Chapter 4

Karina was still fuming when we drove through the gate and parked near the front door. She'd stewed all the way to the airport, on the plane, and the drive home. I was a little surprised she hadn't blown up yet. All that repressed emotion would need to be released eventually. I knew the perfect way for her to work out all that aggression, but she wasn't ready for me to strip her bare and fuck her until she couldn't move.

She hopped out of the truck and put her hands on her hips, glancing all around her. I opened the back door on the cab of the truck and tossed her carry-on over my shoulder. I figured I'd come back for her other stuff after I got her settled in my room.

"Sunshine," I growled to get her attention. She turned narrowed eyes on me, and I tilted my head toward a path that led to the clubhouse front door. I waited for her to march past me, then followed her, my eyes glued to her spectacular ass.

When we reached the front door, she slammed it open and stomped inside. I ambled in after her, trying not to give away the tension that gripped me when I saw how many brothers had their eyes on my girl.

"I want to speak to whoever is in charge!" Karina demanded loudly, planting her hands on her hips and darting her gaze around the large lounge.

"Relax, sunshine," I muttered. "You'll get your questions answered, just like I promised. For now, let's get you settled."

I knew Mac would want to meet first to go over everything that had happened and talk about next steps.

So I was grateful when Cat, our VP's old lady, came out from behind the bar and sauntered over to us with a welcoming smile.

"You must be Karina," she said with a wink. "I'm Cat, your tour guide and safety director. If you follow me, I'll take you to your room." Before turning away, Cat shot me a questioning glance, silently asking me if she should take my girl to my room. I nodded, and she started talking to Karina as she led her away.

I watched them until they'd disappeared up the stairs, then the outraged voice of another tiny woman drew my attention away when she stalked over to me with a thunderous expression.

"What do you think you're doing, Cash?" Kiara snapped.

Irritated as fuck, I turned to glare at her. If she thought she was going to come between Karina and me, she was in for a rude awakening. However, Knight was right on her heels, and when he saw my expression, his brow furrowed in warning. Respectful of my brother's old lady, I scaled back my anger.

Kiara wagged her finger at me and continued, "You can't—"

"Baby," Knight interrupted once he caught up with her. He tucked her under his arm and bent his head to whisper in her ear. "You can't get involved." He was just loud enough that I heard what he was saying. Damn straight.

"But—"

"If he's decided that she's his, we will not get involved," he said more firmly. "Promise me."

I trusted Knight to handle his woman, so I turned and stalked down the hall to the prez's office.

He looked up when he heard me approaching and leaned back in his chair, watching me with a neutral expression. Mac was never easy to read.

He lifted his chin when I neared, giving me permission to enter. I dropped down on the couch to my left and put my feet up on the low table in front of me.

"That your woman making all that noise?" he asked.

I grunted, and he smirked. "Gonna have your hands full."

"No shit," I muttered. "You hear anything on Bickle?" I asked, changing the subject. I wasn't ready to talk about Karina. I was still getting used to the feelings of possession and my growing obsession for the little spitfire.

"We've got a few leads. I think one of these will pan out. Probably gonna catch up with him in the next day or two."

"I want in. She's mine."

Mac nodded. "Done."

He was filling me in on the details when Scout, the VP, came in with a message from an informant. We discussed the tip and whether it was a legitimate lead. When Knight also showed up, he shot me a look that I returned with a nod, then he joined the conversation.

Once we wrapped up our business, I stood and made my way over to Mac's desk. "What can I tell her?" I'd followed his instructions while on the road. But now that we were here and I knew just what Karina was to me, I didn't want anyone else answering her questions.

"Anything that doesn't involve club business."

I lifted my chin in acknowledgment but didn't say anything because Mac's phone rang. When he picked up the call, his entire demeanor went soft, indicating that it was his old lady. It would be startling for most people to see the big, mean-looking MC president turn into a marshmallow. But we'd all learned early on not to give him shit about it because that softness only extended to his wife and children.

I walked out of the office and spotted Knight waiting for me, lounging against the wall. He lifted his chin toward another office, and we stepped inside to talk.

"I'm not going to push her," I said without preamble.

"Kiara is anxious as shit about the situation, and I don't like seeing her unhappy."

I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at him. "She's barely had time to process that her dad is a fucking asshole, let alone that she has a sister. Especially when that sister is the one who kept her dad from being with her all this time and committing to her mom. She's gonna get as much time as she needs, brother. But you can tell Kiara that I think Karina will be ready eventually."

Knight looked like he wanted to push further, but after a few seconds, he pressed his lips together and gave me a chin lift before flipping around and stalking from the room.

I was suddenly exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed with my girl and sleep for a day. As I headed for the stairs, I paused by the entrance to the kitchen. Karina was probably hungry. I'd offered to stop for food on the way from the airport, but the stubborn woman just ordered me to hurry up and get to where we were going.

Maybe a snack would be the perfect peace offering. Now that Karina was under lock and key, I wasn't going to pussyfoot around the fact that she was mine.

After rummaging around in the huge communal pantry and fridge, I found some decent snacks and carried them up to my room.

Since I was single and managed the garage attached to the clubhouse, I hadn't bothered to find my own place. That would have to change now, but I'd wait until after we put Bickle in the ground. Then Karina could decide where she wanted to live, as long as it was with me.

I hadn't expected to find my sunshine asleep in my bed when I came to the room, but I wasn't surprised, considering the day we'd had.

After setting the snacks on the nightstand, I stripped to my boxers and climbed into bed. Karina rolled toward me, and I smiled at the proof that she was drawn to me, whether she wanted to admit it or not. I hooked my arm around her waist and pulled her close, then wrapped my body around hers and fell into a contented sleep.