Sasquatch #2
He was interrupted. “Nonnegotiable. You have to hit me, or I’ll rescind my permission.”
“Why?” It was a valid question. Squatch had killed men with just his fists.
“Because Devin will call me a brute, an asshole, or any number of her other favorite insults, if you look like that, and I look like this.”
Squatch was torn. He understood, he really did, but hitting Croon felt wrong.
When Croon saw his hesitation, he practically begged. “I’ve already lost so much with Devin. She doesn’t trust me and… I don’t want to make her hate me even more.”
“For the record, she doesn’t hate you. She just wants you to see her like you used to.” Squatch took his swing, but pulled it back as much as he could but still leaving some superficial evidence of an altercation.
Reaching out, he steadied Croon from the blow. “She told me she loves you something fierce.”
Croon worked his jaw then murmured his thanks.
“Show’s over, brothers, go get cleaned up,” Zombie ordered, and the room dispersed, with a few exceptions.
Croon and Squatch stepped out of the ring. As they were each wiping at their sweat and injuries, Zombie and Hook approached.
“Hook has some information for you,” he said, looking at Croon before turning toward Squatch. “Since you’re Devin’s ol’ man, I guess it’s for you too.”
Ol’ man? It sounded strange to his ears, but he didn’t hate it. It wasn’t something he thought he wanted, but apparently his heart didn’t get the memo because it sped up at the words.
Ol’ man.
“Devin told me what happened in Nebraska. It felt like she was still holding something back, but I got the gist.”
Croon looked livid, but before he could speak, Zombie held up a hand and Hook continued.
“I gave her an ultimatum. Tell you or I would. Since she’s family, double so now, I went to Prez first, because any attack on family is an attack on the Bastards.”
“We will have to retaliate. I’ve let it sit for her sake, but we all knew, including her, that wouldn’t be indefinite. Now she’s on the clock and so are we.” Zombie added.
Squatch had planned on it since the words had left Devin’s mouth last night.
“What happ… was she…” Croon trailed off, visibly paling.
“She still has another day to come clean to you, brother. I’m sorry I gave her my word.”
Squatch couldn’t let Croon suffer, not when he could help it. “No.”
All eyes landed on him, but he maintained eye contact with Croon.
“The answer is no, brother. I won’t break her trust either, but I can give you that peace of mind.”
Croon dropped to the bench with relief, before gathering himself and nodding. “What’s the plan?”
“I’ll let everyone know in church as soon as her time is up or she speaks with you. Without saying too much, I already spoke to Irishman and they’re keeping tabs on the house. When we hit go time, I’ll have him fill us in on what’s what.”
Squatch got that tingle of excitement he always got when they had a mission. Or maybe it was because, holy shit, he had an ol’ lady. He’d have to call his aunt today and let her know because God knows she would curse his ass with her crystals if she found out before he told her.
After showering he rested, since he didn’t get much sleep last night.
Not that he was complaining. He headed back to the common area to eat with his brothers.
After stuffing his face, he grabbed a beer and sat staring at his phone.
He wanted to call Devin and tell her about the whole ol’ lady thing before he told his Aunt Phoebe.
Dev wouldn’t take too kindly to everyone knowing before her.
As it was, the whole club knew. That meant the ol’ ladies knew too and they would likely be blowing up her phone as soon as she got off work. Aunt Phoebe would be pulling tarot or reading tea leaves and find out if he didn’t tell her.
He was torn between doing the right thing and doing the other right thing, when Gwen sat down on the couch next to him.
“Looks like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
Absently, Squatch nodded, still contemplating his phone and nursing a beer.
“I can help with that.” She leaned into him. One arm going around him on the back of the couch, the other resting on his pec. It was a familiar position; one they’d been in a thousand times before.
Familiar or not, her scent and seductive voice didn’t offer him the enticement it once did. Sure, it still felt good to know that someone wanted him, found him worthy, even if it was just for his dick, it still stroked his ego.
He let her hand linger for an extra heartbeat or two, just to see if anything sparked. If it did, then he wasn’t worthy to be with Devin.
Still, he felt nothing.
Sure, if she’d have grabbed his dick, it would probably react, but he wasn’t reacting to her.
Having Gwen want to ride his dick because he had a patch wasn’t the same as knowing that Devin, beautifully damaged Devin wanted him for him, not his patch.
Of all the motherfuckers in the world, she chose him.
When Gwen’s lips grazed his ear, he stiffened. He leaned away from her creating a little distance. “I don’t need company. Go find another brother.”
“But baby, I don’t want another brother.
” She was not taking the hint. Her hands were back on him.
Seemingly everywhere, like a fucking octopus.
When she climbed on his lap and ground down, he couldn’t stop her fast enough with both hands full.
He stilled. Yep, physically he was still a man, but his head and heart rebelled.
Dropping both his now empty beer and his phone to the carpet, he physically removed her.
“I told you to get lost.”
Her attitude turned a little venomous. Which was way out of character for her. Gwen was the perfect good time girl. She was down for whatever and never got clingy.
“Your mouth says one thing but that monster in your pants says another.”
Fuck, he cursed himself. If he could’ve helped it, he would’ve willed his dick not to react, but he was human.
She wasn’t wearing underwear under that strip of fabric she called a skirt.
His dick had muscle memory with her. They’d spent many nights together.
But he would never disrespect Devin like that.
Before he could respond Outlaw spoke. “You heard him, Gwen, get lost. Taken men are off limits to candies.”
If he thought she’d looked venomous before, he was wrong.
“Taken! Since when?”
“Since now. Get lost and don’t ever touch me again.” He picked up both the bottle and his phone. Setting the bottle on the table and pocketing his phone, he stared her way since she hadn’t moved.
She looked more hurt than angry now and he felt bad, but he would not repeat Zombie’s mistake of trying to be nice. That only led to disasters and misunderstandings.
“Who?” she asked quietly.
“My sister. Now leave.” Croon answered before he could. Mostly because he didn’t plan to answer. Not because he was ashamed, hell, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. However, it would be even more people knowing before Devin. More groveling he would have to do.
Gwen scurried off, and Squatch threw up his hands. “Croon, I wasn’t…” Croon waved him off.
“I know, I was standing there watching the whole thing. I wanted to see how it played out. Glad to see I wasn’t wrong about you.”
Squatch let out the breath he was holding while hoping he didn’t have to pull security footage to prove his innocence.