With a slam of the door, Gunner stormed into the club as the sun set behind him. After sleeping on it and getting his shit together, he had to deal with a few issues between Mayhem and another club. However, the entire time he was distracted by the issues he'd created hanging over his head.

So, as soon as it was resolved, he'd found himself driving to Liliana's home. He found himself on the porch, and miraculously, he found himself knocking. With no answer.

Walking around the house to her garage he saw her car wasn't there. "Fuck!" he'd hissed into the still air of the afternoon. Then he was back on his bike and riding over to the diner.

Nothing.

The cafe she had liked, no signs of her, and no word from the baristas she had made friends with.

Gunner had tried to hold off calling her, because this was a conversation they needed to have in person, but now he was worried. Where had she gone? Lily was a creature of habit. She'd rarely gone anywhere new if not with someone else. And that was why he called.

And, of course, no answer.

He wouldn't answer either if he was her.

That's how he ended up back at the club as the sky darkened behind him, similar to his mood. Jude winced. He was already behind the bar and immediately went to grab him a beer.

"How does someone fuckin' disappear?"

His Vice President looked at him sideways, wondering if that was rhetorical. Sliding the beer over, Jude shrugged.

"Maybe she is avoiding you."

"Thanks, man," Gunner rasped tiredly. "Ran all around the fuckin' town. Where could she be? The hell did I miss in the fuckin' months I've known her now. The girl has her calendar written out by the minute. And everywhere she goes is the same place as the day before!"

Apparently, someone else was in a piss poor mood, because from the back room a door slammed violently into drywall. Gunner didn't even flinch, not glancing over as a flurry of stomps and commotion sounded.

Until, of course, hands shoved at his shoulder and spilled his beer all over the bar.

"What the fu-" Gunner saw the one putting hands on him was Taz. But before he could get the question out as he flew up, Taz pushed him again.

"You piece of shit, ya need to get this circus show under control."

"Watch yourself Taz. I'm not in the fuckin' mood today." His glare was so sharp it could cut glass, but it didn't deter Taz.

"Our business is spillin' over, Gunner."

That made the president pause.

"The hell does that even mean?" he asked, voice thick. His dark eyes followed the older biker warily. Taz's face was creased with worry lines and his hair was flat, most likely from his helmet. But his eyes were blazing with anger even still.

"Our shit with the cops. Your shit with Daminger. Civilians are catchin' strays left and right, but we're not doing this big save everybody's ass play that you've conjured up yet for some reason."

"We have to time it right. Just a little longer. What the fuck is happening? What the hell aren't ya telling me?"

Inhaling sharply, Taz almost didn't want to say it in fear of the club president's reaction.

"We saw Lily at the market. Wanted to keep an eye on her since you went and fucked everythin' up. Daminger showed up in civies, no uniform, no nothin'. Put his hands on her before we could get there in time."

Gunner inhaled sharply but was unable to exhale it. His throat closed with what felt like it was paralyzing anxiety.

Taz watched his face contort with worry and his fists tighten in what looked to be scalding anger. When he could breathe, they came out in labored huffs.

"Tell me what happened, exactly. Step by fucking step, tell me what he did to her."

Now, the tables had turned, and Gunner was in Taz's face with an intensity he couldn't quite match. Quickly, he relayed what he knew and what Liliana had told him from before they were in earshot.

"We drove her home. I stayed with her, got her and her kid settled in the house. Poor thing seems shaken up. I've got my guys parked outside for the night. Baby was asleep before they even got into the house, at least."

Gunner's heart nearly leaped out of his chest and his stomach turned with sickness. "The baby was with her when it happened?" he croaked as panic seeped into every inch of his being.

Taz shook his head, both of them pushing out a sigh of relief. "Kid was next door with the neighbor. Lily picked her up as soon as we got her home."

Gunner swallowed hard, nodding once as he grabbed his keys. The sun had officially set as he grabbed his wallet.

"Where the hell are ya going? The girls had a long enough day."

He shook his head aggressively, his hair sticking up in every which way from how much he'd raked his hands through it. "I gotta see her. Gotta make sure she's alright, make sure her kid's alright."

And that was the end of it, Gunner was already out of the door. Not much later, the undeniable rev of his bike echoed through the otherwise silent club house.

***

When Gunner pounded his fist against the door, he hadn't meant to sound so aggressive about it, but he couldn't go another moment without seeing Liliana. Two bikers were posted outside, and he was reluctant to send them away now that he'd gotten there. He didn't even know if Lily would give him the time of day anymore.

And when he heard shuffling on the other side of the door, he nearly threw up at the anxious turning in his stomach.

The click of the door nearly made him jolt but he held steady, his hand bracing himself against the doorframe as his eyes darted eagerly to just see her.

And as she peeked her head out to see who was at the door, expecting it to be one of the bikers watching her house, her eyes widened at the familiar blonde hair.

Gunner didn't know where to focus his eyes. The day and a half without seeing her had felt like ages. His chest nearly caved in as he saw how red her eyes were. Her skin was dewy with what looked to be dried tears, and his fingers twitched with the urge to wipe at them.

Her curls were soft and pillowy, framing her face perfectly as they only reached her collar at the moment.

Their eyes bored into one another. He was sure he didn't look much better. He was haggard as his inner conflict and worry had worn him down. Green clashed against brown.

She opened the door a bit more. She was in a big t-shirt that reached her mid thighs. Her feet were covered with thick, warm socks as he saw them curl into the carpet nervously.

"Honey, I-" He reached for her face instinctively but faltered when she flinched back. Her dark eyes flickered over him warily.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he still braced himself against the doorframe to stay close to her and block her from sight of the other bikers. "Tell me yer okay? I-I just need to know."

"I thought you didn't wanna see me?" she croaked before clearing her throat quickly.

He shook his head quickly, "No-no, I was so wrong, Lily. I'm so fuckin' sorry."

Liliana's frown was tight as her eyes began watering again. "You yelled at me in front of everyone, Gunner. And then you left..." Her voice crackled under the emotion. "I um- I don't think this is the best time Gunner I'm really emotional and I don't want you to feel obligated-"

"Not seeing you was fuckin' torture, knowing we weren't on good terms, Lily. I just wanna check on ya. We don't gotta argue. I don't want to argue, just want to take care of ya."

Her pouty lips were still frowning, but slowly she opened the door for him. Cautiously, he came into the warm atmosphere of her quaint home. Toys were scattered around the carpet. He saw pictures and decorations that screamed Liliana all around. When she left him there, her kitchen was littered with pink appliances, and he couldn't help but crack a small smile. Lily was now the one watching his reaction to her home nervously.

Her arms wrapped around herself tightly as he leaned against the opposite counter from her.

Gunner glanced at the toys on the kitchen table. "Where's...?"

"She's sleeping in her bed. She wasn't there and she didn't notice I was upset, which is good." Liliana's answer was clipped.

"Can I... Can I know her name?" His voice was low, barely above a whisper.

Liliana watched him, making no move to answer as he tried to keep his breathing even. He could feel her pulling away.

"I'm so fuckin' sorry I wasn't there today. I should have been."

"I don't want to talk about today anymore. You don't have to take care of me or worry about me. You don't owe me anything. I got the message loud and clear."

As he leaned against the counter, he gripped the granite as both his hands braced against it. He squeezed it tight, his tattooed knuckles turning white.

Trying to stuff down his frustration, he kept his voice soft. "I was wrong. I should never have raised my voice, sweetheart. It'll never fuckin' happen again, I swear it. You were right," he nearly choked on his words. "You were right to wait. I get that now. I wish I would've known, but that's okay. It's not my decision. It wasn't mine and Daminger fucked it all up—took that decision away from you, and I only made it worse."

She sniffled, wiping under her nose and at the corners of her eyes. He took a step closer, and when she didn't move away, he moved in even more. His arms came to either side of her on the counter. In the moment, he felt like the big bad wolf closing in on her small frame. All he could do was soften his touch as he brushed his knuckles up her arm.

He watched her shoulders relax slowly but surely. Lily shut her eyes as she inhaled his cologne, which released some of the tension in her muscles.

"I'm so god damn sorry." Gunner bent his head to make sure he held her gaze as he said it.

Eyeing him through her damp lashes, she nodded once. Bracing herself against the counter, she tried to get herself together.

"Okay, you're forgiven."

Gunner's eyes widened, "Forgiven?"

"Yes, forgiven. It's fine." She tried to break away from his hold, but he couldn't let her go that easily. He kept her locked in. Hesitantly, he cupped her jaw. Drawing her in, he made sure she was looking up at him with her full attention.

"Fine. What's fine mean?"

"Fine means it's water under the bridge and like I said you don't owe me anything. I appreciate the apology, if that's all you're here for then you can leave. I won't stop you."

"Leave?" he scoffed. "Leave? You're outta yer fuckin' mind. The best thing to ever happen to me and you think I'm gonna let it walk right out of my life?"

Liliana's breath hitched. "Gunner you don't mean that-"

His hands on her jaw slid up to her cheeks and his grip turned stern, squeezing them lightly when she tried to turn away. Her lips pouted under the pressure, but her thighs smushed closer together at the move as her breath hitched. Her lashes fluttered just barely at the grip.

"Honey, I need you to stop tellin' me what I want, what I need, or what I fuckin' mean. I'm tellin' you what I need. I need you. I can't stand the pussy footing around anymore. I can't act like I don't drive myself crazy over you being mine. And I can't deal with fucking assholes putting their hands on you like you ain't mine."

"Gunner, you have to think about these things. I can't introduce her to you and then you leave when it's too much." Her nose was red from the hectic turn of events today, and her eyes were pleading as if asking for him to put her out of her misery. As if she didn't have the strength to tell him this again and she'd cave if he looked at her like that any longer.

He brushed her curls out of her eyes, staring at her deeply and refusing to look away. "What's her name?" Gunner couldn't help but ask again.

Lily searched his face, looking for any indicator that he wasn't serious. That he knew what he was committing to with this question and the doors he was opening.

"Her name's Rowan," Liliana rasped.

His eyes softened even more, nodding as if taking the name to heart.

"That's pretty," he whispered. "I knew the night I found out that I wanted to make it up to you. That I wanted to be with you and be a part of everything that comes with you. Hearin' that Daminger put his hands on you made me sick to my fuckin' stomach and one of the first things I wondered was if you had yer little girl with you and if you were both okay."

Liliana's brows shot up, almost in disbelief at the revelation. She saw nothing but the truth on his face and that made butterflies flutter around her stomach wildly.

"I want this," he promised vehemently. He tilted his head, aching for her pretty brown eyes to meet his own.

"I want you so bad. Everythin' honey. Yer all I think about," Gunner rasped while stepping a bit closer as she fell silent once again. Their bodies were flush against one another. Gunner's grip slid from her face to her hair, holding it at the nape and craning her face up to his. His broad body blocking her in and towering over her, ironically making her feel safer.

"You're not just with me," she emphasized one final time while sucking on her bottom lip.

"Just-Just give me a chance. Your rules. You're the boss."

There were those pesky butterflies again. Her skin tingled with anticipation as his heat mixed with her own.

Her eyes flickered over his large body, but it finally seemed she'd fully relaxed. He almost saw a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Her tears were nearly gone, she could feel her face was puffy from crying, but Gunner didn't seem to care.

She almost giggled to herself at her own thought. "Beg," she said simply. Her tone was a bit mocking, probably kidding.

But Gunner, President of Mayhem Motorcycle club—a man that had killed many—someone known for his quick wit and charm, bent down onto his knees.

Lily's mouth fell open, her plump lips parted in shock.

"Gunner-"

"Liliana," he rasped and gripped her hand. Kneeling down, he slid closer. His knees nudging the socks on her feet.

His head fell back, hair falling out of his eyes as he stared up at her now. Gripping her hand tight, he swallowed hard as his voice grew husky.

"Liliana," he said, swallowing. "Please give me a fuckin' chance, baby." He slid his other hand to her outer thigh. Gripping it, he tugged his closer by a half step. Keeping his eyes on her own, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her inner thigh over her pajama shorts.

"I'll never leave ya like that again, Lily. I'll take care of you and what's yours. Nobody'll ever touch ya. Swear it. I'll make you feel good. God. I'll make you feel so fuckin' good if ya let me." He brushed his lips up higher just barely before pulling away.

Liliana felt a tremble in her legs. Panting lightly, she nodded slowly.

Gunner grinned wide, standing up quicker than Lily could react to, and he cupped her face.

"Say it for me." Gunner smiled as he leaned down. His mouth hovered over her own.

"Yes, yes." Lily reached both of her hands to grip his wrists tight. She tugged him closer while looking up at him through her lashes.

Gunner smirked cockily at her change of tune, leaning forward just enough so her plush lips brushed his own. Groaning quietly at the temptation, he teased the both of them. He would drive them both insane at this rate.

"Can I kiss you?" the biker asked barely above a whisper.

The words barely fell from his mouth before she closed the gap, her arm coming to wrap around his neck needily. He groaned in satisfaction of feeling her against him finally.