Page 88 of Elling & Jackie

With Jacqueline, he wanted to talk. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He wanted her to know when she walked away from him that he wanted her to be safe, and he loved her.

"Really think about what you're doing, Elling. I belong to Brikken Motorcycle Club. I am a Stanton. You can't expect me to move in with you. I thought you understood from the beginning that this..." She pointed to him and then at her chest. "We need to keep this relationship secret."

"How long are you going to be able to hide me?" he said, calmer than he felt. "I'm thirty-eight years old. Too damn old to play around, worrying about someone's parents. I don't care who your father is or what colors your family rides under. I expect to come first in your life, as I put you first in mine."

"I..." She blew out her breath. "I don't want to lose you. I just can't announce us to the world, to my world, yet."

Her age never entered their relationship before. She was a grown-ass woman. A beautiful, confident woman that made him feel like the biggest man around. But in front of him, faced with her family judging her because of her choices, he witnessed the vulnerability, the unsureness, that fear of disappointing others that came with being twenty-four years old.

"Come here." He opened up his arms.

She walked into his embrace. He wrapped himself around her, and when he was sure she couldn't walk away, he said, "I'm going to set up a meeting with your father. You're going to have to trust me that I will protect you from any fallout."

Jacqueline stiffened.

He held her tighter. "I'm going to tell him about us and claim you."

"Oh, my God. You can't." She struggled to get loose.

"That's how it needs to be done, Jacqueline. If I had a daughter, I would want any man interested in her to look me in the eyes and be strong enough to swear on his life, he could take care of her." He lowered his mouth to kiss the top of her head, and she bucked against his hold. "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down." She trembled. "He'll kill you."

"This is the part where you have to believe I can protect myself." He rubbed her back. "That's what we need to do to move forward."

She pushed against him. He let her go, having said all he had to say on the subject.

"Take me back to the hotel." She walked out of the kitchen.

She was already outside standing by the Harley when he locked the front door. Unprepared for her to argue with him, he wasn't going to change his mind. This once, he knew what was better for her.

He walked to the bike. Instead of getting on, he sat sideways and pulled her into the V of his legs.

"You're going to have to trust me." He tightened his legs against the outside of her thighs. "It could be rough for a while, but eventually, it'll get better and won't hurt as much. If your family loves you like you've said, they'll come around once they can see that us being together has nothing to do with Slag, and I have nothing to do with Brikken."

A lone tear trailed down her cheek. She swiped her face with the back of her hand and stared up at the sky, refusing to look at him. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"The consequences of hiding our relationship would be far worse for you."

"I don't believe that." Her voice broke. "I came with you today, looking forward to being with you and in a matter of minutes, I'm losing everyone I love."

"You're not going to lose me."

"Either Chief will kill you, or you'll kill him, and then you'll have my brothers and every Brikken member after you." She laughed harshly, making him cringe. "Thanks for that, Elling. You've managed to take everyone I love away from me."

"Jacqueline," he murmured, tugging her forward.

She pulled away. "I want to leave."

He stood and straddled the motorcycle. There was no use talking to her when she refused to listen. He'd take her back to the hotel.