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

Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

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

“What?” she whispered. How could that be? “Why? Was your dick broken?”

He scowled. “That a fuckin’ joke?”

“I only want the truth, Rome, so I can make a good decision about where we go from here.” If anywhere.

“Just so you know, they made that decision for you.”

“That’s what they think, but they don’t rule my life. I won’t have some man forced upon me. They don’t get to vote on who I spend the rest of my life with. Or even who I sleep with.”

“So, you don’t wanna be with me,” he posed that as a fact and not a question. Unfortunately, his expression gave nothing away.

“I didn’t say that. What I said isn’t only about you.”

“I’m the only fuckin’ one in this goddamn cage, woman.” He jabbed his finger toward the floorboards. “I’m the one sittin’ in this seat. I’m the one who had to face your Fury family. I’m the one givin’ up my free—” He swallowed the last part of the word, and his face pinched like he swallowed something sour.

“Were you about to say freedom?”

He sneered, “That was some goddamn bullshit.”

She blinked in confusion. “What was?”

“Goin’ in front of that fuckin’ firin’ squad.”

“Like the Knights don’t do the same shit.”

“Not even fuckin’ close. If one of my brother’s wants some woman to wear his cut, more fuckin’ power to him. He wants to give up his freedom for some pussy, then…” He grimaced.

There was that freedom word again. Did he consider being loyal to one woman as restrictive as prison, where he truly lost his freedom? “Go on. You weren’t done. Finish.”

“Done.”

“Didn’t sound like it to me. Look, I get it. You’re afraid of losing your freedom. Guess what, Rome? You missed the point about you not being the only one this would affect. I’m involved in this, too.” Now she was about to dish some hard truth. “Here’s the bottom line… I won’t be with a man who doesn’t love me. One who doesn’t respect my decisions. I want a partner in love and life, not a damn dictator.”

His volume cranked up a notch. “You sayin’ I put up with all that goddamn bullshit for nothin’?”

“Did they make you sweat?” she asked calmly.

“Not up there.”

Not up there. That was a strange answer. One that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck rise.

“Then where?” When he didn’t answer, she prodded, “Where, Rome? Did Shade do something? Tell me the truth. Are you being forced in some way?”

“God-fuckin’-damnit,” he muttered under his breath before saying more loudly, “No, woman. Ain’t bein’ forced to do shit.” He closed his eyes, visibly pulled in a breath, and when he reopened them, they met hers. His intense gaze never wavered when he went on with, “Came to Manning Grove willingly. Asked you to wear my cut willingly. Went upstairs willingly. If I didn’t want you bein’ my ol’ lady, never woulda came up here at all. Woulda been happy you skipped town without a fuckin’ word. We coulda went our separate ways and none of them woulda known anythin’ happened between us. Both of us coulda moved on and lived our damn lives. But here I am…”

“Wow. I’m finding you very hard to resist when that was one of the most romantic speeches I ever heard.”

Romeo sucked his teeth.

“Tell me. Why do you want me to be your ol’ lady, Rome? I haven’t heard a good argument for that yet.”

“Ain’t obvious?”

“Honestly, no.”

He scraped fingers down his bearded jaw. “Maybe ‘cause this is all fuckin’ new to me, Maddie. Not sure how to act. Not sure what to do. Not sure even what to fuckin’ say. Already pissed you the fuck off when I had words with your asshole boss. Tryin’ not to step in shit again.”

“The answer doesn’t have to be complicated.”

“Not complicated? Sure fuckin’ feels like it to me.”

“You mean, figuring out what to say to me?”

“No, this… relationship shit. It’s worse when you’re makin’ it pretty damn clear you don’t feel the same ‘bout me.”

Her head jerked back. “What? How do you know how I feel?”

“Guessin’, ‘cause you ain’t said shit.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Have you asked? ”

He pressed his lips together so tightly they became a slash.

She sighed. “Yes, I was pissed at you, Rome. But deep down if I didn’t feel anything for you, we both wouldn’t be sitting here right now having this discussion. No one—and I mean no one —could railroad either of us into doing something we don’t want to do. Do you agree?”

“You kept mentionin’ me bein’ forced.”

“Because this is my future we’re talking about. Yours, too. I want to be sure this is what you want.”

“But you’re sure now.” Funny how he didn’t form that as a question.

She laughed softly. “Look, this whole… situation has been confusing. For me as well as you. All I know is, despite me being hurt and angry at you, I still missed you.” Surprisingly enough, it was a load off her shoulders to reveal that.

“You ran off.”

“My heart ached for you,” she admitted next.

“You blocked my goddamn number.”

She shrugged. “Then, I guess I did us a favor by making us both realize what our lives would be like without each other.”

“Truth? Didn’t fuckin’ like it. Also don’t like needin’ anyone as much as I need you.”

Holy shit. He really did want this.

Romeo. The infamous womanizer.

The man known for bouncing from bed to bed his whole adult life had stopped doing that after the chance meeting they had at a hamburger stand.

She had witnessed other bikers clean up their hound dog ways after meeting “the one.” Was she “the one” for Romeo?

An awkward laugh slipped from between her lips. “We’re a mess. ”

“Ain’t gonna argue that.”

“Will this even work?” She still had some doubts. Actually, more than some. He’d been set in his ways for a long damn time.

“Not sure.”

At least he was honest about that. “Is it worth trying?”

He hesitated before admitting, “Ain’t gonna be easy.”

It sure wasn’t. “Our lives will be completely changed,” she warned.

“Not completely. But it’s for fuck sure gonna be different.”

Again, he wasn’t lying.

“If we build a strong foundation, we can grow from there.” Holy crap , were they really doing this? Would Romeo become her ol’ man? Would she be his ol’ lady?

Something neither of them wanted.

Until now.

“Maddie…” He lifted her chin and forced her to look him directly in the eyes. “Wanna make this fuckin’ clear, then we need to move the fuck on. Doin’ this for one reason and that one reason is you. Ain’t doin’ it ‘cause I’m forced to, doin’ it ‘cause I want to. Can’t see myself with anyone other than you anymore. Thought those motherfuckers scrambled my brain when they knocked me in the head, but the truth is, it made me see shit more clearly.”

She stared at the man with only inches separating them. The man she gave her virginity to so long ago. The man she gave her heart to more recently.

Her heart and her head might not be totally at peace with all this yet, but they were finally in one place.

“This snuck up on me,” she whispered .

“Yeah. Same.”

“This is not how I envisioned the direction my life would take.”

“Yeah. Same.”

“I never thought I’d end up with someone like you.”

“Yeah. Same.”

She grabbed his beard and tugged on it. Dropping her voice an octave, she echoed, “Wanna make this fuckin’ clear, then we need to move the fuck on. I’m doin’ this for one reason and that one reason is you. Ain’t doin’ it ‘cause I’m forced to, doin’ it ‘cause I want to. Can’t see myself with anyone other than you anymore.” When his mouth opened, she pressed a finger against his lips and shook her head. “You said this was complicated, so let me simplify this for you… I love you, Rome.”

It was finally out there. She could never take it back.

“Yeah…”

She held her breath, waiting.

“Same.”

She released it in relief.

He might not have said the actual words, but he didn’t need to. Because she felt it instead, enveloping her like a warm hug. She didn’t want to let that feeling go.

How did her life take such a crazy turn?

Oh… She knew.

It was all due to the man in her passenger seat.

The one she kissed long and hard.

The one who whispered promises against her lips of all the things he’d do to her, all the things she had missed, once his casts were removed.

She couldn’t wait.

After their talk in the tobacco field, she drove him back to the motel in Parsington. Once he grabbed his stuff with her help, he sent Booger on his way, and they headed back to Manning Grove to a much better motel.

The Fury-owned Grove Inn.

She told him there was no way she was sharing a room with roaches since they still had a lot to discuss and settle between them before any major decisions could be made.

She helped him undress and get into bed. Once he was comfortable, she joined him only wearing her bra and panties.

Even though they had a lot to figure out and a future to plan, she ended up distracted since the casts, his tattoos and a snug pair of boxer briefs were all the man wore.

She’d be much happier if he wasn’t stuck in casts. Or had broken ribs.

So would he.

But then, they wouldn’t be doing much talking at all.

She curled around him, being cognizant of his ribs as he slowly combed his fingers through her loose hair.

Using a fingertip, she slowly traced his many tattoos as well as the lines of his muscles. When she was done exploring, she stroked the back of her fingers down his beard. Brushing her thumb over his slightly parted lips next, his warm breath drifted over the pad of her thumb.

He snagged her hand to stop her. “Makin’ me hard.”

With a lift of her head, she saw he wasn’t lying. “Well, it’s proof that’s not broken.”

“That breaks, just shoot me.”

“I don’t think a broken penis warrants euthanasia.”

“The fuck it don’t. Would be a humane way to put me out of my misery. ”

“Sex isn’t everything.”

“Speak for yourself. ‘Cause, for me, bein’ inside you is.”

She hid her grin against his warm, dark skin. When she could finally control it, she said, “Never expected you to be such a romantic.”

“Surprises the fuck outta me, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know how to get rid of that hard-on.”

His eyes heated. “No shit. So do I.” He dragged the pad of his thumb over her lips the same way as she had done to him.

“I had another idea.”

He patted his bare thigh. “Don’t mind bein’ on the bottom and lettin’ you ride me like a mechanical bull.”

“That wasn’t it.”

He pursed his lips, most likely trying to come up with another idea that wouldn’t aggravate his ribs too badly. Unfortunately, those options were limited.

“Jerkin’ me off?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of making sure we’re both on the same page.”

“That don’t sound as good as you jerkin’ me off.”

“Deal with it.”

He chuckled softly. “Don’t get sassy with me, woman. Or your ol’ man’s gonna have to teach you a lesson.”

“You’re not my ol’ man yet.” She playfully nipped at his nipple, making him jump.

He groaned, “Fuck. That didn’t help my ribs.”

“What do you think will happen if I blow you or jerk you off? Or ride you like a mechanical bull?”

“This fuckin’ sucks. Just for this reason alone, Smith needs to… ”

Her pulse sped up. “Needs to what?”

“Nothin’.”

“That’s one of the topics I want to discuss. We need complete honesty between us. No secrets.”

“Maddie, there’s shit that’s gonna happen in my life you do not need to fuckin’ know. Better for you. Better for everyone involved.”

“Club business isn’t my business, isn’t that right?”

“You know how it fuckin’ works and don’t act like you don’t.”

“Look what happened last time you confronted him,” she reminded him needlessly.

“And that needs to be addressed.”

“We’re talking the Mafia here, Rome. This isn’t some group of juvenile delinquents spray painting the side of Dirty Dick’s.”

“Know who the fuck they are, woman. Know what they’re capable of. Let’s get this straight, you can’t question my actions. I’m the goddamn president of the Knights and you gotta remember that. Gonna be actions that need to be taken you ain’t gonna like. Bottom line, you got no say on club business. If that’s gonna be a problem, then we’re gonna have a problem.”

“Roger had nothing to do with club business,” she reminded him. “That had to do with me. That means I should have a say if you’re planning some sort of payback.”

“Maddie…”

“I don’t want you getting hurt again or even killed. I don’t want you to make me a widow before you even make me your wife.”

His brow dropped low. “Think I don’t know how to handle my business? ”

“Well… If we want to go there…”

“Jesus fuck,” he muttered.

He was getting pissed and this was getting nowhere. “I thought we’re here to hash things out?”

“Only agreed to that to get you naked and in bed.”