Outlaw MC Bear (20 page)

S
abrina was
in the small office with the door open when she heard what her father said to Silas. She scoffed in protest and charged back to the open warehouse area.

“Dad, you can’t do that again.”

“Leave it alone, princess.”

“Dad, please.”

“I’ll deal with this, honey.”

“No, Dad. You won’t. You can’t make everything about business… I mean, how dare you propose that to him? It’s not right. Whether I want to see him again or not is not in any way relevant to him working with you.” She stepped up beside Silas and squeezed his hand. It was so typical of her father to go from eliminating one asshole and then morphing into the controlling asshole that he’d just shot. This had to stop.

Silas spoke up just then. “Mr. Rizzo, sir. I appreciate and respect the offer, but your daughter is her own woman. She’s free to do whatever she wants, and if she associates with me and my club, it’s her choice. Everything else on the table has to do with me and my choice. I’ll take those items back and will get you an answer soon, if that works for you?”

“Mmm, so diplomatic.” Sabrina’s father stroked his beard with an unreadable smile on his face. “How do you feel about that answer, princess?”

Sabrina grimaced at the pet name and threaded her fingers more securely through Silas’s.

“If you’d give me a moment alone with him, Dad?”

“I don’t know how alone you can get, given the venue, darling. But you’re welcome to give it a shot.”

She pasted on a smile and dragged a clueless Silas to the small office. The questions flitting across his face only solidified her choice. “The timing is not ideal for a conversation like this…”

Silas nodded, but his eyebrows were still stuck in a permanent state of confusion. “Sabrina, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Sabrina ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s inconvenient that I have to be this forward right now, but… I want to be with you. I can’t say it’s one of those
‘let’s be together forever’
things, because I don’t know that I can see that far ahead, since well, we’re volatile, and you have a bit of a reputation. But I want to try, if you’ll let us.”

Silas turned and rubbed his jaw as he started to light up a cigarette. Sabrina felt for him. There was no way he could see this coming, yet here she was, dumping a massive piece of news on him. She just wished he’d say something. Anything.

“Are you just going to stare at the wall?”

He turned back to face her, licked his lips, and took a long drag on his cigarette, still silent.

Sabrina folded her arms. “I’m going to take your reaction as a sign you’re thinking it over, okay? That way I don’t bash your teeth in with my fist.” That got a smile out of him. Except she wasn’t kidding about that. “While you’re so reticent, I’ve got another proposal. While I have your full attention, now’s a good time to bring it up.”

Sabrina powered through despite his mixed messages. Silas remained oddly silent, but attentive, to the point where she wondered if he remembered where they were having this conversation. He appeared to register nothing but her face. Which was sweet, but the timing was a bit off.

“Would you consider offering protective services to my law firm’s divorce clients for a fee? Kind of like your own security company. It’s completely legal and a good way to generate revenue while you’re sorting things out with my father. Think about it. It’s a backup plan, and it’s legal. A win-win for everyone. You get some extra options for your MC, and I have the benefit of being out from under his thumb. If it works out, he won’t be able to dish out any ultimatums because you won’t be working for him anymore. No one will have any leverage over us, and our businesses will both benefit.”

“That’s…a thought…” Silas grumbled, hardening his jaw.

“Praise the lord, he speaks!”

He shook his head. “It’s the same thing you suggested to Axe, isn’t it?”

“Well yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s smart, and keen to get out of illicit gunrunning.”

That earned her a spiteful look that only made her grin up at him. He surprised her by moving in closer, and kissed her forehead with a tenderness that took her breath away. She got no time to savor the moment because he was off and headed over to her father.

“I’ll consider everything and get back to you within a week.”

“Fair enough.” Her father took his phone out of his pocket. “Sabrina, I assume you’re going with him, if that little chat went anything like I guessed?”

“Yes.”

“Very well… I’ll accept it for now.”

After all that fighting, did he really succumb so easily to her wishes? How did that make sense? Unwilling to look a very strange gift horse in the mouth, she kissed her father on the cheek, giving him a grateful nod. She grabbed Silas’s hand and all but dragged them out of the warehouse with Cole behind them. Maybe Dad was thinking she’d come back on her own after Silas broke her heart. Time would tell.

“Take me back to the MC.”

“I never expected those words to come out of your lips, doll.”

“Neither did I.”

* * *

E
veryone returned
to the clubhouse after the meeting. Silas had been mute the whole time they rode. She’d come to discover it wasn’t that unusual. Bikers all had reverent expressions on the open road. They hardly spoke once they were on their rides.

The second they got to the front steps, Silas he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Sabrina squealed, kicking out in protest as cheers and whistles came from the club members. No amount of begging got him to put her down, not until he took her upstairs into his room and deposited her on his bed.

“What was that for?” She squeaked, half-laughing and still slightly dizzy.

“You need to know that if you stay with me, any life you thought you were gonna live is gone. There’s no white picket fence with me. You’ll be my property, and that means I’m responsible for you. The level of violence you witnessed and experienced with your daddy is nothing compared to what can come your way once people find out your mine. They’ll try to use you to get to me, and you’re human so that raises the stakes.”

She watched Silas pace across the room, eating up the floor in large strides that made her stomach twist into knots. “I’ve been there…and I’m pretty used to my fragile humanity.”

“You need to know there’ll be a target on your back and it’ll never go away. Can you accept that? I can’t ask you to take that on without feeling like the most wretched bastard on earth.”

“Silas…”

“No, Sabrina.” He growled out a frustrated groan and threw up his hands. “If you’re linked to me, you’re not safe. Ever. Not even if we change business ventures and try out your security patrol rent-a-biker idea.”

“That’s not exactly correct.”

He took a quick seat on the edge of the bed next to her as if the actual weight of the idea made it so he couldn’t stand anymore.

Sabrina ran her hand through his soft, silky hair. “As long as I’ve been with you, you’ve kept me safe. You’ve always been there to protect me, even if I can protect myself.” Sabrina smiled and closed her eyes. “I’ve always had a target on my back as my father’s daughter. I’m sick of running from who I am. I don’t want normal, Silas. I want you… I love you.”

“You…”

The poor man looked dumbstruck and couldn’t even say the word. Laughing, she grabbed his collar and kissed him, then she pulled back to look into his eyes.

“I do, so you’re going to shut up, and I’m going to leave all the uncertainties for another day. Right now, I want you to make love to me. Think you can do that?”

All she got in response was a big heavy badass biker’s hands pushing her back on the bed as his body covered hers. His lips caressed down her neck, and every inch of his body screamed the words he hadn’t yet said out loud. He’d probably never say it, but that didn’t matter one bit.

S
ilas woke up with a start
, glancing over at the woman he was holding in his arms as moonlight fell across her pale cheek. Jesus, how had he gotten so damn lucky? He pulled Sabrina back against his chest, and she muttered something in her sleep when he grazed his beard against her cheek.

Fuck it. Whatever else happened, he’d let it happen. Everything inside him settled down to a deep hum when she was with him—even his beast. If there was ever someone to make him settle down, she was it. Even if she’d already turned him into a pussy-whipped president in the process. Next thing he knew he’d be forced to hand over his patch and gun. Wouldn’t Sabrina love that idea? Yeah, she was worth a little more chaos in his life.

The next morning, he called a meeting for the core group of brothers about the security team idea. Now it was time to toss around the idea, remind them of how their regular gigs were changing, and see how many of them were on board. Axe was already in his corner. That was a given.

“This is your one chance to have your say.” Silas opened the floor to the others and leaned back in his leather office chair with his feet propped up on the desk.

“What happens if she wakes up one day and dumps your sorry ass?” Tate asked, glancing up from the table with one eyebrow raised.

“The agreements aren’t with her. They’re with the individual clients.”

Axe nodded. “You should be asking how we can do something similar for our other charters, Tate. You’re the one with the relevant skills.”

“Oh, like a franchise? I’d be all over that. I’m not saying a firm yes, but I can be persuaded.”

Cole added, “I like the sound of no more time behind bars. Forget about prison food, I’m too old for prison ass. I’m in.”

“And no more prison cock for Tate,” Axe added.

There was a knock on the double doors to the meeting room. Everyone looked around. No one interrupted them during meetings. No one. Not even Cindy.

“Not now,” Silas shouted, his mind still on the vote.

One of the doors swung inward, and Sabrina popped her head into the room. By the looks of it, all she was wearing was a bathrobe. Immediately, Silas’s cock went hard behind his fly. Fuck, he was going to have to get her a copy of the by-laws if she planned on being around. And less restrictive pants. With a long exhale, he gave her a small head nod. “We’re doing business, Sabrina. It’ll have to wait.”

Tate made a whip crack noise. The rest of the men guffawed like it was the best thing since the invention of the knock-knock joke. Silas nearly smacked the guy upside the head. Yes, they were all going to have another talk about club meeting rules.

“Not if the business you’re doing is what I think you’re doing. In which case, you’re all going to want to hear what I have to say.”

Sabrina stepped inside the meeting room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, her face and body all business. Damn if she wasn’t sexy when she was serious and in take-over-the-world mode.

Cole hunched forward at the table and folded his hands together. “Since you’re already here, sweetheart, why don’t you spill it?”

“I was on the phone catching up with my best friend, and your new bear shifter buddy, Addison Riley. He sends his well-wishes, by the way. Anyhow, I got him while he was at brunch, busily celebrating his new-found freedom, thanks to you, and after I gave him hell for never telling me he was a bear shifter, I managed to wrangle over seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of security business for your startup… interested in hearing more?”

Cole and Axe straightened up and nodded.

“That was just from talking to Addison. By the way, one of you needs to talk to him about this whole shifter deal. He was born one hundred percent human and was turned when he was twenty-one after a head-on collision. I didn’t get the whole story, but he doesn’t have a clan or a squad or whatever you guys call yourself in a bear shifter group… That’s beside the point. When I speak with my managing partners at the law firm, I’m certain I can find more clients. What I’m getting at, gentlemen, is you have the potential to generate a lot of legitimate business in a well-respected, growing industry. I just figured you’d like to know that you’ve got some firm options before everyone puts in their two cents at the table. Oh, and one more thing. I checked with Sophie. In code, of course. She’s sure the upstate New York and Manhattan charters can handle my dad’s business volume with no problem.” Sabrina stepped into the doorway again and gave the group a wide-eyed wink. “That’s it. Enjoy the rest of your meeting.”

That was impressive. And fucking sexy. As she closed the door behind her, Silas adjusted in his seat and cleared his throat, feeling proud and relieved she had taken such proactive steps. His woman. No one around the table could ignore that half the battle was won. He took in the confused expressions of his brothers, who were probably all just as bowled over that Sabrina had gone to such lengths to set things up for a smooth transition. Silas hadn’t even thought of solving the padrino’s problem out east. That would put him in the man’s good books for sure.

“She’s got my vote…twice,” Axe said. He leaned back in his chair and crossing his feet on the table, linking his hands behind his head. “We need more broads like her around this place. They can take over, and we’ll play cards and do our nails all day.”

“Reminds me of the lion shifter MC I visited in Oregon, actually,” Tate joked. “I’d like to talk to that guy Addison too. There’s been talk of a few clusters of turned animal shifters popping up all over the place. We should listen out for that.”

“Who’s turning them?”

“Hell if I know.”

Silas nodded thoughtfully. “Find out what you can. And get the prospect to help him out.”

Cole rapped his knuckles on the table. “Getting back to this vote, it’s a no-brainer, Si. I’m the sentimental old geezer, and even I vote yes. Let’s get the fuck away from guns…except for the ones we’re packing.”

“Sounds damn good to me,” Silas laughed out. He turned to Tate. “Well, brother?”

That Tate had his unreadable expression. The guy was always smiling like he was planning someone’s murder, which left his reactions completely up to interpretation.

“Whatever I say, I’m still outnumbered, Pres. The vote can pass as it is, so why wait on me? I won’t make or break this little venture.”

“You’re a part of our executive. This decision is too important to go by majority rule. We need this to be unanimous.” Silas’s voice went dangerously low on the tail end of the sentence. “Just spit it out, Tate.”

“I don’t like it, Pres. There are way too many unanswered questions, and it relies on a chick for a business partner. But I see why everyone’s excited about taking this direction. Cole just got hitched, Axe has always been a pussy for doing time, and you…well, you’re responsible for all of us. When it comes down to it, I’m with you a hundred and ten. I’d just like your girl to prove herself with cold hard cash before too long.”

“Wait a second. What was the half a mil in cash she got us from the reward for Addison?”

Tate thought about it for a second then answered with, “A fluke?”

“Axe, get Sabrina back in here.”

Axe didn’t have to go very far. Sabrina was a step away from the door, listening in on their vote.

“I was just… I figured I’d wait…dammit okay, I was snooping,” she stuttered. “The answer is if you can sign some papers, set up some indemnity insurance and get a few guys bonded within the week, you’ve got the gig with Addison…” She backed away from the door. “And I’ll just get out of your hair right now.”

Tate winced and gave the thumbs up. “I guess you have my vote, boss.”

“Good. Okay, the final vote is unanimous among the executive to move on to greener pastures with a security business. Motion passed. Let’s get the officers to weigh in on the vote and be done with it.”

Axe whooped and gave Silas a loud slap on the back that echoed through the room. “That’a boy, all legal and shit!”

“Tate, as you were grumbling the loudest, get moving on using our usual lawyer to get some papers drawn up. You’re now de facto VP of business development. You can think up some options for company names while you’re at it. Meeting fucking adjourned.”

“I’ll help, before the fucker comes back with a name like Butt Clamp Security,” Axe heckled, following Tate out of the room.

Cole stayed behind, glancing at Silas like he could read his mind. “I need a drink.”

“Speak now or forever hold your peace, VP,” Silas muttered as they locked eyes.

“We need a sit-down with the wolves and panthers. It was too easy for them to fall in line with Giovanni and go against us. The padrino may have run him out of town, but anyone can take his place. This fighting needs to stop, kid. Your old man figured out how to keep the peace with them for years. They carved out the business lines and kept out of one another’s way. They’re shifters just like us, and if anything we should be sticking together, not tearing each other apart for the highest bidder. I’m not saying what they did is excusable, right, or fair…but you got to admit, we’ve been at them just as much lately.”

Silas grunted. There were only so many excuses. An image of his mother shot through her chest surfaced. “We can put a pin in it with a meeting, but only for now. We’ve got enough on our plate with the new business. I’ll have a talk with Death Adder and Kitt, but don’t expect miracles. That work for you, Cole?”

“That’s about as good as I was expecting from you. Thanks for using your head.”

“I’ll make the order for our club to cease and desist from picking on the panthers and wolves at the next meeting. The members won’t be too thrilled, so you get the job of explaining, as it was your idea.”

“Fair enough.” Cole pulled back from the table and got up, looking over his shoulder. “I like her for you. Sabrina. Do what you can to keep her in the family, hear me?”

An unexpected grin broke out over Silas’s face. “Sure thing, old man.”

Cole left to find his woman, who was probably preparing food in the kitchen or tucked up somewhere in a quiet corner upstairs with a book. When Silas finally got his head together, he left the meeting room in search of Sabrina. He found her pouring coffee at one of the breakfast tables, making small talk with a brunette twisted claw.

His world narrowed on her until all he could do was stare. Who would have thought she would fit in so well into his world? She effortlessly moved around the clubhouse, as if she was home.

Home.

A big part of him was ready to do everything to make that the damn truth.