Page 25 of Azrael

“Remember,” he said as we approached the porch steps, “these people are my family.Scratch especially.”

I nodded, understanding the importance of this introduction.Azrael wasn’t just bringing me to meet friends.This was something more significant.We climbed the steps together, and I couldn’t help but notice how the wood had been worn smooth from years of boots crossing its surface.

Azrael didn’t wait for an answer after his sharp knock.He simply opened the door and guided me inside, his hand never leaving my back.

The interior was cooler than the spring heat outside, and the sudden change in temperature sent a small shiver through me.Or maybe it was the two women who stood in what appeared to be the living room, both turning to assess me with calculated gazes.

“Clarity, Janessa.”Azrael nodded to them in turn.“This is Zara.”

The older of the two women approached first.She was perhaps in her late forties or early fifties, with streaks of silver woven through her dark hair and laugh lines that spoke of a life fully lived.Her eyes, however, were sharp and missing nothing as she looked me over.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, her voice warm but measured.“I’m Clarity.Scratch’s old lady.”

Old lady.The term still jarred me a bit, though Azrael had explained it was a term of respect within the club, not the insult it might sound like to outsiders.

“It’s good to meet you too,” I said, extending my hand, which she took in a firm grip.

The younger woman, Janessa, stayed where she was, her posture casual but somehow still alert.She couldn’t have been much older than thirty, with her hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and eyes that seemed permanently narrowed in suspicion.

“Janessa,” she said simply, with a slight nod in my direction.No handshake offered.No smile.Just that assessing look that made me feel like I was being measured and possibly found wanting.

“Janessa is married to Irish,” Azrael explained, and I recalled him mentioning Irish before.

I looked around the room, taking in every detail.It wasn’t what I’d expected.Instead of the dark, smoke-filled den I’d imagined, the space was open and airy.Large windows let in plenty of natural light, illuminating the comfortable, if slightly worn, furniture.A massive leather sectional dominated one side of the room, positioned perfectly for viewing the large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

What caught my attention most, though, were the photos.One entire wall was dedicated to framed pictures -- some old and yellowed, others more recent.In many of them, men in leather cuts bearing the Devil’s Boneyard patch stood proudly beside their bikes or with arms slung around each other’s shoulders.Women appeared in some too, looking fierce and beautiful beside their men.And children -- there were photos of children at various ages, growing up within the embrace of this unusual family.

“Scratch has been asking when Azrael would bring you around,” Clarity said, drawing my attention back to her.“He’s out back with some of the boys.Should be in soon.”

I nodded, not quite sure what to say.This wasn’t just meeting a boyfriend’s friends.This was something else entirely -- an introduction to a way of life I still didn’t fully understand.

“Can I get you something to drink?”Janessa asked, her tone more obligatory than hospitable.

“Water would be great,” I replied, and she disappeared through a doorway I assumed led to the kitchen.

“Zara isn’t used to all this,” Azrael said.“I was hoping you could help ease her into this way of life.”

Janessa returned with a glass of water and handed it to me without ceremony.I took a sip, noticing how the two women exchanged a quick glance when they thought I wasn’t looking.

“I’m going to find Scratch,” Azrael said.“You good here for a minute?”

The thought of being left alone with these women sent a flutter of anxiety through me, but I nodded anyway.“Of course.”

Azrael’s dark eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary, a silent reassurance, before he leaned in and pressed a brief kiss to my temple.It was a deliberate gesture, I realized -- marking me as his in front of these women whose approval clearly mattered.

“Back in a minute,” he said, then disappeared through a sliding glass door at the far end of the room.

As soon as he was gone, I felt the women’s gazes even more intensely.I took another sip of water, using the moment to gather myself.

“So,” Clarity said, settling onto one of the leather couches and gesturing for me to take a seat across from her, “how long have you known Azrael?We didn’t get much in the way of details.”

The question seemed innocent enough, but I sensed layers beneath it.“A few days,” I admitted, perching on the edge of the couch.

Janessa made a small sound that might have been a scoff or a laugh -- it was hard to tell.

“Not long,” Clarity observed, her expression neutral but her eyes sharp.

“No,” I agreed.“But it’s been… intense.”

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