Page 81 of Savior
“I would have married you the night you said yes, and every day since. Say the word, and I’ll drop everything and take you to the magistrate’s office right now.”
She laughs, and that melodic sound physically relieves some of the tension in my body. “We need a marriage license, first, either way.”
“Yes. But once it’s obtained, there’s no waiting period. We could be married right away. It takes twenty minutes, we only need two witnesses. Any of my guys would show up in a second. We could be married before the ink is even dry on the license.”
“You really don’t want a big wedding, do you?”
“All I want is you. I don’t need the big show. But I want you to be happy, baby. So, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“My parents would be appalled. You heard them.” She reminds me.
“We’re not doing this for your parents.” I remind her. “This is you and me, Vanna. Our love. Our life. Our family. Nobody else gets a say in how we do things. You’re my Queen. You call the shots.”
“Well, not quite your Queen, yet.” She says with a little smile.
A smile that I hope conveys, she’s ready.
When we pull in the driveway, I’m surprised to see all of the motorcycles lined up in front of Dean’s detached garage, and all the lights on inside the front of the house. Throwing the truck into park and pulling the keys from the ignition, Dean turns to look at me.
“I hope you’re up for this. I wanted to do something special for your Birthday. Cherry wanted to induct you into our merry little clan with your own Surprise Party. But I thought it best not to surprise you too much.”
I want to remind him that I’m not as fragile as he thinks I am, but I’m overwhelmed. “The Saviors MC is throwing me a birthday party? Nobody’s thrown me a party since I was in high school.”
“Happy memories, baby. That’s all I want for you.” Dean says, getting out of the truck to come around and open my door as he always does. My eyes well up, and I brush the tears away before he can see them.
“Do you perform for me, now that it’s my biker birthday bash?” I try to joke in an attempt to distract him from my tears.
“A private performance… Later.” The promise in his wickedly sexy grin already gives me shivers.
I always thought Dean’s fairly open concept home was spacious. But a room full of big burly bikers, makes the space feel less than half the size. The gang, or rather, club, is all here.
We’re greeted with the roar of Happy Birthday! Which then breaks into the traditional song, as I’m led by Cherry, to my two tier, Italian cream birthday cake sitting on the large kitchen island. Nico is nowhere in sight, as I’m sure he’s hiding under a piece of furniture or in a closet somewhere. He’s never been around this many people before. I bring my attention back to the beautiful cake, and blow out the big candle shaped like the number twenty-nine, at the close of the song.
Another round of applause, and I feel both silly and happy at the same time, glancing around at my unexpected guests. Even Rosita is here, standing beside her husband, Viper. At eight months pregnant, looking like she’s about to pop at any minute, Rosita is smiling ear to ear, looking at me with watery eyes of her own. Without even having to say a word, I know she knows that I’m pregnant, too. I guess Dean did tell his crew about our happy news. Rosita steps forward to give me a hug, congratulating me and telling me that she can’t wait for our little ones to play together. I hug her back, trying not to cry as overwhelming emotions sweep over me.
I’ve barely known anyone here, over a year. Not one person standing in this room is related by blood to another, in any way. Yet this motley crew is beginning to feel more like a family, than even my own.
As Rosita releases me back into Dean’s arms, the whole crew offers us their congratulations on our baby, and I’m barely holding it together.
Cherry helps me cut the cake and hand out slices as the guys take up seats at the dining room table, kitchen island and living room. She’s already got coffee going and trays with a few snacks as well. Dean, Viking, Axel and Viper are hanging out in the living room, glancing at me occasionally, as if they’re conspiring something together, while I enjoy my birthday cake with the girls gathered around the island.
It isn’t long before there’s a fight on the big screen above the fireplace, and the men have taken over the living room completely, drinking beers and boisterously betting each other on who’s going to win and why.
As I start to collect used cake plates, Cherry insists I sit down and allow her to clean up after everyone. She informs me with a smile, that there’s still something special yet to come tonight.
Sipping on my ginger ale, I look back towards Dean, seated with his elbows on his knees in the leather armchair, a beer hanging in his fingers between his legs. He gives me a little grin and winks as I smile back at him.
Viking gets up from the couch, leaning over to say something to Dean, before he slaps Dean on the back and walks up to the kitchen island. He hands Cherry his empty beer bottle, which she exchanges for a new one. Viking cracks the top off and takes a swig. Turning from the island, he approaches the dining room table, and holds his large hand out to me.
“Come outside with me a minute. There’s some shit I need to say to you.”
I look over at Dean, wondering if he knows what this is about. He nods at me, before he shifts his attention back to the fight on the big screen. I guess this is okay... Unsure of what this is about, I slowly place my much smaller hand in Viking’s warm grasp.
Stepping outside on the front porch with Viking, I can’t help but stare up at him curiously as I close the door behind me. “What’s going on?”
“First, I want to tell you that I’m sorry for the way I acted with you in Myrtle Beach, last summer. And I don’t apologize to anybody. But you deserve an apology from me. So, there it is… Happy Birthday, I guess.” He says, then lets me go, taking a swig of beer as he walks over to the railing.
I press my lips together, suppressing a laugh before I manage to say, though teasingly, “Well, that was a better apology than I would have expected from you. Also, better late, than never.”
