CHAPTER 4
SNAKE
“I thought you were going to club her and drag her back to your cave,” Sidewinder’s rough voice is tinged with amusement as he glances at me and takes a swig of his beer.
Ryker’s low chuckle has me glaring at both of them.
“You fuckers are insane,” I try and deflect. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.
They both give me looks which makes it clear that I’m not fooling them. It’s not like I can blame them.
Anyone paying attention would have noticed the way I was watching Graycie. I couldn’t help it. Trust me, I tried.
She reminds me of a scared bird who doesn’t realize they’re no longer caged. Everything about her has my gut screaming that she’s running from something.
The need to find out what she’s hiding, and what has her running scared, has been riding me hard from the moment I noticed her at family day. I want to protect her. If I came on too strong and made demands, she would shut down.
She’s definitely a runner.
If she were to run from me, I already know I would give chase. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.
Ryker arches an eyebrow, the challenge written all over his face. “I thought I was going to have to get a napkin to wipe away the drool on your chin,” his eyes dance with amusement.
It takes everything in me not to squirm in front of my best friends. They know me too fucking well. Sometimes it comes in handy, considering we’re brothers who have to trust each other, especially in dangerous situations. We can anticipate each other, our moves, and our needs.
“I wasn’t drooling,” I grumble.
“Sure,” Sidewinder throws out there.
“She looks like she was going to bolt at any moment,” I drawl lazily. “Or crumble and fall to the floor crying.”
Even though my words ring true, they taste wrong coming out of my mouth. I was worried she was going to burst into tears or lock herself in a room somewhere, but it was because of fear, not the weakness my words imply. It was written all over her face.
I wasn’t the only one who saw it either. Dad noticed. He even stepped closer to her as if his big body could shield her from her own fears.
The way Graycie looked around with her wide hazel eyes had protectiveness roaring to life inside of me. It was so strong it almost took me to my knees. I have no idea how I was able to stay upright.
When she stepped through the backdoor of the clubhouse, I saw her immediately. She was curled in on herself as if she wanted to make herself smaller. I hated seeing her like that.
Even the way she was trying to shrink couldn’t take away from her beauty, or the way the gentle curves of her body were calling to me.
I swear I could almost feel the way her legs would wrap around my waist while I was sliding deep inside of her sweet pussy.
There’s no doubt in my mind she’d be tight enough to squeeze me like a fist while begging me for my cum.
A fucking bomb could have gone off, and I wouldn’t have looked away from her. I watched her for far too long before approaching. She was so fucking captivating.
When I saw her and Mom talking, it felt like the opportunity I was waiting for. I started walking across the yard without paying attention to anything else. It wasn’t until I stopped that I realized Ryker and Sidewinder were with me.
While I was tempted to tell them to back the fuck off, it would have only given them more ammunition. I wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on and why I couldn’t look away from her until I was close enough to really look into her eyes.
Then I felt it.
A pull I can’t describe.
A need to be close to her at all times.
A desire to make her smile.
A plea to be the person who can make her feel safe.
Honestly, it freaked me the fuck out.
Now, it’s been a few days, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. I want to run my fingers through the strands of her dark brown hair. I want to watch her lips part in pleasure. I want to know the sounds of her breathy moans. I want to hear her say my name. Not my road name, my name.
When that realization slammed into me, I knew what this was and what had happened to me.
I heard about it enough when I was growing up because Dad experienced the same reaction when he met Mom for the first time.
But I’ll be damned if I admit a damn thing to these assholes. Not before I’ve had the chance to have a real conversation with her.
She was on edge at the party, even if she was pretending not to be. It’s the only reason I gave her some space. But you better fucking believe I kept a close eye on her.
All my brothers were respectful, but I could see appreciation on a few of their faces. The only thing that stopped me from beating their asses is that they didn’t make her uncomfortable and kept their distance.
“She did look like a scared little mouse,” Sidewinder lazily points out his eyes studying me closely.
My fists clench at my sides before I reach for my beer and drain the rest of it. The smirk on his face tells me he didn’t miss the movement. Thankfully, he doesn’t call me out on it.
“Don’t know how well she’ll fit in around here,” Ryker muses.
I narrow my eyes at him and my voice goes tight, “I’m not even sure why Opal brought her here.”
What I don’t say is she’s too damn good to be hanging out with a bunch of bikers. I bet some preppy guy with a degree and a 401K is just waiting in the wings for any sign she notices him. The thought makes rage swirl in my gut along with jealousy, but I push those feelings aside.
“You better not be talking about Graycie,” Opal’s sharp voice comes from behind us and the three of us spin around quickly.
My sister is standing there with both of her hands on her hips while her face looks like a thunderclap. The way she’s glaring at us is terrifying. And it’s not just me. She’s looking at the three of us like we’re scum and she had the unfortunate luck of coming in contact with us.
I swallow hard and notice how Sidewinder’s eyes go big and round before his shoulders slump.
But I can’t think about his reaction, not while my sister is looking at me like she’s thinking about the best way to skin me alive.
Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her. It’s a damn good thing I don’t live with her anymore, or else I’d be sleeping with one eye open.
“We were just shooting the shit,” Ryker tries to explain away whatever it is Opal overheard.
“Oh,” her voice is sickly sweet, “I heard you shooting the shit. At the expense of my best friend.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I try to tell her, but my voice comes out weak.
“Really?” She turns toward me fully, ignoring the two other men. I know I’m in trouble now; the look in her eye is one I’ve seen before.
Opal has a thing about protecting people who need it. I’m not at all surprised she befriended Graycie. It’s not some complex either, Opal just has a very strong sense of right and wrong while also being raised in the club which has always preached loyalty. And Opal is very fucking loyal.
I’m glad she has Graycie’s back. It’s obvious my woman needed someone to be there for her since she arrived in Dogwood Ridge.
I could kick my own ass for not finding out about the newest arrival in town sooner. Considering how skittish she was at the party, maybe it’s better she had a chance to settle in first. But, fuck, knowing I lost any time with her has been fucking with me.
“So, I didn’t just hear you wonder why I brought her around?
” Her eyes are full of accusations when she looks at me.
“Or how about calling her a scared little mouse?” The look she gives Sidewinder has my balls considering crawling back up into my body.
“How about assuming that she won’t fit in around here?
” Her lips are pursed and she’s practically shooting a fireball in our Prez’s direction.
Not that he gives a fuck. Opal is like a little sister to him, always has been. But he also respects the fuck out of her. He knows how much she does around here and that everything would fall apart without her.
Ryker holds his hands up in surrender, but there’s no apology in his voice, “What? I was only saying what we were all thinking. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. You don’t think we get enough judgement as it is? Why should we face it on our own turf?”
Opal rolls her eyes and huffs out an annoyed breath. “Graycie wasn’t judging you,” she says the words slowly, as if he’s too stupid to understand her. We all know he’s not. “She doesn’t have a judgmental bone in her body. She was scared, but I asked her to come.”
I tilt my head as I look at my sister and prod her, “You asked her?”
Her mouth twists to the side. “Well, yes. I did ask her. Kind of.” When none of us say anything, she throws her hands up and lets them fall back down to her thighs with a loud clap.
“Fine, I went to her place and hounded her until she put on the outfit I picked out for her. Then I brought her to the party. I wanted her to come and meet everyone since she’s been here for months.
I was afraid that she’s been keeping to herself too much.
The only way to get her to come was with a blitz attack.
If I asked beforehand, she would have turned me down. ”
“Maybe because she didn’t want to come,” Sidewinder mumbles.
The look Opal shoots him is sharp and he looks away from her far too fucking quickly. “Maybe she didn’t,” she snarks back, “but she needed to. I’m not going to sit back while she isolates herself. Not when I can do something about it.”
“If she’s so afraid, maybe spending time with a bunch of bikers wasn’t the best idea,” Ryker points out.
“I told her there isn’t any place in the world safer than right here.” She waves her hand as if to encompass the entire compound. “I made sure she knew, even without knowing you all, that you would respect her, and while you might look intimidating, you’re all really teddy bears.”
The disappointment written all over my sister’s face makes me feel like complete shit. And all because I didn’t want to come out and say how much meeting Graycie made me feel. Because then I would have to admit what is really going on.
I should have shut down Sidewinder and Ryker because their taunting was about me, not her. Then I should have made it very clear what she means to me.
Fuck, I messed up.
Ryker snorts out a laugh. “You told her we’re teddy bears?”
Opal shrugs one shoulder. “When it comes to family? To the people you care about? To the women you love? Yeah, you’re teddy bears.”
Ryker grins and shakes his head, but he doesn’t say anything else. He can’t. Because Opal isn’t wrong. When it comes to the Old Ladies of the club, they’re protected and cherished.
“I thought she might like to know people have her back.” She shakes her head in admonishment.
“Even though she hasn’t shared with me what she’s running from, it’s obvious something happened.
She walks through the world like she’s afraid of whatever is around the next corner.
It’s no way to live,” her voice drops to a whisper with the last sentence.
I want to tell her that I know I was talking shit, which I didn’t even mean. But I don’t. I’m a fucking coward.
The disdain in the look my sister points my way makes my gut clench. I hate disappointing her; I always have. Being her big brother was a source of pride while growing up. She would look at me like I was her hero.
Now she’s looking at me like she doesn’t even know me.
With one more look weighted by her disappointment, she turns and storms toward the clubhouse’s kitchen. The moment she’s out of sight, my entire body sags.
“She’s not wrong,” I mumble to myself more than anyone else.
Sidewinder slaps my shoulder, his voice amused, “You better hope she doesn’t say anything to your girl. Talk about digging yourself out of a hole.”
I don’t even bother refuting his words. They saw through me long before I tried to downplay the way I feel about Graycie. The last thing I should have done is pretend I didn’t fall for my woman with a single look.
Do I think it’s going to be easy to convince her she’s mine? Hell fucking no. Do I think I’ll have to work really fucking hard to earn her trust? Without a doubt.
I’m going to have to show up and show her who I am. It’s the only chance I have to claim the woman who walked into my life full of fear.
“Yeah,” I huff, “if she says anything, I’ll be fucked and it’ll already be an uphill climb.”
“I don’t envy you,” Ryder chuckles.
When I glance at him, he doesn’t look even the least bit sorry. I guess he doesn’t need to.
“Good luck,” there’s a hint of longing in Sidewinder’s voice which I can’t quite place.
I scrub a hand over my face and wonder how the fuck I’m going to be able to keep it together long enough to show Graycie I’m the man for her. The first step is to go to Bunz Out.
Even if I only get a glimpse of her, it’ll be worth it.