Page 24 of Azrael

“I’m not judging,” I said softly.“I’m just trying to understand this world I’ve landed in.”

He nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.“It’s a lot to take in.And it probably seems barbaric to someone on the outside.”

“A little,” I admitted.“But I’m reserving judgment.”

“Smart woman.”A hint of a smile touched his lips.

“So what does an old lady do around here?”I asked.“If I’m not privy to club business and I’m not… entertaining the masses?”

The smile grew.“Live your life.Some work outside the club.Some help with legitimate club businesses.Some take care of their homes and families.”He shrugged.“There’s no rulebook, Zara.Just boundaries that keep everyone safe.”

“And these boundaries -- they’re for my protection?Or to keep me in line?”

His expression hardened slightly.“Do you think I brought you here to control you?To keep you ‘in line’?”

I matched his stare.“I don’t know why you brought me here, not really.Protection, yes.But there are other ways to protect someone.”

He pushed off from the counter and came back to the table, lowering himself into the chair opposite me.“Listen carefully.If your mother was abducted, and it’s by someone who knows about you, then it means you could also be in danger.I don’t want you to leave the compound by yourself.They could know exactly where you are and be waiting for a chance to grab you.”

“So why didn’t they before now?”

“Maybe the timing wasn’t right,” he said.“You’re safe here, Zara.I’ll make sure of it.”

I wanted to argue, to point out that being forced to live with a stranger and follow his rules didn’t feel particularly freeing, but something in his expression stopped me.Concern, genuine and unmasked, filled his dark eyes.

“Look,” he said, his voice softening.“I know this isn’t ideal.But you’re worth protecting.”

I nodded slowly, absorbing this.“Okay.So I stay here, I avoid asking about ‘club business,’ I meet some other women in similar situations, and I wait until it’s safe for me to… what?You said I couldn’t go back to my old life.”

Azrael didn’t look away, didn’t soften his response.“No, you can’t.Before you decided to accept my property patch, I made sure you understood this would be like a marriage.This is your life now, Zara.Whether you like it or not.There’s no walking away.Not now.As for the waiting, you’ll eventually be free to go where you’d like without having someone glued to your side for protection.The ladies here typically go out for lunch, shopping, and whatever else they want to do.As long as we know where they’re going, so we can get to them quickly if trouble pops up, then they have the freedom to do as they please.”

I digested his words and hoped I hadn’t made a really big mistake.Only time would tell.

Chapter Seven

Zara

The rumble of Azrael’s Harley sent vibrations through the ground beneath my feet long before he appeared around the bend.I’d been waiting in the driveway, nervously adjusting my clothes and wondering if I’d dressed appropriately for meeting what he’d casually referred to as “some family.”But he’d been called away before we could leave.Something about club business.

Azrael slowed as he approached, the powerful engine growling beneath him like a predator ready to pounce.The sleek black machine gleamed in the afternoon sun, polished to perfection like everything else about him.His intense gaze swept over me.

He brought the bike to a stop and killed the engine, the sudden silence almost deafening.With practiced ease, he swung his leg over and gave me a smile that made my stomach flip.He had to be the sexiest man I’d ever met -- all hard angles and swarthy skin, his dark beard neatly trimmed along his strong jaw.

“You ready?”he asked, his voice low and smooth as he approached.

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt.“So we’re going to Scratch’s place?”

Azrael nodded.“We can ride or walk.”

I eyed the bike.“Ride.”

He flashed me another smile and got back on the motorcycle before holding out his hand to me.I climbed on and wrapped my arms around his waist.He started the engine again, and we were off.It really wasn’t far, and we arrived in no time.

We pulled to a stop in front of a well-kept Victorian house.“He’s been with the club for decades.In fact, he was patched in before we had a compound with homes.This one was custom-built after he moved his family here.Before, they had a place in town.”

I took in the property -- the large yard, the detached garage that looked big enough to house several motorcycles and possibly an SUV, and the wide porch that wrapped around the front of the house.It wasn’t what I’d expected when I thought of an outlaw biker’s home.It looked… normal.Almost inviting.

Azrael’s hand came to rest at the small of my back as we walked up the driveway, the heat of his palm seeping through my thin shirt.It was a possessive gesture, one I was still getting used to.

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