Tyrant Chapter 4 #2
They eyed it but didn’t move. Shit, they thought it was a trap, or there was a price.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. I didn’t have dinner. And in case you wondered what we want in exchange…” I paused as Lakelyn’s cynical gaze met mine.
“We’re not expecting a damn thing. There’s no catch or payback. Eat,” I ordered.
I began making a sandwich. They slowly joined me.
I wasn’t surprised when Satyr and Brutus did as well.
They could always eat. It was silent as we filled our plates and got our drinks.
I jerked my head when everyone finished and returned to the common area.
I found a table and sat down. The others did the same.
The next fifteen minutes were filled with zero conversation, just the sounds of eating.
I covertly watched River and his sister.
They ate slowly. That told me they hadn’t eaten much for a while.
Their stomachs had shrunk, and they’d puke it back up if they ate too quickly.
They fought not to gorge. It was a lesson you learned fast on the streets.
My appetite diminished a little just thinking of it.
By the time we were finished, I caught them both trying to hide a yawn. They had to be dead on their feet. Even if they slept elsewhere tonight, it wouldn’t be restful. It was only fools who slept soundly when out on the streets. That was a way to get yourself robbed, raped, or killed.
“Did you get enough to eat?” I asked.
“Yes, thank you. It was delicious. Here, let me take care of those.” Lakelyn came to her feet and reached for our dirty plates. I caught her wrist. My grip wasn’t tight, but she flinched. I didn’t let go until she met my gaze.
“We can take care of them, but thank you. You two have to be tired. Why don’t we show you to your room? Do you want to share or have side-by-side rooms?” I asked.
Brutus grabbed their plates, and Satyr took mine. River had stood when his sister did. “There’s no need to go to any trouble. We can sleep on those couches rather than dirty a room,” River stated.
“It’s no trouble, and besides, people will be coming and going in here, especially early morning. They’ll wake you up. If you take a room, you have a bathroom where you can shower,” I tempted them.
“That would be nice, but we don’t…” his reply petered off, but I knew what he was about to say. Neither of them had anything with them containing possessions. They either had none, or their stuff was stashed somewhere in Turmoil. Taking a bath and putting on dirty clothes wasn’t refreshing.
“Hold on a minute, and then I’ll show you where you can sleep. And don’t worry about the clothes,” I told them before I moved over to where Satyr and Brutus stood a short distance away. They were eyeing our guests.
“See if you can find the boy something to wear. Clearly not either of your clothes, but maybe something of Knife’s.
And then get something from one of the girls.
Make it as decent as you can. They need clothes to sleep in, too.
Don’t forget underwear for both. I’ll take them to the furthest empty guest room.
It’ll be quieter. See where Knife went, get him, and have him and Drax split guard duty.
I don’t want these two running off or anything. ”
“Sure thing, Tyrant. What are we doing with them tomorrow? Taking them downtown?” Satyr asked.
“We’ll deal with tomorrow after I get some sleep,” I answered.
With that out of the way, I returned to the siblings and gestured for them to accompany me. I walked with one on each side. It was hard for me not to place my hand on her back or hip.
They were gawking at the pictures on the hallway walls.
They were pics of club members, our club emblem, motorcycles, and more.
We passed several closed doors. Some were to the crash pads and storage, while others were to individual members, prospects, and sluts’ rooms. The empty ones for visitors were at the end of the hall.
I led them to the last one. Taking out the master key, I unlocked it.
Reaching in, I turned on the light and stepped back so they’d precede me inside.
They cautiously did as they checked it out.
It wasn’t anything fancy. It was a basic bedroom with a nightstand, a queen-sized bed, a small table with two chairs, a television, and an attached bathroom.
The bathroom should be stocked with supplies, but to be sure, I checked.
Turning on that light, I ran them through the amenities and pointed them out.
Thankfully, the items were all there. The bathroom had conditioner, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and other things they might find useful.
You never knew what someone might forget or run out of.
“If you need something, let the prospect outside your door know, and he’ll have someone get it for you.”
“Thank you. This is more than generous. We have everything we need. We don’t want to keep you from going to bed. It’s getting late,” Lakelyn said.
“I’ll survive. I’m waiting for Satyr and Brutus to return, and then you can rest.”
“They’re bringing our jailer,” River said.
“Hush,” Lakelyn hissed as she elbowed him.
“You can think of him as your assistant or jailer. It’s up to you. You’re safe for the night. I would get some decent sleep for once. I’ll come by in the morning, and we’ll get breakfast and talk.”
He didn’t say anything. His sister was opening her mouth to say something, but the knock at the door halted her. I went to answer it. Standing there were Brutus, Satyr, and Knife.
“You been briefed?” I asked Knife.
“Yes, sir. I have these for the guy. They’ll be a little big, but the shorts have a drawstring,” he said, handing over a T-shirt, shorts, and underwear.
I took them and handed them off to River.
Satyr had more clothing in his hands. They were balled up, so I couldn’t tell what they looked like, but he smiled at Lakelyn.
“Here you go, sweetness.” He held them out to her. When she came forward to get them, I saw him run his hand across hers. Her smile was forced.
“Thank you.”
“Alright, let’s get out of here and leave them in peace. Remember, I’ll be back in the morning to get you, and if you need something, Knife or Drax will be out here. Goodnight,” I told them.
“Goodnight, thank you,” Lakelyn said.
“Goodnight, thanks,” River responded.
I hustled the others out the door and closed it. Seconds later, I heard the lock engage. I motioned for my guys to move down the hallway where we could talk without being overheard. As soon as we were, I issued directives.
“Knife, make sure Drax knows not to let them go anywhere alone. The same goes for you. If they ask for me, you know how to reach me. I don’t want them disturbed.”
When I looked at the other two, I narrowed my eyes at them. “Don’t go running all over tonight telling people we have guests. They need to rest. And, Satyr, cut out the flirting. You make her uncomfortable. Now, I’m off to bed. See you all later.”
Without another word, I walked off and headed for the nearest door that would take me outside and to my house. I tried not to let myself visit the past as I walked there. It was never a good place to be.