Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
For a few seconds my boots are glued to the floor. The T-shirt Gigi borrowed from me is knotted at her waist. A strip of her bare stomach is showing.
Katie—Skull’s woman is sitting in a chair, her hands primly clasped in her lap in her front row seat for my woman’s dance.
But it’s none of these things that has me frozen in my tracks with a lump forming in my throat. It’s the smile on Gigi’s face. Her easy laugh.
Katie’s too. It wasn’t long ago, she was jumping at every shadow.
Katie freezes when she sees me, her hands quickly dropping to her sides. “Oh. Hi, Skyler.”
Ranger comes striding into the room, a surprised grunt coming out of him. “Well, this is different,” he says chuckling. “Things are changin’ around here. I like it.”
I give him a glare and he punches me in the arm.
“What the hell are you doing, Chaos?” I ask sounding like a bullfrog.
Panic flickers over Gigi’s face. With dancer’s grace, she hops down to the floor, tugs on the joggers she stole from my closet and shifts from side to side on her bare feet.
The fact that she won’t meet my eyes, curdles the food in my stomach.
When I stalk over, getting in her space, she shrinks back and stammers, “I was teaching Katie how to put on a little show for her man. There wasn’t anyone else here. I thought—I’m sorry, I had a lapse in judgement. I just got caught up in the moment.”
When I reach for her she flinches.
I drop my hands, kicking myself mentally. “I’m not mad at you. And I will never strike you. Do you understand?”
She’s fucking shaking.
“Honey.” I lower my voice as I take both her shoulders in my palms. “I’m not ever gonna hit you. You’re safe here.”
Katie’s watching, her eyes full of moisture. Ranger’s at the bar, lounging on a stool, watching the show too.
“You’re safe,” I repeat, cradling the back of her neck.
“It’s true, Gigi. These men aren’t like that,” Katie says from where she’s standing.
After a few seconds, Gigi gives herself a little shake. “I’m sorry. Where I come from things are different.”
No fucking shit. Her father wanted her to be passed around by the club. Then he wanted to sell her.
“I know, baby.” I hug her tighter than I should. “The Kings aren’t like that and if I find out any of them are, they’re dead. But promise me you won’t dance when there are any men around. I don’t know if I can control my jealousy.”
I flick Ranger a glare and he smirks. Asshole. Then he tips his chin. “He’s a good man, Gigi, I’ll vouch for him. He was ready to rip this whole state apart to find you.”
She finally relaxes, wrapping her arms around my waist.
Boots strike the tile behind me. I turn around to find Prez walking into the room with a man I don’t know.
“Slider,” he says, hooking his thumb toward the other man. “Good news. This is Cannibal. He happens to be an officiant. We can knock this wedding out right now.”
Katie bounces up on her toes. “A wedding, now? How exciting!”
In my arms, though, Gigi’s getting stiffer and stiffer as the puzzle pieces fall into place.
“Uh. Guys, I might need a minute before we do that.”
Gigi shoves me away and stomps off toward my apartment. I fist my hair and follow her. Behind me, the men are snickering.