Micaela

I was about to jump out of my skin as I waited for the guys to return. I was worried to death that they were in a fight and that any or all of the four would end up badly hurt. Maybe I should've gone with them. The only issue was I was still too hurt to be rational with my brother. The brief conversation in the hotel lounge had tested my calm.

They'd been gone for over an hour. I tried to nap like Ashes suggested, but it was impossible. My mind wouldn't shut down. When it failed, I tried to watch television, but I couldn't concentrate on it. Reading was out of the question if television was, so I ended up pacing my room and checking out the window every five minutes to see if they had returned. I wasn't sure if I'd see them come back or not. Since I was on the back side of the hotel, I might see them because they'd parked back here earlier.

I was parched, so grabbing some money, my keycard, and my phone, I let myself out and went to find the soda machine. It turned out I could only purchase sodas in the small store they had by the front desk. I perused it when I got to it, then grabbed a few of them. As I came out to take them to the desk to pay, I heard the rumble of motorcycles. I sat the sodas on the desk to run out to see if it was my guys. The clerk gave me a startled glance.

"Be back," I said over my shoulder.

Outside, I watched as Ashes, Vicious, and Dragon backed their bikes into a couple of spots in the front lot. They saw me, and I felt relieved when they smiled at me and got off their bikes easily. They seemed not to be hurting. I rushed over to them. There were no visible marks on their faces, and their knuckles weren't bruised or skinned.

Ashes opened his arms, and I went straight into them. He hugged me tightly and gave me a sweet kiss. I was gently tugged out of his arms by Dragon, who did the same. Not to be left out, Vicious enveloped and kissed me when Dragon let go. When they were done, I had to ask.

"How did it go?"

"Baby, let's go inside and up to the room to talk. We need to decide on some things," Dragon told me. They all kept their faces rather blank, which didn't bode well. My heart sank.

"Alright," was all I was able to get out. I walked back inside with one on either side and the third right behind me. The clerk, a woman around my age, ogled us, well, them. Who could blame her? Seeing her reminded me to get the drinks.

"Hang on. I need to pay for my drinks."

"I've got them. Let me grab more. You guys want your usual?" Ashes asked the others.

They nodded. It didn't take long to add them to mine. Then he paid for the lot. The clerk, whose name was Melissa , according to her name badge, tried to flirt with him. I fought not to laugh at her. He thanked her and took the bag she put them in without responding to her overtures. We got on the elevator and rode it to my floor.

Once in my room, they took up the positions they had earlier. I was handed a soda, and they got theirs. I waited for them to start. They seemed to take their time taking a drink. I was about to scream when Dragon spoke.

"Sunshine, we want you to hold off asking us any questions until we're done telling you what went down."

"Fine, I'll do that, just hurry."

He told me everything they said, as well as what my brother said, with a few additions thrown in by Ashes and Vicious. As they explained, my chest began to hurt. It was almost as bad as I feared. I knew he wouldn't be happy, but it sounded like he not only didn't believe they could care for me and want to be with me, but the club wouldn't back it. What if he was right? What if this was too weird for them to support? Maybe Phalanx and Bullet were the club's limit for nontraditional relationships. By the time they were done, I was trying to catch my breath. I wasn't aware I was clutching my throat or gasping until Vicious came over to sit next to me. He peered into my eyes.

"Angel Lips, take a deep breath, hold it for a count of five, and then let it out. Keep going. I need you to hear me. No one and nothing is keeping me from you and our life together. Your brother has the choice to learn to accept it or not."

"W-what. If. The. Club. Says. No?" I panted out.

"They won't, but if by some crazy one in a billion chance they do, then we leave." was his answer.

Shaking my head emphatically, I fought to even out my breathing before I replied. "I won't let you leave the club. I know from Daredevil how much the club means to him, and I know it means as much or more to you. I won't let myself be the reason to ruin it. If it comes down to that, I'll leave."

"Like hell, you will!" Ashes practically hollered.

"Ain't gonna happen," Dragon told me harshly.

"Over my cold, dead body," Vicious rumbled out.

Tears filled my eyes. "But I don't want to do that to you. You'll resent me. And I wouldn't blame you. And even if they let me stay, that doesn't mean there won't be those who want nothing to do with me, us. Oh God, I should've never come here." Even as I said it, I knew I didn't mean it.

Vicious grabbed my upper arms. He shook me, but it wasn't hard; it was more like he was trying to wake me up. "Don't ever say that. You let us worry about the club. As for your brother, give him time. I can't promise he'll come around, but we won't stop trying. If he sees we mean what we said about our feelings for you, he'll have to change his mind."

"What did you say about your feelings?" None of them had remarked on that. I would've recalled it if they had.

Ashes answered. "We each told him we're already half in love with you. It won't take much or long to be a hundred percent there."

I gulped. I never imagined they'd feel that way this soon. I knew I was quickly progressing toward the same. "I'm stunned, but I have to tell you, I'm so close to being there myself, with all three of you. I know it sounds crazy. We've only known each other for such a short time. Love is supposed to take months, sometimes years."

"Not in the Infidels, it doesn't. You saw it with your brother," Vicious reminded me.

"I know, but it seems crazier when it's me. I'm scared." I confessed.

"Scared about what?" Vicious asked.

"That it'll all fall apart, and I'll be left with a broken heart," I whispered. I cringed to even say it aloud. What if I jinxed it?

"Never," Dragon said firmly.

"Fuck no," was Vicious' response.

"Ain't happening," Ashes added.

Talking it to death wouldn't change it, so it was time to stop. "Okay then, enough of this. My brother will or won't get his head out of his ass. What are our next steps?" I asked, pretending to be confident. I listened as they told me what had to happen right away. I sent up silent prayers it would be successful, or possibly by tomorrow, we'd be done with a huge step.