Madeline Sheehan - Unattainable

“You love the man,” he said. “You—”

“Love the life,” I finished for him. “I know.”

Deuce paused and stared down at me.

“Do you?” he asked quietly. “Tegen, I know we talked this shit over before but this here is the real fuckin’ deal and I can’t be havin’ my boy as prez of my club with a woman by his side who can’t hold her own. It’s gonna be your job to make sure he’s stayin’ level-headed, to keep the boys’ women and kids happy in their absence, to keep their fuckin’ secrets too.”

“I can’t always love what goes on in the club,” I told him truthfully.

Deuce’s hard gaze never wavered. “You don’t have to love what goes on. You only have to love the club and I know you love the club, Tegen. I know you love those boys. I know you wouldn’t want anything to happen to them.”

I blew out a large breath. “I’m not Eva,” I told him. “There are just some things I won’t turn a blind eye on.”

“Darlin’,” he said, laughing. “When Cage gets the gavel, what you do and don’t got a problem with, that’s gonna be his fuckin’ problem to be dealin’ with, not mine.”

I narrowed my eyes. Darlin’ and dimples. This fucker was pulling out the big guns.

“This is so unfair,” I said. “I never asked for this sort of responsibility.”

Unfazed, Deuce turned away from me and started heading inside.

“Yeah, you did,” he said over his shoulder. “You made up your mind the day you decided you loved my boy.”

Alone now, I glanced down at the picture of Deuce’s mother and stared into the eyes of the girl who’d never been given the crown she’d deserved, and I wondered what had become of her.

“All right,” I told her, sighing. “What do you say you and me give this shit a shot? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Realizing what I’d just said, I wrinkled up my nose. “Wait,” I said. “Don’t answer that.” Tucking the photo in the back pocket of my jeans, I headed inside.

Everyone was already seated around the table by the time I reached the kitchen. I slid into my usual chair beside Cage, directly across the table from Ripper. Cage’s arm came down heavy across my shoulders.

“Oh, hell no!” Eva suddenly yelled, slapping Deuce’s hand off the salt shaker.

“Reel it the fuck in,” he growled, reaching for it again.

Ripper’s arm shot forward, grabbing it before Deuce could. Deuce shot up out of his chair and Ripper sent it flying over the table, straight into Cox’s waiting hand where he promptly shoved the salt shaker down the front of his leathers.

“Come and get it,” Cox taunted.

“You are fuckin’ fired,” Deuce said, glaring at him.

“Reel it in yourself, Daddy,” Danny said. “We want you around for a while.”

And a whole new wave of arguing began.

Sighing, I glanced over at Cage, who pulled me closer to him.

“Don’t know what you’re always complainin’ about,” he said, kissing my cheek. “You fuckin’ yell just as much as any of ’em.”

“Yes,” I said. “But me yelling doesn’t give me a headache.”

“Gives me one.”

“Giving you a headache makes me happy,” I said, turning my face and pressing my lips against his.

“You’re a damn crazy little shit,” he muttered against my mouth. “But I’ll keep you.”

I tuned out the noise around us and instead concentrated on the way his mouth felt against mine, the way his lips and tongue moved in sync with mine.

He was mine. All mine.

“Thank God,” I said, pushing away from him. “I was so very worried I might no longer be able to utilize my beer-fetching abilities.”

Grinning, Cage turned away from me and as I went to carve into my steak, I found Deuce watching me.

He winked. And I couldn’t help it. I smiled.

And what did that old bastard do? He smiled back.

Dimples.

They were going to be the motherfucking death of me.

THE END