Cowboy Chapter 6 #2
I’d had enough. Not wanting to say anything out loud, I signed to them. Cut it out. She’s with me. I saw her first, and I’m staking a claim. No one dares make a move on her, or I’ll make you regret it. Do I have to take it to church?
It was Thunder who signed back. Are you saying you’re pursuing a serious thing with her? Or you want first dibs on sleeping with her, then she’s fair game?
I slammed my fist on the table, drawing more attention to us, before I angrily signed, No, it’s not just for sex. It’s serious. Back the fuck off.
Astonished expressions were what I got in return.
“What are you telling them?” Saranya demanded.
“He told us to behave ourselves and not to scare you away. Our brother thinks we’re crude. I reminded him that he’s the same,” Thunder told her.
“I don’t scare easily, so Cowboy has nothing to worry about. I take people at more than face value. If you don’t, you end up making wrong assumptions about people.” The double meaning was clear. She was staring at me as she said it.
“You’re right. And the only thing one can do when that happens is to apologize profusely and find a way to make amends. All of us can be morons at times,” I replied.
“Some things can’t be forgiven,” she snapped back.
“Uh-oh, it seems we’ve landed in the middle of a spat.
Well, why don’t we soothe it with something hot to drink and sweet to eat?
You can go back to tearing strips off Cowboy later.
Though when you do, if we’re not there to see it, will you record it for us?
” Lucky asked, grinning. Automatically, I gave him the middle finger.
All that did was make everyone laugh, even her.
Seeing Boden hovering, I flagged him over. “Yeah, Cowboy?” he asked when he came to me.
“Grab us a menu up at the counter so she can see what she wants.”
“Sure. Be right back.”
As he trotted off, Saranya glanced over at me, frowning. “You could’ve asked him nicely. What’s with ordering him around in the first place?”
“It’s his job to be ordered around by us. He’s paying his dues,” I clarified.
“His dues? What does that mean?”
“It means he’s a prospect, someone who wants to become a member of our club.
To do that, he has to work for us for two years, unless we let him go sooner.
During that time, anything a member or an old lady asks him to do, he does it.
We use that time to evaluate if he has what it takes to become a Horseman.
Gopher work is a fraction of what he does,” I explained.
Saranya thought about what I said for a few moments before responding. “And it can be anything you ask him to do?”
“Anything,” Thunder verified.
“What if it’s something dangerous or illegal? Or if he refuses?”
“If he refuses, most likely, he’ll be kicked out as a prospect.
It could be dangerous, but we wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important or a matter of life and death.
As for illegal, we don’t tend to do those things.
” I hedged the last bit. Torturing and killing bad people qualified as illegal, but we saw it as morally acceptable and a way to protect ourselves and others.
Boden was back with the menu. He handed it to her, smiling. Damn, another one falling under her spell. Christ, would I have to fight the majority of my club to make her off-limits? I hoped not, but I would if I had to.
The next several minutes were spent studying the menu.
I leaned over and read it with her. I noticed it made her breathing speed up, and she tried to edge away, but I had a hold of the back of her chair.
I was more dragging the scent of her into my lungs than reading the menu.
I’d already decided what I wanted. Finally, she placed the menu in the middle of the table.
“I’m done. Does anyone else want to see it?”
A chorus of noes greeted her offer. She tried to push back her chair, but my foot was behind it.
“Excuse me. I want to get up. I need to see what my parents want and place our orders.”
“You stay here. Tell Boden, and he’ll do it for all of you. Boden.” I signaled him to us.
“I don’t need to make that poor guy fetch for my family and me. He has more than enough to do, I have no doubt.”
“Ma’am, that’s my job. You wouldn’t want me to get bored, would you? It’ll be my pleasure to serve you and your parents,” Boden told her.
“Thank you, Boden. That’s so kind of you. If you don’t mind, I’ll have a medium hot chocolate and a pumpkin scone. You can ask my parents what they want. And here, take this,” she said, as she lifted her purse onto the table. Before she opened it, I put my hand on it, shaking my head.
“No, keep your money. I’ve got this,” I said, tugging my wallet out of my jeans with the other hand.
Saranya protested, but I ignored her and handed over two twenty-dollar bills to Boden. He was smart and moved off before she could argue more. Then, I faced her to see what else she’d throw at me tonight.
???
We stayed at the shop until they closed.
When we exited onto the street, the foot traffic was dramatically less, as expected at ten o’clock at night.
I didn’t want the evening to end. Saranya and I hadn’t had a chance to discuss what we needed to.
The conversations had been lighthearted or aimed at others.
Thunder, Crash, Lucky, and Turbo had been exchanged for more of my brothers until all of them had a chance to sit and talk to her.
I saw the way they kept studying me. Everyone saw or heard about what I signed to the first bunch. They were dying to know more.
“We had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for a lovely evening,” her dad stated to all of us.
“We had a great time, too. We should do this again,” Scorpion answered.
“Would you be willing?” Diablo added.
“Of course we would,” Preston replied.
“If you don’t have anything planned, we’re having a small celebration at our clubhouse on New Year’s Eve. Why don’t you join us? There’ll be food, drinks, and fireworks. A few friends and other family will be there. We won’t risk being kicked out due to closing time,” Diablo said, chuckling.
The change in him since meeting Jauhnna and starting a life with her was terrific.
He was still a badass, but he smiled and laughed way more.
There was a lightness to him. Everyone who had been there before he met her agreed.
The oldest members said he’d always been loving with Brooklyn, but that was it.
The one thing that hadn’t changed was his protective streak.
I didn’t blame him, not after what happened to his first wife, Amy. Her murder had been horrendous.
Knowing that my chance at a private word wasn’t happening tonight, I latched onto Saranya’s arm. “Say you’re coming, too.”
“I’m not sure if I can. I’m working that day. If it’s a busy one, I’ll probably work into the night. We’ll have to see.”
“Working into the night? How many hours a day do you work?” I asked.
“It depends. When it’s busy and because I travel to many of my patients, it can end up a fourteen-hour or more day.”
“That’s too much. You shouldn’t work so hard. Don’t you have a partner?” I growled. The idea that she worked so hard upset me.
“No, I do not. And I’m the one who determines how much is too much. It’s my business. I can handle it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my parents are ready to leave. Goodbye, Cowboy.”
Saranya tugged loose from my hold and walked over to her parents.
Not wanting to cause a scene here, where it wasn’t private to talk, I let her go.
But if she thought this was the end of it, that she would skip the party and avoid me, she was wrong.
I was a man used to riding bulls. This feisty filly wasn’t about to shake me loose.
I watched as she walked away. Diablo came up to stand next to me. “We need to talk, Cowboy. My office at the clubhouse tomorrow morning at ten.”
“I’ll be there, Pres.”
He said nothing else, merely nodded. We walked to where the bikes and the couples’ vehicles were parked. The ride back to the compound was filled with thoughts of Saranya and what I had to do to get her there.
???
I spent another restless night, so I was up at dawn.
I went and took care of my horses first, then back home to shower before meeting with Diablo.
Walking down the hallway to where his office was, I wondered what he’d say to me.
And if he would order me to stay away from Saranya.
I noticed how much he and Jauhnna had liked her and her parents.
If they hadn’t, no way would they have been asked to the clubhouse.
He was my president, and I had great respect for him.
Normally, I’d do anything he asked. However, staying away from her would be impossible.
Pausing at his open door, I knocked to get his attention. He was seated behind his desk, staring at papers. At my knock, he glanced up.
“Come in, close the door, and have a seat,” he said sternly. I did as he ordered.
Diablo left me seated in utter silence for a good minute or more as he studied me. I refused to squirm or break the silence. Finally, he eased back in his chair.
“Tell me what’s going on with you and Saranya Coleman.
I felt the tension last night and sensed the underlying current in the conversation.
And your warning the other brothers to stay away from her was enlightening.
I want to know why. Who is she to you? If that was your way of making them back off so you can have first crack at her, it’s not happening. ”
His gruffness told me he was serious. His insinuation that I was out to fuck her first angered me. Without thinking, I slammed my fist on his desk.
“It’s not me trying for a piece of ass, Pres. I meant it. No one violates a request when another brother makes it. If anyone wants to challenge me, we’ll take it to the ring. But they’d better be prepared.”