her up like she doesn’t weigh more than a rice cake. She slams her hands against my back, like she’s beating a drum and I toss her ass on my bed. “I’m the type of man who gets what I want, Riva. Do you really wanna put up a fight?”
“Now you sound like that fucker from last night.” Well, she’s boiling. I’ve never heard her curse this much. But, I don’t mistake what she’s said.
“You shouldn’t say shit you don’t mean.”
“He told me if I was smart and showed him I could be good, he’d put me in a cage, Mammoth. You’re standing here telling me you’re the type who gets what you want, asking me if I want to put up a fight. You told me you claimed me, telling me I’m your responsibility and—”
I’m done letting her speak. “Riva. I just swore in front of my entire club that you were with us. I stuck my neck out for you. Do you realize what that means?”
“No!” She shouts back. “I know nothing about this life, about this, biker club.” She throws her hands up, looking around the room.
“I swore in front of my brothers and the Prez that you’re my responsibility, that you’re my woman, and in doing that I’m able to obtain the backing from the club’s allies to make sure you’re protected. I couldn’t do this by myself, Mouse. I’m good, but I ain’t that good.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It means I’m yours, and you’re mine, you feel me? You’re my woman. I’m your man. If you’re my woman, I can protect you. I can put the club’s resources and allies together to help us figure out what’s happening with this Marco dude, and hopefully get the Marielitos to stop. If I didn’t do this for you, I wouldn’t be able to protect you from jack shit.”
Riva blinks over and over again, slumping down into my bed. She’s quiet, and just like last night the tears slowly start streaming down her face. “Why would you do this for me?”
“’Cause.” I’m not gonna get into all of this emotional bullshit right now.
“She made me feel like you call all the girls Mouse, you know.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Figures. Her room is below mine. Wouldn’t be surprised if she could hear our conversations. You’re the only one, Mouse. You hear me?”
“There isn’t anything between you or Flora, or any of the women here?”
“No. They’re either my friends, or easy pussy whenever the mood had struck. I don’t say things lightly you know. Jag är din, mus.” I end the conversation reiterating I’m hers, calling her Mouse in our native tongue.
“This all feels so crazy, so fast. Within a day of meeting me we’re dating, like fully committed and everything.”
“We met over a year and a half ago,” I remind her, growling.
“We had a handful of conversations. It doesn’t count.” She tells me.
“Whatever you say, Mouse. Whatever makes you happy.”
Chapter Sixteen
Power’s not given to you. You have to take it
~ Beyoncé
Riva
Here he stands, telling me whatever I want . . . and I think he means it. That’s crazy, right? I mean, it fucking feels crazy to me.
My phone begins to buzz on my suitcase and I start to go for it when Mammoth picks it up. He snickers, handing it over to me. “It’s your pappa,” calling my father the Swedish word for it. Fuck. This is great.
I decline the call. No way am I going to answer him right now. He’s going to ask me a half dozen questions at least, considering he’s here in the States right now and was going to help me move into my new apartment today. I should’ve called him earlier, but . . . oops. With everything going on I forgot.
Not even ten seconds later it’s ringing again. “You gonna answer that, or do you want me to?”
I tap the green icon and put the phone to my ear. “Hej pappa.” I greet him, saying hello.
“Hej pappa? Ska du agera som om jag inte har väntat här i över en timme på dig? Var är du?” He mocks me, asking where I am and if I’m really going to act like I haven’t kept him waiting for over an hour.
I laugh lightly, hoping he can see I’m uncomfortable, even though he’s in a totally different city. “Jag är ledsen. Det var några saker som hände. Jag blev distraherad och bunden.” I tell him I’m so sorry and that a few things happened,