Rox (Nameless Order: Heart Chapter #1)

6. Mimic

Six

Mimic

I ’m a sucker for Rox. While I’m positive Prez doesn’t know what’s going on, he doesn’t like that I’m defending her.

Since taking her side, he has been doling out the shit jobs to me at the ranch. I have never moved as many bales of hay in my life. I’m constantly shoveling shit and cleaning the barn alone. I know he is doing this without letting his wife know I am being punished for not agreeing with him. Taking me to the ring would leave proof. I will take the lumps, whether it be physical labor or a beating. I will take them for her to show her and her family I am on her side.

By the time I get home tonight, I barely want to take my clothes off, let alone shower. I fall onto the couch, determined to close my eyes for a moment before doing what I need to do. The exhaustion wins. I’m not sure how long I’m asleep before the faint vibration of my phone rouses me before the blaring ringtone.

The adrenaline I feel when I see her name only increases when I hear the panic in her voice at the other end of the call.

The shock I feel from her calling me is quickly wiped away when I realize what time it is. She explains what’s happening, and my first reaction is to have her come right to me. I feel this need deep in my soul to take out anyone who dared try and hurt her. I know that won’t help in the long run. It would only succeed in adding another place where this person can find her. She seemed hurt when I told her to go to the clubhouse. While I know none of the brothers live there full-time, someone is always there working some form of security. Especially now as we are guarding a shipment Rafe is organizing. It will also show if this fucker is from around here. If they know where she’s going, they’ll know what would happen if they follow her onto club land.

Getting off the phone with her after she confirmed the car had stopped following her wasn’t easy. I wanted to stay on the line; I should have stayed, but I knew I would say something I shouldn’t. Like trying to convince her to come to me. I want her to be mine to protect in all ways. I want her, and everyone else, to know she’s mine to keep safe. But I can’t, and because of that, I hung up the phone.

Now lost in my own mind, full of thoughts concerning the what if. So many scenarios run through my head of what could be if I simply told the truth. I’m plagued by my mind, it takes a moment to register the knock on the door.

Her name falls from my lips without thought. I should fight the exhaustion and watch Rox head home tonight. Getting her home is what I should be doing. Turning her away immediately. I shouldn’t be staring at her as she stands right at my door. This is my fault. Making it clear she should stay at the club is what should have been done.

I pull her into me.

I want to wrap her around my waist again. I want to feel her body against mine. What I’d give to have my wicked way with her, but not yet. I’ve craved her from the start, and my addiction only became stronger the moment I felt her kiss. The way she tastes, just the memory of it, brings me to my knees. I want to show her every depraved and twisted thought I’ve had when it comes to her, but I need her to tell me she’s ready. Until then, I’ll take what she’ll give me. If this is all, it’s all I’ll ever need. I lean my head down, attempting to place my lips on hers. Just a taste, Rox. Just a taste . When her nose scrunches up in disgust.

Almost as if she can read the panic I attempted to hide, she softly tells me, “Babe, you smell.”

“I am going to shower. You make yourself at home here.” I gesture to the living room, which is messier than I would like it to be, but I have had my mind preoccupied these past weeks with Rox and everything around her new job.

“I could help you with those hard-to-reach places,” She offers, swaying her hips as she takes a step closer to me before stopping and taking a step back. “Nope, never mind. You need to shower before I touch you.”

For the first time in so many years, I feel a genuine laugh pushing its way from my chest. I smile at her, and then I see something flash in her eyes, something I can’t quite put my finger on. I go to take a step to her, but the movement causes the odor to come up and hit me, and I really need to shower before I start talking to her and doing other things.

Taking a shower, knowing Rox is right outside the room, turns out to be a lot harder than one would think. It takes all of my willpower not to call for her again to join me. I want her so badly, it’s killing me to not listen to my baser instincts when it comes to her. But I also know she deserves so much more than the depravity I crave. Knowing I won’t be able to go around her again in the state I’m in, I pump shampoo into my hand and grip my cock. It’s quick. There’s no drawing it out. She was right outside the room. I could have her exactly as I want her in minutes. Imagining her moans as her pussy wraps around my cock. She has my shower wall covered in cum. I take a deep breath and turn off the water. As I wrap myself in my towel, I hear banging and shouts.

Grabbing the gun I keep under the bathroom sink, I rush out of the bathroom, and as I rip around the corner, all while trying to keep the towel in place, I see Rox getting in Angel’s face. It doesn’t escape me that the shouts I heard were slurred, and he isn’t standing steady. I take a small step back, placing the gun down on a side table, and watch the two of them go at it.

“You flew into club property and immediately turned around almost as quickly. How am I not supposed to think something’s wrong?” Angel growls at her. He’s getting closer, and his voice is getting louder. He may be my brother, but he needs to adjust his tone and his stance before I teach him manners in a way neither of us will like.

“Yeah, because I didn’t need to be there. Which should have been clear when I left! Add in the fact that when you fucking saw my car here, you should have known I’m safe. But instead, you stalk me here, which is its own slew of problems, and then decided to bust down the door like a drunk caveman. Why are you here?” I smile as I realize my girl can hold her own.

Angel scoffs and turns his head away from her, which is when he sees me. His glassy eyes become slits and an even deeper dark shade of rage. He snarls at me before turning his venom back to her.

“So what? Now that he’s defended you, and came to Roxie’s rescue, ” he says mockingly, “you’re sleeping with him. This some sick, twisted way to get back at your dad and me? Another way to rebel against what we want for you?” The smack Rox lands is deafening. Angel keeps his face tilted to the side in the position it landed in. Rox’s chest is heaving with rage. I take a step toward her, but she holds her hand up, halting me in place.

“Fuck you, Angel. How dare you? Not only are you risking your life by driving here after drinking, you then have the audacity to come in here and accuse me of sleeping with him because he defended me against my father. Which, need I remind you, is exactly what you should have done! This battle about my life, it’s my life! This isn’t about you and what you want. You are supposed to be my friend, my brother, not my parent.”

She takes a deep breath as Angel slowly turns to face her. He at least had the decency to look sheepish. Guilty. Sorry. Full of regret. He’s changed in the short amount of time Rox has been speaking. It was as if the slap reset his brain. Rox sighs again before she continues.

“Why is this about you?” She asks quietly. “You have said it yourself, I am talented and have natural skill you wished all of your other apprentice’s had. But instead of giving me the chance to hone my skills, you decided to change everything about yourself and become my second parent. An additional father I don’t need, who also pushes me toward being unhappy.

“I’ve been miserable fighting this battle with you and my dad. No one stood by me. I thought no one saw me, but Mimic showed me he did. He sees what makes me happy and tries to help by trying to get you to see reason. He’s being my friend, which is what I need right now. That’s why I’m here. That’s what I need from you. Be my friend again, Angel. I have parents. Be the big brother you said you would be. Stop trying to be the overbearing dad I already have.”

She’s broken. Rox is hurt by how her so-called best friend is treating her, but I know what’s bothering her most is the fact that he’s in the state he’s in. And just when I thought he was really listening to her, his demeanor changed, and the angry drunk from before came back.

“Please. You expect me to believe you’re just here because he’s your friend? All it took was one nice comment, and now Roxie is all about Mimic .”

I know Rox is strong. She was raised in this club. She knows how to hold her own, but I’m not going to sit by and let him talk to her like this anymore. It doesn’t matter that I want her. That she wants me, and we’ve already had the moment we’ve had. No one speaks to her that way. I don’t give a single fuck who they are. Stepping forward, I put myself between the two of them, making sure he’s looking at me, not her.

“Brother, you need to watch yourself. Let me call someone to give you a ride. Not that it’s any of your concern; we haven’t slept together. She isn’t here because I stood up for her. She’s here for—”

“—Nothing going on in my life right now is his concern,” Rox says with anger. I look to the side and see her from the corner of my eye as she pushes him away from me. “You drove here! You promised me. You promised us!” She pushed him again, and he stumbled backward. “I’m calling Mom so she can rip you a new asshole. You promised!” She’s screaming now, and I wrap my arms around her waist. Angel fell back onto the couch during her rant, and it’s clear he’s not moving.

Placing my lips against her ear, I whisper, “Shh, baby. It’s okay. He’ll be okay.” Angel’s head lulls backward as I pull her further away.

I tell her to call her mom, and I’ll be right back. I rush to my room and slip on a pair of basketball shorts and a tee. I’m back in the living room in two minutes, which was more than enough time for Angel to start mumbling while unsuccessfully attempting to leave. I take him into the kitchen and sit his ass down at the table. I grab him a glass of water and make him drink it all. Rox comes in a moment later, letting me know her mom is on her way with Goblin and Burrito.

Rox leaves the room, and Angel and I sit in silence for a moment. “You better not hurt her,” he says. He may be drunk, and we may have told him otherwise, but he sees the truth. But it’s not something I’m going to confirm with him yet. As much as I want her, as much as she’s mine to me, she still calls all the shots. And right now, she hasn’t said go.

“Again, nothing’s going on, but regardless, I have no intentions of hurting her.”

“I didn’t either, but nothing I do seems to be right anymore. With her or anyone.”