Chapter 12
12
HUNTER
S adie leaned into my touch, and I curled an arm around her waist, pulling her against my body. My lips brushed her forehead, and she sighed, melting into me.
The call with her parents had gone pretty well, in my estimation. Knowing I was there to keep his little girl safe from real danger had gone a long way in smoothing things over with her dad. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get overprotective when it was all over and try to chase me away. It was never gonna happen, and the faster he came to terms with it, the less strain it would put on Sadie. Besides, I was pretty sure he’d come around when he saw how much Sadie meant to me. How much I loved and worshipped her and would do anything for her.
“My mom will support our relationship,” Sadie mused as she rubbed her nose on my chest. “My dad won’t be as easy, but I have no doubt you’ll charm him.”
I heard a snorted laugh behind me and turned to see Maverick standing a few feet away. His feet were braced apart, and his arms were folded across his chest, emphasizing his muscular build. Most people would be intimidated, but even if I’d felt a little of that, it was ruined by the amused twist of his lips and laughing eyes.
Apparently, Marcy had opened for business while we were chatting with Sadie’s parents.
“Charm, huh?” Maverick drawled. “Not exactly Hunter’s strong suit. Guy’s more steel wool than smooth talk.”
“You’re confusing charm with not giving a fuck what people think,” I grunted.
Maverick snorted. “Guess that explains why your idea of flirting is glaring and grunting in her general direction.”
“Worked on Sadie, didn’t it?” I shot back, tightening my arm around her waist.
Sadie let out a soft, breathy laugh, her cheeks pink as she peeked up at me with a smile that made my chest feel too tight.
“I think I liked that you didn’t try to charm me.”
Maverick chuckled, rubbing a hand over his jaw as he shook his head.
“Shit, the universe really outdid itself sending you someone that sweet,” he said, smirking. “She’s gotta be custom-built, man. ’Cause no one else on earth would be charmed by a grumpy-as-shit motherfucker like you.”
Sadie giggled and ducked her head as she turned to head back behind the counter.
I watched her go, my gaze glued to the soft sway of her hips.
Then my eyes traveled up, and my gut clenched when I thought about her wearing my vest. I couldn’t wait to see my name stitched across her back like a warning.
All anyone else saw was the sweet sunshine. Innocence wrapped in sugar and cinnamon.
Only I knew better.
I knew what she sounded like when she moaned my name in the dark.
How she looked with her lips swollen, and her thighs trembling.
And how tight her pussy gripped my cock when she came apart beneath me, her body knowing exactly who it belonged to.
She wasn’t just soft.
She was mine.
And I’d burn the whole fucking town to the ground if anyone tried to take her from me.
She disappeared through the door to the kitchen with one last glance over her shoulder, her blue pools dancing with happiness and my chest clenched like I’d taken a hit point-blank.
I wanted to put that look on her face every day for the rest of our lives. Even when she wore my ring, my vest, my name, and carried my kid, it would never be enough. I’d prove to her every day that she belonged to me and do everything in my power to make her happy.
Forever wasn’t a concept. It was a promise. And even though she hadn’t known it, she’d agreed to exactly that the first time she smiled at me.
Mav clapped me on the back in that gruff way of his that meant he gave a shit, then went to the counter and ordered from Marcy.
I gave him a chin lift before heading back to the kitchen to tighten the loose bolt since I’d gotten distracted earlier. When I finished, I popped a quick kiss on Sadie’s luscious mouth, then returned to the front of the shop.
My stomach growled, so I looked over the pastries, trying to decide what to eat.
Sadie bounced back out of the kitchen with a tray of cinnamon rolls, and when her eyes met mine, my lips curled up into a wicked grin.
Her cheeks turned pink while her sky-blue orbs darkened to sapphire.
“Gonna need one of your cinnamon rolls, sunshine,” I murmured.
Her breath hitched, making my smile grow. She shook it off after a foggy second and shot me an admonishing frown. “Behave.”
My eyebrows shot up to my hairline before I burst into laughter. When my mirth died down, I noticed Sadie, Marcy, and the two other customers in the bakery staring at me like I’d grown two heads.
Their shock was understandable. Before Sadie, my personality was permanently locked in ”grumpy-as-shit motherfucker” mode, as Mav had said. Only my own personal sunshine dragged me into the light.
Sadie beamed at me as she put a roll on a plate and fixed me a black coffee.
“Let me know if these are as good as mine,” she said with a saucy wink.
I leaned in so no one could hear my deep, gritty voice except her. “Nothing in the world tastes as sweet as your pussy, sunshine.”
Sadie blushed tomato-red, making me smirk as I took my breakfast and went to find a seat. I chose a table off to the side, with a clear view of the entire bakery. While I stayed alert for anything suspicious happening around me, I set out the laptop I’d brought to get some work done.
Although I had a healthy bank account from saving during my years in the military and FBI, my investments had also paid off. Plus, I got a cut from certain MC income streams, so I wouldn’t ever be hurting for money. However, I still considered opportunities that came my way—usually consulting or teaching.
My eyes tracked Sadie for a few minutes before I focused on my email and saw a message from someone I’d met while teaching a few seminars at Quantico. He owned a security firm and hoped I’d teach a series of workshops at a retreat for his employees.
I wasn’t opposed to the idea, but when I saw the location for the event, I grinned.
Maui.
Thoughts of a hut on a private beach with my woman in a skimpy bikini—or better yet, naked—filled my head. I shot a reply to my friend, telling him I’d check my schedule but was definitely interested.
I managed to finish a few more tasks while watching Sadie. She fascinated me; even just the simple act of maneuvering around the shop kept my attention glued on her. Her movements were fluid and unintentionally sensual, and whenever she smiled at someone, my chest burned with jealousy. It wasn’t rational, but nor would it ever change, so I didn’t bother trying.
After we’d been there a couple of hours, my gut suddenly tightened when the bell over the door jingled. Glancing up, I scowled when I saw that little punk Austin saunter into the place with a cocky smile that said he thought he was God’s gift to women.
He must have felt my eyes on him because his head turned, and when he spotted me, his smile slipped and his steps faltered. But then he straightened his shoulders and turned away, once again headed to the counter.
Our gazes hadn’t clashed for long, but it was enough for me to see a spark of anger. And something a little darker. The kid set off all kinds of alarm bells inside me, but right then, I had no tangible reason. Still, I monitored him closely, especially when he came to a stop in front of Sadie and greeted her with a cocky smirk.
“Good morning, Sadie.”
His voice was higher than it should be for a twenty-year-old guy, and it grated on my nerves.
“Um, hey, Austin,” Sadie replied, her gaze darting nervously over to me before returning to him.
“You know what I like,” he murmured, his tone suggestive.
Sadie’s cheeks heated, but not from desire. Her feet shuffled uncomfortably, and her sky-blue orbs darkened with annoyance.
I moved my chair back, but I didn’t get up yet, waiting to see where the interaction went before possibly causing a scene.
“Sure. Almond latte and blueberry scone.”
What kind of man ate shit like that?
“I’m glad you haven’t had anything else breaking around here. But if you’re ever worried about it, let me know, and I’ll take a look. Maybe fix it before it breaks.”
Time to put this fucker in his place.
I pushed to my feet and started toward them while Sadie went to the espresso machine to work on his order.
“Actually,” she said conversationally, “the prep table was wonky this morning, but Wesley fixed it.”
Austin’s whole body tensed, and he shot a look my way that had those alarm bells blaring like a fire truck.
He tried to hide his anger and resentment but did a piss-poor job of it.
My eyes narrowed in warning, and he huffed, turning back to Sadie and practically snatching his food from her before stomping out the door. His lack of attention almost sent him barreling straight into Midnight and Phoenix.
I nodded at my brothers, and while Phoenix continued to peruse the glass cases of food, Midnight made a beeline for me.
“Got news,” he muttered as he dropped onto the chair opposite me.
I was surprised to hear that because he’d called me the day after Sadie received the note and told me there’d been no prints on it, leaving us with a dead end in that direction.
“Deviant find something?” It was unlikely that he would have told Midnight before me, but it was the only explanation for his news that I could think of.
“Yeah, but I only know because I gave him the lead.”
I waited impatiently for him to elaborate, tapping my fingers on the table.
“Thinking back on the situation after I didn’t find anything on the note, it occurred to me that it got into the mailbox somehow. They’d been meticulous with the paper, but had they been as careful with the metal box? So I came by yesterday and dusted it. Got five hits.”
I thought over the options and murmured, “The mailman, Marcy, Sadie, and me. Who was the fifth?”
“Austin Collins. He’s Geoff’s son. The owner of?—”
“The hardware store,” I interrupted through clenched teeth. “I know.”
“Right. Told Deviant, and he dived into the kid.”
“He find any shit that hints at Austin having a history?”
Midnight shook his head, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Didn’t come across anything official. Even when he went deeper, there didn’t seem to be any kind of pattern.”
“Could just mean this is the first time he’s gone off the deep end for a woman.”
I knew something had been off with that little bastard.
“Could be,” Midnight agreed. “If so, behavior like that shouldn’t go unchecked. Next time could be worse, and someone might get hurt.”
My hands clenched into fists and fury built inside me. “Sounds like the motherfucker needs a visit to The Room.”
“The Room” was a small building on Iron Rogues’ property built on a spot that was the farthest from any of the businesses, homes, and clubhouse. From the outside, it looked a lot like the safehouses we had throughout the south. We used the moniker because it was as dismissive as its exterior. But on the inside, it was very different. The interior had four rooms, a lounging area of sorts, a cell, an interrogation hold, an armory, and a storage space that had a cache of tools that might be needed to aid us in gaining what we wanted.
“Need you to send a couple of prospects here to watch over Sadie,” I growled as I packed up my shit.
He agreed and went outside to make the call.
I quickly pulled my woman aside. “Gotta go handle some club business, sunshine. But you’ll have a couple of rooks here to protect you.”
Sadie clasped her hands together and worried her bottom lip.
I was concerned that she might push for more information. We hadn’t really had the talk about her role in the club as an old lady and that she’d have to accept that there would always be things I couldn’t share with her.
But she shocked the shit out of me again.
“You can’t tell me anything, right?”
“Yeah. I won’t ever lie to you, sunshine. Or keep things from you. Unless it’s club business. Can you handle that?”
“Of course.” Her answer was immediate, and I was tempted to drag her to the back and fuck her because she was so damn amazing. “Is it dangerous?”
“Not for me,” I said honestly. “Since this involves you, I can at least say you won’t need to worry about getting more notes or broken windows again. Turns out Austin was behind it, and I’m gonna make sure he knows to stay the fuck away from you from now on.”
“Wow, I never would’ve guessed.” Her nose scrunched. “Do you think that’s why we had so many things break around here even though Marcy bought all new equipment? Because he wanted to see me?”
“It’s a safe bet, sunshine,” I confirmed with a nod.
“Ugh, what a jerk,” she muttered. “I know it’s just Austin, but…be careful anyway.”
“Always, sunshine.”
I gave her a deep, soul-stealing kiss before focusing on what came next.
* * *
My shoulders were tight with tension when I walked into the interrogation hold where Austin was cuffed to a small metal chair.
It hadn’t taken long to find him because the asshole had been lingering near the bakery, out of sight, but with a clear view of the building.
“Shoulda moved the fuck on the first time you realized Sadie was under Iron Rogue protection,” I grunted. “When it was clear she was mine, you shoulda forgotten she even existed.”
“Fucking Rogues,” he spat. “I could have had her if you bastards hadn’t been around constantly.”
My knuckles cracked when I clenched my hands into fists and sauntered closer until I was right in front of him. “Bullshit. She was always gonna be mine. You were just too cocky and stupid to see it.”
“What-the fuck-ever,” he snarked. He was trying to be brave, but I could see the fear in his eyes.
A sinister smile crawled across my face. “Should check that attitude, asshole. Or the lesson you’re about to get will be much worse.”
“Hunter.”
I exhaled harshly and spun around, frustrated as hell. The prez wouldn’t have come here himself if he wasn’t gonna tell me something that would piss me the fuck off.
“It can’t go this way. He’s a fucking local. He disappears, we’ll have the law on our ass, and it won’t matter how many we own. They won’t have a choice.”
“Fuck!” I shouted, punching my fist down into the metal table set out to hold any supplies we brought in for interrogation purposes.
“Had a talk with his dad. Seems the kid has already been fucking up in other ways, and this was the last straw.”
Austin snorted. “Like he can do anything to me. I’m an adult.”
“You’re a twisted fuck,” Fox spat at him, then looked at me again. “Geoff’s got shit on him that will force his cooperation when he sends him away.”
“And if he fixates on another woman?” I seethed.
“We’ll have eyes on him all the time. Anywhere he goes. Geoff knows that if the little shit screws up again, we’ll be handling it our way.”
I hated the plan. It filled me with murderous rage. But I’d pledged to follow Fox’s orders. And truthfully, he was the prez for a reason.
He would never get in the way of a brother’s lust for revenge or punishment to anyone who deserved it unless he had to. In this case, I knew he was right. No matter how much I wanted to shout and rage that he was wrong.
I closed my eyes and dropped my head back, breathing deeply. After a few minutes, my heart rate slowed and I nodded at Fox, letting him know I had my shit under control.
Then he grinned. “Doesn’t mean he’ll leave here without learning somethin’.”
I should’ve known he’d have my back in any way he could.
Turning around, I prowled over to stand in front of Austin, and the evil smirk reappeared on my face.
“Always been a damn good instructor,” I grunted right before my boot slammed down on his balls.