Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Julie
The last several minutes have been scary as heck. I really should have thought this through a little more.
I thought this man was my savior, yet here he is, part of this club that would treat women the way they do. My father warned me about the biker gangs. I didn’t even think about them before, but now I’m wondering if I should have paid a little closer attention when he spoke.
I still haven’t figured out his name, but it doesn’t seem to matter. He pulls me down the hall and into a room, flipping the light on as the door slams shut behind me. He paces the floor, giving me a minute to get my thoughts together.
As I do, I take in the room. It isn’t much. A small room with a dresser, bed, and a door leading to what I assume is a closet.
My heart beats faster in my chest. I shouldn’t be here.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Angel?” the man finally turns and growls at me, making me step back into the door.
“I…I…” I stutter, unable to form words.
He shakes his head, disappointment clear on his face. “I saved you so that you could have a good, nice life. Then you walk your ass right back in here as if you have a fucking death wish.”
His anger is palpable. I should be more scared of it.
Yet my brain only focuses on one thing.
“Watch your language.”
The words are out before I ever consciously decide to speak them. The shock on his face is almost worth it. Or it would be if I hadn’t started shaking.
“You were sexually assaulted once again, and all you can think about is the language I am using? That’s it. I’m taking you for a psych eval. There is no way you are clinically sane.”
“I resent that statement. Cussing adds nothing to the conversation, so why use the words?”
“Still focusing on the wrong thing, Angel.” He tsks his tongue. “I could say anything and mean it the way I say ‘fuck.’ It’s just a word. It’s the tone and the intention that mean everything. Now, tell me why the Christ you are here.”
The way he replaces the word yet means the same thing has an effect on me. I know he is proving a point, but still, I appreciate his effort.
“I wanted to see you,” I admit softly.
He sighs, rubbing his hand down his face. “You wanted to see me. So you figured it was a good idea to walk into that orgy out there to find me?”
I cross my arms, finding a bit of my confidence. This is the man who saved me. He wouldn’t hurt me. I don’t know how I know that, but I feel it in my bones.
“Well, you didn’t leave your number. Or even a name so I could look you up, so yeah. I thought coming here was a good idea. If I had known what kind of party it was, I would have stayed home.”
“Men like me chew women like you and spit them out. It’s not safe for you here.”
I gasp.
“I see I’m finally getting through to you,” he hums.
“No.” I shake my head. “My friend is out there. What if…” I trail off, unable to continue the thought.
He mutters a curse under his breath, pulling his phone out.
“Send me her picture. Quickly.” He recites his phone number to me, waiting for the photo I send him from my phone to come through.
“My brother will grab her and get her out of here. Did you drive?” he asks.
“No. She did.”
“There’s that at least.” He starts to pace again. “You found me. So now what?”
My mouth opens then closes. I hadn’t thought this far. I don’t really know what I planned to say to him. All I know is that I wanted to see him again. To see if the feeling in my stomach was from the adrenaline from before or if it would still be there after it was gone.
I guess this was a bad choice to find out. Tonight is no less like that night that we met. Well, except he didn’t kill anyone.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
He shakes his head. “You painted a big red target on your back. I didn’t give you my number or name because I didn’t want you to find me.
My life isn’t safe for a girl like you. You saw that man out there?
I want to think most of my brothers would take no for an answer, but you happened to run into the one that I know for a fact wouldn’t.
He would have taken you right there in front of everyone without a care in the world for your pretty tears.
Now he thinks you’re mine, which only makes you a sweeter prize. ”
“Why would you be part of something like this? Why even associate with people like that?” I ask, my cheeks heating at the embarrassment I feel.
He’s chastising me like a child, and I don’t like it.
“We all have our reasons. Not all of us are like him, but he’s still part of the club, like it or not.
We aren’t the clubs that ride on the weekends because we enjoy the ride but otherwise don’t associate.
We are a one-percenter club. That means we do bad shit.
We run drugs, weapons, and counterfeit product.
We don’t care what the law thinks. Anarchy is in our name because we are the law.
We are the judge and the executioner. You saw that yourself.
We don’t adhere to what society thinks is the norm. ”
I feel a chill down my spine at his words. If he is really so bad, then why did he save me?
“Why save me? Why tell me all of this? I could go rat you out. I saw you murder someone for goodness’ sake,” I say, my voice raised a bit.
“I’m telling you because you inserted yourself into my world.
You are now part of this, like it or not.
You think I can drop you at home and that he won’t come after you?
He doesn’t like me, and he certainly doesn’t like being told no.
He will now pursue you like a game. As for saving you…
” He trails off. “I don’t know. I didn’t like the fear on your face. ”
“So why claim me if it put such a target on me?”
He gives me a sad smile. “It was either claim you as mine or let him rape you. I chose the lesser of two evils. Enough questions. I need to think, and I can’t do it here. I’ll take you home.”
Without another word, he pulls me from the door before opening it and dragging me back down the hall.
I look at the scene around me as we walk through and wonder.
What did I get myself into?
Yak
The drive to her place is quiet. I borrow Yooper’s truck again to take her home so at least she is comfortable. Now that I have her to take care of, I really need to consider getting a cage of my own.
She doesn’t know it, but I claimed her for everyone to see.
In the eyes of the club, she is now mine.
I wasn’t kidding about Aragon. He will try to come after her again.
I took his toy while he was playing with it.
He won’t let that go easily, but I gave her the only protection I could.
He can’t publicly come after her. He will need to be sneakier.
Which means I need to be on the top of my game if I want to keep her safe.
“We need to park down the street and walk,” I tell her as we near her house.
“Why?”
“In case anyone is watching. It’s safer this way,” I grunt.
“Mrs. Shelling across the street doesn’t have a car. She barely moves these days. You can park there. I’ll let her know a friend is using her driveway,” her soft voice says almost in a whisper.
It’s not perfect, but it’s better than being on the street.
Pulling into the house she indicates, I turn to her. “Wait for me to come around.”
I don’t let her respond. I get out and survey the area. It looks safe enough. No cop cars. No traitor brothers spying.
Making my way around the truck, I open the door and help her out. Then I quickly usher us across the street. Once inside, I look around the place once more. It’s small, but not too small. Two bedrooms and one bathroom. A nice starter home.
It’s also ridiculously easy to get inside if someone really wanted. Something I noticed the last time I was here but now need to fix.
I’m making mental notes in my head of how to make it safer when she speaks.
“I don’t need your protection. I mean, if you don’t want to protect me. I will be fine.”
I give her a look that says otherwise.
“Seriously, I have my own protection. Or I can get it.”
“Okay, Angel. You have my attention. How are you going to protect yourself?”
I wonder if she has a gun. Not that it would stop Aragon. I doubt she is proficient enough to out gun him.
Then she says the last words I thought I would ever hear.
“My father is the chief of police.”
“Motherfucker,” I hiss out.
“Language,” she mutters, looking down at her feet.
I should have read the fucking file Meek sent. I would have already known this. I could have leaked information to her father and kept her away from all of this.
Fuck, I messed up bad. Her father has been trying to bring the Kings of Anarchy down for years. Not just us, though. All gangs in the area.
This is bad. So fucking bad.
“So, if you want to take your claim away or whatever, I would understand.”
I hate how small she sounds. Like she doesn’t want to give me the out, but she’s doing it anyway.
“Don’t ever tell anyone who your father is. Especially those associated with my club. Understand?”
She nods. “I won’t. I won’t tell him about you either,” she mumbles.
Walking over to her, I cup her cheek. “I don’t care if he knows about me.
I’m willing to do the time, but if my club finds out about you?
They will kill you. It won’t matter that you are innocent or that you aren’t feeding information to him.
They will think you are, so they will eliminate the threat. I won’t be able to save you.”
She looks up at me, a sheen to her eyes as if she were about to cry.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Angel. I’m going to protect you until my dying breath.”
She leans into my hand, giving me all of her trust, and fuck if I don’t revel in how powerful it makes me feel.
“You should go rest,” I tell her after a moment.
“I don’t even know your name,” she whispers.
It’s crazy to think that she doesn’t know my name. That we haven’t been together a lot longer than the two nights we have now shared, but it’s the truth. Even though it feels like a lifetime.
I look down at the jacket on her to my patch with my name on it.
She does the same.
“Yak? That’s not a name.”
I clear my throat. “It’s a road name. Given to me by someone I respect.”
She frowns. “Why Yak?”
I take a deep breath. I shouldn’t tell her anything about me. I should keep her close but remain distant. It’s better that way because once this shit is resolved, she can go back to her life, and I will go back to mine.
Yet, I find myself telling her anyway.
“Because I talk too fucking much. At least, that’s what my former pres would tell you. He picked names based on nature, and it’s the one that fit.”
She glares at me, and I know it’s for the language, but she seems to let it go.
“What’s your real name?”
I shouldn’t tell her. We don’t use our real names, but I find myself speaking it anyway.
“Jameson.”
She smiles. “Nice to meet you, Jameson. I’m Julie. Hey, look. J and J. It’s kismet.”
I shake my head. “You should have a talk with the fates if you think you were destined to be here with me. You got the short end of the stick.”
“No,” she starts. “I think I won the lottery. My own personal bodyguard, and he’s attractive? I think fate’s looking out for me.”
“Whatever you say. Bedtime now. We can talk more in the morning.” I turn her around by her shoulders and point her toward her room.
She glances at me over her shoulder. “Are you staying?”
Am I? Probably, but I need to check in with Yooper and make sure the friend made it home safely. He also is going to want to talk about all of this.
“For a while, but I have things I need to do. I’ll take your key and be back before you wake up.”
“Promise?”
I nod once, but what I really want to say is nothing can keep me away.
Not now that I’ve claimed her.
For better or for worse, she is mine.