Chapter Four
Chains
I leaned against the bar in the common room, nursing a lukewarm beer I had no intention of finishing.
The room pulsed with music and laughter, but I only had eyes for one person.
Ellie moved through the crowd like she belonged there, her black hair falling loose around her shoulders and down her back instead of in that braid she usually wore.
We hadn’t spoken since that night in her apartment two days ago, when I’d kissed her, then walked away like a Goddamn coward.
Now I watched her smile and laugh with my brothers, and something primal crawled up my spine.
“Christ, man. Just go fuckin’ talk to her,” Knuckles muttered beside me, his face creasing with amusement. “You’ve been staring for an hour.”
“Fuck off,” I growled, but didn’t take my eyes off Ellie. She wore tight black jeans and a blood red top that left her milky white shoulders bare. The clubhouse lights caught on something glittery on her cheekbones, making her skin glow.
Hawk appeared on my other side, his massive frame blocking my view for a second. “Move,” I snapped.
“Touchy tonight.” Hawk grinned, but shifted. “Never seen you this worked up over a woman before.”
I took another swig of beer, grimacing at the warm flatness of it. Across the room, Ellie threw her head back and laughed at something Griffin said to her. The sound carried over the music, wrapping around my chest like a fist.
“She kissed me,” I admitted quietly.
“Bullshit,” Knuckles said immediately. “You kissed her.”
I glared at him. “How the fuck would you know?”
“Because she told Hannah you did, and Hannah told me.” Knuckles smirked. “Also said you ran out right after like you were on fire.”
My jaw clenched. “I didn’t run.”
“Strategic retreat, then,” Knuckles suggested, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Look, brother, just claim her already before someone else does. Half the single guys in the club are circling her like sharks. Not only is she a beautiful woman, she’s fucking sunshine and rainbows and that’s fuckin’ catnip to these fuckers. ”
As if to prove his point, I watched Knight approach Ellie with two beers, offering her one with a grin. My grip tightened on my own bottle until I thought it might shatter. “She ain’t interested,” I said, more to convince myself than them.
“Really?” Knuckles pointed with his chin. “‘Cause she just took his beer.”
Ellie had indeed accepted Knight’s offering, though I noticed she placed it on a nearby table without drinking from it. Smart girl. Never take a drink you haven’t seen poured, especially in a place like this.
“Just being polite,” I argued. But something hot and uncomfortable twisted in my gut as Knight leaned closer to her, saying something that made her lips quirk upward. Not a full smile, but enough to encourage him.
“Polite, my ass,” Knuckles said. “She’s waiting for you to make a move, and you’re over here playing a fuckin’ wallflower.”
“I’m not playing anything,” I growled. “Just keeping an eye on her. Three black cats, remember? Bad fucking luck.”
“Yeah, and I’m the King of England.” Knuckles snorted. “You’re scared shitless of her.”
“I’m not scared of anything,” I retorted automatically, the lie bitter on my tongue.
The truth was, Ellie terrified me. Not because of her cats or her witchy stuff, but because of how she made me feel.
Like I wanted to deserve something good, even after all the shit I’d done.
And maybe, if this woman believed in me, I could reach my goal. I could make myself worthy.
As I watched, Griffin joined Knight, trapping Ellie between them in what looked like a friendly conversation but still set my teeth on edge.
She handled it with grace, her sharp wit evident in the way Griffin flinched backward, laughing but obviously stung by whatever she’d said as he put his hand over his heart.
“She can take care of herself,” Hawk observed. “Girl’s got a mouth on her.”
“Yeah, she does,” I agreed, remembering the taste of it, soft and warm under mine. I shifted my weight, suddenly uncomfortable.
One by one, the single members of the club made their way to Ellie, offering drinks, compliments, and probably propositions I couldn’t hear. She deflected them all with that humor of hers, her eyes occasionally flicking toward where I stood, though she never quite looked directly at me.
“Ten bucks says she goes home with Ranger tonight,” Gunnar said, nudging Knuckles.
“Fuck that, she’s got better taste. My money’s on Griffin,” Knuckles replied.
“Never happen.”
“Might want to keep an eye on Knight there.” Hawk nudged Gunnar’s shoulder. All of them ignored me now. “Creepy as that fucker is, he has this whole cinnamon roll thing goin’ on chicks dig.”
The casual way they bet on her, like she was some prize to be won, made something snap inside me. My vision narrowed, blood pounding in my ears. “Shut the fuck up,” I snarled, surprising even myself with the venom in my voice.
“Well, damn,” Knuckles said with a grin. “It’s like that, huh?”
Before I could answer, movement across the room caught my attention. Noose had sidled up to Ellie. Unlike the others, he didn’t bother with a drink offering. Instead, he went straight for contact, his hand sliding possessively over her arm as he leaned in close to her ear.
I saw her stiffen, then she smiled up at him like he was the only person in her world.
Something primitive and violent surged through me.
The bottle slipped from my fingers, shattering on the floor as I pushed off from the wall.
I was moving before I’d consciously decided to, shoving through bodies that suddenly felt like obstacles in my path.
The music seemed to warp and stretch, the laughter around me dying as I closed the distance. All I could see was Noose’s hand on Ellie’s arm and the way she gave him one of her beautiful smiles that should be all fucking mine.
I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him backward with enough force that he stumbled. Before he could regain his balance, I slammed him against the nearest table, my forearm across his throat.
“She’s mine,” I roared, the words tearing from somewhere deep and primal inside me.
They echoed off the metal surfaces of the clubhouse, bouncing back at me in the sudden silence that had fallen.
My chest heaved with each breath, adrenaline coursing through me like wildfire.
Noose struggled briefly against my hold, then went still, looking up at me with an expression I couldn’t read.
Then, to my surprise, he smirked. His hand came up to clap me on the shoulder.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time,” he wheezed around the pressure on his throat. “Now the rest of these fuckers can pay up cause they each owe me a hundred bucks for winnin’ the fuckin’ bet.”
I blinked, the red haze of rage slowly receding. “What bet?”
Noose’s grin widened. “How long it’d take you to claim your woman. I said within the week. Everyone else thought you’d pussy out for at least a month.”
I released him slowly, awareness of my surroundings returning in pieces. The entire club was roaring in laughter, even as the guys reached for their wallets.
“You set me up,” I said, the realization dawning.
“Had to.” Noose shrugged, straightening his cut. “You were driving everyone crazy with the brooding and the staring. Something had to give. We also wanted to feel Elvira out. See if she wanted you or if one of us could coax her into givin’ us a chance.”
“She didn’t know?”
“Hell no.” Noose waved my question off. “Had to keep it fair. If you didn’t know, she didn’t know.”
I turned to find Ellie standing a few feet away, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed.
I couldn’t read her expression, couldn’t tell if she was angry or amused or something else entirely.
But as our eyes locked across the short distance, I knew one thing for certain.
I hadn’t lied. She was mine. Had been since the moment she’d stood up to me about those damn cats.
And now everyone knew it, including her.
The question was, what the hell was I going to do about it?
I didn’t wait for the rest of the club to start collecting their bets.
With my heart still pounding in my ears, I crossed the remaining distance to Ellie and took her hand.
Her fingers were cold against my palm, but she didn’t pull away.
“Come with me,” I said, my voice rough even to my own ears.
Without waiting for an answer, I led her through the crowd, ignoring the knowing looks and wolf whistles that followed us.
I needed somewhere quiet, somewhere we could talk without an audience of grinning idiots watching our every move.
Ellie followed without resistance, though I felt her nails dig slightly into the leather of my jacket as she gripped my arm.
Her touch burned through the material, straight to my skin.
We wound through the hall to the other side of the warehouse where Knight had rigged up a theater room last month, claiming we needed a proper place to watch football games.
Knight himself was already there, unlocking the door with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Figured you might need some privacy,” he said, stepping aside to let us pass.
“Lock’s on the inside. Sound system’s off.
Talk it out. But for Christ’s sake, Chains.
Don’t make your first time with her in here.
Take her to a fuckin’ bed.” I might have punched the fucker if Ellie hadn’t giggled and buried her face in my chest, not the least bit upset.
With a long-suffering sigh, I nodded my thanks to Knight. As soon as we were inside, Knight pulled the door shut behind us, leaving us alone in the dimly lit room.