Chapter Eight #2
Wraith had barely settled when he was ordered in Ace’s wing of the clubhouse where they held all the meetings.
It would be closed, not open to all the brothers.
Usually when a member stepped out of line, he was reprimanded in front of the club.
It served as a lesson to all. There were different rules for higher-ranked officers.
They were the most trusted within the club Ace created years ago.
They all faithfully conducted their positions, Cue as treasurer and Oak as Secretary.
Cypher served as the Tech genius and Ghost as club medic.
Fittingly, Gent was the perfect Icer. Other brothers had stepped in when the two incarcerated cousins took a hiatus, but Jekyll was their Sergeant at Arms with Hyde as the Road Captain.
All members received the same treatment and ranked in equal value, but the officers were held in higher regard.
They were given small concessions. As the enforcer, Wraith received this same privilege.
Wraith pushed open the door and stalked into the room.
He expected Ace and Cross, but when he turned, he saw Cypher walk in, closing the door behind him.
Wraith took no issue with him being there.
The club as a whole was one family. But like any family dynamic, there were some closer than others.
Cypher being very different from Wraith made them an unlikely but complimentary duo.
“Wraith.” Cross narrowed his gaze. “You gotta stop trying to kill Gent.”
Wraith fisted his hands and paced around the room like a caged animal. His temper had gotten the best of him. Again. For her.
“That shit would’ve never gone down if he wasn’t such a fucking asshole.”
“I agree.” Cross spread out his arms. “But Gent is a fucking asshole. Been that way since the day we met him, and that’s not gonna change. Need you to calm the fuck down.”
Wraith swung his arm out, pointing to the door. “That motherfucker wants to initiate a fight with Cleo, and I’m the one getting shit right now?”
“Might have something to do with you” —Ace hardened his stare— “trying to kill those two assholes in our house.”
Wraith folded his arms. “But I didn’t, did I?”
Cross shook his head, settling back into his chair. “We all agree Gent’s an asshole and got a fucked-up sense of humor. But do you really think he’d ever let anyone so much as lay a fucking finger on Cleo?”
Wraith charged forward, tightening his scowl. “But she doesn’t fucking know that!”
Cross threw his hands up, glancing over at Ace. “I called this years ago. Knew it would be a problem. Told you, right?”
Wraith didn’t know all the details about what Cross had told his president.
He didn’t need them. He could read between the lines.
Everyone was aware of his obsessive and possessive behavior when it came to Cleo.
It had only heightened after Knox’s death.
Most saw it as a protective oath to her brother.
Some saw it deeper. But very few had the balls to be vocal. Until now.
“She’s fucking yours, we know that. Does she?
” Cross pushed up from his chair, circling the table.
“’Cause maybe if she did, she’d be a little more secure in her position.
Cleo walks around here like she’s some fucking obligation we owe to Knox.
And you let her fucking think that.” Cross scowled.
“She’s not the problem, brother. You are. ”
Wraith glared at his VP as he left the room.
“Cypher.” Ace gestured to the door, and seconds later he heard it lock in place.
Ace glanced down at the empty chair in front of Wraith. The last thing he needed now or ever was a heart to heart. It seemed his president was going to force his hand. Wraith grabbed the back of the chair, yanked it from the table, and sat.
“You know he’s right.”
Wraith did. Everything Cross had said was accurate.
Ace clasped his hands, resting his elbows on the table and sighed.
“After Knox died, I considered getting her outta here. Setting her up somewhere, maybe in Lawry. She’d have Inez close if something happened.
Actually ran it by Inez. She laughed in my face.
Called me a few degrading names, and then asked if I was prepared to start a war with you.
I’ll give her credit, she saw it before I did.
” Ace pointed at him. “You would’ve never let her go.
Never agreed to anything that put her out of your reach.
She may have come in as Knox’s sister. But we don’t see her that way anymore.
To this club and everyone in it, Cleo is your woman.
But until she knows that, every motherfucker in here walks on eggshells around her. ” Ace smirked. “Except Gent.”
“And you.”
“I don’t fuck with Cleo because you haven’t made her family yet. Until you claim her, none of us will. What the fuck is stopping you?”
He’d asked himself the same question hundreds of times. There was only one answer.
“I don’t know how to be her man, Ace.” Wraith sighed, dragging his hand over his mouth. “You saw her with those flowers. That’s the shit she wants. Sunshine and fucking rainbows.”
Ace laughed. “Brother, she’s been around long enough to know she ain’t gonna get much of that here.”
“But she fucking deserves it, Ace.”
He flattened his lips, nodding. “Yeah, she probably does. You willing to let her go and let another man give her that?”
Wraith clenched his jaw and remained silent. The thought of Cleo with someone else sent fire through his veins. She’s mine.
“I didn’t think so. Look, she deserves a man who will lay his own life down to spare her own.
Someone who’s gonna love her crazy ass unconditionally.
A club where she doesn’t feel like an outsider or a debt.
That’s you, and that’s Killcreek.” Ace smiled.
“And on occasion buy her some fucking flowers. It ain’t that deep, brother. ”
Wraith snorted, shaking his head. “It’s not that easy.”
“Yeah, it is. And I’m gonna answer that question in your head that you refuse to ask yourself.” Ace stood. “You deserve her, Wraith.”
Ace walked out the door, but Wraith remained in the room mulling over their conversation.
Ace didn’t know everything about Cleo. It would be hard for anyone who didn’t have her whole story to fully understand why he’d taken his time with Cleo.
She’d been through more than most people would ever see in their lives.
He expected to figure out the right approach, possibly soften his hard exterior and black heart.
Years later, and it still hadn’t happened.
Wraith left the room and went in search of Cleo.
There were two prospects at the end of the hall who quickly made a path for him.
Smart fucking move. He scanned the room.
The fight didn’t do anything to slow down the party.
It never did. Fist fights and brawls were usually par for the course at a Killcreek party.
Though it usually didn’t involve brothers.
If they wanted to take out their grievances physically, they did it in the ring with the whole club watching.
He was halfway across the room when a woman stepped in front of him. He’d seen her before but couldn’t place her face. Not that it mattered.
“What?”
“I was thinking…” She reached out, draping her hand over his chest. He grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t fucking touch me.”
She pulled her hand away, dropping her arm to her side. “Okay. I just thought we could hang out. Maybe in your room?”
“I don’t hang out. I fuck.”
The corner of her mouth curled.
He snarled. “And I’m not fucking you.”
Wraith walked past her, not sparing the woman a second glance.
He walked up to the second floor where Cleo’s bedroom was located.
They had moved members around when Cleo came to live at the clubhouse.
They all agreed giving her the last room at the end of the hall would separate her as much as possible.
There was talk about giving her the spare generally used for guests on the wing off in the back.
There were four rooms, and only two brothers occupied two of them.
Hyde and Jekyll. They were currently serving time upstate.
In less than a year and they’d be home. If they can just fly under the radar.
Wraith was headed to her room, but voices had him slowing his pace, peering over into Ghost’s room.
The door was ajar, and as he moved closer, the familiar tones became clearer.
He pushed open the door, scanning the room.
The room was neat, orderly, and minimalistic.
It was rare he was in any other member’s room.
There was never a reason. Until now. He walked inside, hearing them. His gaze shifted to the open window.
Ghost’s room was the only one that had roof access over the porch. He found his brother and Cleo sitting on the roof with a familiar scent lingering in the air. Motherfucker.
Cleo turned to Ghost, laughing and handing him a bottle of what looked like tequila. Cleo rarely drank, and when she did it was either a beer or some fruity seltzer. This was going to end up a shitshow.
“But where’s the worm?” Cleo asked.
Wraith clenched his jaw. He wasn’t sure if it had been a full bottle when they started, but there was only a quarter left at this point. He stood in the window, yanking at the curtain blowing in front of him.
“What the fuck are you two doing?” he shouted.
Cleo jumped and grabbed the roof, extending her legs for traction. He’d obviously scared the hell out of her. Ghost was the polar opposite. Very few things caught this brother off guard. He didn’t even flinch and only moved when Cleo shifted. He grabbed her arm, steadying her.
“Hi.” Cleo’s eyes were glazed, and her smile was too bright. Drunk. That was putting it mildly.
“Get inside,” Wraith snapped.