I watched as Sandy stopped my sister from making her way back to us. “You, uh, gonna find that for yourself anytime soon?”
He gave me a sideways glance. “What do you mean?”
I shot a skeptical look his way. “How long are you gonna dance around my sister?”
He turned away, but I saw a muscle tick near his cheekbone.
“We’re friends. Don’t want to ruin that,” he muttered.
My head wobbled as I thought about it. “Be more of a ruin if you never—”
He pointed his beer at me to shut me up. “I’ll know when the time’s right. And now that you’re gonna be part of the Riot family, you need to recognize that isn’t your business.”
I scoffed. “She’s my sister. By blood. It absolutely is my business, Bryant Hughes.”
Suzy looked over at us and broke away from Sandy. “What are you two arguing about over here? More talk about the NBA or something?”
I smiled. “It’s football season, Suze. Turk was just telling me the ins and outs of being an Old Lady.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe you. Not for one second.”
“How much time off did your boss give you?” I asked.
She caught Turk’s eyes. “Now she changes the subject.” She looked at me. “I don’t have to go back until Monday. Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“No! I was just curious. You don’t get paid if you don’t work, so I’m sorry I’m—”
“Stop,” Turk said.
I stared at him.
His eyes blazed at me. “You didn’t stab yourself. You didn’t know someone wearing the Riot patch would conk you over the head. You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t take it on yourself to feel guilty about it. If one of my sisters got stabbed, you can bet your ass I’d be right where Suzy is now. Money be damned. You only get one family, Stephanie.” He looked to the side briefly and back to me, sincerity lighting his eyes. “Though, if you’re lucky, you get to choose the Riot, which is a family of its own.”
“It’s a brotherhood,” I said quietly.
He leaned toward me. “Yeah. But it’s family. I took this patch knowing that I’d put everything on the line if someone threatened any brother’s old lady. I may not know their women well, but everyone one of them are part of my family.”
I nodded, even though I was still skeptical.
The front door opened and Har strode inside with a duffel bag over his shoulder and dragging my suitcase behind him.
I stood up, but the look he aimed at me encouraged me to sit back down. It didn’t stop me from rolling my eyes.
As he walked by, he said, “We’re gonna talk about your eye-rolling habit, baby. ’Cause it’s got to stop.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered. “What is this? ‘Gang up on Stephanie’ hour?” I asked.
Turk chuckled. “Nope. It’s ‘teach Stephanie how to be a president’s old lady’ hour.”
Har came back to the common room, and Turk looked at Suzy, before he jerked his head toward the bar. They both left me alone on the couch, which allowed Har to settle in beside me.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
“Okay-ish. It only hurts when I move too quick.”
He kissed my neck so he could murmur his question there. “You up for dinner with my mother tonight?”
I stiffened. “I can’t make dinner for her —”
He leaned back. “At her house, honey. She called me and I let it slip that you’re my woman.”
I gave him a quizzical look. “She already suspected that, you know.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t had much sleep and I said I intend to marry you. She got a little excited about that.”
“You told your mother you were going to marry me before you even asked me?”
“You saying no? You were down with wearing my cut, and I know you—”
I held up a hand. “I’m just giving you grief, though at the same time, there are bikers who put a cut on a woman and don’t marry her in the eyes of the law.”
His chin dipped. “Right, but that’s not me. So, you up for dinner?”
I smiled. “Sure. Though, I may not eat much.”
Har
HE FOUGHT HIS ANNOYANCE at hearing she wouldn’t be able to eat much. After all, he had to be happy she was around to eat anything. Her hazel eyes gleamed with mischief, but she kept quiet.
He shook his head. “What do you want to ask me?”
She smirked. “You gonna get on one knee at this dinner? Or should I wait for a surprise at some later date?”
He rolled his eyes.
She groaned. “Now who needs a talking to about rolling their eyes?”
He kissed her hard and fast. “That would still be you, Miss Priss. You ready to go? I brought the truck back so you wouldn’t have to ride on my bike.”
Disappointment took over her face and she looked to the side.
“I’d kill the bastard for that alone, if he weren’t already dead.”
He chuckled and she looked at him.
“Trust me. We made sure he suffered for a long time.”
“Good,” she whispered.
He grinned. “Didn’t know you had such a vindictive side.”
“Somebody makes it so you can’t ride, you’ll get vindictive too.”
He stood up. “You ready to hit it?”
She looked confused. “It’s like four in the afternoon, Har.”
He gave her a sheepish smile. “Mom eats early. Said we’ll eat between five-thirty and six, but she’s putting out appetizers at five. I got enough issues with her that I don’t need to be late for something like this.”
She stood up. “Should I change into something—”
“I also let it slip that you were stabbed. Thought that would discourage her from insisting on having us over, but I was wrong. She’s adamant and doesn’t care if you show up wearing a potato sack.”
“As if,” she muttered, then added, “Those things itch.”
He laughed. “I’ll take your word for it. I need to carry you?”
She looked outraged. “I can walk, Michael.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Figured I could cross off one of those
