Page 48 of Sabre’s Guard

“Seems like someone would invent a device for that,” I grumble. I do not like seeing the woman I love in distress like this.

Before I can stop her, she reaches for the counter to pull herself up. “See? I’m better already.” She catches me watching her. “And don’t worry, I’m well enough to go to the clubhouse today.”

I walk with her back out to the bedroom and monitor her as I dress. She seems to be feeling better, so I kiss her on the forehead and say, “If you need anything at all, just call for me.”

By eight, she appears completely normal, laughing through Noah’s breakfast briefing. He gives us the rundown on the house security checks and tries to plan out a day at the clubhouse, before stealing two pieces of bacon from my plate.

I have something more important to worry about. It’s hanging in the back of my closet inside a black garment bag. Before I can get it, Linsey asks me to join her on the porch while Noah is upstairs looking for his other boot. She sits in one chair with her feet on the rail and her glass of juice balanced on her stomach.

“There’s no danger and therefore no reason for us to keep staying at your place. In case you’ve been too polite to come right out and ask us to leave, I wanted to talk it over.”

I sit beside her and take her hand in mine. “Look at me, darlin’, I don’t want you staying here just for safety anymore.” I run my thumb over her knuckles, thinking about how soft and delicate her skin is. “I want you and Noah here because I fuckin’ love you and this is your home now. If the two of you leave, this place will go back to being an empty house where I keep my stuff.”

Her eyes fill with tears, but she blinks them away.

“I want you to stay for good,” I tell her. “Both of you.”

A happy laugh escapes her. “You realize Noah is going to ask if that means the room officially belongs to him.”

“Then we’d better go tell him.”

We find Noah in his room with one boot on and the other in his hand. When he looks up, he can tell by our serious expressions that something is up.

Linsey explains, “We’ve got important news. Sabre has asked us to stay here permanently.”

His eyes move from his mother to me. “This isn’t news, Mom. We already live here. My clothes are in the dresser, and I have security rounds to make, and a computer rig set up.”

“That’s all true, bug. We’re just making it official,” Linsey clarifies.

When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. “Does that mean I get to keep this room forever?”

I go down on one knee in front of him. “It’s been your room since the first night you slept here.”

He throws both arms around my neck. The little arms hug hard, but it only lasts a second or two before he rushes off, happy as anything.

My head twists around to look at Linsey. “You can tell by the way Noah’s always rushin’ around that he’s gonna grow up to be somebody important, ya know?”

“With any luck. I’d settle for him just being self-supporting and happy.”

I pull her against my side and kiss the top of her head. “Me too. Follow me,” I tell her. “I’ve got somethin’ for you.”

I go to our bedroom with her trailing behind me. I pull out the garment bag and hold it up.

“I want to give you somethin’ that holds great importance for me and my club brothers. I need to explain what it means before you decide.”

I unzip the bag and take out the custom property cut I had made for her. The Savage Legion emblem fills the back. Below are the words PROPERTY OF SABRE. A small custom patch sits over her name on the front right-hand side. It’s a heart-shaped patch with the word CHEF sewn inside.

Linsey knows what a property cut means in general because she’s seen the other old ladies wearing them. She runs her fingers over my road name and looks up at me.

“Tell me what this means to you, babe. I want to know.”

“Wearing my property cut makes you my old lady. Everyone will know that you’re mine and I’m yours. If someone disrespects you, they’ve disrespected me. If they’ve disrespected me, they’ve disrespected the club. You’ll have a place at the clubhouse and no longer simply be my guest. It also means the whole Savage Legion will stand behind you and Noah if anything ever happens to me. When a brother falls, we protect and care for his old lady.”

She slowly nods. “I’m honored to be your old lady.” Smiling up at me, she adds, “I want to wear it right now.”

The eagerness in her voice hits me right in the feels. I quickly slide the cut up her arms and let it settle across her shoulders.

Her honey-blonde hair falls over the black leather. Seeing her in my cut creates a tight, possessive feeling in my chest that I don’t have the words to explain.