Chapter Seven
Beast
My club knew why I hadn’t fought back when Torch and Casper attacked.
I’d understood their need to take a pound of flesh.
I hoped I’d have a daughter someday, and if she got claimed by a biker, I’d be sure to pound his ass into the ground as a reminder if he fucked up I’d be there to make sure he learned a valuable lesson.
Although, having the infamous Torch and Casper VanHorne come at me at the same time had been something to see.
Neither man was as young as they’d once been, and thankfully they didn’t hit as hard as they would have a decade or more ago.
I’d never say as much to their faces. I admired both of them, especially for coming here to put me in my place when it came to Lyssa.
If anything ever happened to me, I knew they’d be there for her.
Hell, my club would be too. Despite Hawk’s grumbling over her dropping Ranger, I knew he’d make sure Lyssa was taken care of if I ever didn’t make it back home.
Lyssa winced when she put the ice against my jaw.
It didn’t hurt. Well, not much. From the quick peek I’d had when we first got home, I had to admit it looked far worse.
The skin had already started to bruise, and my split lip kept bleeding.
Maybe I should have at least blocked better, but I hadn’t wanted to embarrass them by not letting them get any hits in.
“Why did you let them do this to you?” she asked.
I placed my hand over hers, where she held the ice pack to my face.
“How do you think they would have reacted if I’d kicked their asses?
Not to mention, they’re both older than me, made a name for themselves long before I got into this way of life.
They deserve my respect, Lyssa, and they only wanted to show they’d protect you from any threats, even if it meant they had to come after me. ”
“I still think it’s absurd they came all the way here just to throw a punch at you.” She kissed my brow. “But thank you for not hurting them. I know you could have.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer. “They’re your family, Tink, and you’re mine. That means by default, those two are my family now too. They’ll get used to it. Eventually.”
“Was it wise to leave them in the clubhouse? Neither one is likely to party with your brothers, and the noise…” She nibbled her lower lip. “Should we have let them stay here?”
I snorted and swatted her ass. “Hell, no. Last thing I want is those two down the hall when I’m making you scream my name.”
“Is sex all you think about?” she asked, giving me a mock glare. I could see the humor in her eyes and knew she wasn’t really upset about it.
“No. Not always. I also think about you being pregnant with my kid. I wasn’t joking about filling this house with kids, Tink.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I want kids too, Eric, but that’s still thinking about sex considering how babies are made.”
I grinned at her. “So it is. Does that mean you want to head to the bedroom and practice? Might have to try lots of times before I knock you up.”
She backed up and dropped the ice pack on the table.
Folding her arms, she stared at me, looking too damn adorable for words.
Whatever she was about to say, I probably wasn’t going to like nearly as much as stripping her naked.
Still, as long as whatever she wanted wasn’t dangerous, I knew I’d be agreeing to it.
There wasn’t much I wanted more right now than to see her smile, to make her happy.
Except keeping her safe. That would always be my priority.
“What do you want, Tink?”
“I want to make lunch and invite my dad and grandfather over. I don’t like the thought of them being at the clubhouse all day. I doubt the rooms are very big. Besides, I don’t know when I’ll see them again. Especially my grandfather.”
“Instead of cooking, want me to get something delivered? Chinese? Pizza? Or I could place an order somewhere and have a Prospect pick it up. Any restaurant in town.”
Her stance softened and she came closer again, sitting on my lap. “Really?”
“Tink, I told you. They’re my family now too. I have no problem with you spending time with them. I just don’t want them sleeping down the hall.”
“Eventually they’ll need a place to stay when they visit,” she said. “I don’t want to be separated from my family, Eric. It didn’t hit me until I spoke to Portia. I’ll hardly ever see them, especially if I don’t have room for them to come stay with us. Portia already asked if she could come visit.”
“All right, Tink. There’s something I haven’t shown you. It’s not perfect right now, but we can make it work.” I tapped her thigh. “Let me up.”
She stood and I took her hand, leading her through the laundry room and out the door on the back wall.
She’d probably assumed it went into the backyard, and it sort of did.
There was a large room built onto the back of the house.
I hadn’t filled it yet, not having any idea what to do with it.
At first, I’d thought to make it a weight room, but now I had a better idea.
We stepped out onto the back patio and I opened the door to the extra space.
I ushered Lyssa inside and eyed the space. It had ceramic tile flooring and plain white walls at the moment, with two windows that looked out over the backyard. It wouldn’t be hard to add a small bathroom and a kitchenette. I told her as much.
“We could put a queen bed in here and a sleeper sofa. A small dresser would give them a place to put their things and we could set a TV on top. No reason I can’t set up a guest account for the streaming services so they could watch whatever they wanted.
Maybe a small table with four chairs? And a bookshelf with a variety of paperbacks for adults, kids, and teens.
” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Think it will work?”
“It’s perfect, Eric. It keeps them close, without putting them in the clubhouse, but also gives them a space to feel like they have their own little studio apartment.
I don’t think I’d want Portia out here alone, though, if she came to visit without my parents.
” She leaned against me. “Maybe we could set up a guest room downstairs too? You have more rooms than we could ever need.”
“You’re right. There’s one I’ve been using for storage, but there’s no reason I can’t clear it out and put bedroom furniture in there.
” I kissed her temple. “Now, what do you want to order for lunch? I’ll call it in, ask Kye to pick it up, and I’ll get your family to come over and hang out with us for the rest of the day.
I think I need a chance to get to know them better and assure them you’ll be safe with me. ”
“Catch Tony and you’ll convince them,” she said. She shrugged a shoulder. “Actions speak louder with them. Don’t tell them you’ll protect me, Eric. Show them.”
It wasn’t that I had forgotten about the little shit who’d chased Lyssa into my arms. The fucker had gone underground and dropped off the radar.
Shield hadn’t been able to catch him on any surveillance or traffic cameras around town, which made me think he’d split for the time being.
I had no doubt he’d return for Lyssa, but at the moment something seemed more important to him. But what?
“Tony isn’t just after you, Tink. He has other women and girls he’s auctioning off. We’d assumed he needed you before he made his next move. Maybe we were wrong. What if the auction is already happening?”
“Those poor women.” She looked up at me. “Eric, we have to do something.”
“Your father’s club was working on it, with several others. If they haven’t found them yet, I’m not sure we’ll be able to do much better. They have Wire and Lavender. While Shield is great, he’s not on par with them, and he’d be the first to admit it.”
“So they’re just lost?” she asked. “We give up and don’t even try?”
I leaned down to kiss her, trying not to groan at the ache in my ribs.
“Tink, I’ll make sure every club hacker I know or have even just heard of is working on it.
We might not rescue them today, but eventually we’ll get them out of that hell.
It will take time, if they’ve already been sold, but it’s not necessarily impossible. ”
“I guess that’s an issue for another day,” she said. “For now, food. I know Mom watches what my dad eats, when he’s home. And I’m sure Carmella watches my grandfather like a hawk. So no pizza, and probably no Chinese.”
I ran my hand over my jaw, my fingers rasping against the whiskers coming in. No junk food, which meant no fast food either. Italian with the heavy sauces most likely was out too. It didn’t leave many options. Then again, I could order salads and soup with a pasta order.
“I’ll put a call in to the little Italian place and ask Kye to pick it up. Anything they can’t eat for medical reasons?” I asked, knowing some people had food allergies.
“No. They’ll eat anything. Probably shouldn’t, but they will,” she said.
“All right. Make sure we have enough beer in the fridge, and anything else they like, and I’ll place the order.”
She went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine, flashing me a smile before she walked off.
At least she was easy to please. I called in the order, then let Kye know he needed to make a run.
I looked around the empty room again, getting an idea of what I’d need.
One of the Prospects had worked construction and had some carpentry skills.
I’d get him to start framing out the bathroom and adding the kitchenette.
It wouldn’t get finished overnight, but it wouldn’t take too long.
The last thing I wanted was to keep Lyssa from her family.
I could tell they were close, and I wanted her to be happy.
If she couldn’t visit with them at least a few times a year, I had a feeling she’d be miserable and maybe even come to resent being here someday.