Journey (Soulless Kings MC: Marble Falls, TX #2)

19. Journey

CHAPTER 19

JOURNEY

As long as I’m a Soulless King, anyone associated with me is fair game in the eyes of our enemies.

“Still playing the long game?”

I down the rest of my Dr. Pepper and glare at Connor, the prospect working the bar at the clubhouse tonight. It’s been a few weeks since Wren confronted me at the shop, and I’ve spent every free minute trying to win her over. I’ve called, texted, sent flowers, and even went so far as to go to her apartment and talk to her through her door when she wouldn’t open it. And my efforts are being rewarded because she finally agreed to get together tonight.

“Always,” I say with a grunt as I tap out another text.

Me: Can’t wait to see you

I wait a few minutes for her customary ‘leave me alone’ reply, and when it doesn’t come, I take it as a win.

“Gotta say, Journey,” Conner states, pulling my attention away from my phone. “I definitely didn’t see you as the type to settle down, but it looks good on you.”

“Are you hitting on me, prospect?” I taunt.

His eyes widen, and his shoulders tense. “What? No! I’m a pussy guy for sure.”

I bust out laughing. “If you’re gonna become a Soulless King, ya gotta learn how to take a fucking joke.”

Conner throws a towel at me before moving away to get drinks for a few of the club whores. The way he’s flirting with them tells me my joke really hit a nerve. Dude’s going so hard, it’s like he has a point to prove.

“What time are you heading out?” Jackyl asks when he steps up beside me and slaps me on the back.

I glance at the time on my cell. “Few minutes. What’s up?”

“My dick as soon as I get to Leah’s,” he replies.

“Jesus, that’s more info than I need.”

“Figure you gotta get your kicks somehow. Ever since you hooked up with Wren, you haven’t so much as flirted with a club whore. And judging by your ever-present grumpy mood, I’m guessing you haven’t gotten laid either.”

I push to my feet. “And on that note, I’m outta here.”

Jackyl’s laughter follows me as I head out the door to my Harley. His observations piss me off because they’re the truth. From the moment I saw Wren, no other woman compared. When my attention isn’t on club business and the Wingless Angels threat, it’s on her.

The ride to Wren’s apartment seems to take forever, but I’m pretty sure my impatience is the cause. Traffic wasn’t bad, and I maintained a healthy pace well above the speed limit.

When I knock on her door, the nerves start to settle in, making me feel like a teenage boy picking up his prom date.

Get a grip. You’re a one percenter. If you can handle that, you can handle this.

“You’re early,” Wren says as she yanks the door open.

“Hello to you, too,” I tease.

She pushes at one side of her hair and rocks back on her heels.

Ah, she’s flustered.

“C’mon in.”

I close and lock the door behind me, and when I turn back around to face her, she’s staring at me like I’m an alien from another planet.

“What?”

Wren shakes her head as she puts a hand to her throat. “Oh, um… nothing.”

“You should take a picture,” I advise. “It’d last longer.”

That taunt does the trick. Her body relaxes, and she narrows her eyes at me. “You’re impossible,” she sasses. “Gimme a minute to finish getting ready, then we can go.”

“Actually, I was thinking we’d stay here.”

“You’ve been hounding me to go out with you, and now you don’t want to go out?”

The way her nose wrinkles with annoyance is fucking cute as hell, and it takes everything in me not to close the distance between us and kiss her senseless. Instead, I remind myself why I don’t want to actually take her out, and my lust cools.

“It’s not that I don’t want to take you out,” I explain. “But things are heating up with the Wingless Angels, and now that all the puzzle pieces have clicked as far as Stone being your dad, I think it’s best we don’t tempt the devil.”

“What do you mean, things are heating up?” Fear enters her eyes. “I haven’t gotten any more packages or calls.”

“And I hope you never do. But all the cards are on the table now, and war has been declared. Stone and his brothers are out for blood, and I’m fairly certain it doesn’t matter who gets caught up in the bloodshed.”

“You think they’d try something while we’re on a date?”

“I think they’d try something if we were in a packed church on Easter Sunday,” I counter.

“Oh.”

“Look, I’m not going to take any risks where you’re concerned. I can protect you, but I’m still just one person. I’d prefer to have my brothers at our backs out in public.”

“I hate to point this out, but if we can’t leave my apartment, how would anything long-term even work between us?”

“The Wingless Angels aren’t gonna be around forever, Wren,” I tell her. “And once they're out of the picture, the threat is gone.”

“I’ve seen the tv shows, Journey,” she counters hotly. “I know what that one percent patch on your cut means. There will always be a threat, and I can’t live like that. Not with what I already have to deal with on a daily basis.”

It irks me to no end that she’s right. As long as I’m a Soulless King, anyone associated with me is fair game in the eyes of our enemies.

“I’ll leave the club then,” I blurt.

Shock rocks me to the core that I’d even consider it, but as the idea blossoms in my head, it takes root.

“Why?” she cries. “I’m nobody special. Hell, I’m fourteen nobodies.”

I chuckle. “I’d leave if it meant a chance at a life with you.”

“But we don’t know each other!”

“And I’m trying to change that,” I snap.

“No. No, I can’t ask you to do that. I may not have grown up in the biker world, but I know that for someone like you, it’s everything.”

We stare at each other for a moment, both of us silently pleading with the other to back down. When she doesn’t, I make a decision that could have horrible consequences.

“On second thought, we are going out,” I tell her. “Go finish getting ready.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”