Romeo (Dark Knights MC/Blood Fury MC: Crossover)

Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

Maddie fidgeted on a stool at the Fury’s private bar in The Barn.

Where she waited impatiently.

As soon as Shade and Romeo left the house, she hopped into her SUV and kept enough space between the two vehicles so they wouldn’t spot her tailing them.

Shade didn’t run any of this past her, but she knew exactly what he was doing.

Putting Romeo on the spot.

Making him put up or shut up.

Making him declare in front of the club officers whether he wanted to claim Maddie as his ol’ lady or not.

The only problem was, Shade never asked her if that was what she wanted and, truthfully, she was still torn.

If she was using her head and not her heart, she’d reject his ass. Especially after he butted into her business and screwed everything up.

Plus, he had never been a man to stick with one woman. She did not want to tie herself down with a cheater. Not now, not ever.

She wasn’t sure Romeo was even the type of man who could be loyal. Maybe he’d start out that way, but eventually?

Was it worth the risk of heartburn and heartbreak?

Another issue was the most obvious one… He was a damn biker. Not only a biker but a president of an entire club! Did she even want to deal with that shit? In the past, she purposely avoided hooking up with bikers. And here she was, about to get claimed by one?

She sighed and dropped her head in her hands, trying to sort through her ping-ponging thoughts.

She would eventually want children. She had no idea where he stood on that subject. She had no idea if he’d even be a good father.

The “what ifs” were endless when it came to the man.

Did she even love him?

Did he love her?

She wanted to spend the rest of her life with someone who loved and cherished her. Supported her decisions.

She didn’t want a man forced to be with her. She was damn sure if Romeo had to pick one woman to spend the rest of his life with, he’d want it to be one of his own choosing. Anyone else would be a recipe for disaster and not a good one for a solid relationship.

She worried she’d never be able to trust him one hundred percent. If he had to head out at an odd hour or if he came home late, would she always be wondering where he went, who he was with?

There was so much she needed to think about. So much for them to talk through.

When she moved out of her apartment and back home, she didn’t ever want to see or talk to him again. She had tried to push him out of her mind and her heart.

Was she successful? Hell no, but she knew with enough time and distance her feelings toward him would eventually fade away.

As long as she didn’t see him, hear him, touch him, kiss him…

Have sex with him.

She groaned when her gut began to burn, and her heart started to ache at the thought of never doing any of that with him again.

She tried to resist. She truly did. She told herself time and time again, what she had with him was only sex. Only physical.

Emotions weren’t involved.

At first, she also thought their encounters would only happen a couple of times. But two turned into four, then into eight and sixteen before she lost count.

During all those times, she refused to admit it wasn’t just sex. That Romeo wasn’t simply some horny dog. That she wasn’t only using him as an escape from her stressful job and bully boss.

Before she knew it, she began to look forward to seeing him, hearing him, touching him, kissing him…

Fucking him.

But all of that was the polar opposite of being someone’s ol’ lady. Being permanent fixtures in each other’s lives.

Living a life together.

Forever.

Could she wake up next to him every day?

Could she watch sweet butts, and random women hang all over him, trying to tempt him? Because she knew that was a reality .

She’d seen it.

On the other hand, she’d also seen Trip nip that shit in the bud quickly. Zak, the DAMC president, also did the same. No one questioned how loyal those two presidents were to their wives.

But how many would look her way and feel sorry for her for being stuck with a man not known for keeping his dick in his pants?

Would there be whispers?

Would distrust and rumors eventually force a wedge between them?

She blew out a breath, trying to settle her stomach, trying to rein in her thoughts.

She was only twenty-seven. She had plenty of time to find someone to fall in love with. To have children with. Someone responsible. Someone who was good husband and father material…

The sound of thumps had her lifting her head and glancing toward the stairway leading to the second floor. Romeo was slowly and carefully making his way back down.

Seeing him struggle twisted something inside of her. But it was when he paused on the steps and his eyes locked with hers was when she realized…

All her concerns were only that. Worries and not facts.

The real fact was, she didn’t want to spend her life with anyone else.

No matter how flawed that man was. No matter his history.

He only approached Roger because he was trying to help her . If he didn’t care about her, he never would have done that. Instead, he could’ve just gone about his life and not taken any action on her behalf at all.

If he didn’t care about her, he wouldn’t have had a prospect drive him north so he could smooth things over with her.

If he didn’t care about her, he could’ve refused to face the Blood Fury’s executive committee.

He did all of that without her asking.

The cliché “actions speak louder than words” was so damn true in this case.

To be fair, she had to at least give him credit for that.

She sprung off the stool and rushed over to him as he used his crutch to continue working his way down the steps. “You need help?”

He paused and shook his head. “Stay there.”

She held her breath as he made it down the final four steps without tumbling down and breaking more bones.

When he stopped in front of her, she finally breathed. “Are you okay?”

“Didn’t fall on my fuckin’ face.”

Obviously. “I meant after being upstairs.”

He ignored that by asking, “You bring your cage?”

She nodded.

“C’mon, let’s get the fuck outta here before they all come down.”

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere we can have a conversation without any of those… them ,” he jerked his chin toward the ceiling, “bein’ nosy fuckers or givin’ us a fuckin’ opinion we didn’t ask for.”

That sounded like a plan she could work with. “That’s a good idea. I already have enough people in my life who like to make decisions for me.” She lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

His mouth twisted. “Point taken. Let’s go before you got a fuckuva lot more.”

She matched his slow pace as they crossed The Barn and headed out the front door. “Stay here, I’ll grab my car and pick you up.”

His jaw shifted but he gave her a single nod.

Huh. Did he not like relying on a woman? Too bad.

She jogged to her SUV, which was parked around the side of the building, and was pulling up to where he waited within less than a minute.

After placing her vehicle into Park, she jumped back out and flung open the passenger door.

When he eyeballed the interior and growled softly in frustration, she urged him to, “Hang on,” before stepping behind him to help him slip out of his cut. Once he was free of it, she folded it neatly and placed it on the back seat while he hauled himself into the passenger side with an accompanying grunt and a few groans.

He had to be going nuts not being able to ride his sled. She swore their motorcycles were an extension of their body and if they couldn’t ride, it was like lopping off a limb.

While he was getting settled, she slammed the passenger side door shut and rushed around the front of the Toyota to jump in. They needed to get out of there before they were seen and stopped.

Once her Highlander was in Reverse, she asked, “Where to?”

“You know this area a fuck-ton better than me. Somewhere it’s only me and you.”

Only me and you.

Where could they go besides the awful motel in Parsington? There had to be somewhere closer. When a lightbulb went off in her head, she quickly put the SUV into Drive and drove off the farm.

Not even five minutes later, she parked in a secluded tobacco field owned by the Fury but farmed by the local Amish.

Once she shut down the engine, they sat in uncomfortable silence. Her pounding heartbeat the only sound in her ears.

Someone had to get this conversation rolling.

“Rome—” she started at the same time he said, “Maddie?—”

If he wanted to speak, she’d let him since she was dying to hear what he had to say.

“Never saw my life takin’ this direction.”

“I didn’t, either,” she responded.

“Never wanted an ol’ lady,” he continued.

“I never wanted to be one.”

“Didn’t think it was in my blood to settle down.”

When she countered with, “I never wanted to settle,” his brow scrunched low.

“Bein’ with me would be settlin’?”

She must have struck a nerve. “Well, first off, I’m not with you. Second, I don’t want to be forced into anything. I also don’t want to be with someone forced to be with me.”

“Ain’t…” He shook his head. “No one’s forcin’ shit.”

“Then, what happened up there?”

“Truth is, want no one else to have you. Wanna make you mine. Claimed you at the table upstairs. Now wanna claim you in front of the rest of the world. Want everyone to know you’re ‘property of Romeo.’ Now and forever.”

“Property of Romeo?” Her question came out in a squeak.

He muttered a “fuck.”

She cleared her throat to bring her voice back to normal. “Do you think a college-educated, independent woman wants to be property of anyone?” Especially a man .

“What’s the difference between wearin’ a man’s cut and a weddin’ ring? Don’t both tell others that you’ve been claimed?”

“Are you proposing?” she half-joked, but her stomach churned at the thought of the man sitting next to her proposing to anyone.

Romeo, a husband?

She leaned forward and looked up at the sky through the windshield.

“Whatcha lookin’ for?”

“Pigs flying.”

“You didn’t answer.”

She unclipped her seatbelt and turned in her seat to face him. “Neither did you.”

“Told you that I want you to wear my cut.”

At the time she only thought it was a knee-jerk reaction and when the reality hit, he’d change his mind. “Did you get their approval?”

If he did, she’d believe he was actually serious.

“Once I agreed to their terms.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “Terms? What terms?”

“That I ain’t gonna dip my dick into any other female.”

She lifted a palm. “Hold on… You only agreed to that because they demanded it?”

“That’s the thing…”

Three heartbeats later she prodded, “What? Spit it out.”

Why did it look like what he was about to say would be painful?

“Haven’t been with anyone else since I spotted you at Bangin’ Burgers.”