“And she's...okay with all of this?” I gesture vaguely, encompassing the house, the situation, everything.
“She grew up in this world. Her dad was the founding president of the Heaven’s Rejects. A right bastard from what she’s told me. She got out for a while, but circumstances brought her back. Damn happy that it did, too. I’d probably still be chasing cosplayers online.”
He pulls out his phone, thumbs through it, then turns the screen toward me. “Leia's four months old. And Han is three—thinks he's already a prospect.”
The photo shows two dark-haired children with V's mischievous smile, sitting on a gleaming motorcycle. The boy is flashing a gap-toothed grin while the baby is cradled in his arms.
“They're beautiful,” I say, and mean it. These men aren't just killers or criminals. They're fathers. Husbands. People with lives beyond the violence.
“Yeah, they are.” V tucks the phone away, a shadow crossing his face. “That's why I do what I do. Why we all do it. The world's full of monsters, Charlotte. Men like your ex-husband. Like Vincent. Someone has to stand between them and the people we love.”
“And Thor?” I ask, the question escaping before I can stop myself. “Where does he fit into all this?”
V's mouth quirks up at the corner. “Thor? He keeps to himself mostly. Not exactly the social butterfly of our little group.”
“I've noticed,” I say, tracing the rim of my water glass.
“Don't let the brooding fool you, though. He's a good guy.” V leans forward, elbows on his knees. “A little grunty, sure. Man communicates primarily in monosyllables and death glares. Butloyal? To a fault. Once Thor decides you're under his protection, there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep you safe.”
“I've seen that firsthand.”
“And, just between us girls, he's pretty head over heels for you.”
Heat rushes to my face. “You don't know that.”
“Oh, I do.” V laughs, the sound surprisingly genuine. “I've known Thor for eight years. Seen him through gunfights, knife fights, bar brawls—you name it. Never seen him lose control like he did today. Not over a woman. Not over anyone.”
I look away, uncertain how to process this information. “It's just...protective instinct.”
V shakes his head. “No, Charlotte. That’s what it’s like to be loved by a biker.”
His words hang in the air between us, heavy with implications I'm not ready to face. Loved by a biker. The concept is so foreign, so far removed from anything I'd ever imagined for myself. Three days ago, I was a recently divorced cat mom. Now I'm...what? I honestly really don’t know.
“You don't have to look so terrified,” V chuckles, misreading my silence. “Though I gotta say, Thor's intimidating on a good day. I can't imagine what he's like in?—”
“Please don't finish that sentence,” I cut him off, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.
V raises his hands in surrender. “Just saying, the walls in this place are thin.”
I grab a throw pillow and hurl it at him. He catches it easily, laughing.
“Fine, fine. No more talk about you and Thor's extracurricular activities.” He tosses the pillow back. “But for what it's worth, I think you're good for him. He's...lighter around you. Less doom and gloom.”
“He killed a man because he insulted me?”
“Yeah, like I said. Less doom and gloom,” he shrugs.
“I don't know what to do with that information,” I admit.
“You don't have to do anything with it. Just know it.” V picks up the controller again. “Now, are we playing Mario Kart or what? I call Yoshi.”
I find myself smiling despite everything. “Fine. I want Toad.”
The console chirps to life, the colorful Mario Kart menu filling the screen. V hands me a controller.
“Fair warning—I'm undefeated in our club tournaments,” he says, scrolling through character options. “Even Thor rage quits when I lap him.”
I'm about to respond when a sound cuts through the quiet, tires screeching against pavement, engines roaring to a halt. My head snaps toward the window as three black SUVs skid to a stop in front of the house, blocking the driveway. Men pour out like angry hornets, weapons drawn.
