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I snap back to the present, lifting my head from Riot’s shoulder to look up. We’re stopped in front of a beautiful house with wide porch settled on large plot of land. There are several outbuildings nearby and the property is ringed by dense trees. The house is big, but welcoming.
“Where are we?” I ask him when he turns around to take my helmet off.
“The Steel Order clubhouse,” he says, and my eyes widen in alarm.
“Really?” I ask, surprised. I knew the club had property right outside the city, but I always imagined it was a small piece of land with a run-down house or a few trailers, but no, this is different. This is a well-manicured property with what looks to be a mechanic’s shop and a few storage buildings neatly arranged to one side of the house. The front gardens have vibrant flowers and look to be carefully cultivated.
The property is surrounded by a fence, and there security cameras at the corners of the house and outbuildings. I don’t see anyone, but I can hear the sound of distant voices and see several bikes parked in front of the house.
“Some of my brothers live in the rooms here, and others like me choose to live in the city and commute. I work in the shop there,” Riot says, gesturing to the mechanic shop. I knew he works as a mechanic for the club, but I hadn’t realized the shop was on the same property as the clubhouse.
“What are we doing here, Riot? I thought you were taking me to your home,” I ask.
“This is home, Sasha,” he tells me. “I want to show you the place I call home and introduce you to the people I consider my family.”
His words soften me up a bit, and I nod, climbing off the bike. I lower my foot down, tripping on a rock and almost fall on my face when someone grabs me before I kiss the ground.
“Thank you,” I say to the stranger helping me straighten up, but when I look up at his face, I am struck mute. My mouth opens and closes as I stare.
“I think your girlfriend likes me, Riot,” the man says with a chuckle, and I splutter.
“No, I . . . Oh God, I-I’m so sorry,” I stammer, pushing away from the stranger and moving closer to Riot.
Laughter fills the air, and I flush with embarrassment. Riot wraps an arm around my shoulders, his eyes filled with warmth and amusement as he turns us to face the stranger, who isn’t really a stranger at all.
“Sasha, this is my twin brother, Cash.”
His brother!
I’ve heard so much about Cash, Riot talks about him constantly. It’s clear that they are more than brothers, they’re best friends. In many ways, Riot looks up to Cash, despite being the same age. I almost can’t believe he’s real after listening to all of Riot’s stories.
There is no denying this is Riot’s brother, though. While not identical, at first glance, one could easily be confused for the other, but the more I look at them together, the more I notice their differences.
Cash is a more polished version of Riot with his neatly kept hair, and he exudes a calmness that Riot lacks. Where Riot is a rushing river of chaotic energy, Cash is a placid lake. Riot’s trademark self-assured smirk that sends my heart hammering is missing from Cash’s expression, a quiet confidence taking its place. And his eyes don’t carry the mischievous glint always present in Riot’s gray eyes. They may look alike, but I can tell their similarities are only skin deep.
“Nice to meet you, Sasha. Let me be the first to commiserate you on having to settle for the ugly twin,” Cash teases, and I flush at his words even if I disagree.
“Sure, you tell yourself that.” Riot snorts before turning to me. “How about I show you around, Sasha, so you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
I nod, eager to get Riot alone so I can ask him more about the meeting with my father. I wave at Cash before Riot sets off to show me around the place, introducing some of his brothers to me as we come across them. A part of me was expecting to be met by intimidating tattooed men and for them to be cautious around me, but I am pleasantly surprised with how friendly and welcoming everyone is.
“Is it always like this?” I ask, Riot, leaning my head against his shoulder. “So lively and welcoming?”
“Not always,” he tells me as he guides me to a group of men gathered in the backyard. “But the boys are always looking for an excuse to have a party whenever they can.”
We stop in front of the group, and Riot introduces me to the president of the club, who is a giant of a man, but then again, everyone I’ve met so far is just built different from the general population.
“So, this is your girl,” the president, Priest, says, and Riots nods. “I trust everything is settled, Riot?” The two men engage in some sort of intense staring contest, and my brows draw in confusion.
“What was that about?” I ask once we’ve moved on.
“That was his way of asking me if your father is going to cause trouble for the club,” he says, reminding me of the fact that he hasn’t told me what they discussed in my father’s office. “I assured him that I have everything under control.”
“Do you?” I ask, worried. He must catch my concern because he stops to look at me, and I hurry to add, “Riot, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t trust my father or brother. They didn’t make it where they are by playing fair.”
“I can handle them,” he says, cupping my cheek and tipping my head, so I am staring into those beautiful gray eyes. “I love you, Sasha. I have never felt this way about anyone else before. I am willing to fight for us. For the chance to have a life with you.” He leans down and presses his lips on mine in a soft kiss that has my toes curling with pleasure. “You’re mine, sweetheart. Let me fight for you.”
I nod, practically melting into a puddle at his words.
