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I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Reaper's Legacy.

Last chapter...

MERCEDES CONT'D

We all walked Marge downstairs, and then Spirit and Mel bustled her off to wherever she planned to hide until things got started.

I collected Bray and we wandered around back to the meadow, which had been transformed since the night before.

There were twice as many tents now, probably more than a hundred. They'd set up a little wooden pulpit at the front, and chairs had been laid out in neat rows on either side of the aisle, just like any outdoor wedding.

But this wasn't just any wedding... It was a Collector wedding... And apparently, they liked to add their own twist to the ceremony.

All the guys had parked their bikes in two neat, diagonal rows on either side of the center, forming a path of shining chrome for Marge to walk through.

I had to admit, it looked cool.

As Sam's...whatever... I had a place reserved for me up front, right next to Meg and the other girls from the bachelorette outing.

We sat for about ten minutes, Bray squirming, while we waited for things to get started. Then the sound system crackled to life and the minister asked everyone to find their seats.

Stud and Sam stepped out from the trees, coming around front to stand and wait. Both wore black jeans and bright white button-up shirts...

They also wore their colors. Even the minister wore a vest, although he wasn't a Collector.

"It's the chaplain from Spokane," Meg whispered to me. "He's done stuff for the club before. Good guy."

I nodded, then we all turned to watch as Pachelbel's Canon started wafting through the meadow.

The first to come down the aisle was a very little girl I didn't recognize, carrying a basket of flower petals that she scattered as she walked.

While Spirit's two boys followed as ring bearers.

Marge's mom and stepdad were next, and then I heard the roar of a motorcycle across the meadow...

I craned my neck to see Plank riding slowly towards the group...with Marge on the back of his bike...

My eyes widened in delight even as Meg giggled and leaned over to whisper,

"We didn't tell her mom about that part..."

At that, I glanced quickly to the front to see Marge's mom, Misty... Here eyes were narrowed and suspicious.

Then her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered something in her ear.

She glared at him, then shrugged and rolled her eyes. Apparently, she knew when she'd been beaten.

Plank came to a stop at the end of the aisle, where Mel and Spirit...as bridesmaids...waited to help Marge off the bike and fix her dress.

Then the two women walked down the aisle before her, side by side.

We all rose as Plank held out his arm to Marge, then slowly escorted her towards Stud.

That's when the people in the back started laughing...

Everyone around us looked confused, and I glanced up to find Stud frowning. He leaned over towards Sam and murmured something to him...

But the waves of laughter kept growing as Marge moved forward... And then I was able to see the patch...Property of Stud...proudly displayed on her rear end, as promised.

Plank stopped at the end, stepping back as Stud came to collect Marge. She whispered something to him, and he looked around behind her to see the patch.

His face split in a huge grin and I glanced over to see her mother biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

She winked at Marge, silently acknowledging that her daughter had won. And with that, the ceremony started.

I don't recall all the details... It went fast... But I kept looking up to find Sam watching me, his face serious.

I did note two very interesting facts, though... The first...was that Stud's full name was Markus Antonius Caesar Loveless, God help him.

The second...was that Marge didn't promise to obey.

Good girl.

Then the minister pronounced them husband and wife, and Stud swept her up into a kiss that I was pretty sure could get a woman pregnant.

Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me burst through the speakers and he all but carried her back down the aisle as everyone cheered... And bikers cheer loud.

Afterwards, Sam walked Spirit back down the aisle... And Mel walked by herself.

"They left the second spot for Blade," Meg said to me, her eyes misty. "They always leave a spot for him. They're waiting for him to come home."

So did she...

I glanced over at Sherry, one of the girls from the bachelorette party and her face had gone pale.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

She gave me a tight smile.

"Excuse me, I need to go check on Emmy," she said. I must've looked blank, because she explained. "The flower girl. She's my daughter."

"Oh, she's beautiful," I said, but she was already up and moving.

I'd noticed a few things since I started getting to know the Collectors...

They were fiercely loyal to each other...

They seemed to talk in code sometimes... And they had their own rules and ways of doing things.

They also didn't like cops and they knew how to get rid of bodies...

But the Collectors didn't really shine, though, until you'd seen them party...

Give them a marriage to celebrate and a pyramid of kegs?

And the place blew up.

Marge's mom definitely knew how to throw a reception, too. They'd gone with casual, and I entered the courtyard to find it transformed into something that wasn't quite elegant, but was definitely fun.

There were lights everywhere, music blasting, and enough food for two armies.

Best of all? There was child care.

Yup, she'd hired the entire staff of a local day care center to come in and set up a children's area, complete with games, prizes, face painting, and a genuine pony to ride on.

The kids even had their own little buffet where they could put together hot dogs and hamburgers.

Bray lost interest in me immediately.

"Wow, this is amazing!" I said to Meg as my son took off running. "I didn't realize Marge came from money."

"Marge comes from a trailer," she replied, laughing. "But her stepdaddy's trying to make up for lost time. And he's loaded. What Misty wants, Misty gets. Today she wanted a pony."

"No shit!" I said.

Then Sam's arms came around me and he leaned down into me, scenting my hair...

"Hey," he whispered in my ear. And I melted.

Meg rolled her eyes as I turned in his arms.

"Hey," I whispered back. Then I put my hands on his shoulders and lifted up on my toes to kiss him.

We'd been doing this a lot the past week... Soft, sweet, quick kisses that let me show my feelings without things getting too intense.

This time it wasn't soft and sweet...

I guess watching Stud and Marge had inspired Sam, because he kissed me fast and hard, just like he used to. Then he pulled away and looked down at me, his face serious.

"We okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're okay," I said, smiling up at him. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. One part of you in particular. Can we get reacquainted?"

My body heated...

Then he took my arm and half walked half dragged me across the courtyard. I stumbled, catching his drift...but not on board with his timing.

"Where are we going?" I demanded. "We're going to miss everything!"

"Stud already said the party can wait until he's had his way with his bride. And he's a smart man," Sam muttered, pausing next to a table to grab a backpack.

It was then I realized where we were headed.

"No," I said, jerking and tugging against his hand. "Not the shed. I'm not going back into that shed."

"No prob," he replied, changing direction without a pause. Now we were headed towards the back of the Armory...

I saw Spirit as we passed, and she was laughing and pointing at me.

Some friend.

Then me and Sam were in the stairwell, climbing back up to the third floor.

He spotted an open door to one of the rooms, and we walked in to find a woman on her knees, giving some man I'd never seen before a blow job.

We backed out and went to another room...

"Need a blanket," Sam said, pulling one off the bed. Then we were back out again before I could burst into embarrassed flames.

Sam took me up one more flight through a door that opened onto the roof. It was wide and open, with big parapets ringing the edges.

There was a bit of a slope, not much. But we were essentially out in the open.

"This isn't much better than the shed," I said, and Sam turned to me, raising his brows.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "I actually found the one place within a mile that we can have privacy, Mercedes. Besides, it's tradition. Guys take girls up here all the time. Special girls... Hell, Stud proposed to Marge on a roof."

I frowned.

"I guess it's okay," I said.

"Well that's a relief," he muttered, flinging the blanket down flat. Then his hands were tangling in my hair and his mouth was covering mine.

I don't quite remember how I wound up on the bottom. And I certainly don't remember what happened to my panties, although I sort of suspected Sam stole them...

He seemed to have a bit of a panty thing going on.

What I do remember, is trying not to scream and failing when his mouth sucked my clit in deep.

I also remember when he plunged into me, stretching me wide open and reminding me that I wasn't just crazy about him because he took good care of Bray.

Holy shit! The man had skills...

We took a break after that first round of reunion sex, relocating into the shade behind the little shed housing the stairwell.

Sam lay back and made a little nest for me in his arm, and I snuggled in close.

He'd lost his clothes along the way, and I figured if being totally naked out in the open didn't bother him, I might as well enjoy the view.

I leaned up on one arm and started kissing his chest.

"That's nice," he said, his voice hoarse. "Jesus, I've missed touching you."

"I've missed you, too," I said.

The tribal tat on his pec called to me, so I started tracing it with my tongue... I loved how he tasted, just a little salty and all male.

I loved how hard his muscles were, too, and deep down inside, I had to admit I loved the fact that he'd do anything for me.

Anything...

I dropped lower to find the ring in his nipple, flicking it with my tongue.

"Think it's time to talk yet?" he asked.

I let the ring go reluctantly.

"Yeah, probably," I said, looking up at him. "We should probably get...whatever we're going to be...figured out."

"Let's make it official," he said. "I want you to be my old lady. I'm pretty sure you know that. You up for that?"

"I think so," I said slowly. "Were you serious about being faithful? I mean, after you came to get me when Mel and I were with the Devils? Were you serious about not sleeping around? Because that's still a deal breaker for me."

"Totally serious," Sam replied. He looked me right in the eyes. "I haven't slept with anyone else, babe. Not since I had sex with you in the shed. I'll admit, I thought about it, but they weren't you. And I just wasn't feelin' it."

My breath caught.

"Then why did you keep telling me you couldn't make any promises?" I asked, startled. "I thought you were screwing girls left and right the whole time."

"I've always told you I wouldn't lie," he said. "And I didn't want to make a promise I couldn't keep. But shit, Mercy, when I thought I might lose you? It all got real clear, real fast. I don't give a flying fuck about anyone else, baby. I love you. I think I've loved you from the start, when I found you and Shaun on my couch. I've spent a lot of time trying to talk myself out of it, but it's not goin' away."

I blinked rapidly...

He loved me...

Sam loved me...

I guess I'd known that for a while now... You don't take care of someone the way he's taken care of me and Bray if you don't love them.

But hearing the words was still nice.

"I love you, too, Sam," I replied, feeling suddenly shy. "I think I have for a long time. You were always there for me."

"That's what you do when you're crazy about someone," he said, giving me a little grin. "Trust me, I wasn't helping you move, putting alarms on your windows, all that shit, outta the goodness of my heart, babe. I'm not running no damn charity. I did it because I love you and Bray... So damn much I can't explain it."

I gave a little laugh but his gaze was so intense, I couldn't meet it any longer. I looked at his shoulder instead and for the first time I really studied the tattoos there...

There was a series of round dots, each trailing off a bit, almost like a line of comets...

"What are those?" I asked.

"What?"

"The tattoos on your shoulders. I've been trying to figure them out for a while now. They don't look like anything."

Sam lifted, leaning back on his elbows, and gave me a serious look.

"Sit on my hips," he said. And I raised a brow.

"You ready for seconds already?" I asked. "Or trying to dodge the question? Let me guess, you got drunk and now you can't remember what they are?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Oh, I remember," he said. "Go ahead, sit on me. I want to show you something."

I looked at Sam suspiciously, but threw my leg over his hips. His dick rested right against my opening and I felt a flush of desire run through me...

He wasn't the only one ready for more.

"Now put your hands on my shoulders," he said.

"What?"

"Put your hands on my shoulders, baby."

I did.

Then it hit me...

"Holy shit, you're such a pig!" I said, stunned. "What kind of asshole has fingerprints on his shoulders? God, are the women you screw so stupid they need a guide so they don't fall off?"

Sam's eyes widened, then he started laughing. And I ripped my hands away, glaring at him.

I tried to get off, but he sat up and held my waist tight. Then he stopped laughing and smiled at me.

"First, some of them probably were that stupid," he admitted. "But those are your fingerprints, baby."

I looked at him blankly.

"You probably wouldn't remember, babe, but the night you had Bray? You hunkered down on the side of the road and held my shoulders while you pushed him out."

Oh God!

Suddenly, I realized what Sam was saying. So I reached up and laid my fingers on the tattoos again... They fit perfectly.

"I don't even know how to explain that night to you," he said. "It was so intense, babe. I had no idea what we were doing. I've never watched anything like it, and I've never felt anything remotely close. You worked so hard to bring him to life. And all I could do was hold you, hoping I didn't screw something up. You squeezed my shoulders so hard they hurt for days. You dug in your nails, you left bruises, the works. Christ, you were strong."

I thought back to that night, remembering how I'd crouched on the side of the road...

The pain...

The fear...

The joy of holding my son for the first time...

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

He snorted at me and grinned.

"You didn't hurt me, babe," he said. "You marked me. Big difference. That night was the most important thing that's ever happened in my life. Holding you, catching Bray...it changed me forever. And I didn't want to forget. So when the bruises started to fade, I went and got them inked, so I couldn't."

"Damn," I said, touching the spots lightly with my fingertips. "I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

And just like that, I felt him harden under me, and he smirked.

"Sweet enough to get me laid again?" he asked. "Because I've told the story to women before, and it works every time. They can't get their pants off fast enough after that. I'd hate to think you're the one girl who can hold out, considering it's about you."

I started laughing, and then he rolled me over, pinning my hands over my head. But my laughter faded as his shaft found my opening.

"I love you, babe," he said, sliding slowly into me. "And I promise I'll always be here for you."

"I know," I whispered back to him. "You always have been. I love you, too, Sam. And I swear, if you tell that story to any more girls, I'll cut that ink right off you."

"Noted," he said with a grin.

I reached up and kissed him as he hit bottom, slowly working in and out of me, grazing my clit with every stroke. Then I lifted my legs to wrap them around his waist, closing my eyes against the sun and letting the sensation of his thick length spreading me, soak through my entire being.

I loved this man.

I loved how he held me...

I loved how he cared for my son... And loved how he always fixed whatever fucked up, horrible things went wrong in my life.

As he rocked into me gently, I could hear the guests partying down in the courtyard, and the music drifting upward as people shouted and cheered and made the most of what had to be one of the last warm days of the year.

Meg was down there, so was Mel and Plank and Spirit and Sledge Hammer...

It wasn't just Sam, I realized. All of them had helped me, even when I'd judged them for being Collectors.

But the Collectors were part of him, and he was part of me.

Just then, he hit particularly deep, and I started laughing.

"What the hell?" he grunted without pausing.

"You're a part of me," I said, giggling.

He paused now, raising a brow. Then he rotated his hips slowly and deliberately, making me gasp.

"Damned straight!" he said, smirking.

I grabbed his butt, urging him to start moving again and he didn't complain.

Within seconds, I'd forgotten all about the party below and was now focused on the sensations building inside.

Sam moved faster, plunging into me, scooting my butt across the blanket with the force of his thrusts.

"Shit! I'm close," I muttered.

He grunted, then pulled out of me abruptly, rolling to his back and gasping for air.

"What the hell?" I demanded.

"I want to give you something," he said, his voice tight. I sat up and glared at him.

"You have the world's shittiest timing."

He laughed, although there was definitely a note of strain in the sound. Then he shook his head, sitting up and leaning over to dig through the backpack he'd brought up with us.

Next, he pulled something out... A black leather vest.

A vest that said Property of Wringer.

My mouth dropped open, and I took a deep breath.

"Sam..."

"Listen to me first," he said, his eyes intent on my face. "You're not from my world, so you don't know exactly what wearing a vest like this means."

"Okay..." I said slowly, although I couldn't imagine anything he'd say that would make me comfortable with it.

"You look at this and see the word property," he said. "But what it really means is you're my woman, and I want everyone to know it. I live in a harsh world, babe. A world where bad shit happens... You've seen that for yourself. But no matter what goes down, my brothers have my back. And this vest means you're one of us. Those aren't just words, Mercedes. We're a family, and every Collector in the club...men you don't even know...would die to protect a woman wearing this vest. They'd do it because they're my brothers, and because it means more than any ring ever could in our world."

"I don't understand..." I murmured, trying to wrap my head around his words.

"When a man takes a woman as his property, it's not about owning her," he continued, his eyes searching my face. "It's about trusting her. This is my life I'm handing you, Mercedes. Not just my life...my brothers' lives, too. It means I'm responsible for everything you do. If you mess up, I'll pay. If you need help, we're there. You're the only woman I've ever met that I'd consider giving that kind of power to. Hell, I'm not just considering it, I'm desperate for you to take it. I want you to wear my patch, Mercy. Will you?"

I sighed, then reached for the leather. It was warm from the sun, and I ran my fingers along it, feeling the strength of the stitching.

It had been made to last, no question, meaning I'd be able to wear it for years. Maybe even a lifetime.

I looked at Sam, with his strong hands that had caught my son at birth, and his smile that left me breathless. And I knew my answer...

No need to make it too easy for him, though...

"Can I ask one thing?"

"Of course," he said, and I thought I heard a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Was it really necessary to stop right in the middle of sex to have this conversation? I was almost to the good part."

He laughed, then shook his head.

"I made myself a promise," he said, looking almost sheepish.

"And that was?"

"I promised myself the next time I lay with you, you'd be wearing my patch. I got distracted, though. You've got really nice tits, baby."

"Well, you've already had sex with me up here," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "Why didn't you just finish up?"

"Because I'm a dumbass," he said, shrugging. "I don't know. I realized you'd be exploding around me soon, squeezing my dick like the world was gonna end, and I wanted you to wear my patch when you did it. It just sort of came to me."

I held the vest up, considering it thoughtfully. Might as well torture him a bit, seeing as he'd left me hanging.

"Looks like a nice vest," I said slowly. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes, baby, I'm sure," he replied, rolling his eyes. "So what's it gonna be? Either you wear it and put us both out of our misery, or we both go home in pain and horny as hell. Because I'm serious. No patch, no dick."

"Okay," I said.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah, seriously," I replied. "Don't look so surprised. You've got a really nice dick, babe."

I put on the vest, savoring the look in Sam's eyes as he watched. It chafed my nipples a little, and I bit back a laugh. Maybe Marge could give me some pointers on dealing with that...

Then Sam pulled me up and over his body, lifting me just enough to slide the pierced dick in question deep inside.

I braced my arms on his chest and leaned down, rocking slowly as I studied his face.

"So what do you think?" I whispered.

"I like how it looks on you, babe," he said, smiling up at me. "Great view. Of course, I wouldn't mind seeing it from the back. You up for some reverse cowgirl action?"

"First get the job done like this," I muttered. "Then we'll talk about getting creative."

He smiled and reached down between us, finding my clit with his fingers.

"That a promise?" he asked.

"Hell yeah!"

Partially read over, so you know...

I will try to post the epilogue later, but I'm also trying to post updates on some other stories, so it might be a stretch.

Stay safe friends!