2. Chapter 1 #2
"Jack!" Ghost shouted, tossing me a length of chain he'd ripped from somewhere. I caught it one-handed, wrapping it around my fist as I continued pushing forward.
Three more Copperheads converged on me. I welcomed them with a savage roar.
The first one caught my chain-wrapped fist in his teeth, spitting blood and several teeth as he crumpled.
The second lunged with a knife that glinted under the harsh lights.
I pivoted, catching his wrist and twisting until the bones snapped.
His scream was cut short when I drove my knee into his solar plexus, folding him in half.
The third was smarter, circling me with caution. "You're dead, Mason," he spat, copper rings flashing on his fingers as he clenched his fists. "Shipment's ours now. We’re takin’ over."
"You ain't takin' shit," I growled, letting the chain unwind slightly to give it more reach. I swung it in a vicious arc, catching him across the face. The metal links tore open his cheek, blood spraying across the floor.
I caught movement in my peripheral vision. Honey faced a copperhead with a skull tattoo covering half his face. She backed against the wall, shaking her head as the guy advanced on her.
I spotted Wren moving toward Honey, but a Copperhead intercepted her, shoving Wren hard against the pool table. I covered the distance in three long strides, catching the first Copperhead by his jacket and spinning him around. His eyes widened when he recognized me. "Bloody Ja—"
My fist connected with his jaw before he could finish, bone giving way under my knuckles with a satisfying crunch. I didn't watch him fall, already pivoting toward the next threat.
The Copperhead coming at me with a broken bottle went down with my knee to his gut. I slammed my elbow to the back of his neck when he doubled over. An instant later, another guy came at me, this one with brass knuckles.
I dodged his first swing, then trapped his arm, dislocating his shoulder with a sharp twist. Blood sprayed across my face when I headbutted the next attacker. The warm splatter felt familiar, almost comforting. This was a language I spoke fluently.
Through the melee, I kept Honey and Wren in my periphery.
Honey hadn't run, instead pressing herself harder against the wall, her chest heaving. The second her gaze clashed with mine, Honey gave me a wide eyed look of terror, begging me to save her. Freed, Wren stomped on her now downed attacker’s balls.
The guy grunted and tried to cover his crotch only to have Wren stomp down on him again, this time the guy rolled over, trying to get to his feet, but Wren stomped on his hand, which he’d braced on the floor when he tried to get up. The crunch was audible.
My priority was to protect Wren since she was my VP’s ward, but I was torn.
Wren had things well in hand, had already yanked a knife from her attacker’s belt and stabbed him three times in quick succession in the side of the neck before dancing away as the guy tried to strike out with his good hand.
Ghost fought his way to Wren and the second he was within striking distance, I turned my focus completely on Honey.
"Fuck!" I barreled through the melee, my battle roar drawing Copperheads in the immediate vicinity except the man who had Honey cornered.
As I fought my way to her, I watched the Copperhead reach for Honey, his tattooed fingers nearly grazing her face.
The look of terror in her eyes lit something primal in me, a rage that surged through my veins like liquid fire.
I caught the bastard by the back of his shirt and cut and yanked him backward so hard his feet left the ground. His head cracked against my fist like an overripe melon.
"You don't fuckin' touch what's mine," I snarled, driving my knee into his gut.
Not letting the bastard go, I grabbed a handful of his hair and brought his face down as I hiked the same knee.
Blood spurted from his face in a warm spray.
He grunted and I tossed him like garbage into a group of his brothers.
I now faced Honey as she stared up at me, her amber colored eyes wide with shock and fear.
With no time to reassure her, I spun around and backed up until I felt her small body against my back.
"Stay behind me." I yelled at her over my shoulder before moving away slightly to give myself room to fight and her space to move out of the way so she didn’t get hit and still be protected. I could hear her breath coming in quick gasps, but she bunched her fist in my shirt. Normally, I’d shove her off, not wanting the restriction when I was in a fight for my life.
Instead, I turned my head and gave her another order. “Do not let go of my shirt, Honey.”
“O-OK!” She gasped out the word. I felt her hand twist in my shirt, tightening her hold and grunted in satisfaction.
The fight continued to rage around us as I kept Honey tucked behind me.
Every Copperhead who came within striking distance got a taste of my fists and the chain I’d wound around my arm, and the floor around us was stained with blood.
I felt her grip on my shirt, her knuckles digging into my back as she held on for dear life, her hand trembling.
I delivered a jaw shattering uppercut to a Copperhead trying to flank us, sending him sprawling backward into the pool table. The grip on my shirt suddenly loosened as someone slammed into us from the side, the impact jarring enough to separate us.
"Help!" Honey's voice cut through the chaos, high with panic.
I spun around, but she was already gone, swallowed by the surging crowd. A fresh wave of Copperheads pushed forward, forcing me back.
"Honey!" I roared her name, shoving bodies out of my way. Panic, an emotion I hadn't felt in years, clawed at my chest. Where the fuck was she? And why the fuck did I give a Goddamn? I’d never met this girl. Knew nothing about her. But I was acting — and feeling — like she really was mine.
I caught a glimpse of honey blonde hair disappearing down the hallway that led to the back rooms. My blood ran cold. That hallway was dark, secluded. A perfect place for one of these motherfuckers to corner her.
Three Copperheads blocked my path. I didn't have time for this shit.
"You’re dead, Bloody Jack."
I didn't waste time arguing. Every second I spent with these fuckers was one second that girl was in unfriendly territory on her own. And no one in my club knew she was mine to protect.
I grabbed the nearest empty bottle and shattered it against the bar, jamming the jagged remains into the bastard's shoulder.
He screamed, high and thin like a wounded animal.
The other two hesitated and those precious seconds gave me all the edge I needed.
I drove my boot into one's knee, feeling it collapse inward with a sickening crunch, then caught the last one with a backhand that sent him spinning to the floor.
I punted him in the head as I passed, hoping it would keep him down.
I didn't wait to see if they followed. My brothers were rapidly getting control and I saw Ghost headed in my direction. He’d have my back. Right now, I needed to get to Honey.
The hallway was dimly lit, shadows pooling in the corners. I moved quickly, checking each door I passed. The last room on the right had a sliver of light showing beneath the door. I was about to kick it in when I heard a whimper from further down the hall.
There, in the darkest part of the corridor, I saw them. Shank, the cruelest of the Copperhead enforcers, had Honey pinned against the wall. His hand was wrapped around her throat, his body pressed against hers, trapping her.
"What'd you hear, pretty thing?" he hissed, his face inches from hers. "Tell me what you know, and maybe I'll be gentle with you." He leaned in and licked a slow trail up the side of her cheek.
Honey struggled against him, her eyes wide with terror. She couldn't scream with his hand around her throat, but her gaze found mine over Shank's shoulder. If possible, the girl looked even more terrified. She likely expected me to join the bastard threatening her.
Something inside me snapped. A red haze descended over my vision, and the world narrowed to one singular focus. Destroy the motherfucker touching my woman.
I moved silently, covering the distance between us in several long strides. My hand closed around the back of Shank's neck, fingers digging into the pressure points that would cause the most pain.
"Get your fucking hands off my property," I growled, my voice low and deadly.
Shank cried out before he stiffened, then slowly turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. His face was a mess of old scars and fresh bruises from the ongoing fight, but he still managed to form a sneer.
"Your property?" he scoffed, his hand still wrapped around Honey's throat, refusing to let go. "This little piece?"
I tightened my grip, feeling his tendons strain under my fingers. Shank groaned sharply. "I said, let. Her. Go."
The pressure of my grip must have finally become too much because Shank released Honey's throat. She gasped, dragging in a desperate breath as her hands flew to her neck. The sight of the red marks his fingers had left on her skin made my blood boil.
I spun Shank around and slammed him against the opposite wall, my forearm across his throat.
"That's my woman," I said, each word precise and measured. "Touch her again, and I'll gut you. Not quick, either. I'll take my time, make you feel every inch of steel as it opens you up. Only reason you get a pass is because you didn’t know."
Shank's eyes darted between me and Honey, assessing. "No property patch on her."
"She doesn't need colors for you to keep your fucking hands to yourself," I snarled, pressing harder against his windpipe. "But since you need a demonstration..."
I shoved him back as I released him. My gaze never left his as I turned toward Honey.
She stood frozen against the wall, her chest heaving with each breath, her beautiful eyes wide and uncertain.
Blood spattered my face and shirt. I must have looked like a monster straight from hell, but I didn't give a fuck.
I moved to her in one fluid motion, backing her against the wall. One hand cupped the back of her head, fingers tangling in all that silky hair, while the other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against me.
"Sorry, darlin'," I murmured, low enough that only she could hear, "but this is necessary. Do not fight me."
Then I claimed her mouth with mine.
The kiss wasn't gentle. It couldn't be, not with Shank watching, not with what I needed to prove.
I poured every ounce of possession and dominance into it, my lips demanding, tongue invading.
I tasted fear on her at first, then something else.
A sweetness that made my head spin filled me. This woman was… sweet as fucking honey!
Honey stiffened initially, her hands coming up to push against my chest. Then, something changed.
A small whimper escaped her, and though she didn’t kiss me back, her fingers bunched in my shirt.
She was passive in my arms except where her fingers gripped the fabric.
The deadly combination of her surrender and innocence made me want to take her right there against the wall, audience be damned.
I found I wanted to keep her under me until she forgot every other man in existence.
Because I had the feeling this kiss had just wiped my memory of every other woman I’d ever had in my life.
When I finally broke away, we were both breathing hard. Her pupils had dilated, turning those golden eyes nearly black, and her lips were swollen from my assault. I kept her tucked against my side, my arm a steel band around her back as I turned to put Shank more fully in my line of sight.
Shank raised his hands in mock surrender, taking a step back. "Message received, Bloody Jack." His eyes lingered on Honey for a second too long. "Didn't realize little innocents were your type."
Ghost and two of the club’s enforcers hurried the short distance down the hall, obviously intent on pounding this fucker into the ground.
Shank bared his teeth at them before turning back to me.
“Consider this your wake up call, Jack. We’re taking over.
You can either accept it or we’ll annihilate you. ”
"Let me know how that works out for you, man." I gave him what I hoped was an evil grin. "After I put every last one of you motherfuckers in the fuckin’ ground."
Shank backed away the two steps to the door at the end of the hall.
He shoved it open and took off outside and I followed, Honey’s hand firmly in mine.
I couldn’t do much with her with me, but I wanted eyes outside.
A shrill whistle sounded in the distance and the Copperheads who were able took off in the same direction Shank had headed.
I moved to the side of the clubhouse, keeping Honey close to my side.
I could feel her heart hammering where she was pressed against me, her breath coming in quick little gasps.
I looked down at her. A cacophony of emotions flickered across her face as loud as if she were broadcasting them through the biggest subwoofer imaginable.
The poor girl was terrified, but there was also a wild kind of lust gleaming in her dazed and confused gaze.
"You okay?" I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.
She nodded, one hand still at her throat where Shank had grabbed her. "I—I think so." Her eyes met mine, a mixture of gratitude and wariness. "What did you mean? About me being... yours? What just happened?”
I didn't have an answer that would make sense to either of us. All I knew was that from the moment I'd seen her walk through that door, something primitive and possessive had awakened in me. I'd staked my claim without thinking, acting on pure instinct.
"It means you're under my protection now," I said finally. "No one in this town touches you without answering to me."
Her eyes widened slightly. "But I barely know you."
"Doesn't matter." I brushed my thumb across her lower lip, still swollen from my kiss. "You're in my world now, darlin'. And in my world, what I say goes."
I felt her shiver against me, but she didn't pull away. She was scared. She'd be a fool not to be. But there was something else there too. A recognition, maybe, that her life had just changed irrevocably.
Mine to protect. Mine to possess.
Mine to keep safe from the storm that was coming.