Chapter 3 Killian #3
“Here you go,” John came out from the back with a cardboard box, “and the chicken is at no extra charge…sorry about earlier.” His expression softened while glancing briefly in Laura’s direction.
I had the strange urge to stand in front of her, even with his apology.
Dude gave off all kinds of bad vibes and red flags.
I grabbed the box while Laura handed over the club credit card. Once we’d been rung up, I held the door open until she stepped through, giving one last glare over my shoulder at John. We needed to get a new butcher, plain and simple. I was going to have to put a prospect on searching out a new one.
“Where to next?” I hauled the box of meat into the bed of the truck as Laura walked around, settling back into the passenger seat.
Once I was inside, I watched as she scanned her list.
“The Dollar General and the Market for a few groceries. Now that you’ve got the meat, I can walk to the store and head back when I’m done.”
“Why do you keep trying to do this shit on your own?” I asked, angrily pulling out of the lot.
Didn’t bother me, but it was just more efficient to have someone drive her around.
Especially since she was part of the club, but not patched in with anyone.
If a rival member was close and saw her hanging around us without a patch, it could become dangerous.
Laura continued examining the list. “Why do you care?”
“I care because you’ll just become a problem for me if something happens to you.”
Her eyes were on the side of my face while I continued to drive.
“Okay, fine. Next time I’m just going to drive Callie to work so I can borrow her car.”
“Why not just buy your own?” The store was coming up on the side of the road, so I flicked the blinker and slowed the truck.
Laura let out a small laugh. “If I wasn’t trying to find a new apartment, I would, but it’s sort of one or the other. Once I get the new place, I won’t have to come to the club anymore. I’ll get a job in town and walk everywhere.”
My eyes were on her again; at this point, it was unsafe how distracted I was. Why was she saying this shit? Sure, she annoyed me from time to time, but leaving? She’d seen too much; she knew too many secrets. She couldn’t leave the club. But shit, it was more than any of that…
I just didn’t want her to go.
“Killian, watch the road!”
I swung my gaze in time to see a red Subaru swerve out of my lane, just barely in time.
“What the fuck?” I yelled, briskly looking over my shoulder to see where it had gone.
Laura did the same, holding onto the strap of her seat belt. “That was weird. It was like they were aiming for you.”
That was unusual. Very fucking unusual.
“You know what? Fuck it, I need coffee.”
We ventured toward The Drip, a coffee shop on Main Street.
Usually, I’d pull up on my bike, and the crowd in front would part for me.
Most of Rose Ridge understood what the club represented, and they respected it.
We did a lot for this town, and with four other malicious clubs in the surrounding area, it went far to have a capable club at your back and in your pocket.
We parked in an open space, the weird encounter with the car still rattling around in my head, making me over analyze it.
Didn’t make any sense for a car that small to try and play chicken with a truck my size.
Rose Ridge had some different characters, but we didn’t get a ton of tourists or visitors, especially not in November. Besides, the plate read Virginia.
“That car coming into our lane, there was something to that, wasn’t there?” Laura asked, hopping out of the truck.
“Just an asshole who doesn’t know how to drive,” I mused, striding up the sidewalk.
I didn’t need Laura to know more shit about the club if she wasn’t even planning on staying.
My gut said that car was a warning, and the situation would warrant pulling up a few of the surrounding cams to see what we could find on who was driving.
Laura lowered her face, tucking close to my side.
Something she had learned since being a part of the club is to stay close to us when we ventured into public.
As usual, there was a line practically out the door.
Rose Ridge was a small town, which meant a lack of variety.
Not to mention, The Drip was a favorite for locals because of their baked goods.
I knew Natty was one of the people who helped with that, but she kept a low profile here.
Laura tugged the sleeve of my jacket. “There’s nowhere to sit.”
Searching the space, I noticed one of the guys that had been hanging around the club, trying to decide if he wanted to join.
His brown eyes flicked up to mine, his face blanched, but he kept talking to his date, while his gaze locked on mine.
I nearly laughed at his shitty show of dominance.
He didn’t want to play coward in front of his date, but that’s exactly what he’d be doing.
He just secured his role in not becoming a member, but he needed to vacate his seat, if for no other reason than he’d been wasting the club’s time by hanging around and licking our club’s available pussy.
“Grab us some coffees and food, I’ll get us a spot.”
Laura didn’t even glance over to where I was headed; she just walked to the front of the long line and politely cut in front of the person who was about to order.
I shifted so she wouldn’t see my smile. She wasn’t my woman, but fuck if she didn’t carry herself like she was.
As president of the Stone Riders, I had no time for anyone who didn’t understand the role I held, and how that extended to them if they were with me.
I edged around a few people until I was in front of the kid who’d wasted my time.
“Up.”
His eyes found mine again, that ugly as fuck red staining his cheeks. “Killian…uh, hey.”
I eyed his date, smiled with all my teeth then swung my head back over to the kid.
“Get the fuck up. You hung around the club, drank our beer, tasted our women, and now you’re going to pretend like you don’t see me needing a seat?”
He shoved his chair backward, awkwardly. His date furrowed her brows, shoving up on her palms.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
I didn’t hit women. Never laid a finger on one unless it was in pleasure, but the way this woman was speaking to me was striking a nerve. She could see my jacket, and all the patches, including the brand new, stark white patch that read President. Who the fuck did she think I was?
“Brit, it’s okay, just chill.”
“No.” She swung her face to the kid. “And what does he mean you tasted women?”
People were staring now, including Laura, who was handing over a twenty for our food.
“Up. Move. Now,” I barked.
Brit stood, sliding her chair back. Apparently, she wanted even more of a show. She pushed me, or tried, but she wasn’t anything against my six-foot-three stature.
I saw in her eyes that she was going to go for my face, possibly my eyes. Her mouth twisted into something ugly, and right before she darted forward, a hand snatched her hair from behind.
“Don’t think so, babe. Trust me when I say you don’t want on this side of things.
Leave while you can.” Laura pulled on Brit’s ponytail until her head was at an awkward angle.
She tried to spin on Laura, but Laura’s boot kicked between Brit’s legs, forcing the girl’s knee to buckle and her to land face down on the table.
“You don’t want this. Now, I’m going to let go and you’re going to walk out of here. Do you understand?” Laura murmured close to Brit’s ear.
Brit was seething, the side of her face hard against the table while her date just watched in horror.
“Do you?” Laura pulled Brit’s brunette hair tighter, forcing the woman to cry out in pain.
“Okay, okay.”
Laura released her immediately then heard her name called for our order and pranced through the crowd, grabbing our drinks and food.
I watched her go, musing to myself, “I need to get her a fucking cut.”
“She yours then?”
My face swung in the kid’s direction and whatever he saw on my face spurred him into action. Bussing the table, he used a napkin to finish wiping it down before grabbing his wallet and darting out of the cafe.
I pulled out my chair right as Laura returned with our scones and drinks.
“You got me a scone?” My eyebrow rose almost on its own because I didn’t eat this shit.
She smiled. “Yeah, it’s a white chocolate raspberry, really good. Natty makes them.”
“Fine.”
I slid into the chair across from Laura and began tearing into the baked good.
“So…” I started, sipping my coffee to clear my throat, “you fucking Kip then?”
Laura’s blue eyes flew up to mine in surprise.
“What?”
“Saw his bike in front of the place this morning.” I tore off another piece of scone and stuffed it in my mouth. I wasn’t particularly pleased with how my stomach seemed to flip, awaiting her answer.
She waited. Eating, drinking, taking her fucking time.
Until finally, she wiped her mouth and said, “would it be a problem if I was?”
I scoffed, keeping my eyes on the table as if she wasn’t enough to keep my interest.
“My apartment.” I shrugged. “If you’re going to spread your legs for every member of the club, I’d rather it not be in my house.”
Pink lips parted as a tiny sound came out, something like shock. Her eyes widened and a tiny flush entered her cheeks and neck.
I liked it.
Because, like usual, the only entry available through her locked-up emotions and forbidden heart was by sliding under her skin. Insulting her as frequently as possible and ensuring I was a mark of pain upon her conscience.
“You haven’t stepped foot inside the apartment in three months. What I do there is my business, and I won’t stop simply because you don’t want me to fuck club members there.”
“So, you are fucking then?”
Why wasn’t she just giving me a straight answer?
She searched my face before smiling, toying with the cup.
“I wouldn’t classify it as fucking per se…it’s not like a girl could get pregnant by what we’re doing.”
She had to know what she was doing by saying that. She knew what I’d implied three months ago…it was the entire reason she left. There was some bullshit story she gave to Callie, and then there was the real reason she wanted out of here.
The phone conversation we had, where I was an ass. The one I regretted immediately after.
“Killian?” Laura reached forward with a smile in place, but I moved my arm so she couldn’t touch me.
“I can make sure Kip has his own room, instead of sharing with Austin. That way you can be together there.”
The words came out clipped and cold, and I hated the way Laura’s face transformed into a painful frown as I said them.
“Are you kicking me out?”
I shrugged.
“Thought you were already looking at places.”
Her pink lips twisted to the side. “I am…”
“I’m not kicking you out, but you can’t be fucking club members in my house.”
She rolled her eyes and slid her thumb over her phone. Her device was being turned in my direction, and I was suddenly watching video footage from inside the apartment.
“Wes had these set up but I’m the only person who has access to the footage. He said it’s easier to keep them going for when you move in. I guess you’ll need them active or something.”
My gaze flicked back to the phone screen.
The view of the camera only showed the kitchen, dining room, and front door.
The living room and stairs weren’t visible.
The sound of the doorbell echoed through the feed and Laura lightly jogged into view, wearing a pair of tiny shorts and an off-the-shoulder sweater, showing her midriff.
My stomach twisted into knots as I watched her step through the space where a table and chairs should be, and open the door, smiling at Kip.
Kip entered, lifting a box of tools. “Prez said I needed to come fix the garbage disposal.”
Laura moved, giving him a wide berth.
He gave her a crooked smile before starting on his task. “When you gonna ride with me, Beautiful?”
For some fucked-up reason, I held my breath.
“Maybe when it’s warmer, Kip. I’m terrified of the cold.
” Laura sounded sweet, but the screen was too pixelated to catch her expression.
Regardless, she didn’t seem interested in him, and I hated how that simple reaction calmed the wild animal scratching to be released from my chest. The rest of the time Kip was there, he spent under the sink, or hovering over it until Laura finally slipped out through the front door.
She had effectively put me in my place for commenting on her spreading her legs.
I wasn’t about to apologize for what I said.
If the idea of fucking members of my club made her uneasy, then good.
It should. Because if I saw one of those fuckers touch her, or kiss her, I didn’t even know what I would do, and that honestly terrified me.
Laura pulled her phone in front of her once more, when it pinged with a text. I watched her dark brows furrow as she read over the message.
“Callie’s free. Her client had to leave early. There was some sort of complication. She told me to walk over, and she’d finish taking me around.”
I lifted my chin, hiding any hint of disappointment that might leak through.
“I’ll walk you over.” I slid back in the chair and stood.
Glancing over her shoulder revealed more than a few pair of eyes on us. The thought of having Laura protected with a patch thrummed through me once more.
But she wasn’t mine. She never would be.