Chapter 4 #2
“People trying to kick us while we’re mourning Lore.
We’ve pissed people off over the years with our enforcement of who we're willing to work with. Our suppliers get so much money from us, they exclusively work for us. It’s a cushy place to be,” he explains.
“Our clubs sell custom motorcycles for exorbitant prices. It’s why I call bullshit on Chester not having any work. ”
Understanding how twisted this all is, I nod as my alphas escort me out of the house. It doesn’t escape my notice how Storm sets an alarm before he walks out, and I wonder when that was set up.
Feeling the weight of my gaze, he leans down toward my ear to explain as we walk.
“I don’t trust anyone with our safety. I set up a system for us with video cameras for the brownstone. No one will get within our perimeter without sending me an alarm,” Storm explains.
“When did you find the time?” I ask, wide eyed as he takes the keys from my hand to unlock the doors.
“Whenever you were sleeping or Wilder didn’t specifically need me,” he admits.
Fuck, I’ve been napping a lot. His eyes narrow as he sees the pinching around my lips.
“Kitty, your body and soul needed the rest. Don’t overthink things, okay? Our pack’s safety has been eating at me, and I hate falling down a rabbit hole when I want to shower you with attention. It makes me feel as if I’m ignoring you,” he says.
“I never feel ignored,” I snort. “There’s always someone passing me a bottle of water or offering me food.”
“The club has adopted you. The only reason we haven’t made it official and made you our old lady is because—”
“We have some issues to work out first,” I finish for him.
“Yes. I don’t expect you to accept us right away, especially after I used my alpha bark on you,” Storm murmurs, rubbing his cheek against mine. “Instead, I intend to make sure you smell like us at all times.”
“Alphas are impossible,” I grumble. “I’m still pissed you used your bark on me, in case I need to tell you that.”
It doesn’t matter that he removed his bark, I’m still pissed about it. I may need to channel my inner petty to stay mad. Lore’s death makes me want to soften toward Storm and Wilder. I don’t want to be a doormat. I want them to think twice before they do something that’ll affect my autonomy.
Unless there’s orgasms. Fuck, I took my heat suppressant pills, why am I being led by my pussy lately?
“I know,” he says, opening the car door and wrapping his hands around my waist to set me in the driver seat. “The boys are waiting for us. We’re going to sandwich you with the bikes as we drive. Please don’t freak out.”
It may make me feel better. In the moments when my nerves give away and I relax long enough not to feel as if they’re judging my every move, the club members make me feel safe. It’s very different from the men my brother employs.
They were only nice to me because my brother will cut their fingers off. The Knotted Anarchy is good to me because they’re slowly finding that they respect me. We’re bonding over our shared loss.
It’s a very big difference.
“I love you,” Storm says, kissing my cheek quickly. “Please be careful driving.”
He gathers my dress up and tucks it underneath me as I sit in shock before gently closing the door. He and Wilder have alluded to falling in love with me, but this may be the first time he’s said it. There’s no fanfare, simply sweet words and gestures.
Storm may be a knot head when he panics, but he’s not a bad alpha. Far from it actually.
Starting the car as I mull over the most recent emotional bomb in my life, I watch as the bikes get into line.
This isn’t going to be a quiet ride. Instead, it’s going to garner attention in the city due to the sheer amount of noise we’ll make riding through town.
I refuse to put the address into my phone even as I put it in the mount because I have an armed and dangerous escort.
I’m sure I’ll get a call from Jasper or Tommy when they hear about this. Despite how large Minneapolis is, gossip travels quickly. I’m not exactly looking forward to that conversation. Despite all the chaos between us and bad blood on my part, he’s still my brother.
I’m afraid I’ll cry if I hear his voice, and the last thing I want is to meet Lore’s brother while I’m a blubbering mess.
Lock in, Baby Girl. It’s time to go.
Sucking in a breath, I pull out of my parking spot so I’m behind the bikes. Glancing behind me, I notice there are even more people than what we started with, and remember Wilder told me the rest of his club would be coming in for the funeral. Basically, I have sixty or so people surrounding me.
Our poor neighbors are going to fucking hate us.
In fact, people walk out of their homes to stare in awe and little bit of fear as they watch us drive away.
All I can hope for is that we won’t have issues later when I come home.
The neighborhood is safe, and I really like knowing it’s a slice of normalcy in my life.
I don’t want anything to fuck that up.
The streets pass by in a blur as I drive, and I only focus on the motorcycle break lights in front of me. I disassociate a bit as a way to get some space from the funeral. As the bikes park in front of the church, I pull around to find a spot in the lot.
There are a few bikes around me as I grab my purse, and the rain continues to come down.
“Rage on,” I mutter, finding my stun gun and sliding it into my rain coat pocket.
Turning off the car, I glance through the window and scream as I’m startled by a glaring, masked man I’ve never seen before. He’s leaning against the vehicle, his balaclava over the lower part of his face, giving me flashbacks of when the MC club rocked my car back and forth on the lonely highway.
Fuck, if there was ever a moment I wish I could scream for help down a bond, this is it.
However, Storm and I are on the same page about bond bites.
They won’t happen until I feel completely safe and happy.
Right now, while I may care about both my surviving alphas, I do not think that’s enough yet.
Sucking in oxygen like I’m paid to breathe, I check to make sure I have everything before shoving open my door to force the male back as I get out of the SUV.
“A little room please!” I yell over the pouring rain. My hood shadows my face as I shut the door, putting several steps back. My palm hides my stun gun as I glare at what I know to be an alpha.
I can feel his chaotic, angry energy crawling over me, which is an unfortunate sign he’s angry. It feels as if there are ants biting my skin, and as an omega, I want to beg him to tell me what I did wrong. Instead, I hold my head up, and push down the uncomfortable sensations he’s projecting.
In a moment of insanity, I turn my back on him, lock the vehicle doors, and begin to walk toward the church’s entrance. What the fuck is he going to do? I have a fucking gun and the premises are crawling with club members.
“You’re awfully brave, huh?” he growls, his long legs catching up to me.
“Why should I care about an alpha who peeks into women’s windows like a creeper?” I ask, keeping my voice loud and strong despite my heart being in my throat.
Fixing my purse so he won’t be able to strangle me with it if it comes to that, I pocket my keys and keep my stun gun hidden by my side.
If my mouth writes checks I can’t cash, then at least I’ll be able to defend myself.
Granted, I’m much shorter than the alpha walking beside me, but I’m doing this new thing where I’m no longer going to cower when I’m scared.
“I wanted to see who was dumb enough to show up at a funeral like this alone as a lowly woman,” he mutters.
“I’m not lowly or lonely, in case that’s the word you wanted to grasp for like the uneducated swine you are,” I reply.
“She’s also not alone,” a growl adds. It takes fucking everything inside of me not to flinch or scream.
That’s it. I’m adding bells to all their goddamned socks.
Burner and a beta fall into place beside and behind me as I continue to walk, though they don’t attempt to block me from the alpha who snorts at his response.
“Is this my brother’s little whore?”
Brother. I’m going to blame my reaction on both grief and surprise, because there’s no way in hell I’d react like this otherwise. Big emotions evoke my inner insanity.
My thumb turns on the stun gun, and I find the only opening that’s not covered in leather. His cut exposes his shirt covered body, so that’s where I strike.
“What…fuck!”
Devon’s yell is met without sympathy as I watch him slip in the mud caused by the rain and fall back on his ass. Unfortunately, this lot isn’t very well paved.
“Calling me a whore disrespects Lore, who from my understanding was a damn good sibling to you,” I say, gazing at his wide eyes. “Fix your attitude, because I don’t give a fuck whose president you are, this club doesn’t bow to you.”
“Damn,” Burner whispers. “Let’s move, Little Queen. He’s gonna be pissed once he gets back up.”
Ignoring the new nickname I seem to have picked up, I increase my speed as we walk out of the lot.
“Is that going to cause an issue?” I ask.
“Now you ask?” the beta beside me asks.
“Shh,” Burner grunts. “No, ma’am. We won’t allow it to. He disrespected you first. You’re no one’s whore unless it’s said in the privacy of your bedroom. And then I don’t want to know anything about it.”
A half hysterical giggle escapes before I clamp my free hand over my mouth.
“You good?” the beta asks.
“Introduce yourself, Gremlin,” Burner sighs.
“Didn’t you do it for him?” I ask, finding my inner stoicism with extraordinary effort.
“Please don’t call me Gremlin,” the beta groans. “Vik works for me.”
“Girl!” Devon yells behind me, making me roll my eyes.
“That behavior doesn’t work for me,” I call over my shoulder. “Use your words or don’t speak at all to me.”
“She has bigger balls than I do,” Vik whispers. “Little Queen it is.”
“Oh please don’t make that a thing,” I hiss, my boot hitting the first stair as we begin to climb them.
“They’re wet as fuck,” Burner says, offering his arm at the same time Vik does.
“Is this—”
“If you fall on your ass, that’ll be a problem. Accept the goddamned help,” Nick says from the top of the stairs.
Inclining my head because these steps are made of fucking marble, I wind my arms through those offered. As if the silence of the world has popped, I can hear motorcycles revving, people talking, and men walking around the church.
My head is a muffled mess, which is the best explanation I have for my continued struggle to pay attention to my surroundings.
“Marie!” Devon yells behind me. “Stop!”
His alpha bark hits me like a truck, causing me to shudder mid step. There’s a gasp and weapons pulled as people recognize the bark for what it is: an act of war.
“Fight it!” Burner hisses, his fingers digging into my arm. “Come on, Little Queen. Remind people who the fuck you are.”
It takes everything inside of me, but I gasp before forcing myself to take another step.
He didn’t specify what I should stop doing, so my body stopped doing everything but the bare minimum to keep me alive.
Even the air froze in my lungs until Burner spoke to me.
I’m going to train myself out of responding to alpha barks.
This world doesn’t always care that it’s rude to bark an omega to do something, especially without clear instructions.
“I’m fine! Put your dicks away, boys,” I call out nonchalantly, though my body hurts as I continue to shake off the bark.
A gunshot goes off and I turn my head quickly to see who I’m losing next. The bullet hits the pavement in front of Devon’s feet, and I raise my brow as Storm and Wilder move through the crowd to stand in front of the visiting president.
“What—”
Wilder punches Devon in the face, while Storm kicks him in the stomach. More guns come out, making me annoyed as fuck.
“Excuse me,” I say, dropping my arms from the men next to me and climbing a stair ahead of them to scoot around them. I accept the hand Burner gives me as I step down before placing my fingers to my lips to whistle.
If they don’t chill the fuck out, we’re going to have the cops called on us.
“Hey!” I yell, waiting for the full weight of a hundred men’s gazes. Fuck, that’s scary. Most have their faces covered, which makes it difficult to know who is who.
However, each chapter’s “colors” are a little different from the other, and that helps me. While Wilder’s chapter has a wolf skull on their cuts, Devon’s has a hog. It seems to fit since he’s being a complete pig, and even that may be an insult to the animal.
“You’re not here to measure your cocks against each other,” I remind them.
“Put the guns away before I lose my damn temper. This is not how you act during a funeral. Save it for another time. Preferably when I’m not around to put your grown asses in time out and I’m home where it’s warm and dry. Understood?”
“Who the fuck are you?” one of Devon’s men asks.
Burner and Vik turn towards the faceless voice, crossing their arms over their broad chests.
“This is Lore’s scent match,” Burner says. “You want to fuck with the Little Queen? We’ve all taken to feeling really protective over her, so I don’t suggest that. While she’s a nurse, we don’t care about life as much as she does.”
My lips twitch in derision because he’s very correct about that. Storm and Wilder stride up the stairs to join us, facing the crowd at large.
“We’re here to lay Lore and Ace to rest. If you’re not here for the same reasons, go ahead and fuck off,” Wilder says.
“Is this said from your cushy new job as Prez?” Devon asks, standing for the second time after being put on his ass.
A part of me wonders if he’s drunk, because he’s making really stupid decisions right now.
“If you think anyone here wanted Lore dead to have anything he did, then you’re welcome to get the fuck out of Minneapolis,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief and disgust. “Get it the fuck together, Prez.”
“That’s better said than anything I could have said,” Wilder says under his breath, putting his gun away.
Together, we give everyone below us our backs and begin to walk up the stairs.
“Little Queen, huh?” Storm murmurs, his hand over mine as he threads it through his arm. The rain is dampening the bottom of my dress, despite the long fucking coat, and I nod absently. “Care to tell me how you shook off that alpha bark like a pro?”
“I was reminded that Devon has zero power over me, and now I want the club to take turns alpha barking me so I can shake it off.”
“You’re gonna get us all killed,” Burner breathes. “It’s really fucking ballsy too.”
“I don’t want to be at anyone’s mercy. Not ever again,” I reply, feeling Storm’s heavy gaze as we walk into the church.
Fool me once, and never fucking again, baby.