Chapter 18 #2
“You need to tell me why the leader of the Chaos Kings was seen speaking to one of your wards, not once but fucking two times in a row, Killian.”
My fury was blinding me, making my brain go blank.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Silas glared at Laura, as though she was annoying him. “Is she important to you, Quinn?”
He pulled the black barrel down the length of her face again, this time slowly grazing her lips.
I faltered closer, my throat nearly closing. “Yes. Okay, that what you want to hear?” My voice was cracking again as I stepped even closer, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. “Just let her go.”
“See, it’s strange. You seem unnerved at the idea of someone important to you having a meeting with the president of a rival club. Makes you uneasy seeing her in my lap, right?”
I had no idea who he was talking about…unless.
Fuck.
How could I have been so stupid, of course he was going to find out. Natty had some explaining to do. This was the second time he’d threatened our club on her behalf.
“She was never in any danger. I made sure of it, you have my fucking word, Silas.”
His eyes finally left Laura, and they were wild, unhinged as they attached to me.
“I have your word that the most important person in my entire fucking existence was safe with the wolf, while he went and met with the King of Chaos? Do you even know who they're working with, do you know what his own club is doing to him?”
Silas suddenly lifted Laura, until she was standing on the gravel by the bike. He quickly followed, holding on to her elbow. Her blue-eyed glare finally met mine, and my knees threatened to give out.
Finding my voice, I asked him about Natty. “If she’s so important to you then why is she here? How come she isn’t with you?”
His ghost-like gaze pierced me with a look of absolute abandon.
“Why isn’t she wearing your patch?” His gun grazed Laura’s shoulders, lifting the hood of her sweatshirt then letting it plop back down.
She had her hair in two braids tonight, tiny curls were framing her face and kissing her skin.
Even dressed down in sweats and a hoodie, she made my breath hitch.
All I could picture was her under me, writhing as I slowly fucked her.
“You know she came out here, charging forward with her fists clenched like she owned this entire fucking club. She heard one of the Sweetbutts scream, and suddenly she was trying to step toe to toe with me. She gave zero fucks as to who I was. Even now, she’d be mouthing off like she was earlier except we told her that Mason over there would shoot you in the back the second she opens her pretty little mouth. ”
“You’re a coward, Silas. Let her go and come talk to me.” I was close enough now that we were speaking in tones where the rest of the club couldn’t hear us.
“This is a warning, Killian. What belongs to me stays safe under your protection, or I come back for what’s yours.
Even if you do decide to eventually claim her, I’ll take her.
I will be back for what’s mine. In the meantime, I highly suggest you put a property patch between these delicate shoulders.
” He stroked down Laura’s back, and I lunged.
He released her, pushing her toward me right as his other members started their bikes and began riding directly at us. I pulled Laura until she was cradled into my chest.
The bikes moved in such a way that made it impossible to go after Silas for what he’d just done. The rest of the members followed him out, until it was just the Stone Riders left.
Within a single breath, Laura pushed me back, and because I was still reeling from seeing her at fucking gunpoint, my arms came loose, and she briskly walked back toward the club.
Before she reached the door, I yelled for all the members still outside to hear.
“Sadie, and any other Sweetbutt who turned Laura over to Silas, your ass is out of here.”
Laura spun on her heel, her face flushed, and then she stepped in front of Sadie and the other girls.
“You will not remove them from this club. Not a single person.” Her voice carried, and I saw the looks on every single member’s face. Silas said she’d stepped up for them, as a way to protect them while I was gone.
Laura stayed rooted by the porch as the rest of the girls looked scared.
“They aren’t guilty of anything you didn’t do to me yourself. You didn’t want me thrown to a Death Raider, then you shouldn’t have started shit with me, Killian. Especially shit you had no intention of following through with. These girls stay.”
With one last glance at each Sweetbutt, Laura turned and went inside.
I knew without a second thought she’d just earned the loyalty of half my fucking club, if not more. The Sweetbutts would now do anything to protect her, regardless that they’d shoved her forward this time. They’d never do it again, not now that she’d stepped to me and demanded they stay.
The men watched me for what I might do next, likely expecting me to overrule what Laura had just said.
I saw Sadie thread her fingers through Giles as she waited, fear stamped across her features.
A lot of these women found clubs they could be in safely, and Stone Riders was one of the only that didn’t hurt their unattached females.
If I said they had to leave, then they’d just fall in with another club.
Dipping my chin to my chest, I decided to leave Laura’s words hanging in the air and ran after her instead.
Why had she run into the club instead of the apartment?
Bursting through the club doors, I scanned the bar, seeing Red wiping her white rag across the surface with a glare fixed on her face. Since I couldn’t place Laura anywhere, I walked over to the woman who knew everything that went on in this club.
“Where is she?”
Red let out a huff, almost like an incredulous chuckle.
“You give Natty your patch?”
Of course everyone in this fucking club knew about that, and if they all assumed Laura was mine, then I’d just embarrassed her by offering it to Natty.
“Natty hadn’t been on the back of a bike in years, Red. She had to go meet with the Chaos Kings, and I needed my bike. I wanted her safe.”
Red tilted her head to the side, humming to herself. “Yet you’re too scared to extend the patch to Laura because you’re afraid of what your name on her back will mean for her.”
I had no response to that, because yes, if Laura wore my actual property patch, the one that said she was my property then she’d be a target. Callie’s car was targeted because of her attachment to the club, I could only imagine what things they would do to Laura.
Red leaned in close, setting her dishrag between us.
“That girl is your equal Killian Quinn. You’d be punching God straight in the mouth if you reject the gift he created in her for you.
She’s patient, a hard worker, loyal to the bone and the only other person that’s as protective of this place as you are.
She cares about the members here; she cares about you. ”
“I don’t need a fucking lecture.”
She huffed again and pointed toward the basement. “You do, you idiot, but I’ll spare you. She’s downstairs, took the spare room.”
I pushed off the counter, giving her a glare. “With Giles?”
She shrugged. “Not my concern who warms her bed, I did tell her it gets mighty cold down there at night.”
My rage reared and sputtered, but I had to remember that Giles would never do that. He was too nervous to even walk up the stairs when he thought she might be in pajamas.
Members started filtering back in, the music kicked on and I was headed for the basement. Giles tried to flag me down, but I only gave him a warning look before throwing the door open leading to the stairs.
Why was she down here? Didn’t make any sense, when I told her to stay in the apartment.
Pounding down the steps, once I cleared the bottom, I veered toward the spare room, tucked away closer to the back and tried the handle. It wouldn’t turn.
So I knocked, politely.
“Daisy, open up please.”
Nothing.
Frustration gnawed at every nerve ending in my body, and I was still shaking from seeing her on Silas’s lap, with that gun drifting across her bottom lip.
My fist curled and I pounded on the door. “Open. Now.”
Still nothing, and my temper wasn’t built for this shit. I stepped back, and thrust my boot into the wood, shattering the frame.
Inside the tiny space was a twin bed, and on the bed was Laura, curled onto her side, facing the wall. She had a pair of headphones on, which explained why she wasn’t answering, but fuck. She had to have known I would come for her.
Walking to the edge of the bed, I placed my hand on her hip and finally saw her face. She was crying, swiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, and my heart had officially hit its limit.
There was a sadness that tugged at me, burrowing into my sternum and solidifying this shaky, terrible feeling that had started growing three months ago. From the first time I ever laid eyes on Laura.
Love.
Instead of pulling her up, and throwing her over my shoulder, I slipped my boots off then my jacket, and lifted the threadbare blanket, slipping in behind her.
Half my body was off the edge of the mattress, but Laura made room, scooting closer to the wall.
I tucked one arm under her, pulling her into my chest, and wrapped my other arm around her.
My knees bent, fitting behind the backs of her legs, until we were spooning.
Emotion clogged my throat as I inhaled her citrus scent, and the reality of the night really hit me. She could have been taken from me. She could have been kidnapped or hurt. She could have been shot when the girls pushed her forward. She could have been…
I couldn’t even think about it. I needed to keep her safe, but the only way I could do that was if I sent her away or told her to leave.
Red’s words came back to me, reminding me that Laura could handle this life, I just had to give her the chance.