Chapter 8 #2
“Be safe, girl. Call if you need us.”
After ending the call, I walk out of the bathroom and toss the phone onto the bed before sitting down on it to pull my boots on. My father telling everyone I’ve been kidnapped complicates things.
I pull the door shut behind me, carefully locking it with the key Jinx gave me.
The clubhouse is louder once I’m in the corridor.
I can smell breakfast food and coffee and hear dishes clinking from upstairs.
The sound of brothers talking and women laughing fills my ears.
My anxiety kicks up a notch, but I keep walking because I can’t hide out in my room all day.
The conversation in the main room dims a little when I walk into it.
The energy changes and several brothers look up from coffee mugs, phones, or conversations to gaze at me.
Most are somewhere between bland and curious.
A few look suspicious. One man near the bar looks at me with open hostility before turning his head to mutter something to the brother beside him.
I keep my chin up because I know better than to let a room full of bikers see my fear. I walk towards Jinx and he comes to his feet looking into my eyes. When I’m close, he recovers long enough to pull out an empty chair for me.
“Have a seat and I’ll get you some breakfast.”
I glance at the table set up off to the side, wondering why I’m not allowed to get my own food. “If I could get some water, crackers and fruit, that would be nice,” I say.
His brows come down into a frown, but overall, his expression looks more confused than anything.
I quickly explain, “I have stomach problems when I’m under stress, making it hard to hold food down.”
His expression clears immediately. “Of course. That makes perfect sense. I’ll be right back.”
I realize as I sit that half the room is listening to our conversation.
Silver waves when she walks by with a tray of juice.
She points to a glass and I nod. She walks over to me with a smile on her pretty face.
Grabbing one of the glasses, she sets it beside my plate.
Before walking off, she whispers, “You’re doing great. Keep your head up.”
I never expected to find support from one of their club girls, but at this point, I’ll take any friend I can get. At least she knows how this place operates.
Jinx comes back with a plate filled with three types of crackers, some cheese squares, a bowl of mixed fruit, and an ice-cold bottle of water. I murmur, “Thank you. This looks perfect.”
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
He sits down beside me and begins eating the remaining food on his plate. It’s mostly protein in the form of bacon, sausage and eggs. Limiting carbs is the only way he can stay so ripped, I think wryly.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks.
I shrug with one shoulder. “Your bed was comfortable enough. It’s just hard to sleep in a new place.”
“Yeah, I get that,” he replies. After a second, he adds, “I’m thrilled you enjoyed sleeping in my bed for an entire night this time.”
My head jerks up to look into his eyes. I find a totally blank expression on his face, but his eyes give it away.
He’s trying to be funny. Too bad it’s working because I want to keep some emotional distance between us until I figure out this situation a little better.
We haven’t said anything about what happened between us weeks ago.
But he’s a smart man and he’s probably already figured out my reason for running off.
I throw the one barb that I know will sting. “I imagine all the beds here are about the same. Don’t clubhouses normally order them in bulk?”
Striker chokes on his coffee on the other side of Jinx.
There are a couple of chuckles down the table.
But I just smile politely and pop a strawberry into my mouth.
Jinx wants to say something back. I just know that he does.
He won’t, though because there are too many people listening to our conversation.
Instead, he introduces me to the other old ladies and the club founder, Rock.
I remember him from the meeting. I give polite greetings and thank them for having me.
When the meal is over, I ask to go outside because I’m dying for some fresh air.
He grabs a square package wrapped in brown paper from beside his plate and shoves it under his arm as we leave.
“We shot down another drone this morning. It came in low from the east, circled around the compound once, and then tried to make a clean getaway. One of the prospects at the gate brought it down with a rifle. We don’t know if it’s sending footage in real time or it’s one that has to have the SIM card removed to view the images it captures.
Striker thinks they may be using the drone to look for you so they can plan their next move.
Until we know what they saw, this will probably be your only time outside. ”
The explanation makes sense, and I hate that. “I understand the danger my family brings to every situation, Jinx. I have lived with them my entire life.”
“I know. I just want you to know that I’m not being an asshole if I tell you to stay inside. The danger is real.”
“I know what my father is capable of,” I say.
“So do I,” he flings back. “He’s the bastard who tried to marry you off to Stripe.
He’s the one who sent those two prospects to hunt you down.
Your family prioritized capturin’ you over keepin’ you safe.
I think there’s a good chance those prospects were told to bring you back dead or alive.
Why else would they run your car off the road that way?
” Slamming his hand against his chest, he adds, “I’m just doin’ what I have to do in order to keep you breathin’. ”
I respond tightly, “Yeah, you understand a lot about my life, but what you don’t get is how it feels to be controlled, told instead of asked and have men in cuts make all the decisions for you and call it protection.”
He looks down for a moment, shaking his head slightly.
When he lifts his eyes to mine, his voice is lower.
“You’re right. I don’t know what that feels like.
What I do know is what it feels like to be responsible for someone’s safety when there are men outside these walls who just want to use you in any way they can. ”
“Yeah, I’m nothing but a big fat problem. I’m sorry I brought this all on you. Nobody asked you to come riding to the rescue yesterday.”
“You are a problem,” he says bluntly. “You’re also a woman who was scared, and I told you I’d keep you safe. Both things can be true.”
“For all I know, you took me to use as leverage against my father and the Hyenas. Maybe you’re the problem here?”
“Trust goes both ways,” he says as he gives me a pointed look. “We trust that you’re not here to spy on us. You gotta trust that we’re gonna keep you safe.”
I tell him, “My father’s best manipulation and lies are when he’s pretending to protect me. Why should you be any different?”
He states indignantly, “Actions speak louder than words, Nora. I’ll let my actions answer that question for you.”
We stand there staring at each other. We’re both more frustrated by our situation than genuinely angry. I look away first, staring out towards the horizon.
He slowly slides the package from beneath his arm and hands it to me.
“What’s this?” I ask.
His eyes don’t leave mine. “It’s a property cut. You need to put it on.”
My expression closes down completely. It feels like I’ve been doused with cold water.
I know exactly what a property cut is. I’ve seen old ladies preen in them, club girls beg for them, and brothers use them as proof of ownership over their women.
My father’s world taught me all about property cuts before I was old enough to understand why they made my skin crawl.
“No,” I tell him sternly. “I already told you I was running away from one forced marriage. What makes you think I want another? Absolutely not. I’m not your old lady and I’m not wearing your cut.”
Jinx doesn’t move any closer. “Hear me out, Nora. This isn’t ownership or romance.”
“I don’t care. I said no.” My voice comes out sharper than I intend. “I am not wearing something that tells every man in this club and the outside world that I belong to you.”
His face tightens. “You don’t understand. In my world, this is armor. It’s gonna protect you.”
I like Jinx but I’m not falling for his bullshit. “Men always have pretty words and justifications but in the end a property cut means ownership. It’s written right there on the back, ‘Property of Jinx’.”
He looks down at the brown paper package and then rips the paper off.
I see what he’s offering for the first time.
It’s high-quality leather. I can tell by the smell alone.
He shakes it out, so I can see his name on the back.
Something primal stirs in my very soul. If we were madly in love, and I could set aside the ownership thing, maybe wearing his property cut would make sense. But we’re not in love, so it doesn’t.
“You need protection, both inside the walls of this club and in the community. As long as you’re wearing my cut, no man with an ounce of common sense will touch you.
This cut obligates every single man in this club and all our affiliate clubs throughout California to come to your aid if you’re in danger.
That’s several thousand men, Nora. And not even your father would dare touch you while you’re wearing my cut.
If he did, it would be a declaration of war with every Sons of Rage charter in the state. Even he wouldn’t be that reckless.”
“You clearly don’t know my father very well,” I shoot back.