Page 65 of Claimed By the Biker Brothers

“This wasn’t here before. It used to be a storage space,” I say.

“We had it renovated for you,” Diesel says. “The guys have been working nonstop on it.”

“Do you like it?” Jagger asks as they set the bags down inside the front door.

“Like it? I love it,” I gasp, trying to wrap my head around it.

The storage space was big enough to match a generous two-bedroom apartment, which is exactly what they did with the place. They erected walls, replaced the linoleum with proper parquet, painted it in a soft off-white, and fitted it with everything needed for comfortable, cozy living.

“How long did this take?” I ask, admiring the brushed-brass light fixtures and the cherrywood console in the foyer.

“About two weeks,” Knox says, setting Krya down. She runs off to explore, wide-eyed and speechless, and I can’t really blame her. I’m the same. “It was a joint effort, but it was worth it.”

“There’s a spacious living room,” Jagger says, pointing to a huge lounge area with plush cream-colored sofas and a cherrywood coffee table that matches the console, with solid bookshelves and a wall-mounted TV. There’s even artwork hanging on the walls—most of them framed photographs of the club’s founding members and blown-up macros of motorcycle parts, but they bring the whole room together. “The bedroom is over there. Kyra’s room is separate, and there’s a baby monitor system set up already, which is easy to use. You can use it if you don’t feel like getting out of bed to check on her. It’s got a video feed and everything.”

Diesel turns to look at me. “I even hooked it up to an app for your phone. When Kyra’s home, you’ll have eyes on her.”

“I cannot believe this,” I mumble, tears pricking my eyes. The exhaustion of the last few days has finally caught up with me, and I no longer know what to do with myself. “Why?”

“Because this is the safest place for you,” Knox replies, gently cupping my face in his hands while I breathe him in deeply, letting the scent of burnt gasoline, leather, and musky cologne numb my senses. “The clubhouse is heavily guarded. There’s a panic button in every room with a direct, automated call to the sheriff’s office and an automated alert system for each of our phones. We’re going to have Riders guarding the whole property in 24/7 shifts. There’s a CCTV camera at every angle that connects to a surveillance system setup in our office.”

“I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“There’s not much to say, except maybe promise us you won’t ever think about running away again,” he replies and plants a sweet kiss on my lips. A fire burns within me. A fire I know I would’ve missed terribly had I left Redwood tonight. “I understand, I do. Putting some distance between you and Calvin might feel like the smart thing to do, but you know him as well as the rest of us. You know he’d hunt you down to the ends of the earth, especially if you’re not under our protection.”

“That’s why we came to you in the first place when we found out about his early release,” Jagger reminds me. “You’ll be comfortable here. There’s a kitchen, but you also have the clubhouse restaurant downstairs. You’ve got everything you need.”

“I even stocked the bathroom,” Diesel gives me a playful wink. “Found that fancy micellar water you like to use, the rose-scented one.”

“As if I couldn’t love you more,” I sigh deeply, softening against Knox’s hard frame.

Kyra’s voice echoes from her bedroom. “Mommy! Is this my bed?”

“Yeah, it is, honey!” I call out.

Diesel, Knox, and Jagger keep staring at me. I know what I just said, and I meant every word. But we’re obviously going to have to talk about it after the little one’s tucked in.

“Can I sleep in it?” Kyra yells.

“I’ll go deal with this,” I chuckle softly, then grab Kyra’s bags and go to her room.

Thirty minutes later, she’s sawing logs, sound asleep under a pink tartan cover with her favorite blankie on top. I take a moment just to look at her black curls and delicate nose, her light brown freckles and pink cheeks. Kyra is purity to me, innocence, clean of all the sins of this world. And I need to do right by her, regardless of my fears and doubts.

Right now this place is good for us. Knox and the guys made a fair point. It’s the safest. Safest is what I want for my daughter; safest is what she’ll get.

I find Knox, Diesel, and Jagger still standing in the living room, looking out the window. The night falls deeper over Redwood, but I can hear more engines in the parking lot. More riders coming through.

“It’ll go on all night,” Diesel mutters. “Sorry about the noise.”

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “The louder it is, the safer we’ll be, right? With all these Riders in the clubhouse, that is.”

“That’s pretty much the idea,” he says, his gaze lingering on my face. “Did you mean it?”

My cheeks catch fire.

“You dropped the L bomb,” Jagger smiles, his blue eyes sparkling as he comes closer. “It’s not something you can just get away with, especially if you meant it.”

“I would never say it unless I mean it,” I declare, raising my chin and my eyes to meet his. “I’m in love with you. Can’t lie about it. I can’t downplay it anymore either.”

---