Page 121 of Guarded

Her fingers run through my hair as she shushes me to a calm state.

“Ari, I can’t let you go.”

It was a mindfuck the way I needed her even if I wasn’t sure about my capabilities to love her. What was love anyway? If it was protecting her and praising her, then I could do that. I couldn’t let her be reduced to nothing, and last night, I saw how he did that to her. He doesn’t deserve her.

“Then don’t let me.” She whispers.

“Will you give me time? Please?” I ask. Her body stiffens in my embrace. She pulls away from me and stares at me for a second.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Give me some time. After the patch ceremony, I’ll take over as President, and we can figure out what to do from there. We’ll run away if we have to. Don’t marry him.” I plead.

She nods, processing my proposed plan. It was impulsive but I don’t give two fucks anymore. I’m tired of losing things. There was no way in hell I could lose her.

When a sure “Okay.” falls from her mouth. I stand and kiss her.

Mine.

Chapter 35

Nero

Somos Los Peregrinos,

Hijos de la chingada,

Pasamos por el infierno,

Queremos todo or nada.

Ey, ey, ey

¡ Que viva el desmadre!

Ey ey ey

¡ Chinga todos a su madre!

Beer flies everywhere as Louie gets jumped in as a fully patched member. Members and regulars from the bar punch him and drench him with cans of Modelo.

All while obnoxiously chanting the Club’s fight song. Ari stands off to the side with Louie’s nieces and nephew, the youngest latching tightly onto her. Children never crossed my mind, but seeing her calm the little boy in her arms did some unexpected shit to me.

Leatherface stands with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Hueso stands with Ghost and another veteran member.

Hueso’s eyes meet mine from across the celebrating crowd. His head tilts back to the clubhouse, and I nod. We still have unfinished business.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” I tell Ari, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Simultaneously, all patched members follow Hueso back into the clubhouse. We meet in the far back room, where only members are allowed. Hueso sits at the front of the table where Leatherface should be. He has a cigarette clenched between his fingers as he waits for all the members to funnel in before he speaks.

“Everybody sit down!” he shouts. The tension thickens when Leatherface walks through the door.

“Let’s get this shit over with,” he says, throwing his cut onto the large wooden table. Hueso shakes his head.

“That’s what you think of us?” Hueso scoffs. “I have brothers who died so that you could wear that cut. Have some respect for the cloth.”

The room goes silent as Hueso cuts the president’s patch off the vest. Both of them stare the other down.

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