Chapter 2 #2
Nora’s hands still as she stares in shock. Then, exhales. “Well, shit, Little Styxs—,”
“Don’t call me that.” Camille’s tone is sharp.
Respect bleeds into Nora’s expression. “Alright. Fair. If someone ever called me Little Hex, I’d throat punch them.”
That gets Camille to ease up. She even grins. Then her expression gets serious. “I know you’re wondering, but I have nothing to do with them. I’ve never even spoken to a Black Feral member before.”
“Okay,” Nora says, waiting for the rest of it.
Camille glances my way, hesitating. “Brian, my ex. He fucked around with them. He also doesn’t accept, ‘No, we’re over’ as an answer.”
My hands ball into fists. Camille watches them clench.
“How long ago did you guys break up?” Nora asks, disinfecting all of Camille’s wounds.
“Over four years ago.”
Nora’s head pops up. “The fuck?”
I need to pace. I walk over to the back of my desk and do just that, making a list of the assholes I’m going to hunt down and make pay. Slowly. Painfully.
“Last year of college, we started dating,” Camille begins.
“We dated for a year. I found out he was messing around with drugs.” She shakes her head. “What’s worse is that Drew warned me. He noticed the signs before I did.” She sighs. “One day, I’m going to have to tell the dick he was right.”
Nora chuckles. “Hell no. Avoid that for as long as you can. Hex and Styx are cut from the same cloth. Those two fuckers would hold that over our heads for life.”
Camille laughs. “You’re right. I’ll keep that one close to my pocket.”
“Freaking older, protective brothers,” Nora mumbles.
“For real,” Camille joins in the sentiment.
“Whoa,” I step in to defend.
“Uh uh, little Hunter,” Nora calls out. I glare at the stupid nickname she loves to annoy me with. “You and your twin are the babies. Can’t talk.”
“I was practically another older brother to her growing up,” I point out.
“West, I never saw you as another brother. Don’t kid yourself,” Camille strikes back and I lay my hand over my chest.
“That hurts, Nyx.”
She laughs, which was exactly what I wanted. “I doubt that. You were too busy being Drew’s wingman. Don’t for a second think I didn’t know what you two were up to most weekends.”
“Nothing that kept us or would ever keep us from looking out for you,” I tell her because it’s true.
Sure, Styx took overprotective brother to another level, but I cared too. I helped him keep stupid teen boys away. Especially the adult ones who had no qualms about trying to mess with a teenager. Granted, by sixteen, she hardly looked her age, which was the problem. We had to step up our game.
“Well, I’m not a kid. Haven’t been one for some time now. Mind telling the bro he can ease up on that shit?”
Nora scoffs. “Good luck. I’m thirty and that shit is wired tight in Hex’s personality.”
Camille leans back. “Great. So, even at twenty-six, there’s no luck at avoiding being cock-blocked.”
“Stay away from all cocks,” I turn sharply and demand. Half-joking.
She laughs. “Look, I tried the other. Unfortunately, I’m hetero to a fault.”
“You tried?” Nora asks, smirking. “Do tell.”
Oh, fuck no. “Do not tell. I don’t need that image in my head.” I rub my forehead, now begging my brain to block out Camille and some college girl sexually experimenting.
“You’re such a guy,” Nora laughs, shaking her head. “You and me. Drinks one night. We’ll swap stories.”
“For fuck’s sake, Nora.”
She laughs harder, applying ointment to the cut at Camille’s temple, which thankfully is less severe than I first thought. “You’re too easy to fuck with, Hunter.”
I lean against the wall in front of my desk, maintaining distance as the women chat while patching up Camille.
I plot every possible danger, strategy, intel that I can encounter.
All while somehow avoiding Styx’s suspicion.
I can’t lie to that fucker. He smells it a mile away.
Fortunately and unfortunately, he’s been busy since being promoted to Enforcer in the MC.
We have to be more intentional about meeting up.
Nora finishes, and something passes between them that I can’t decipher. They hug, and Nora packs up while Camille goes to the bar bathroom to change into the leggings and sweater I asked Nora to bring over. I added one of my hoodies to the mix. To keep her warm. That’s all. Practical.
I’m such a damn liar.
Nora’s heads out. I walk her to the bar door that I locked earlier.
“Listen,” she stops and squeezes my forearm. “Whatever Black Feral thinks she has knowledge of, her being on their radar is a big fucking problem. Let’s not even discuss the revenge they’ll be seeking after she shot two of their men. They won’t let that go, West.”
I cross my arms, my hands in fists again, keeping my body in check. I nod. “I know.”
“The MC will find out,” she warns. And I know she means, Forsaken Saints.
“I’m gonna hide her out with me tonight. We’ll think of a plan. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Okay.” She studies my face. “You got a handle on it?”
I filter through all the ‘its’ she could be referring to. My anger, my attraction, that’s an unexpected problem, my secret fears?
“Yeah,” I lie about all the above.
She hums unconvinced. “Right. Well. Call me before you do something stupid, okay?”
“Why are we friends again?” I joke, needing the alleviation.
“Cause I’m the only one who doesn’t inflate that big ego of yours. I keep you humble, Hunter,” She pats my chest. “Be careful.”
“You too.”
“Always.”
Nora leaves, and I take advantage of the solitude for two minutes. I stretch out my neck, side to side, then count to ten, releasing slow breaths from my mouth. Once I get a lock on it, I return to my office.
My best friend’s little sister, running into my bar, from the rain, battered and scared, was not on my bingo card this year.
This ache in my gut is part stunned by her beauty as an adult and part fury at the need to protect her.
This whole night is taking me by surprise in ways I wasn’t prepared for.
I will protect her. I will make every fucker who hurt her pay. And I’m going to do all that without my best friend catching on to how his little sister makes me feel.
Shit. I’m so fucked.