Page 61 of Their Princess

I considered her for a second. With both her bachelor’s and an MBA, she could probably whip this little “business” we had going here into shape. Not alone, because her only experience was on the sidelines of Mass’s business. And suggesting she take part right away could get us both taken out.

It wasn’t an option yet with this old boys’ club, so I shook my head. “No. I’ve got it. Just stay out of the way. And stay in your room.”

Adelina loved to have the last word, but I didn’t give it to her. Couldn’t give it to her. The flinch she gave made me want to rescind the words, but perhaps if I talked to her like a child, it would remind us both of our differences in age.

And our similarities in genetics.

I walked out of the room before she could say anything else.

As soon as I was in the hallway, I felt my balls constrict. Precum left a wet spot on my lower belly, and the fact that the air temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees in the hall, it now felt cool. I fell against the wall, balling my hand into a fist. I held still for uncountable beats as I refused to give any attention to my painful groin.

I had to gain control, at least enough to make it back to the other side of the warehouse and my new bedroom, where I could stand under a cold shower for the next hour.

Maybe two.

Chapter Thirteen

SAS

The aspirinonly dulled the pain pulsing through my head. A joint would’ve taken off the edge, but since Wilde appointed me VP, I thought it would be best to keep myself sober for the ass chewing I would likely receive today.

The Prez would be pissed about the cartel.

Hell, I was pissed about the cartel, but both he and Angel had approved the deal once Beans and the Warden came up with the plan for distribution. That meant our fearless leader had his hands deep in thisshit-uation too. I was sitting out back with shades on and pounding another bottle of water when the roar of the engines cut down the road toward the clubhouse.

I straightened. Thankfully, half the guys who lived at the clubhouse had ridden out just after dawn for a long ride up Highway 1. I wished I could be out there with them, but I had business to attend to. Duchess had also sent the bunnies on various tasks—grocery shopping, Costco runs, and the like—to get them away while we had church.

I stood and walked inside through the back door. The other officers, including Graff, were waiting. Beans and the Warden sat at the long dining table with laptops open and blue lightghosting their faces. Rafe, the fucking spy in our mix, stood with his feet apart and hands behind his back next to the door leading into the bunnies’ wing.

Adelina’s fucking protector.

The front door slammed open, and Wilde walked in first. Bou waddled in a step behind the Prez, holding his hand, and they passed the entry and the seating area near the door as they moved into the main common area. They must’ve driven the truck to LA, because she had to be past riding herself. But others must’ve come too, because those were definitely bikes I’d heard rolling up. Swiping the band out of his hair and letting it fall like a black-and-white curtain, Angel stalked inside, then Cook led a wide-eyed Maddie.

I narrowed my eyes at her and the collar with a metal D-ring around her neck, then I snapped my gaze back over to the Park Ridge enforcer.

He smirked at me as I read his shirt:I’ve got your vibrator. It has two wheels and five gears.

I hadn’t liked the man at first, but there’s something about him that now made me smile. Instead, I raised my brows and stalked over toward the table.

We waited for our president to get down to business, but he stalked around the huge living area in the clubhouse, past the wall with the television and gaming systems sitting quietly for a change in anticipation of the club’s meeting. Wilde swiped his hand longingly along the edge of the pool table opposite the kitchen.

Clearly, he missed the place.

Once we were married, Adelina had better not expect me to give up the warehouse for some pretentious house in Beverly Hills. Ward had done it for Bell, but that sure as shit wasn’t happening.

Duchess and the other bunnies to clean up before management arrived, so the place—even the back yard where I had been lounging in the morning sun—was spic and span after the party last night.

And every other night.

Cook marched over with Maddie on his heels and whispered something to Rafe, who gave him a nod. Then he sent Maddie through the door with a smack on her ass.

“Alright. No time to dick around,” said Wilde in his usual to-the-point way. “What’s this shit with the cartel?”

No time was an understatement.

He stood at the head of the table, Bou just over his shoulder. Women weren’t meant to be patched members in the MC—only old ladies, bunnies, and daughters—yet she stood like she was one of us, crossing her arms over her chest and pregnant belly hanging low. The fact that she’d taken down several of the attacking cartel members at her shop earned her some cred, though.

The new ways of the MC were weird, changing, and I couldn’t decide how I felt about it. Diablo and now The Ridge were my life. I thrived on the ride and having my brothers’ backs. But we were growing. And now that we were all part of one MC, The Ridge, everyone was in everyone else’s business. Granted, the guys in Arizona handled the border runs, which brought in bank, and even more cash now that we had the deal with Parisi.

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