Page 19 of Traitor

Bones doesn't even spare her a glance. His arm stays around me, his body relaxed, like she's not even worth his time. Like she doesn’t even exist.

Tisha turns and walks off, laughing under her breath, as if this is all a game to her.

Something in my gut twists. But I brush it away. Because I'm too happy to care. Things are good. I don't need to be paranoid.

Right?

Two weeks ago

The clubhouse is packed.

Music shakes the walls, bottles of whiskey and beer passed around, people laughing, celebrating, but I don't know why. No one told me what was happening.

I catch Tank's smirk from across the room.

"You should look excited, sweetheart," he calls out. "It's not every day you get claimed."

I freeze.

"Claimed?" I echo.

The room parts, and that’s when I see him.

Bones.

He moves through the crowd like a king, his expression unreadable, his eyes locked on me. My pulse skips — then slams hard as he stops in front of me — his eyes burning through my soul.

"Put it on," he orders.

A cut — a leather vest — is in his hand, offered to me.

My chest tightens as I stare at the patches sewn onto the back.

Iron Vultures MC

Property of Bones

I look up at him, my breath shaking. "Bones..."

"Put it on," he says again. Demanding. Final. No hesitation.

Like there's never been any other option.

Like he's just waiting for me to catch up to what he already knows.

I swallow hard. My hands shake as I slide it over my shoulders. It feels like love hugging me softly.

The second it's on, the room erupts into cheers, a chorus of laughter and approval, hands clapping my back, voices shouting, "Welcome to the family, Ely! Officially!"

My throat is tight.

Bones' fingers curl around my jaw, tilting my face up to his. "You're mine now. Forever."

It's not a question.

It's a declaration.

Like I was always meant to be his.

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