Ink #2
“So you’re going to keep her here?” Ink tried not to let hope seep into his voice but didn’t quite manage it.
Simba glared at him. “It was no small feat. You don’t understand how fucking close you were to losing her and never seeing her again, Ink. She was half packed before we talked to her.”
“How’d you convince her to stay?” Fury asked, brow arched. “She seemed pretty bound and determined to go.”
“The twins stopped by.”
Rogue cursed. “I told them to stay fucking put.”
“When have they ever listened to you?” Razor scoffed.
“The girls came in and said they heard what happened,” Simba continued.
“They called you all every name in the book too.” His lips quirked just a bit, and Rogue sighed.
“Asher might be repeating a few of those words, but Naomi let it slide. The two of them started in on how stupid every single one of you is, and why MCs need women in them to keep you all in line. Then they oh-so-cleverly reminded her that if she went with us, she’d be around a bunch of idiot men again, and that we’d be far worse than you. What did she call us?” he asked Taz.
Taz’s grin was quick and sharp. “Overbearing douchebags who got off on ordering women around and had the emotional intelligence of a slug. There might have been a couple more insults in there, but those really stood out.”
A small chuckle echoed around the room.
“But it was the fact that they said they understood how scared she was of the entire situation. They said they’d been through something similar, and that Scarlett had to trust a couple of men to help them, and they fucked up a few times along the way.
But holding onto that fear wasn’t living.
It also made you bitter. They agreed that you all needed to know you’d screwed up, but maybe to give you a second chance.
Especially if some of us are sticking around. ”
“They also pointed out that if she wanted to explore whatever it was between her and Ink, it was the perfect time to see how far they could make him grovel and crawl,” Taz added, with a dark smile aimed at Ink.
Wait, they saw that there was something between them? Did Naomi want him too?
Ink’s head reeled at the thought. A small kernel of hope bloomed in his belly.
“She finally agreed to stay as long as one of us is here, along with Karissa and Glitch, and she’s been given a weapon for self-defense.” Simba gave Savage a slow smile, and Savage let out a low groan before nodding his agreement.
“Oh, and no more parties,” Warg added. “If you want to party, do it without bringing anyone else. If you want to get your dicks wet, leave the grounds and don’t bring anyone back here. We’ll make sure of that.”
“Careful,” Savage warned. “I’ve held my tongue, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you have a say on these grounds.”
“We have every say where Naomi’s and Asher’s safety is concerned,” Glitch snapped. Her glare was just as hard as Savage’s. “I’m not an Old Lady right now, Savage, so I’m not answering to you either. Their safety is our priority. If you can’t handle it, we take her and leave.”
“You’re including yourself in the leaving part?” Savage questioned.
“Yes. Karissa will be too.”
Code ground his teeth, and his fists clenched on the table. Razor was the same. Both men were going to be pissed as hell at their women when they were alone. These decisions couldn’t be made lightly.
Did he really want to deal with this by having an Old Lady? Even if Naomi didn’t end up giving him a chance or walking away?
The resounding yes that echoed in his head sealed it.
“Savage, accept the deal,” he said, looking at his president. “We fucked up. We fix it. This is the only way.”
Savage scowled. “You want this woman that badly that you’re willing to be bossed around by them?”
“If it’s what it takes to make things easier for Naomi, then yes.
Look, they’re right. We’ve gotten lax. It’s not safe for the women and kids, not just Naomi and Asher.
We take the time to fix this shit up, and we do it right.
If the cartel showed up, we have prospects who would let them through the fucking gates.
We can’t allow that—and Naomi’s mine. I’m claiming her.
I’ll do what I need to for her to realize that I’m the best place for them, even when this shit is finished with the Feds. ”
The room was silent.
Savage let out a heavy sigh but finally nodded. “Fine. We’ll accept the terms, but the Devil’s Predators’ members are not to be in Church meetings unless invited. They are here to protect Naomi. All the other shit, you leave at our fucking door.”
“Fine,” Simba agreed.
“And who is the third member of the brigade who’s going to be staying here?” Rogue asked.
“You already know the answer to that,” Simba said, with a slow, self-satisfied smile.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Ro-Ro, I won’t let the girls get into too much trouble while I’m here,” Taz said with a beaming smile, the cold intensity melting.
Rogue cursed. “I might kill him before you switch him out,” he warned Simba.
Simba shrugged. “You’ll have to go through Glitch and Karissa, so do your worst.”
Ink ignored the rest of the bickering, his mind moving on to the next step in what needed to be done. He needed to get Naomi to trust him again and to give him a chance to explore what might be simmering between them.
Good thing he had plenty of practice being charming. It might be the only thing that would work.