She slapped my chest and then ran her finger along my swastika scar. Her smile faded. “I cussed at Gabriel too.”

I brushed hair from her eyes. “You d-did?”

She nodded, but her eyes dulled, so I waited for her to speak. “He said you had corrupted me. That I had sold my soul to Satan.”

“C’mere,” I ordered. Mae shifted up my chest, allowing me to cup her face. “I ain’t ever m-met a bitch as pure as you, as in-innocent as you. You ch-changed my f-fuckin’ life, babe. You ain’t c-corrupted. Y-you’re f-fuckin’ perfect.”

Her face melted into a stunning smile. “You spent so long telling me you were not good for me. ‘It ain’t me, babe,’ you said emphatically. Now I am perfect for you?”

“I was wr-wrong. So d-damn wrong. You need a st-strong man, babe. You n-n-need a man to l-love you, to pr-protect you, to be your f-fuckin’ world.” Her breath paused and I smirked. “It’s m-me, babe. It’s s-so f**kin’ me.”

Mae dived at me again and I laughed as I pushed her back before I felt that pu**y and we ended up f**king again.

Her lips pouted and her forehead creased. “I want you again,” she complained.

“I g-got something to g-give to you f-first.”

She quickly lost her pout, curiosity taking over. “What is it?”

Picking her up and setting her naked ass down, I walked to my Harley, buck-ass naked, and pulled the tiny cut of leather from my saddlebag. For some reason, I was f**kin’ nervous. I never thought I’d have a woman of my own, never thought I’d ever be able to speak to anyone but Ky, but Mae came in my life and knocked all that shit outta the park.

“Styx? What is it?” she asked excitedly.

Facing her—all long black hair mussed, blue eyes huge, and pale perfect skin—I relaxed. Fuck, she was beautiful.

Shaking myself ’round, I held up the tiny black leather Hangmen vest. Mae stopped breathing, her mouth dropping to form an O. I turned it around, our Hades Hangmen emblem standing proud on the back, and a Property of Styx patch in white stitching with Mae embossed in small writing at the front.

I jerked my chin. Mae stood and walked to me.

“You w-want this, b-babe? You w-wanna officially be m-my old lady? ’Cause once th-this goes on, it’s n-never f-fuckin’ coming off.”

“Styx,” Mae whispered and edged in closer, her hand running down my unshaven cheek. I swallowed and my heart slammed in my chest. “I was born to be with you. Born to be your old lady.”

And then that damn nose of hers twitched.

My eyes rolled back. “Fuck, b-babe…” I rasped out and spun my woman around, slipping the vest on her back. She turned slowly, gripping the edges over her perfect tits, and playfully pouted her lips.

“How does it look?”

I checked her out from head to toe, looking like a damn pinup girl, all naked, wearing my name on her back. Growling, I stalked Mae and lifted her, slamming her back against a tree, her legs wrapping ’round my waist.

“Fuckin’ l-love it, babe. L-love you in m-my life, on the b-back of my bike, in m-my bed, wrapped ’round m-my cock, and w-wearing my name on your back. You’re n-never l-leaving me, babe. Y-you’re in with m-me for life. The good, the b-bad, the f-fuckin’ crazy. M-met you as a kid, a damn m-mute. You g-gave me a voice. You g-gave me a life. You’re i-it, babe. You’re m-my whole f-fuckin’ world.”

I slammed my mouth to hers.

She kissed me right back.

Our foreheads touched and our breaths came hard.

“You’re m-mine,” I told her once more.

“And you’re mine,” she repeated with pride.

“We’re official n-now, babe, yeah? You and m-me together. This is y-your family. This i-is your club. You b-belong in this MC with m-me. Through hell a-and high water, you’re g-gonna be by my side, m-making shit good. M-my old lady for life.”

“Always. We start our lives now, Styx. Leave the scars of our pasts behind.”

I took her left hand and kissed along her ring finger. “And someday s-soon you’re g-gonna be wearing a r-ring, right h-here, telling the whole f**kin’ w-world you’re mine. And wh-when you do, you’ll n-never f**kin’ take it off.”

“Yes, Styx,” she whispered, tears dropping down her cheeks. “I am yours… only ever yours. Forever.”

“Fuck, babe… love you,” I growled, rubbing her tight little body against mine.

“I love you too.”

Then that f**kin’ nose twitched again.

And I sank back into my woman…

… a pair of wolf eyes bringing me home.

***

Rider

Cain

Two weeks later…

Utah, Undisclosed Location.

My eyes burned as I raced down the country road on my Chopper. Two weeks of hard riding. Two weeks of avoiding Hangmen chapters. Two weeks of thinking about what the hell to do next.

“Run. Please. Run… Save yourself… for me…” Mae had begged me, her fear for my safety shining through her crystal-blue eyes. Then she’d kissed me. She’d finally f**kin’ kissed me and it all but obliterated the few remaining fragments left of my heart.

FUCK!

The heavy iron gate to The Pasture, my childhood home, opened on my arrival, and I took a deep breath. I didn’t f**kin’ know who I was no more, where I belonged. The Order was not what I expected and my head was all over the place.

I cruised down the stone paved lane, pulling to a stop outside Prophet David’s farmhouse. I didn’t know where else to go, didn’t have anywhere else to go.

The door to the house suddenly swung open and Judah, my twin brother, sprinted to where I sat.

“Cain!” he shouted, pure relief on his identical face—same features, hair, beard, and build. Physically we were exactly alike…

I jumped off my Chopper and embraced Judah, his brown eyes tight and filled with a mixture of sadness and rage. Hell, I’d missed him. Five f**kin’ years I’d been gone; no direct contact.

“You live,” he said on a sigh. “We feared you had been killed also.”

“I got away,” I said, offering nothing but the barest of intel.

“Thank the Lord!” Judah said in relief but his head dropped, eyes to the ground. “They killed them all, Cain: Prophet David, the elders. They slaughtered our brothers. Only women and children survived.” My breath paused until Judah shook his head, meeting my eyes once more. “Cain, none of the original twelve remain alive.”