Chapter 4 The Damsel
Baffle
I could tell by the way Nell reluctantly agreed to show me her art that it was never going to happen. At least, that was what she thought. Eventually, she would realize that I wasn’t simply hanging around because it felt like she needed someone to protect her.
From the minute I heard her tell that asshole off the night before, I’d been intrigued.
She was loyal to her friend and it cost her when the prick walloped her with a backhand that immediately split her lip open.
That was when I stepped in. The fuck if I was going to stand back and watch as a woman was abused.
I heard the filthy shit he spouted to her.
“I’m going to fuck you raw, babe, whether you want it or not.
Then I’m going to watch as you walk toward me down the aisle with my cum still soaking in your pussy.
You’re going to stand there and watch me marry your best friend and know that she’ll have to share with you.
It’s like we’ll be saying our own vows at the same time.
Maybe we’ll keep the living arrangements. Roommates with benefits.”
I shook off the shit he spewed and remember the satisfying feeling of his nose crunching under my fist. He deserved more but it was clear the woman he had been harassing needed to get out of there.
I had planned to come back for the bastard.
I was positive our local chapter of the club could help me track him down later.
Nell had been my priority, though. I knew what it felt like to have that bit of control taken away and there was no way I’d let her be touched by that same grimy feeling that you couldn’t quite wash off.
While she hadn’t been raped in the physical sense, she’d been abused and threatened.
Her relationship with her friend had been perverted.
It was enough to send me back to the night when one of my best friends stole my choice from me.
I shook my head to push the thought of Roxy away.
She was back in Violence again and allowed around the clubhouse, too.
She claimed to have gotten help and sought out a therapist. The only people who knew what happened were Bigfoot and me.
We both kept a close eye on her while I also tried to keep my distance, despite the issues it caused with some of the women in the family.
“So, I still have to go to this bachelor party. You can sit in the back and pretend to be mute if you want. When it’s over, we’ll head off on our own and try to figure out where you go from there.”
“Don’t you need to stick around and celebrate with your friends?” Her worried eyes were a bit glassy as she stared up at me as if she was pleading with me not to leave her and also to not drop her in a room full of strange men.
My shoulders shook as I tried to hold my laughter at bay as I thought about how the night might play out with my club brothers.
“Fuck no. Bigfoot’s going to take his woman back to the hotel and fuck her like he already made her his wife.
Damn sure don’t want to be there for that.
” I chuckled again when I thought about how Sammy would feel about an audience.
“His almost-wife would kick my ass up-and-down the strip if I even hinted at ruining their alone time with my presence.”
Nell giggled. “I guess that’s understandable. She sounds awesome, if that’s true.”
“She is and I think it would be good if you could meet her, but I respect your need to protect your space right now, all things considered. If you change your mind, I can take you to meet her and maybe…” I really didn’t want to do that.
There was no sane reason why I didn’t want to be separated from Nell.
None. If any of my club brothers acted the way I was, I’d give them hell for it.
I had given Bigfoot hell for falling so hard and fast for Sammy, especially when it seemed like she was trying to hide from him.
Nell pushed her reddish-brown locks out of her face and heaved out a sigh.
She then tried to offer me a half-assed smile before she winced and pushed the ice back up to her busted lip.
The beauty then frowned at water that managed to drip down her hand.
“Thank you,” she said. “I mean that. I don’t know that I’d be comfortable with anyone else, to be honest.” I waited to see if she had anything else to say and when she didn’t, I pulled her hand back away from her face.
The napkin that held the ice before was soaked all the way through.
I took it and stuffed the remnants in a half-full glass on a nearby table.
Then I grabbed Nell’s hand and pulled her along with me.
“Where are we going?”
“To get ready for a party,” I said over my shoulder before I turned forward and made a hole through the crowd to pull her through. “After that, we’ll figure everything else out.”
“Really, I appreciate it, but you don’t know me.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not going to help.”
“Why, though?” I heard her ask, despite the noise of the casino around us. When we finally made it to the door and out into the stifling Vegas night, I turned and smiled before I winked at her playfully.
“I like a good damsel in distress story.”
“Oh, for the love of…” The rest of what she’d been about to say was lost in a humor-filled huff as I yanked on her arm again to get her to follow me. It was a gentle, but jarring enough, motion to get her moving. “I’m not really dressed for a wedding.”
“A Vegas bachelor party,” I corrected as I glanced down at my jeans and t-shirt and shook my head.
“Sweetheart, my friend is the president of our chapter of the KOAMC. We’re dressed just fine for whatever happens tonight.
” I turned enough to see the dubious look Nell threw my way.
When I really studied her, it was obvious that the annoyance was a cover.
She was scared. Her hands shook, even as she tried to hide the fact from me.
“Shit!” I whispered and grabbed her hand and tugged in the opposite direction.
“Where are we going now?”
“You are going to chill out in my hotel room while I go watch my best friend get plastered and probably hunt down his woman because he can’t stand to be away from her for very long.
” We made it back into the building before I turned to wrap my arm around her shoulders while we waited for the elevator. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” she asked.
“Yeah, Nell. You already had one asshole try to take your choices away. I’m not going to do the same shit.”
“Not the same thing at all,” she argued on my behalf.
I tossed a reassuring smile back at her as she followed me into the elevator.
“Okay, not the same. Still, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable on my behalf.
Please, stay in my room, order room service, and relax while I go watch my club president get shitfaced before he runs off to track down his woman.
When I get back, we’ll work on getting you out of the situation you’re in. ”
“I still don’t understand why you’d go to such lengths to help me.”
I turned Nell to face me then reached out and gently lifted her chin so that our eyes connected. My lips turned up in what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “No need to understand my motivations. Just know that you are safe and I’m going to keep you that way.”
Nell gave me the slightest of nods and I dropped my hand from her chin just as the doors opened on my floor.
“Good, now let’s get you comfortable, so I can get this bachelor party shit over with and get back here to you.
” Nell pushed her hair behind her ear and I couldn’t bring my self to look away as the tip of it heated to a fine, red blush under my scrutiny.
“You don’t have to worry about me coming back and trying anything.
I plan to stay sober.” As soon as we were secured in the room, I asked for Nell’s phone.
“I’m going to give you my number and I need yours so I can check in or you can call me if you get scared or anything happens, okay? ”
Part of me wanted to cancel, but I knew I couldn’t do that to my brother.
He’d understand. Fuck, he’d probably tell me it was okay and to stick by Nell’s side.
For some reason, I didn’t want anyone to know about Nell just yet.
For now, she was my person to worry over and it didn’t feel right that anyone else should help out with keeping her safe.
That was my job. She might not know it, and I was still fucked in the head over it, but Nell was claimed.
She was the one that Bigfoot’s father, Crutch, was always talking about.
The one woman who comes along, and you know in an instant that she’s the one who will change your life for the better.
He also always warned that when we found our one, we better bend over backward to make sure we do the same for her.
That’s why I didn’t want anyone else to help just yet - at least not any of my club brothers.
I wouldn’t mind sharing Nell with Sammy because they could both probably use a good friend, but I had no doubt that they’d find that relationship sooner or later without me having to force it on them.