Chapter Eighteen
Gunner
“Prospect, go get her things and move them into the room Brandy puts her in. Gunner! Get your ass in church. NOW!” King barked as I watched Haizley walk away.
I knew I had fucked up.
But if she would just listen and let me explain, I could fix it.
Explain what?
That you were stalking her? That you are obsessed with her?
Exactly how are you going to explain this without her wanting you locked up?
Rubbing my hands over my face, I followed King into church.
“Sit your ass in that chair and keep your goddamn mouth shut!”
Yup, he was pissed.
“What the fuck did you do?”
I opened my mouth to answer, and before I could utter a word, he pointed his finger at me. “I told you to keep your goddamn mouth shut!”
Closing my mouth, I sat and waited for him to continue.
“Explain,” he growled.
My mouth stayed shut as I looked at him.
Did he want me to actually speak this time?
When I didn’t say anything, he got angrier.
“I’m fucking waiting…”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I had to quickly decide how much I should reveal.
“I let it slip that I knew something I wasn’t supposed to know.”
“Explain.”
“Haizley came into the shop for a piercing. After realizing I owned the shop, she canceled, but Indie went to her house and gave her the piercing; at least, I assumed she did. I didn’t actually have confirmation until tonight.”
“And how do you know Indie went to her house?”
Shit.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I bit my lip and flashed King a sheepish look, before admitting, “I might have been sitting outside her house and saw Indie go in with her gear.”
“Jesus Christ, Gunner. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“How is that any different from you showing up at Grace’s house in the middle of the goddamn night?”
King snapped his eyes to mine, and they quickly narrowed.
Yea, brother, we all fucking know.
“The fucking difference is, when I show up at Grace’s house, I knock on the fucking door, and she lets me in. She knows I’m fucking there. I’m not watching her outside like a fucking peeping Tom.”
Ok, so he might have a point.
At least he finally admitted there was something going on with Grace.
“I ain’t looking in her windows, just watching over her until she goes to bed.”
“Do you fucking hear yourself? You’re stalking this woman!” King stood from his chair and paced the room. “If she tells Dec, I’m gonna let him throw your ass in jail.”
“What the fuck?”
“Why the fuck did I want my own goddamn chapter? Why the fuck did I want to be in charge of a bunch of fucking children?”
King was muttering to himself.
I had known him long enough to know he wasn’t really looking for an answer. At least, not from me.
He swung around and leaned down in my face.
“You will leave that woman alone.”
Fuck no.
I opened my mouth to tell him exactly that, but he continued before I could say anything.
“No, you say a fucking word and you’re done. You will leave her alone. You will stop stalking her or I’ll take your fucking patch. Am I clear?”
“Crystal,” I said through gritted teeth.
I wasn’t letting Haizley go. I would just have to be more careful.
“Get the fuck out. And don’t go near her room.”
Standing from my seat, I walked toward the door without a word. Before walking out of church, I turned and looked my president in the eye.
“I won’t give her up. I will back off for now. But she’s fucking mine, and I won’t walk away from what I want like a fucking pussy.”
I walked away, knowing the words I threw in his face would piss him off. If he wanted to be miserable and alone his whole fucking life, that was on him.
The next morning, I was up early. I wanted to be downstairs when she woke up. I wouldn’t speak to her. I wouldn’t touch her. Sure, that would fucking suck. But I would watch her. No one would stop me from watching her.
The eyes I was born with gave me the right to see whatever the fuck I wanted to. And what I wanted to see was her.
I needed to know she was ok.
I understood she was angry.
I understood she wasn’t ready to listen yet.
I could give her time.
For now.
Sitting my ass in a chair in the main room, I watched the hallway entrance. A coffee cup in my hand as I sat and waited.
There was movement beside me, but I didn’t turn to see who it was. I wasn’t taking a chance on missing her walk into the room.
“What did you do?”
My eyes briefly closed. Only for a second though. “Not now, Brandy.”
“She’s hurting, Gunner.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do.”
Her words had me turning toward her, despite wanting to watch for Haizley.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Brandy shook her head and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Be careful with her. She needs you more than you know.”
She stood up and walked away, and my eyes trailed after her, wondering what she meant. When I followed her path across the room, my eyes landed on Haizley. Not only had I missed her walking in, but judging by the blank expression on her face, the same one I saw the day she walked into the diner and saw me sitting with Penelope Ridgefield, she had seen Brandy kiss me.
Fuck.
She held my gaze for a moment before turning away and walking to the bar. It was like fucking déjà vu, and it pissed me off. She knew what I expected her to do when she was jealous. And make no mistake, she was fucking jealous.
Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed my beard.
Maybe she needed to come to terms with her jealousy.
A little immersion therapy for the shrink.
“Whatever the fuck you’re thinking, don’t.”
Looking up at my brother’s pregnant old lady, I knew I was in the shit now. She still had almost four months left, and between her big belly making her wobble and the hormones making her stabby, as Sam put it, we all tried to stay out of her way.
“Mornin’, Beck.”
“Nope. You’re on my shit list.”
“So, you just came over here to do what then? Bust my balls?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, sit your ass down. You look like you’re ready to fall over.”
“I feel like it too. I can’t wait to have this baby.”
“You’re still beautiful.” I leaned over to kiss the side of her head.
“No. Nuh-uh, you don’t get to be charming. I’m pissed at you. Micah told me what happened last night.”
“Your old man’s got a big mouth.”
“And a long tongue.” She winked at me.
“Fuck, I don’t need to hear that shit.”
“You’re just salty ‘cause you ain’t getting any. And you won’t if you don’t wise up. You pissed her off so much she asked to sleep in Bane’s room. No one wants to be around his cranky ass.”
She had a point. Although, it looked like he was about to let her. I looked over to where he sat eating his breakfast. He was lucky King intervened, ‘cause I didn’t care if he was a fucking Soulless Sinner. He touched my woman, and he wouldn’t make it back to New York.
“You gonna give me some advice?”
“Fuck no. You’re on your own.”
Arching a brow at her, I asked, “Then why are you here?”
With a big grin, she declared, “To bust your balls.”
Shaking my head, I searched the room for Haizley and found her sitting with Bane. She was gorgeous. Her brown hair was twisted into a braid that hung over her shoulder. Her legs were crisscrossed on the seat, keeping her feet off the floor.
I watched as she talked to Bane. She smiled and laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world. She was good at hiding her worries. Her fears. I had been watching her for weeks. I knew the smile she showed the brothers who were sat with her wasn’t real.
She hid behind her professionalism.
I saw the crack last night when she walked back into the clubhouse, demanding to sleep somewhere other than with me. I was caught between being proud of her fight and wanting to spank her ass for walking out on me.
It took longer than it should have to realize she wasn’t eating. She sat at the table with a cup of coffee and no food.
Rising up, I went to the kitchen. Grabbing a plate, I filled it with a little of everything. Walking back into the main room, I placed the plate on the table in front of her.
I saw her stiffen. Removing the coffee cup from her hand, I set it down and handed her the fork.
“Eat.”
When she made no move to obey, I leaned down and whispered, “Eat or I will feed you myself.”
The catch of her breath told me everything I needed to know. Walking away from her table was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. What I longed to do was pull her into my lap and feed her, just like I threatened to do.
I didn’t care who was watching. This woman was mine to care for and I would. She wasn’t ready to admit that was exactly what she wanted.
But I was a patient man.
Taking my seat across the room, I watched as she lifted the fork to her mouth. She cast a glance in my direction, and if I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I would have missed it. That was how quick it was.
Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms over my chest. My eyes never left her, except for the briefest moment when I caught Bane staring at me.
The barely perceptible nod was a surprise. I nodded back. Maybe he wasn’t quite the asshole we all thought he was.
Movement by the front door distracted me. Maureen walked in, followed by her dog. When she walked by Freeway, I wondered if he said something to her. She ignored him, but Tucker didn’t. The dog began to growl and snarl.
“You wanna call off your dog?” he asked, pressed up against the bar, his eyes never leaving the dog.
Maureen stopped at the end of the bar. “Tucker. Come.”
Tucker snarled again and then barked before walking off to where Maureen sat at a table with Beck. A moment later, Hash brought a plate piled high with fruit and bacon and placed it in front of her.
“Stop trying to steal my woman, Hash.”
So caught up in the dog’s reaction to Freeway, I hadn’t seen the sheriff walk in.
“Take better care of her and I won’t be able to.” Hash winked at Maureen, who laughed, and walked back to the kitchen. Maureen and Hash had bonded over her cinnamon rolls. Something Hash had never been successful at making. He’d even asked her to marry him.
Freeway sneered at the sheriff, still pissed Declan put him away for more than a decade. But Tucker, who loved Dec almost as much as he did Maureen, growled low, and Freeway quickly left the room.
Aspen and Amber entered the room, and everyone got quiet. Aspen was visibly uncomfortable being the center of attention. Haizley stood and walked over to her. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw Aspen nod and then follow Haizley to an empty table, where they sat and waited while Amber walked into the kitchen.
Tucker stood from his place at Maureen’s feet and walked over to Aspen. He sat at her feet, laying his head on her lap. I watched as she absentmindedly petted the dog’s head. The longer he sat there, the more her shoulders loosened.
Brothers tried to sit at the table, and Tucker growled at each one, letting them know they weren’t welcome. Banshee moved toward the table, and I wondered how many brothers it would take before they realized the dog wouldn’t let anyone near her.
When he sat down next to Aspen, the dog’s ears perked up and then settled. That was interesting. He engaged her and Haizley in conversation, and Amber dropped off a plate of food, joining them.
“Don’t you need to get to work?”
“Yea.”
“Then go. She’s safe here. They both are.”
“It’s not just about her being safe.”
“I know, brother.” King sat down next to me, and I took a chance one more time.
“You deserve to be happy, Prez.”
“It’s not about what I deserve.”
Standing from my seat, I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed before I walked toward the front door.
Before I left, I turned back to look at her one more time. When I caught her eyes locked on me, I winked. Her eyes dropped, and her cheeks turned pink. Every time I had to walk away from Haizley, a little piece of my soul stayed with her.