Ink
Naomi’s words sat heavy in his gut and swirled in his mind like a thunder cloud. They’d dealt with the depraved intentions of these kinds of criminal groups before, but this hit closer to home for him. Knowing it involved Naomi was like a punch in the gut.
And for the first time, it didn’t worry him that he was developing feelings for a woman.
Maybe that was because said woman wanted nothing to do with him.
After delivering that information, she refused to talk to him anymore, and he finally realized the only way to stop fucking this up was to leave.
Not that he went far. He stayed close to the warehouse, watching over them and trying to wrap his head around all of it.
Now, leaving while a prospect took over—even if it was Tom—didn’t sit well with him. He wanted to jump out of his chair and storm out of the room. Church be damned.
His gut clenched at the realization. Fuck. That … that was a problem. His club came first. Always. No one was allowed to come before it. Especially not a woman. But here he was. Was this how the other guys felt?
He bit back a curse, needing to get a grip.
Naomi’s face flashed in his mind. Fuck. He was screwed.
“We don’t have a lot of time before the Predators get in here,” Rogue stated.
“You want to get your stories straight. Figure it the fuck out now.” Then his gaze moved to Ink’s.
“And you need to get your head out of your ass and fast. That woman is going to leave if you don’t make it clear what your intentions are. ”
Ink stiffened as all eyes pointed his way. Some knew, others were shocked. Damn it. He was just trying to come to terms with it all himself, and now he was on the spot.
“Wait, what am I missing?” Snake demanded. He leaned forward, eyes wide as he stared at Ink. “You got the hots for that chick?”
Ink’s tongue felt heavy. His brain warred with his heart. What the hell was he supposed to say?
“I think you broke him.” Jax snickered. “Dude, it was bound to happen. You can’t remain a washed-up old bachelor like Snake here.”
Snake flipped him off. “I like to keep my options open, and I thought Ink was going to be right there with me. With all of you falling like flies, it’s making me look real good with the club girls.”
His suggestive leer might once have made Ink laugh, but now it only made him feel uneasy.
“Ink’s working through things,” Fury interjected. “Not every night does the lady he’s into bite him like a wildcat.”
A few more laughs.
“Or shoots at our prez here,” Razor added.
Savage flipped him off, earning more laughs.
“Alright, enough. We don’t have time for this shit,” Rogue snapped. He pinned Ink with another hard look. “Are you going to let her walk away, or are you going to claim her? That’s the only damn way we have any chance of keeping her here.”
“She doesn’t want anything to do with me.” Ink sighed. The thought of her leaving because he fucked up made him queasy. But what right did he have to ask her to stay?
“Then you make her want you.” Rogue sneered. “It’s not fucking rocket science.”
“Says the man who stalked his woman and hid in the bushes like one of those crazy assholes in the books she and the ladies like to read.” Jax scoffed. “You could try hiding in her closet, Ink. Might make things more interesting. And less wet and cold.”
Ink ignored him. “Look, I’m barely realizing I want to keep Naomi and—”
“Damn it, not another one.” Snake moaned.
Everyone ignored him. “Grow some balls and figure it the fuck out,” Rogue ordered. “I didn’t want Scarlett or the girls, and now there’s no way I’ll ever let them go.”
“And they’ve made him such a cuddly teddy bear,” Code said deadpan. He grunted when Rogue slapped him upside the head, but still grinned, unrepentant.
“Incoming,” Savage grunted as footsteps sounded outside the door. Ink tried not to panic, keep his face neutral, but the sympathetic looks aimed his way told him he wasn’t successful.
Shit. He had to make up his mind and fast.
The door opened at Savage’s command, and the Devil’s Predators walked in. Cold. Silent. Deadly.
A chill went down his spine. He didn’t look away, but it was a struggle when Taz’s gaze locked onto his, hard and cold. Ink couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Taz look like that. He was so crazy and wild. Seeing him serious made him wonder if they’d misjudged him all this time.
Was Taz the most dangerous in the group? Right now, it certainly seemed like it.
Karissa and Jag weren’t with them. Glitch sat at the end, her Devil’s Predator cut on display. She never so much as glanced at Code, who frowned and pouted. Ink wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t know if he dared.
The entire group looked ready to strike them all down.
Simba took the lead, and another chill rushed down Ink’s spine with every word.
“Give us one good reason not to take her and her little boy and stash them away where no one will ever find them again.” Simba’s eyes bored into Savage’s.
“Give me one fucking good reason not to walk out that door and not come back here unless we’re called.
We came to you, asked for your help, asked you to keep them safe, and you had a fucking party.
I don’t fucking care what it was for,” he snapped when Jax opened his mouth.
Jax snapped it shut and winced. “You want to party, fine, but you don’t fucking invite outsiders so some of you can get your fucking dicks wet when you know someone on the grounds is in fucking danger. ”
“We take full responsibility for what happened, Simba,” Savage said. “The club girl who—”
“The woman and her friends who should never have been on the damn grounds before your nine o’clock start,” Vulture stated.
“Naomi was there twenty full minutes before that, when she should have been fine. She told us she planned to leave before they showed. Let in by your fucking prospects at the gate. Who the fuck else have they let in?”
The tension in the room mounted, but no one tried to defend it. What could they say? It was a major failure, and they’d gotten lax. Far too lax.
“And you,” Taz said, his gaze locked on Ink. Ink held his stare, but his fists clenched on his thighs. “It was your girl who started all this shit.”
“She’s not my fucking girl,” Ink snapped. “Kayla was gravely mistaken, and it’s been corrected.”
“Unless she’s in the fucking ground, shit’s been done.” Taz’s voice never increased in volume, but it sure sounded like a shout in his head. “You let that girl think she was something to you. You invited her here. As far as I’m concerned, this shit falls on your shoulders.”
“You think I don’t already fucking know that?” Ink barked, unable to hold back. “You think I don’t feel bad enough as it is?”
“Not bad enough, considering how upset she is. I should beat your ass for terrifying her the way you two idiots did.” Taz looked at Savage. “She should have fucking clipped you and knocked some sense into you.”
Savage’s expression hardened, and he seared Taz with a glare. Taz ignored him and looked back at Ink. “She told me she explained to you what would happen if they found her. Was that worth trying to get your dick wet?”
“Fuck you, Taz,” Ink seethed. “I don’t want anything to do with Kayla or any of the other club girls.
I’ve been stuck on Naomi since she fucking got here.
You think I wouldn’t have rather taken that bullet than see her so fucking scared?
Knowing I had a huge part in scaring Asher?
It’s tearing me up. You want to beat on me, fine, but I’m not letting you take her away. ”
“That’s not up to you,” Simba stated. “It’s Naomi’s choice, and ours if we believe she has been compromised. This is far bigger than you and your wants, Ink. Her safety and her son’s safety are our responsibility, and you’ve proven that giving you a second chance might be too big a risk.”
“So that’s it? You’re going to squirrel her away in some safe house where she’s going to end up all alone again? You guys aren’t going to stick around when you’re on a mission and leave her vulnerable. So why would she be better off with you?”
“Because we know how to protect the people in our care and don’t put a party ahead of their protection,” Warg said. “And she would never be unprotected.”
Ink wanted to bare his teeth at them. He wanted to pound his fists on the table and demand they leave and let him fix it with Naomi. Prove that he’d protect her and Asher with everything he had.
Instead, he bit his tongue and glared at them.
“Alright, enough,” Savage snapped. “All this back-and-forth is wasting time. What do you want from us? What do you need to make this right? Ink’s made it clear he wants Naomi and Asher.
He spent hours with her today, trying to fix it.
That means something. And I’ll give you an apology for fucking shit up.
That’s on me, and I’ll correct it so it never happens again.
That includes dealing with the prospects. ”
Simba looked at Glitch, who nodded. “Karissa and I accept our roles in this as well. We should have ensured that, and that’s on us.
” She looked at Savage. “Until Naomi’s situation and testimony are presented in federal court, Karissa and I will serve as members of our club.
No parties. Our only jobs are to support the team on missions and to secure Naomi’s protection.
We will coordinate with you and your prospects to assure adequate coverage of the compound. ”
Savage said nothing for a moment, but Ink could tell he didn’t like it. It was a clear blow to their egos. They had messed up, and now two of the women would be running part of the show.
On the other hand, he could see the benefit. It kept the lines from getting muddy, and it meant that maybe Naomi would feel safer.
“We’re also going to leave one of our team here, and we’ll alternate out when we pass through,” Simba added. His tone left no room for argument. “Between the three of them, there shouldn’t be any more problems.”