13. Switch

13

SWITCH

S aint marries us.

He's the closest thing we ever had to a real preacher, apparently, but I stand there with Sophia, who looks real fucking pretty in the dress Catalina brought for her. It's red. Catalina told me it was red wool and silk shantung, though I have no fucking clue what that is. It has thin straps and a fitted bodice that hugs her perfectly, then flares out over her hips.

She's wearing a cute pair of ballet slippers in nude with a little strap. I'm glad Cat or Niro saw the mobility issues she had and bought her something she's comfortable in.

When Catalina had taken her to the courthouse bathroom to get ready, King produced two rings, one a magnificent diamond, and told me that with the dress, I owed the club twenty-five thousand dollars.

Then my brothers burst out laughing, saying it served me right for marrying a woman I barely know.

The wild thing is, I feel like I do know her, even as I realize how ridiculous that sounds.

No one could look better in that Dior dress than Sophia. Especially when she smiles up at me. I like her eyes on me. I like the way she's so much smaller than me.

And when she first walked back out into the hallway, her hair in a pretty knot thing and red lipstick on her lips, she could have knocked me on my ass.

"I, Theo, take you, Sophia, to be my wife," I say, following Saint's lead.

In a moment of quick thinking, when Saint asked for our full names for the service, Sophia jumped in and suggested we didn't want anything so formal. Otherwise, the club would have immediately known who she was.

I'm holding Sophia's hands. Dressed in my cut with a clean white shirt Niro picked up for me while shopping for Sophia. I don't know how I know it but wearing my cut for this feels right. At some point in the future, I'm going to remember my life with the club or make a new one. And it will matter. I can't even explain how I know this either.

Because Sophia and I need each other.

We fit.

In this room, at this moment, given who I now am, Sophia is the one who knows me best.

The ring is somehow a perfect fit and looks so incredible on her finger, I don't give a fuck how much it cost.

Wish I could have waited for Mom to be here so she could see this, but I can't wait to make her day and deal with the fake fury she'll put me through first before she smiles and tells me I made her year. Then she'll either cry or ask for ovulation dates, the way she's banging on about grandkids.

Kids?

Fuck me.

I focus back on how Sophia's hand feels in mine. She confided in me as we walked into the room Clutch secured for us that the dress revealed more of her scars than she was comfortable with.

So, I kissed ‘em, right there in front of my brothers. I mean, if you can't kiss your wife and be comfortable with it, why bother?

Finally, Saint slides his phone back in his pocket. "Don't need that anymore because we all know what happens next. You may now kiss your bride."

I slide my hand around Sophia's neck and kiss her with more heat than I have before as the other Outlaws clap mutedly.

My tongue brushes hers, and she moans softly.

The brothers are uncertain, I know. They can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Or whether it is going to bring harm to the club, even though they can't yet see the underlying threat because I haven't made it clear.

At some point, I'll have to tell them the truth. And they are going to be furious.

But for now, I savor the feel of Sophia's body pressed against mine, the way I have to bend to kiss her.

Then my brothers respond in very different ways. Niro is the first to his feet. He slaps my back and kisses Sophia on the cheek, right over her scar. "Congratulations, you two. You ever need relationship advice, I'm right here."

This makes me laugh, and I realize I like this version of Niro so much better than the angry kid who arrived all those years ago.

"Envy you, brother," Bates says as he congratulates us. "I'd marry Vi today in a heartbeat, but she wants to wait until she's not pregnant to tie the knot."

"Seeing how much you like knocking her up, that's a narrow window," Vex says.

"If you've found even half the happiness Iris and I have, you two will do okay," Spark says.

Clutch steps up and says a few encouraging words, hoping we'll be as happy as he is with Gwen.

Halo kisses Sophia's cheek, then hugs me. "Don't know if you remember but you bet me ten grand that I would end up with Ari. Was gonna pretend I forgot about it, but I'll transfer it today. Call it my wedding present."

I laugh. "I'll take the cash. But you still owe me a wedding present."

"Thanks for officially making me the last man standing," Vex jokes.

Halo throws an arm over his shoulder. "That's because you haven't felt the fucking miracle of going home to a soft bed, a softer woman, and a pussy that's thoroughly branded as yours."

Clutch laughs. "True story."

Vex hugs me, then hugs Sophia. "I'm happy for you both. Look forward to seeing more of the two of you."

King comes over last. "I feel like there's more to this than you're telling us, Switch. But Rae would hand me my ass if I didn't wish you both well. So, he is the half part of a blessed man, left to be finished by such as she; and she a fair divided excellence, whose fullness of perfection lies in him."

The conversation goes quiet around us, and I raise an eyebrow.

King shrugs. "Shakespeare."

"How the fuck do you know that?" I ask.

"Rae, obviously," Clutch says. "You forgot the whole ‘she fucked with him using Shakespeare's kings as analogies' bullshit."

He's right. I had forgotten. Add it to the list of things I've been told but somehow can't keep in my head. "Now I remember. But how do you know that quote?" I ask.

Niro puts his hand in the air as if he's a school kid waiting for the teacher to choose him. "Pick me. Pick me. I know the answer to this one."

King laughs. I notice the two of them are more in sync than they ever used to be. I wonder what changed over the years, but it's almost like an older brother with his sometimes-annoying younger sibling. "Go ahead."

"I did it as a his-and-hers tattoo on the two of them," Niro says.

King rolls up his sleeve, and there in two sharp lines of black ink on the inside of his forearm, it says, He is the half part of a blessed man, left to be finished by such as she.

"Rae's got the other half across her hip."

"That's so romantic," Sophia says.

"Come in and I'll do you some ink," Niro says. "Call it my wedding present."

"Does it hurt?" Sophia asks.

I can't help but laugh. "Depends on where you get it, Sparrow."

"Fuck my life. He's already given her a pet name," Vex says. "I'm surrounded by chicks and sparrows and duchesses and little ones."

Once the paperwork is registered, we're officially married. In the eyes of the law and my brothers.

Once we climb into Niro's truck, Sophia turns her phone back on, and it blows up with an explosion of messages and phone calls.

"I don't want to talk to any of them, but I don't want them to go to the police or something to issue a missing person report," she says.

"So, send them a message. Take a photograph of your wedding ring. Tell them it's done and that you aren't coming back to them. Tell them you know what they planned. Or say nothing at all. The police come looking and we'll tell ‘em how fucking happy we are, right? I'll call the center and we'll let them know we left, you can reassure them there is no duress, and that we'll be back to figure out outpatient treatment or something. Fuck, I'll pay our team to come visit us in Asbury Park."

Sophia shakes her head and looks down at the marriage certificate in her lap. "The center won't do that."

"Eyes on me," I say. And I wait until she does before I say, "Good girl. They will for enough money."

I reach for Sophia's hand and link our fingers in a way that leaves her ring on full display. "Take the picture, Sparrow."

She smiles and then does as I say.

"We have a family group chat. I'll put it in there. They're going to lose their shit."

I turn in my seat and cup her cheek. "You see all those men waiting for us to pull out of our parking spot?"

She looks out to where King and the others are lined up behind us, waiting for us to go. "Yeah?"

"They've got our backs. No one is going to take my wife."

Sophia smiles. "I like the way you say that."

"Say what?"

"‘My wife.' Like it means something."

I run my knuckle down her cheek. "Because it does mean something. I've never had a wife before. Might be kind of fun to try and make her fall in love with me."

"You keep saying things like that and it might happen. And then where would we be?"

I release her fingers and turn on the truck as I think about her question. Then the answer comes to me. "Happily married. That's where we'd be."

I wait as Sophia types her message, then turns off her phone.

"You good, Sparrow?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

When we pull into the clubhouse lot hours later, familiarity slides through me. It's the same, but not. There have been many changes to the exterior in the past decade. But the nostalgia wraps me in a blanket labelled home .

I park the truck and study the building. The Iron Outlaws logo sits on the wall, illuminated by three spotlights. There are already bikes parked, but there is a space reserved for the eight riders who came to join me today.

We're obviously a close unit of senior officers.

I only wish I knew how to step back into this group and be a medic again.

I'm not even sure what my value is to the club right now, besides being a physically subpar warm body.

Sophia is asleep next to me, exhausted after a long and physically arduous day. She's lost her family, gained a husband, left the facility that has been her safety for months—and she's still living with the daily complexities of her injuries.

I place my palm on her knee and shake her gently. "Sophia, sweetheart."

She gasps quietly, then yawns and looks around. "Where are we?"

"The Iron Outlaws clubhouse in Asbury Park like we talked about."

"Is this where you live?" she asks. I can't decide if there is disappointment in her tone.

"No. I have a house about ten minutes away from here, but I'm…"

Sophia places her palm on my thigh and rubs gently. "You're not ready to go home and be a part of the debris of your past yet."

It's not a question.

It's a statement of understanding.

"Something like that, Sparrow. Let's get you inside."

Niro grabs our bags from the back seat of the truck before I've even released my seat belt.

"I'm starved," I say. "Want me to order some food when we get in?"

"Please. I'm so hungry." Sophia turns on her phone and looks at it. "Oh shit."

While she's been sleeping, it looks like her family has gotten busy messaging their responses to her photograph.

"How bad is it?" I ask.

"It's like you said. They're playing the brain-injury card. That I'm confused. Making bad decisions. Being easily manipulated. That if I come home, they'll find me a lawyer to file an annulment. Or they'll come get me. They're making me sound like I'm mentally incapacitated." She slams her phone onto the dash of the truck. "I'm not incapable, Theo. I might be many things. A bit broken. A bit physically unsteady. A bit scarred. But there is nothing wrong with my acuity."

"I know. Let's go get some food, sleep on it, and handle everything else in the morning."

When we step into the clubhouse, I'm greeted by applause and good wishes from all the other members. But like Sophia, I'm tired.

Halo and Vex are at the bar. "You want something?" Vex asks.

"Can you run a check on Sophia's phone to make sure there are no trackers on it then bring it back to her?"

"Sure thing." He holds out his hand and Sophia places her phone on his palm.

"You really think my family would do that?" she asks.

Vex gestures around the bar. "These guys have trackers on their phones, their bikes, their old ladies. Whatever we need to do to be safe. I'm sure your family is the same."

He glances my way. It's an unspoken question. Do I want our trackers on her phone? I nod subtly. Too many women in this club have ended up on the wrong side of our enemies.

"You two lovebirds want a drink?" Halo asks as I watch Vex stride away.

"Hate to ask, but do I have a room? I kinda assumed I did as an officer of the club, but I don't remember which one it is."

I can't describe the look Halo gives me. Compassion for sure. But shock, as it really sinks in just what happened to me. He blows out a breath. "Fuck, man. Again, I'm so fucking sorry. All this…you saved Ari's life. But it's a fucking huge price you paid."

It's clear the club is expecting some kind of alcoholic binge. "Just…help me out. Can you get me and Soph to our room? Get us some food. Neither of us has the energy for anything more than that."

Halo nods. "I gotcha."

We walk down the corridor, and as we go, Halo tells me who is where. There's new hardwood instead of the old dark tile that got sticky when it was humid outside.

He opens the door to my room, but it's clear before I step inside that we can't really stay there. It's not that it's a total mess; it's not. The bed is made. It's not a complete disaster.

But it's dusty.

Smells stale.

I don't recognize the bedding, but the pictures tacked to the wall suggest I enjoyed the past decade. Many are of me and Vex. We're camping, drinking, and biking.

I think of Sophia's comment about the forest and how she'd like to see it in person. Once the urgency and danger of all this is over, I'll take her. Perhaps we'll find out if a champagne party girl can enjoy a sleeping bag and stars.

A bottle of Jack, two silver dice, and a pack of playing cards sit on a dresser. I remember the taste of whiskey; I don't know what card game I played.

Not the place I wanted to spend my first night with Sophia. It's too much. A rushed wedding, then one bed in a clubhouse. I should have taken her to a hotel or something.

But I wanted the wall of protection the clubhouse provides us.

"I got an idea," Halo says as if he understands what I'm thinking. "Come with me. This used to be Dad's room before he passed. We're renovating each room in the clubhouse one at a time. Dad's is nearly finished."

He opens a door three down on the opposite side of the hallway.

It's clean. The walls are painted a fresh cream, the trim a navy blue. A new mattress, still wrapped in plastic, sits on the bed. There are unopened boxes and packages around the room. Bedding. Pillows. Towels. "Use ‘em," Halo says. "I'll get you some food. Pizza good? You want drinks?"

I look to Sophia.

"Pizza's good. Coke or some water please."

"We got any champagne?" I ask. "We should at least toast ourselves."

"The old ladies' drink of choice when they do book club," Halo says. "Sure we've got a bottle kicking around. Let me check."

The door clicks shut after he leaves.

Silence settles between the two of us, and I reach for Sophia, pulling her to me. "So, what do we do now?" she asks.