat in mine. Sometimes, she would shiver, making me grin and causing her to blush before she turned her attention away.

It was hard as fuck not to grab her and make a run for it, but I kept myself in check with the reminder that Storm would be leaving the next day. I'd have time without his interference to convince Elise that she was meant to be mine.

Once we took care of the son of a bitch who'd nearly killed her, we'd work out the details for the future. I knew she was in school, but not locally, so we'd have to change that ASAP since I couldn't protect her if she wasn't with me. And I didn't intend to sleep without her after tonight. I didn't want to wait to start our life together.

I probably shouldn't have been surprised by the sudden desire to see her big and round with my kid growing inside her. But I was still reeling a little from falling head over heels for her in an instant. However, it all felt incredibly right, so I hadn't questioned my reaction to Elise. Besides, I'd seen it happen with Fox and Maverick. The moment we met, Elise became my future. My forever.