Page 93 of Monster Mania

“Yeah,” he breathed.

“You're not going to argue?” she asked.

“Nope,” he said.

“You’re not going to tell me I'm staying?” she asked.

“No,” he said.

“You won’t tell me you and Ghost made some ridiculous biker pact, and I'm the woman you're keeping?” she asked.

Jackhammer smiled. “Still think the pact was pretty solid.”

“Hammer,” she warned.

He stood, and Angel watched him carefully. Jackhammer stopped in front of her. “I want you to stay.” Her expression softened. “But I'm not telling you to.”

She said nothing. “I've done this wrong before.”

“What?” she asked.

“Made choices for the women in my life,” he said.

Angel almost smiled. “That's reassuring.”

“Shut up,” he mumbled.

“Sorry,” she lied, still wearing her smile.

“No, you're not,” he assessed.

“Not even a little,” she agreed.

Jackhammer smiled, and then he got serious. “Cassie wanted me before the club. Marlene wanted the club more than she wanted herself. Ellie wanted me without the club.” Angel listened. “I kept thinking if I found the right woman, everything would magically fit.”

“And?” she asked.

“I was an idiot,” he admitted.

“Agreed,” she said.

He gave her a look, and Jackhammer reached for her hand. “This is who I am.” He tapped his cut. “The club is part of me. Ghost is my brother. I'm never living behind a white picket fence pretending I don't want a bike in the garage and brothers down the road.”

Angel smiled. “I can't picture you with a white picket fence.”

“Looked fucking ridiculous,” he admitted.

“You actually had one?” she asked.

“For eight months,” he said. She laughed. Jackhammer loved that he'd managed to get that sound out of her again. Then he continued. “I don't want you to change either.”

Her smile disappeared. “I don't know who I am anymore.”

“Bullshit,” he said.

“Hammer,” she breathed.

“You're Angel,” he said as though that explained everything.