of the house until I gave in. I knew when to pick my battles.
When we drove toward the general area of the compound, I asked, “How did it really go this morning?”
His jaw clenched, which wasn’t a good sign. “A couple made dickish comments, but it settled down, and as far as I know, they’ll be on their best behavior. Helps I have Saint, Death, Country, and State at my back.”
Reaching out, I smiled and placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing. “Even if they do something, will you try and stay calm? I don’t care what they say. I’ve learned to ignore mean people like that.”
His hand covered mine and then gripped. “That’s the thing, babe. You don’t have to learn to live with it. You don’t put up with it, and I won’t allow anyone to treat you fuckin’ different.”
He seemed worked up, so I said, “Okay, honey.”
He relaxed a little, and we drove in silence for a while longer. My stomach churned in tension with worry about tonight, but all I could do was see how things went and then deal with it when the time came.
“There’s somethin’ I gotta tell you,” he said.
Facing him, my stomach tightened, and I replied, “Yes?”
“Death looked into that asshole’s problem with his father.” Mitch. “On the news tonight, there’ll be an announcement of fuckface’s dad being sent to jail for drug trafficking.”
I gasped. “What? Did he actually deal in drugs?”
“No, but Death set it up to make sure it looked like it. No one will find fault in Death’s proof over him, which was sent in anonymously.”
“Wow. Um, okay. That’s good then, yes?”
“Yeah, babe. It’s good because the father deserves every year he gets in jail.”
“Then I’m glad it got sorted.” It also showed me just how much the club could do and would do for someone in a difficult situation. Even after Mitch was a dickhead to me, he didn’t deserve what his father put him and his mother through. “You guys are amazing, you know that, right?”
His eyes were warm went they slid to me before moving back to the road. “Makes me damn happy to have your support.”
“You always will. So will the club. I now understand you all deal with things in your own way. In the right way, even when sometimes it’s not pleasant.”
His hand shot out. He hooked it behind my neck and dragged me in for a quick, hard kiss. “Wade, watch the road.”
He chuckled but sat back and continued driving with his hand in mine.
When we pulled up to a two-story light gray house, I thinned my lips to keep myself from gasping. It was stunning. There was a balcony on the second level, and across the road was government land that held a mini man-made lake.
I glanced at Wade to see him taking it in. His face wasn’t pinched in disgust, a good sign.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I shrugged. “It’s completely up to you and what you think,” I told him, and then quickly got out of the car so he didn’t see how I was falling for it just from the first view.
Hand in hand, Wade walked with me to the front door. As we got close, it opened, and there stood the black-haired beauty, Trix.
Her eyes ran over Wade, and she didn’t even glance in my direction. Like the other times, I didn’t exist, even though I was holding Wade’s hand.
“Wreck, so lovely to see you again.” She smiled, her hand coming out for him to shake.
It was the first time I did it, but I got to her hand and shook it first. “Hi there, Trix. Remember me? I’m Lucas.” Using her hand, I steered her around and back into the house. “The place is big. Don’t you think, honey?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Wade trying to fight from laughing. He smirked and said, “Yeah, babe. It’s big.”
I dropped Trix’s hand and went back over to Wade. I hooked my hand around his arm and asked, “Do you mind if we take a look on our own?”
She lifted her gaze from my hand to me. “No, of course not. Please take your time.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and then led Wade away from her.
Wade leaned in and said, with humor in his voice, “Good to see you jealous, babe, but no one does it for me except you.”
“Good, well, let’s keep it that way.”
He chuckled, saying, “Will do.”
When we’d finished going through the four bedrooms, two