The Harder They Fall (The Soldiers of Wrath MC, 8) Read online

  “Tell me how I’m supposed to act, Renee?”

  She shrugged and looked out at the property again. “I don’t know, Vengeance, maybe happy for me?” She looked at him then. “I wanted to tell you sooner, planned on it too, but then things got in the way that stopped me. We didn’t go about this trying to hide it from you. It just kind of happened.”

  He nodded once but his jaw was still tight. For long seconds neither said anything. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but he started speaking.

  “You know the thing that I’m most upset about is the fact that you didn’t tell me right away, that you didn’t think I’d understand.”

  She exhaled roughly and shook her head. “Vengeance, the way you reacted is exactly how I thought it would all go down. Can you blame me for being afraid to say anything? You attacked Weasel, the man I love. He didn’t force me to do anything. I’m a grown ass woman and I love him.”

  Vengeance didn’t say anything for long moments, but neither did she. Finally, he exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “I know.” He looked at her then. “I guess I am just used to taking care of you, and knowing that you’re making decisions on who you want to be with and what you are doing with your life is hard for me.”

  She moved her chair closer to him. “I swear no one set out to betray you. Weasel and I just happened, but now that it has I am happy about it. I am excited for what the future holds.” Renee reached out and took his hand in hers. It was so much bigger than hers, scarred and calloused, with tattoos running along his golden flesh.

  A light breeze picked up and she felt at home, like things would be okay if she gave it time.

  “I still need you. I’ll always need you in my life.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re my big brother, family, and nothing will ever change that.” She urged him to look her in the eyes and when he finally did, she smiled. “I need you to be happy for me. I need you to accept that although I made mistakes in the past with our relationship, that I still need your support.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze in return. “You always have my support. It’s just hard to think that my baby sister is with a biker. A Soldiers of Wrath Patch no less.” He exhaled and shook his head, but there was a slight smile on his face. “I can’t promise that I’ll get over it instantly, but you have my support.” He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. “If you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”

  She rested her head on his chest and smiled, listening to the beat of his heart. This felt like back when they were younger, when she felt scared and alone and confused. He always gave her moral support, always gave her that shoulder to cry on.

  “No more secrets, okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.” Renee felt lighter, more hopeful about the future.

  24

  Weasel drove into the compound and paused, staring up at the clubhouse. He hadn’t been here for a couple of days, wanting to give Vengeance time to cool off. Also, he had Renee, and the last thing he wanted to do was to leave her when things had gone downhill. She had felt bad about sneaking around, not that he had a problem with it, though. Vengeance had a mean right hook, and his face was still bruised even several days after fighting with him.

  He’d hoped that Vengeance would have called him but as it was, nothing had happened. Renee had gone to see him today instead, and she asked for him to try to patch things up, which was why he was here.

  After climbing off his bike, he leaned against the wall and pulled out a smoke. He lit it up.

  “Hey, baby, do you want some company?” One of the club sluts ran a hand down his chest, going for his dick.

  He grabbed her arm and pushed her away. “Go entertain someone else. I got myself an old lady.” Damn, that sounded pretty fucking good.

  Weasel looked up at the sky, taking a deep draw on his cigarette. It was late, and all he wanted to do was be with Renee.

  “You pushed her away fast enough,” Vengeance said.

  He turned to see Vengeance in the doorway of the club. “I’ve got a woman at home. I don’t need some skank touching me.”

  “You take my sister that serious?” Vengeance asked.

  “If I didn’t, do you think I’d risk being killed by my club brother?” He threw the cigarette onto the ground and stubbed it out. Weasel moved so that he stood beside Vengeance, both of them leaning against the wall.

  “How long have you been in love with her?”

  Weasel released a sigh. “Before she left I had feelings for her. I tried to hide them. Fuck, I even pretended that I felt nothing for her. But in the back of my head I was thinking about her.”

  “That’s why you wanted me to call her.”

  “It was a long time, and I cared, Vengeance. She’s your sister, and I know you love her.”

  “You love her as well.”

  “Always. The women won’t be getting anything from me. The only person I want is Renee. I promise that I will protect her, love her.” Weasel stopped talking.

  “I’ve always felt protective of her. She’s my baby sister, and I love her. I overreacted the other day, and I want to apologize. Constance has been berating me. She told me if I was so desperate to apologize I should just pick the phone up and stop being a pain in the ass. I’m sorry.”

  Weasel chuckled. “That is one hell of an apology coming from you.”

  “It’s all you’re going to get. All I ask is that you keep the personal relationship stuff on the down low for a little while. I’m not ready to see my sister making out with you.”

  “I love her, Vengeance. I’ll protect her.”

  “I know. You’ve said that.”

  They both rested against the wall, and Weasel looked up at the night’s sky. “I’m sorry too. I should have told you and not let things get out of hand.”

  “It’s in the past now, brother.”

  The silence stretched out, and Weasel knew he needed to be honest. “I want to marry her,” Weasel said.

  “Wow, you really don’t like a guy getting used to his sister dating, do you?”

  “I want you to know that I’m going to marry her. I’m going to be the father of her babies.” Weasel turned to his friend. “I didn’t want to hide it from you. You don’t want to hear about it right now, but you’re going to have to get a crash course in all of it. I’m not going to back down. I want everything with her. The whole picket fence, kids, and everything.” He found himself smiling as he said it.

  “You’re going to make me puke. Come on, let’s go and have a drink. I think I can handle whatever plans you have so long as I have a nice big drink to help me get intoxicated.”

  The club cheered as they walked in. Demon came forward and slapped them both on the back. “I thought we’d have to dig a couple of graves today. You fuckers sure know how to trash a place.”

  Vengeance snorted. “Did you know Renee gave me a damn invoice today?”

  “An invoice?”

  “Yep, for all of the furniture I trashed. I went through the list, and she put a V for Vengeance next to some items, and a W for Weasel against others. She had actually labeled shit. Got to love my sister. She knows how to document the shit out of stuff.”

  Everyone started laughing.

  Sitting at the bar, Weasel smiled. There had been many times he’d caught her putting lists together. There was one of the fridge that he saw a couple of weeks ago, that ran down the chores she elected to do for certain days. The kitchen got a deep clean every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, along with the regular cleaning every single day. She was so thorough.

  Vengeance put a glass of whiskey down in front of him. “I guess this means we’re going to be related soon in the whole legal sense.”

  “I guess it does, if she’ll have me, that is.” Weasel paused. “Crap, I don’t think I could handle you being my brother-in-law.” He snorted.

  At least they were past throwing punches for now.

  “Quiet down, everyone. I think i
t’s only fair to say that another one of us bites the dust. Weasel has claimed an old lady. Another woman is going to join the fold, and seeing as it’s Renee, we all know trouble will brew,” Vengeance said. He raised his glass. “Even though I don’t think anyone would be good enough for my sister, I’m pleased that she’s found you, Weasel. Even with all your faults, you’re a good man, and I know without a doubt you’ll make her happy.”

  Weasel burst out laughing. For an acceptance speech, it was going to be the best he got.

  25

  They sat around the bonfire, the flames big, strong, licking at the wood. It was kind of surreal to be sitting around with the Soldiers of Wrath MC, being part of the family.

  Renee was on Weasel’s lap, the whole club laughing and welcoming them. She glanced over at Vengeance, her brother holding Constance close. She was happy for them, glad that he found somebody he could love and take care of.

  And when Weasel wrapped his arms around her, Renee sank against him. He was hard and strong ... all man. He smelled like leather and wilderness, with an undertone of masculinity and motor oil. The combination was intoxicating, made her remember all the emotions she felt when she was younger, all the things she wanted with him.

  “Are you having a good time?” he asked, his warm breath and lips brushing against her ear. She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer.

  “Always. When I’m with you, that is,” she admitted honestly, because she was tired of hiding how she felt, tired of pretending she didn’t have to be honest with her emotions. Renee realized in the short time that lying to herself didn’t hurt anybody but her in the end.

  Everyone else might be able to move past it but when all was said and done, she was the one left with the heavy weight of not being honest.

  He pulled her and even closer, and she loved that he didn’t care about showing his affection to her in front of others, especially his motorcycle club brothers. She loved this man and wanted nothing more than to spend her life with him.

  She didn’t know what the future held, but it didn’t matter, because right now she was happy exactly where she was supposed to be. As long as she was with Weasel everything would be okay. She knew that without a doubt.

  Weasel held Renee close to him, the feel of her nude body against his warm and comforting. They left the barbecue hours ago, and he’d taken her home and made love to her, did it real slow, real nice.

  He didn’t have to be a dirty fucker all the time, although they both liked it that way. There were times he just wanted to relish in the feeling of her, and the knowledge that she was his.

  Since they’d made things official he moved her into his room, told her he didn’t want her cleaning for him to pay her way. She was his equal, his woman. His old lady wasn’t going to be cleaning up his shit to stay at his house.

  This was where they both lived.

  “I love you, Renee,” he said right against her hair, knowing she was asleep but needing to tell her. He’d roar it out to the damn world if that was what she wanted.

  Before he knew Renee would be his, that he even had a chance of having her in his life, Weasel didn’t think he’d ever have an old lady. He’d seen his brothers fall for women and all he could think about was those poor bastards would never be free again.

  But dammit, had life changed for him.

  He curled his finger around her hip and slid down to span her belly. He wondered what she would think about marrying him, carrying his children. He might’ve told Vengeance he was going to marry her, but he hadn’t even asked Renee yet.

  She shifted in his arms and he watched as she slowly opened her eyes. She had this sleepy expression on her face, and he couldn’t help but lean down and kiss her lips.

  And because he couldn’t think about living without her, didn’t want to waste another minute, he just asked her the one question that would change his life.

  “Marry me, baby. Be mine forever.” He said the words against her lips and pulled back slightly to stare into her face. She looked wide-awake now, and he wondered what she thought.

  The silence stretched on for a few moments, and he wondered if he’d ruined this, should have just kept his mouth shut.

  “Yes,” she said slowly, sleepily. There was no hesitation, no confusion in her words or in the way she looked at him.

  He pulled her on top of his chest and just held her, just wanting to know that this was real.

  Damn, how did an asshole like him get so lucky?

  26

  “Do you have any idea how you want your wedding to go?” Amy asked.

  Renee shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess I want everyone to be there. All the club guys and of course you girls as well.”

  “You won’t keep us away,” Deanna said. “You could demand the guys wear a tux. It has been too long since I saw my man in one.”

  “Demon wore a tux?”

  “Hell, yeah. If I get my way, he can wear them all day long.”

  “I personally like my man in leather,” Eloise said. “We’re all married to bikers. I didn’t promise forever with a suit-wearing man. I love my guy in his leather cut.”

  Renee giggled at the dreamy look in Eloise eyes.

  “There is a big question, though,” Daniella said, speaking up. “What about the club whores? Do you want them present?”

  Wrinkling her nose, she saw the other old ladies weren’t too fond of the idea.

  “Our men don’t mind them not being there but the ones without any old ladies, or even some with, want them there for the company,” Amy said. “Joker doesn’t go to them.”

  “You’re confident of that?” Renee asked.

  “Yes. I trust Joker with my life. I know he’d do anything for me, and he’s even risked his life more times than I can count. He will never, ever do anything that would make me hate him.”

  “If you’re having doubts, don’t you think you should deal with them now before you head down the aisle?” Constance asked.

  Renee shrugged. “If it will happen, it will. There’s not a lot I can do to change that, not really.”

  “That’s negative,” Deanna said. “If you’re feeling like that then I don’t think you should go through with it.” Deanna poured herself another glass of wine.

  “You think I should tell him no?” Renee asked.

  Deanna took a seat beside her and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “What I think really doesn’t matter. I love Demon. I know he fucked club whores before he met me. He even had one when I was here, but that was before we got together. I know he’s faithful to me, and I am to him. Marriage is hard, honey. It takes two, and if you have doubts now, do you really think they’re just going to disappear?”

  “I thought this was supposed to be a celebration, and now I’m just really depressed right now,” Elena said.

  “I think she should consider her options,” Deanna said.

  Silence fell around the room, and the happiness that Renee experienced moments ago had diminished. She loved Weasel more than anything. He had been the guy she developed her first crush on, and she believed him to be the love of her life.

  Sitting back, she sipped at her wine and thought about a life with him. He was surrounded by girls who looked younger with perfect bodies and an enthusiasm to please that hadn’t yet been jaded.

  “Look,” Amy said, sitting up. She had been lying down. “We married bikers, club brothers. Women throw themselves at them all the time. Right now, they’re surrounded by women and temptation. The question is, does it bother you, and do you think he can be faithful? Also, do you care?”

  “Of course I care. I don’t want him to be screwing some random bitch and then coming back to me stinking like her.” Renee stood up. “I need some air.”

  She left the room, heading out to the back yard. Weasel was at the club, and she trusted him. She had every faith in him and yet there was a niggling doubt in the back of her mind that if she gave herself to him,
then he was going to break her heart, and there was nothing she could do about that.

  If he cheated on her, that was it. She didn’t want to be with a man that hurt her like that.

  “Hey,” Constance said, coming outside to her. “Are you okay?”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. “No. I’m not okay. Not even close. I didn’t have any doubts, and then talking and stuff … now I’m a nervous wreck. What if I’m making the biggest mistake of my life?”

  “You think no other woman feels the way you do? It’s a big commitment. It’s not as big as it used to be. There’s divorce if it goes badly.”

  She turned toward her sister-in-law with a glare. “You’re not helping.”

  “Sitting out here and crying about it isn’t helping either.” Constance sat down on the steps. “I love being outside. You know for a long time I used to sit beside my parents and my dead fiancé’s graveside.”

  “You were engaged before Vengeance?” she asked.

  “Yes, I was. We actually met at a graveyard. Kind of creepy now that you think about it. All that death around us, and we were still able to come together. He took me by surprise.”

  “Do you miss the other guy? The deceased one?” Renee cringed at her lack of tact. She didn’t know what was happening to her lately.

  Her emotions were all over the place.

  “No. We would have made each other miserable. I’m so thankful that I didn’t get the chance to marry him. I love your brother, I love the club.” Constance stood up and moved toward her. “You know the only person you can talk to about your feelings right now is Weasel. Don’t push him away or try to deal with this on your own. Don’t be that stupid girl that thinks she can do everything alone. You’re not her. You don’t have to be her.” Constance hugged her tightly.

  “Do you think I’m being stupid?” Renee asked.

  Constance thought about it. “He’s a biker. I love Vengeance, and when you know someone, and you love them so much that you couldn’t imagine life without them, you learn a part of them. I know he’d never cheat on me, mainly because I’d beat him to death with a shovel. Talk to Weasel, tell him your worries, your concerns, and get over that hurdle before you walk down the aisle. It’ll make you feel a hell of a lot better. Believe me.”