Prince Charming (Renegade Souls MC Romance Saga Book 9), Page 27 V. Theia He got a gurgle of dread seeing it was Arson texting him. His buddy better not be in a ditch somewhere or he’d wring his neck. Arson: It’s sorted, brother. Tag: What is? You okay? Arson: Waiting until Marianna went to talk to the old ladies, he turned down the volume and hit play. Fuck’s sake. Arson had sent him porn. But hold the hell up. It was no ordinary porn. First, because it was Arson in the starring role. Second, he knew those exaggerated female moans. Holy shit. Only a few seconds in. The camera angle was clear, the phone was high up, maybe on shelves. Tag was looking at a video of Arson banging Sofia, doggy style, over her cop desk. Still in her cop uniform, no less. Her face was recognizable. So was Arson’s back, showing off his RSMC leather cut. A grin split Tag’s face, and then a laugh bellied out of him. What a crazy bastard his friend was to fall on that sword. Tag: The fuck, Arson???? Arson: Like I said, brother. The shit is sorted. She tries to move on your girl, show her that video. Arson: What would her boss say about her banging a known biker on cop premises? Slipping outside where it was quiet, he hit call on Arson’s number. “Yo, brother.” “The hell did you do, Jase?” He heard him laughing. “I’ve been a fucked-up friend for a long time. This was something I could do to make things right for you and your woman.” “There’s making shit right then there’s putting your dick on the line.” There was no gift basket for this kind of thing. “I don’t know what to say.” As he spoke, he caught a flash of yellow toddling out of the door; he smiled seeing Lily heading toward him, he stooped down and picked her up. The tired sweetheart laid her head on his shoulder. “How did it even happen?” “I’m sure you know how hook-ups work,” laughed Arson. “She was at a bar. I was at a bar. She’s always wanted to get into my pants, bro. Told you when you were dating her she suggested we double tap her. Wouldn’t do that to a brother’s girl, even when she wasn’t your girl. I saw an opportunity to screw the viper over. I don’t mean with my wonder dick. Told her I was horny to bang a cop in her uniform. She went with it like a randy lamb to the slaughter. Made me promise I wouldn’t tell you. Oops, guess I can’t keep my trap shut.” “You’re crazy,” amused Tag. “Don’t take it wrong, but I wouldn’t do it for you.” “Two birds and one stone, bro. I was horny, and she was an easy lay.” Tag blew out a breath. Arson had truly gone above and beyond for brotherhood. “Now make sure the viper understands your woman is off limits.” “Thanks, man. I mean it.” “My pleasure.” He cackled in return. Not wanting to keep Lily outside too long, he told Arson he’d catch up with him later and he headed inside the club. Lily asleep on his shoulder. He cut his gaze to where Marianna was talking with the old ladies and her eyes came to him. She had Pasha asleep on her lap, sending him a smile. She was like something out of another world as she stood with the small boy in her arms, coming toward him in slow motion, hips swaying, eyes on fire. Tag met her in the middle of the room, dipping his head without disturbing the sleeping girl on his shoulder, and they bussed lips. “You look incredibly sexy holding a little girl.” She flushed a smile up at him. He very nearly replied something dirty, he’d share it with her later, but for now, he knew she was happy. Tag couldn’t ask for more than that. He kissed her again. Walking by, the VP swerved his icy eyes toward Tag, unsmiling. He winked at him and strolled off. Tag laughed. Maybe after all this time, he was out of Hawk’s shit book. * * * Marianna really enjoyed being at Tag’s club. Nothing like she expected and everything friendly she’d craved in her life for a long time. She liked everyone, but sitting alone with Tag was her favorite part of today. “Happy?” He asked her, arm slung casually over her shoulder. The kids were awake again, fed and happily playing with the other kids in the middle of the floor. She turned to him and smiled. “Very. Are you?” “You know I am.” Their noses nuzzled. They’d go home together and soon after that they’d really make a home and family together. Marianna could not wait. Happiness was a long time coming. Now it was here, she was grabbing on with both hands and never letting go. He’d watched her like a predator while she’d taken herself out of her shyness to talk to everyone. His eyes drunk with desire, and his kiss-shaped mouth beckoning her every second. Marianna was completely and utterly possessed by him. If there was such a thing as drunk on a man—drunk on his flagrant display of love, then she was it. Shy, but needing his mouth, she leaned in and kissed him chastely. The dirty devil tried to slip her his tongue, and she pulled back scandalized, checking to see if anyone was watching them. God, she loved his lips. His height. His voice. The way he held her close and nuzzled her nose and took her hand. She loved a million different things about Tag. But most of all. The number one reason she loved this man with everything she was, was because of his heart. His lovely, giving heart. A man who excelled at a violent sport was the gentlest giant she’d ever met. He was a true Prince. “My Prince.” She told him and watched his eyes darken with desire. He pumped out a grunt. And had they been anywhere private, Marianna would have been on him fast. Heaven help her, he was such a flirt without even having to try too hard. She was a glutton for seeing the glint in his blue-blue eyes. She trusted Tag, unquestionably. He’d shown her for months he was a trustworthy man. He made her laugh and was extraordinarily sweet. Sweeter than she possibly thought a man could be. They were on the cusp of something very extraordinary. Their life together was going to be colorful and gorgeous. “You are flawless and addictive. I can’t get enough of you, Marianna.” He rasped. “Not only your body I crave like a madman. Your voice, your thoughts. I crave your laughter and most of all, I’m addicted to your heart. Your bruised and lovely heart, I’m so fucking lucky you’re taking a chance on a piece of trash like me.” “Luke.” Her finger poked his hard chest, daring him to say that again. “You are the least trashy person I’ve ever met. You are a man who I greatly admire for everything you have achieved. You did that, Luke, all on your own. You are a King in my eyes. A titan of a man I am also addicted to.” “You undo me, darlin’. What did I do in this life to deserve you?” “I think we are both so very lucky to have found each other.” Two hands cupped her face, and she smiled up at him. “You are the soul of my existence, you know that? I’m gonna make sure I go on living for you and our kids, ‘cause now I got something good and I’m not giving it up for anything.” He would fight again. She knew this. A cage fight was already arranged for April. Marianna would worry, that’s what a woman did when she loved someone so deeply. Her love for him was cannibalistic. She never needed to put her gaze on him anymore, to feel the gnawing need inside her. It lived and snarled, demanding her man. “You really are a Prince. Oh, so charming and a little dirty.” “Only a little?” His smirk warmed her through to her bones. Oh, he would take that as a challenge. Her man loved to win. “Guess I better work on my game later.” “Game on, Prince.” She dared, right before he grabbed her up and made her shriek her delight. In Russian, she told him the three most important words she’d taught him so far. I love you. And her Prince grinned. Now they had a lot of living happily ever after to get on with. EPILOGUE “A beautiful biker prince was the answer all along.” - Marianna One month later “Only one kiss? I didn’t realize you hated me today.” Oh, the dramatics of her darling Prince. Marianna rolled her eyes playfully and touched his lips two more times. They had this cute thing they did by kissing three times when they saw each other next. It didn’t matter if it was five hours or five minutes. “I hardly ever hate you, Luke.” The twins were napping. But wouldn’t be for much longer if he went on making her shriek with surprise the way he did when he hauled her onto his lap. “Did you hate me last night?” The mouth at her neck was shiver inducing. She knew exactly what he was talking about. He’d asked her to dance for him late last night when they had to drop in at the gym. Tag pulled up a chair, hit play on the music, and she’d danced for him until her muscles protested. And then they’d had the best, the best sex right there on the gym floor. “My ballerina didn’t hate me at all last night, did she?” He smirked. “Not even a little,” she confessed, cupping the side of his rough-feeling jaw. “I’m excited for tonight, are you?” “Tell me something, darlin’. We gonna have to celebrate each month together as a milestone?” His smirk teased, and she jabbed him with her elbow. It was like poking granite. “Hey, now. We have lived together for one entire month, that is a reason to celebrate with a date.” He flashed a grin again. Voice dripping with love. “Yeah, it is, darlin’. Love waking up to you.” It was the best. And coming home to him. And watching him walk through the door, knowing he’d drop everything and come to find her for a kiss. Every day when she heard the thundering rumble of his bike pulling into the driveway, she got an excited feeling in her tummy. One of the sexiest things Tag did when he arrived home late was empty his pockets. She loved to watch him dump his change, keys, and phone on the dresser in their bedroom and then unhook the wallet chain from his hip. She’d read something once and didn’t feel the connection to it until now. It came back in a rush. One day you’ll meet someone who will understand your story and protect you because they won’t want you to suffer the same pain again. Tag was her someone. This love of theirs had changed everything for Marianna. It was like witnessing a miracle each day when she turned her head and saw Tag on the pillow next to her. She wouldn’t ever be the same person she was. Even though she was afraid of what would happen if he were not there. But that’s just it, how Marianna realized, Tag would always be there. All she had to do was reach out and it would be his hand that held hers. Their love was transformative. Guess that made her the luckiest woman in the world. “Your face just got soft.” He remarked, giving her hip bones a little squeeze. An electric current rushed through the middle of her. His love felt everywhere. His hand may as well be between her legs, for all her body cared. Every time this man put his hands on her, something simple or meaningful, she folded to his will. “I was thinking about how crazy I am about you.” Big tough bikers needed affection too, she’d learned. They needed words of affirmation just as much as a woman needed them. And when she gave them to Tag, he came alive. And that made her happy. He’s the only man to make her stomach butterfly flutter and her heart race. “I was thinking about how pretty you are.” He scoffed. “And how much I enjoy your body.” This time he grunted, “and love listening to you laughing. I especially love to watch you walking.” “Walking? You little freak.” He teased. She couldn’t help it. She was crazy for a Prince. “Now give me a kiss because I have to rush to the club to help with the wedding venue things.” Tag groaned. He was a typical man and hated to listen to anything to do with weddings. So cute. She kept him awake last night talking about flowers to torture him. The kiss was scorching, and she almost, almost forgot all about helping Zara so she could stay home to seduce her man. “There she is,” he gloated. “My hot little Russian.” Reluctant to leave him, she curled her arms around his neck to steal one more kiss. It was when he walked her to the door, helping button up her coat like a sweet gentleman, did he tell her, “enjoy your wedding shit today, darlin’.” “Oh, I will. There are lots of fun things to do.” He winked. “And remember, it’ll be ours soon enough.” Wait. What? WHAT? Tag grinned, and all but pushed her out the door, patting her butt as he did. “Tag! You mean… you mean our wedding? As in you and me getting married to each other?” They hadn’t even talked about that yet. They’d only been living together one month today! Tag smirked like a devilish boy, leaning a shoulder in the doorway, watching her closely as he always did. She ought to have known he’d drop something like this on her. He always bided his time. “We will have words about this when I get home later, baby boy.” “It’s a done deal, darlin’.” The most shocking thing of all was how not scared she was for that kind of commitment. Knowing Tag as she did, she would guess he would ask her soon and she would say yes. She would always say yes to him. “Yes,” she agreed, eyes misting, looking at him standing there so tall and perfect for her, “it is.” Marianna felt his eyes on her on the way to his truck. She’d recently got her license and thought herself, how did Paige say it? The bee’s feet… no, the bee’s knees, now she could drive everywhere. She waved and blew him a kiss and her gorgeous man raised a hand in the air to catch it. God, her heart flipped over. Now she was eager for him to ask her the question so she could fling herself at him and tell him yes. “I love you.” She mouthed through the window and saw his grin stretch his mouth. The words didn’t come easy to her, though she felt them so deeply. She gave them sparingly and knew he held them dear. Happiness for Marianna was a feeling. It was a place. It was knowing her children were happy, and she was loved without borders. Happiness was knowing Tag would be there when she got home. Probably cooking something nice or waiting to pounce on her in the closet. He did that a lot. And she never minded. Not at all. Even a stomped and abused heart knew a good thing when it saw it. The heart was always the reason a girl fell in love with a boy. Risks were taken. Trust given. Marianna would never regret putting her broken trust in a biker Prince. He brought her pieces back together. She doubted another man could have done that for her. The fiercest love arose from situations of suffering. It came from bad choices and wonderful decisions. Love so everlasting was a precarious journey. Making a commitment to work and fight through everything. Only a little way down the street and she missed him already. So she called him, and he’d been expecting it because Tag laughed as he answered, “miss you too, darlin’.” See? He was perfect for her. A biker Prince hadn’t only swooped in and saved the day. He’d made every day so much better. Entirely better. She was starting to believe girls like her did get a happily ever after. * * * Ten years later “Dad! Pasha is being a little dickhead.” “Why don’t you chill out? Your mouth is always fucking running.” Beside him, his wife chuckled. “Let them express themselves with whatever language they choose, you said. Now all we hear is fuck this and dickhead that. Now you’re going to have to beat their asses.” She was so amused was his Anna. He turned a stern look on her, and she giggled even more. She knew he was a soft shit for their kids. He doled out discipline when it was needed. Especially if they dared to get mouthy with their mom. But other than that, his kids were feral animals. Especially with each other. They’d grown out of their cute stage of doing everything as a mirror image of one another. In the last year, they’d rebelled against being a twin, though Tag always saw their twinness in them. They couldn’t help but have the same mannerisms, they still even spoke at the same time. But he’d given them room to grow as young adults. Now they were driving him and Anna crazy. Turning his head, he caught her mouth in a kiss that soon became deviant in tone. He swallowed her moan and wrapped a hand in her hair. So ready to move this on and get her somewhere private. Until he heard. “Oh, my god! Do you really have to be all over each other like a rash, dad? It’s not like we’re traumatized enough already.” The little shit. An amused Anna stayed in his arms. The kids were used to them showing affection. They showed enough to those turds, whether they wanted it or not. “Boy, get your skinny ass over here now.” Tag called out across the clubhouse. “You too, Lily.” “What did I do?” She complained, flipping her hair like a diva.
