Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Rage
Luna blinks up at me, lips parted in surprise.
Like no one’s ever said anything like that before.
Some men are really stupid, making a woman like her feel like she’s less than. Because she’s fucking gorgeous.
I didn’t see an opening like this opening up for me, and it seems like this might be the perfect time to lay some of my cards on the table. Just a few. To gauge her reaction.
“I’m a big guy,” I continue patiently. “Do you know how hard it is to have shower sex with someone more than a foot shorter than me? Or even straight missionary. I’m on top and my face is in the pillow while she’s being smothered by my chest. How is that fun?”
She looks genuinely confused for a moment, and I know I’m probably on thin ice with this conversation because I try to always be respectful. But she needs to understand that I’m not blowing smoke up her ass.
I think she’s spectacular.
“Princess, I can’t speak for all men. And I don’t body shame or skinny shame or anything else when it comes to women.
I like them all. Tall, short, curvy, thin, blonds, brunettes—it’s mostly about what’s inside.
But I’m human, and we all have a preference.
I’m sure you do too. Some guys like a woman with blue eyes.
Some guys like a woman with huge breasts.
Grim has always had a thing for blonds. Me, I like a tall woman with meat on her bones.
Period. So, when I pick her up, throw her over my shoulder and smack her ass a few times, I’m not worried that she’s going to break. ”
Oh, shit. What did I just say? This is totally inappropriate for the office. Several things I’ve said tonight probably are, but I won’t take them back.
Her cheeks are bright red but she’s not acting like I’ve offended her either.
“I know this is inappropriate for co-workers, but hearing you talk about yourself like there’s something wrong with you…I couldn’t not say something.”
She swallows but quickly shakes her head. “I think this qualifies as an appropriate conversation between…friends.”
I nod. “So, any guy who mentions your weight in a negative way doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about. Especially when it’s almost definitely related to a health concern, like it is in your case.”
“How do you…” She stops and shakes her head. “You read about PMOS.”
“I try to be informed about things. For a few weeks it was all over the news, so I figured if it was important enough to make headlines, it was important enough for me to at least skim the content.”
“You’re nothing like what I imagined when we first met,” she admits quietly.
“You saw big and brawny and thought no brains, right?” I smirk.
She chuckles. “No. I thought Rage the Cage was probably an attention whore and a gym bro who didn’t care about issues like PMOS. And that was probably wrong of me, to stereotype you like that.”
“It was. Rage the Cage was a persona I used when I was fighting. The UFC likes to build a brand. But that’s not who I am. That’s one of many reasons I quit.”
“Well, I apologize for the inadvertent stereotype.”
I shrug. “Not necessary. It will take a while for us all to get to know each other.”
“Like we are now.” She looks around. “We really should get to work.”
“Yeah.” I reluctantly straighten up. “You okay to walk?”
“Yup.” She takes a step and immediately winces. “Okay, maybe not. Shit.”
I don’t wait for permission and just pick her up again. But instead of being angry, she laughs.
“Now you’re just trying to show off.”
I laugh too. “Maybe.”
When we get to her office, I set her down on her chair and look around. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“No. I’m going to transfer all the video camera feeds here to my monitors so you guys aren’t relegated to that little office.”
“You sure? You worked all day.”
“You think this is my first all-nighter?”
“No, probably not.”
“Go.” She makes a shooing motion. “I’ll let you know if I see anything or need a break.” She reaches for her earpiece so we’ll all be connected.
“All right. I’ll check in every now and then.”
“Great.”
I walk out of her office wishing I could stay.
Talk to her some more. She may have misjudged me, but I think I also underestimated her.
She comes off as this incredibly intelligent, strong, self-sufficient woman.
But there’s a vulnerability to her I hadn’t anticipated. And I enjoyed being a small part of it.
She checks all my damn boxes.
So much so I almost offered to make that baby she wants with her.
Which would be ludicrous.
Wouldn’t it?
If I’m honest, it gives me the perfect in with her. An excuse to be in her life, give her a chance to get to know me, and maybe show her that I’m not just some big, dumb bodyguard.
I could do it though. What she doesn’t know is that I’m currently building my financial empire so I can retire early and enjoy life.
I own an apartment in Greece, where I like to vacation in the summer and fall, and a small house in Key West that I rent out.
I have a growing stock portfolio and despite the hefty amount I used to buy in to Shadow Security, I’m debt-free.
To be fair, I made some decent money in endorsements as Rage the Cage.
Enough to buy the place in Greece and start investing.
Then the house in Key West all but fell into my lap but I paid it off in two years and now it brings in rental income.
I live modestly, so my focus is on making money and spending time with my friends.
There’s a part of me that’s a little envious of what Grim found with Allora.
I worry about the circumstances under which they met—her being sex trafficked—but they’re both in therapy.
I know he’s going to propose soon, because I helped him pick out the ring, but he’s playing the timing by ear.
Meanwhile, we don’t spend nearly the same amount of time together.
I wouldn’t say I’m jealous but it’s impossible not to notice that he’s not always available anymore.
And loneliness isn’t a good enough reason to get involved with someone.
Except I want Luna. Badly. More than I’ve ever wanted any woman in the past. It’s like I have to have her. Having an excuse to touch her tonight was almost more than I could stand but now that I’ve had a taste, I need more. I just have to figure out how to make her want me the way I want her.
“She okay?” Mark asks when he sees me.
“Yeah. I think her ankle is sprained but it doesn’t look too bad. She’s going to cover surveillance for us, so we can keep our eye on the building and the blind spots.”
“Great.” He looks around. “I’ve doublechecked—everything is locked up tight for the night. But I still feel like if someone really wanted to get in, they could jimmy the delivery entrance.”
I nod. “Dan’s working on that, but honestly, no one has any reason to come here tonight. If anything, they’ll be circling the hospital.”
“Yeah.” His expression is somber. “I’m worried. We got those two threats last week and it’s hard to tell if they’re serious or not.”
Daniil gets threats every so often. He’s royalty. He’s mostly unbothered by it, it’s just now, while Courtney is so vulnerable, that he amped up security.
“Rage?” Luna’s voice in my earpiece startles me.
“What’s up, Luna?” I ask quietly.
“There’s movement by the front gate.”
The section of the property that headquarters is located on has an unmanned gate. With cameras. So we can always see anyone who drives up.
“Vehicle or person?” I ask, moving toward the surveillance room so I can see for myself.
“Vehicle. It looks like…a motorcycle.”
I relax a little because I can only think of one group of people who would arrive at this time of night on motorcycles. Still, we have to stay cautious.
“Can you tell who it is?”
“No.”
I sit down and enlarge the video screen.
And immediately recognize the leather.
As I suspected, it’s one of the Renegade Demons.
Allora’s father’s motorcycle club.
We’re on good terms but why are any of them here at eleven o’clock on a Friday night?
“You want me to handle it?” Mark asks.
“No, I’ll go.” I have a somewhat more intimate relationship with them after what happened to Grim at the hands of Allora’s kidnappers.
They nearly killed him to get to her, and when it turned out that the person spearheading the kidnapping was a member of the club, Grim, Allora, and I were part of the group who decided his fate.
“It’s Metal,” I say, more to myself than the others. He’s a good guy who loves cars and heavy metal music. Allora likes him more than anyone else in the club, including her father, which says a lot.
I step outside as he pulls up.
“Hey.”
He yanks off his helmet and looks at me, desperation in his eyes. “I need help,” is all he says.
“What’s going on?”
“Layla’s gone.”
His pregnant girlfriend.
“Define gone.”
He runs a hand down his face. “We had a fight. She told me… she said the baby’s not mine.
That she lied so I would take care of them.
I told her I didn’t care, but she said some bullshit about me deserving better.
I thought we’d talk some more, but when I got home from work tonight she was gone.
All her stuff. The thing is—she doesn’t have much money or a car or anywhere to go.
Which means she’s probably back on the street. ” He hesitates. “Or getting high.”
I feel for him but there’s nothing I can do. Especially not tonight.
“Look, man, I’d love to help but Courtney is in labor. We have a skeleton crew here and there’s no one available until after Courtney is home safe.”
He nods, resignation coloring his face. “Okay. Yeah. Sorry. I just didn’t know where else to turn. The club…well, they think I’m better off without her. But they didn’t see her face, the shame and the fear that I was going to reject both her and the baby.”
“I’m sorry, man. I’d help if I could.”
“Allora said she’d help but I don’t want her out there at night. Not safe for her.”
“No.” I shake my head. “And Grim doesn’t need to be distracted when he’s watching Daniil’s back tonight.”
“Of course not.” He sets his jaw. “I guess it’s just me then.”
“Look, as soon as Courtney has the baby and we can relax security, I’m more than happy to help you search. Do you think she’s walking the same streets she walked before?” Layla is a sex worker. It’s common knowledge so I’m not speaking indelicately.
“I went there but couldn’t find her,” he admits. “I’m scared for her. What her old pimp, from before she got in with the club, might do to her.”
“Keep me posted, will you?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” He gets back on his bike and heads down the street. I watch until I can’t see his taillights anymore and then go back inside.
“Everything okay?” Mark and Luna are waiting in the lobby.
I tell them what I know.
“Damn. Layla’s been doing so well,” Luna says softly.
“You know her?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah, she and Allora hang out sometimes and we had a spa night a few weekends ago. When you guys were in L.A. doing that job for Willow St. Claire.”
“Did she seem okay then?” I ask.
Luna shrugs. “She was quiet but I figured it was pregnancy-related.”
“That’s a hard life,” Mark says after a moment. “Both being a sex worker and being the old lady of a guy in a motorcycle club. Not the life for me.”
“Me either,” I agree.
Luna stares out the window and for a while we just stand there.
Finally, I say, “I guess we should get back to work.”
Everyone agrees but there’s a heaviness to the atmosphere that wasn’t there before.
It’s frustrating because it’s not in my nature to feel helpless.
But Daniil and Courtney are the priority tonight.
Everyone else will have to wait.