Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
KILLIAN
The room was packed, and because it involved everyone in the club, we were in the spacious area where the couches and fireplace framed the room.
A few people were perched at the bar, and Red was behind it, mixing up a few drinks.
Likely just keeping busy. I knew these sorts of meetings had a tendency to make her nervous.
Wes had Callie in his lap, his jaw was rigid, like he was biting back words. My anger surged seeing them there, all safe and protected. Knowing what Laura had done to keep their stupid fucking car safe.
“You put Harris on Callie or both women?” I asked, loud enough that everyone heard.
Rage over how Simon had given the club to Wes flickered in my chest. A violence was humming inside me, and something told me some blood would be shed tonight over it. My best friend and I had some words to say to one another, and these would best be spoken with our fists.
Wes glared then dipped his head. “Just Callie.”
Fuck. Him.
Callie turned in his lap and her jaw dropped. “What?”
Harris lowered his head as though he was ashamed.
“I will not apologize for this; you knew it was a part of the deal when you said you needed space while being out in town.”
Callie rubbed her forehead, searching the floor as if it could provide some reason as to why her husband just shit all over the only other person who mattered to her.
“But Laura needs just as much protection.”
Wes glared at me then focused back on his wife. “She doesn’t. She’s not a member, she’s not patched to anyone, she helps in the kitchen. If anyone here wanted her protected, they’d offer her a patch.”
I knew that comment was directed at me, but I only glared back.
Callie scoffed then stood from Wesley’s lap, throwing her hand toward Natty. “So Natty isn’t considered a member, or worth protecting?”
Natty flinched, looking down.
“She’s not a member.” Wes double-downed on his statement.
“But she knows that, so does anyone who is patched in. We wouldn’t leave her behind, and she is safe here.
We offer her protection just by existing.
Same goes for Laura. She’s lived in my apartment rent free for three months.
We gave her a job here. She has a place, but she’s not the same as you, and I’m not about to get into a fucking argument about wanting to keep my wife safe. ”
I crossed my arms over my chest, staring down my best friend.
“You may not want to get in an argument with her, but you will with me. You fucked Laura over today. She risked her life for the club, for your wife, and all you can do is sit here and talk about how she isn’t owed protection?”
Wes stood while Giles looked on nervously.
“If you have a problem with how things went down then I suggest you do something about it.”
I’d had enough.
Stalking forward, I gripped my best friend around the back of the neck and pushed him until he was ducking and trying to catch his balance. It allowed me to get both our asses outside.
The rain pelted us, but I didn’t care. I let my fist fly as hard as I could into his jaw.
Callie was outside seconds later, screaming at us to stop.
Wes came back for me, pummeling me at the waist. It knocked the air out of my lungs as he pushed me backward and I lost my footing in the mud. A hard hit landed on my cheek, and then I threw my fist into his eye.
“Fuck.” He bellowed then with a roar he was tripping me, until my back was on the ground and his boot was coming down. I rolled at the last second and then heard shuffling behind us.
“Let ‘em fight it out. This is how things are done.” I heard Brooks say, but Callie was still yelling.
My fist flew again into my best friend’s mouth. He spit a wad of blood into the mud. The rain had his hair slicked and messily cutting into his eyes. One of which was already swelling while his lip was busted open. We stood apart, heaving chests, staring at each other.
“You need to fix this shit, Killian. I don’t know why you’re dragging it out, but you’re putting the club at risk by doing so.”
Hot rage spiked inside me at his words. I knew what he was talking about, so did everyone within hearing distance, at least they probably did. First, I fucked up Kip, now this.
I was a goddamn mess.
“I can’t.” Was all I could say through gritted teeth.
Wesley’s eyes softened as he stared at me, as if he pitied me. He didn’t know why, but what Laura had said only solidified my position.
“She’d be safer,” Wes said quieter, so those on the porch wouldn’t hear.
I swiped at my face and shook my head.
“Saved her life not having a patch today.” I wanted to tell him what my father said, how that sick, perverted fuck had mentioned her to me.
Wes would get pissed, and then even more people would know about her being the senator’s daughter, and I didn’t want that.
I wasn’t ready to lose her. A panicked part of me worried I’d lose her regardless because if she grew up in that world, there was no chance of her ever honestly settling for this one.
My best friend sagged and walked over to me, gripping my shoulder. He was close enough now that whatever we said would just stay between us.
“You don’t think I worry about that every day with Callie?
The target it paints on her back? There’s power in this club, brother.
Power in us being together and a family.
That patch will protect her, regardless of whatever happened today.
You owe it to yourself not to keep stressing over this.
She’s here; she’s not leaving. You need to realize she’s going to move on soon enough, unless you give her a reason to stay. ”
With a pat on my back, he walked off, heading back toward his wife.
I stayed put, frustrated with myself. This feeling under my skin was burning, itching to shed itself, and be free.
I had feelings for Laura. Strong ones, but I had just finally become president.
The last thing I was about to do was let her mess with my head.
She was already messing with my first week as acting president.
If I gave her any more space in my life, she’d take it and own it, and deep down, I knew the chances she’d actually stick around were slim.
She was born to privilege, and whenever her mother or dad called and asked her to pick out a pretty diamond ring and marry some guy named Griffin from Yale, she would do it.
She’d put on a pretty cocktail dress, apply fancy makeup worth more than my bike, and she’d smile.
I’d be a memory to her, a dark, twisted memory.
I wasn’t going to be her future, so why would I risk giving her mine?
Giles walked up to me, waving me off to the side.
Veering toward the garage, I followed my vice president until it was just the two of us.
His brown eyes searched my face, narrowing on the place where Wes hit my jaw.
“You good?”
I gave him a quick nod while digging into the loose gravel at my feet.
Giles waited a breath before pushing on. “Jameson asked if he could do a meet up. He knows it might stir shit if he comes here. Wants to know if you’ll bring Natty somewhere neutral.”
I needed to get the fuck out of here anyway, seemed like a good idea to me.
“Tell him to send the location, we’ll meet him there in thirty.”
Three Months Ago
Laura had gotten into my head.
The idea of her being with another member had gotten under my skin.
I was just fucking with her about the twins.
I didn’t have anyone, just like I had messed with her about Jules that first time I had met her.
Jules was an old friend, and she looked like the stereotypical pick for a member to fuck.
Truth was, she was broken hearted over the woman she’d lost and usually just needed a drinking buddy.
She worked to piss off the only woman I had ever seen that had managed to crawl under my skin. She was a problem from day one, and now she was festering.
I had broken my one rule for her.
That fucking kiss.
I had to remind myself she was leaving and wouldn’t be a problem for me anymore.
Still, the idea of her trying to see someone tonight wasn’t happening. Just because I couldn’t have her didn’t mean anyone else could.
Turned out I didn’t have to worry about it; the second we arrived back at the club, Wes ordered the girls to stay put. Then Wes put me on security of them both.
Being in the apartment that was supposed to be mine was never as difficult as it was when occupied by a girl that I wanted for myself. She had decided to go outside the second I had walked in.
Fine by me.
I didn’t need to talk through our little exchange from earlier.
Didn’t need to relive that kiss, or the fact that it was the worst and best thing I have ever experienced.
I didn’t need to relive her smiling at me while straddling my hips, or how it seemed to remove every doubt I’d ever had about letting someone inside this fucked up heart of mine.
I blinked, staring up at the seventy-five-inch screen.
Wes had good taste. I liked how dark and masculine everything in his apartment looked.
My mind drifted to what it would look like if I had it.
A flash of blonde entered the image in my head, Laura smiling at me from her spot on the couch.
Her laughing as I dove in for a kiss. Us planning meals, cooking together in the kitchen…
me fucking her slowly against the counter.
Jesus.
Where did that come from?
My chest ached; this was bad. So fucking bad.
Suddenly the glass door from outside opened and the woman walked in. I stared at Laura as she walked past me as if I was invisible.
Under her shirt, she still had invisible ropes of pleasure smearing her skin. I had marked her, and she was just walking around as if I hadn’t.