Page 30 of Royally Embraced: RBMC

She didn’t want to put their lives at stake for stupid replaceable shit.

“Baby, I won’t allow anything to happen to you or anyone I care about. If it’s too dangerous, we won’t go there. Can you putyour trust in me? I know it’s a lot to ask when you haven’t known me all that long.”

His arms contracted around her, and she could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest against hers.

“I do trust you. It’s just hard to think about leaving everything and starting over with nothing.” She’d done it before, and it sucked. “The thought of where I’d go hurts my brain. My god—I still have classes to finish for my degree. Granted, they’re online, but still. My computer is at my apartment with all my papers and stuff.”

She dropped her head on his chest, feeling like an idiot for thinking about trivial things like school.

“Hey, we’ll figure it out.” He pushed her away slightly, giving her a little shake. “Do you hear me?” he asked.

“No, if it’s too risky, we’ll leave it all, and I’ll figure something else out.”

He pursed his lips, appearing to think before he nodded. “Agreed. Your life is more important.”

She glared at him. “So is yours, big guy.”

THE LAST THING HE WANTEDwas to argue with Tori. And the thought of moving back to Chicago, even though his entire family lived there, made him want to hurl. He loved his brother and the entire Calderone famiglia. However, he’d grown up the spare, the son born with no purpose except to live in the event Kendrick didn’t. That wasn’t a life he’d wanted. Thank fuck his brother was a tough sonofabitch. Jeter would’ve been a shitty Don.

He'd found her purse lying next to the suitcase he’d bought her the night before. The knowledge that he’d provided forTori had made his chest swell with pride. Damn, he was a neanderthal in the making. Next, he’d be whacking her over the head and dragging her back to California with him.

His woman sat, kicking her legs, looking too fucking cute and sexy for his peace of mind. And then they’d seen what he’d suspected. She’d been the target, not him. He needed to call King and Duke, the Prez and VP of his Royal MC chapter, to let them know what the fuck was going on.

“We’ll see. Come on. I need to call my Prez.” He pulled her off the counter. Her squeak of surprise filled the quiet room.

Loving the surprised sound, he lifted her over his shoulder, patting her ass. “Grab your phone, Vita Mia.”

She gave that sexy little squeal again and did as he asked. With her phone in her hand, he took them both back toward the bed. Bending, he let her drop on her back. He let out a breath and stared down at the vision she made. Her hair was in some sort of messy do on top of her head. Her arms were out at her sides, and she looked up at him with her dark eyes shining.

He placed one knee on the bed between both of hers. Holding himself above her with his arms bracketing her shoulders, Jeter licked his lips. “You look too innocent for me like this. Do you know that?”

“Hmm, maybe you should teach me all the things you like. You know, so that I’m not so innocent anymore.” She lifted her head off the bed and bit his lower lip.

The move shocked him and made his dick instantly hard. Shit, big bad bikers didn’t get shocked and turned on by one tiny slip of a woman. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He wondered if he would be knitting pink scarves and offering to get mani and pedis with her. His inner caveman began creating a box and shoving the bullshit inside, shuddering at all things pink. Ain’t no way in hell he would be doing that bullshit unless his dick got sucked at the same time. The addedcaveat did little to make him feel better. However, staring at Tori made him hyper-aware that she was his exception to the rule.

“You’re perfect just the way you are,” he murmured.

She nodded. Her hands balled into fists. “So are you. Of course, I would like to know more about you and your life. You said you had to call your Prez. What’s that about?”

Like a bucket of ice water, her words reminded him of his obligations. He pulled back and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Shit. You’re right. My life in California is simple, yet complicated. I’m part of an MC. My job as the road captain is important to our club. I can’t just take off for long periods without approval.”

Her movements behind him made the bed shift, but he didn’t turn around to see what she did.

“Okay, that sounds intriguing. Tell me what it means to be a road captain. Are you the leader or something?” she asked, curling her body around his.

Her warmth and acceptance filled him with hope. Most ole’ ladies grew up around the MC, but the newer ones, King’s, Traeger’s, and several others, had been claimed and fallen for their men without actual knowledge of MC life. The ladies were thriving, as was the club. Hell, King was known to hold meetings with Ayesha waiting outside with the other ole’ ladies. The man who would’ve normally stayed all night and drank everyone under the table thought nothing of tossing Ayesha over his shoulder and walking out the door with a curt fuck off to everyone while she laughed like the happiest woman on earth. The cantankerous man smiled more, and their kid was cute as fuck. He couldn’t wait for Tori to meet them.

“One of the primary responsibilities of a road captain is to plan and execute cohesive and enjoyable rides for the club. I have to consider factors such as road conditions and the weather forecast to design routes that cater to everyone’s comfort andsafety. This involves pre-ride scouting, coordinating with club members, and sometimes local authorities. If it’s a big run for charity and has us doing stops at different establishments, I ensure all the necessary permits and licenses are in order. One of the harder parts of my position, and considered a more pivotal role, is maintaining order and discipline within the pack during rides. It’s up to me to set and enforce riding protocols, ensuring that all riders adhere to safety guidelines and maintain a neat formation. I do this by promoting clear communication. Before every ride, I make sure everyone is aware of hazards, obstacles, and potential changes in direction. This fosters a tight-knit bond within the club and reinforces the importance of trust and respect among my brothers.” He tugged her around, so she was sitting on his lap.

“That sounds like a full-time job by itself.”

There were a lot of people who didn’t understand how much work went into maintaining an MC and making sure all the clogs ran properly. King, as the president, appointed men he trusted to each position. When the old road captain had left, several members tossed their hat in for the position. Jeter wasn’t one of them. Sure, he’d helped the old RC out during most runs and knew the ins and outs of the position. However, he figured King also knew who was up to the task. Jeter would not beg for the title. When the gavel had come down and King said his name, he’d been stunned.

“You have no clue, but it’s not my only job. I own a bike shop. We do custom builds and rebuild bikes for customers from all over. When I got out of the military, I honestly thought I would become a beach bum. Me and a friend of mine had it all planned out. We were going to take our monthly pension from Uncle Sam, buy a houseboat, and just drink our nights away.” He shook his head, remembering how foolish he’d been at twenty-four with no anchor. He had no plan other than a half-assedidea, his Harley, and the Suzuki Jimny he’d brought back from overseas.

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