Page 18 of Traitor

And because he keeps me close, they accept me, too.

I never had this before. The Crimson Riders used me, let Jinx destroy me. But here, it's different.

I can breathe.

I cook in the clubhouse kitchen, laughing with the old ladies. I wipe down tables, swap jokes with the guys, listen to stories of club history over beers.

They watch me, sure. Test me.

But they don't treat me like I'm temporary.

Like I'm replaceable.

Two months ago

The clubhouse is alive tonight, filled with the familiar chaos of an Iron Vultures party.

The bass from the music thrums beneath my skin, a steady vibration that mixes with the laughter, the clinking of beer bottles, the low murmur of deals being made in the corners.

I move easily behind the bar, pouring whiskey, mixing drinks, throwing jokes around with some of the drunk brothers who are too far gone to even sit up.

No matter how drunk they are though, they always remember who I belong to. Because if they didn’t, Bones would make sure they never forget again.

I glance across the room, my gaze finding him instantly. Tall, broad, all raw dominance and power, his black T-shirt stretched across his muscled chest, his leather cut hanging open. He looks like he owns every inch of this place. He does.

My stomach flutters, a warmth spreading in my chest.

He's mine.

He catches my eye like he feels me looking at him, his mouth tugging into a small smirk, but before I can go to him, someone else does.

Someone new. A girl I don't recognize. Long dark hair, deep red lips, and a too-confident sway in her hips. She's making a beeline for Bones. Something inside me tightens. I wipe my hands on a bar towel, my gaze locked on the interaction.

The girl stops in front of him, tilting her head, her smile too eager, too calculated. And then she touches him. Her fingers trail over his chest, slow and teasing. I freeze, ice settling in my veins.

Bones doesn't move. Doesn't even react.

The girl leans in, saying something I can't hear over the music, but I see his response. His expression stays blank, his jaw tight, but his rejection is clear. He grips her wrist, firm but not rough, pulling her hand away from him and dropping it like it disgusts him.

Then he speaks. His voice cuts through the noise, clear, final.

"I'm taken. Go fish somewhere else."

My lips part slightly, a wicked kind of satisfaction flickering through me. He doesn't wait for her to say anything else. Doesn't even look at her again. He just turns his back to her, and that's when I decide to make my own statement.

I step out from behind the bar, weaving through the crowd, my heart pounding. Not with insecurity, but with something possessive, fierce.

The girl,Tisha, I hear someone call her from the side, is still standing there, frozen in disbelief and irritation. Perfect. I slide up to Bones, wrap my arms around his waist, and pull him down into a kiss. A real one. Hard. Deep. Greedy.

His body tenses for half a second, then relaxes, his arms wrapping around my waist. He pulls me flush against him, his lips claiming mine in return. When I finally pull back, I turn to Tisha.

"Stay away from Bones. Plenty of others around." My voice is even, steady, but there's no mistaking the warning.

She blinks, her eyes flicking between us. Then she smirks.

"Guess I'll just have to find another toy, huh?"

I narrow my eyes. "I'd suggest you do that."

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