Chapter Twenty-Six
Ididn’t tell him about the virgin thing, because that was just too fucking close to my chest, something I couldn’t tell anyone, even though those twin fuckers figured it out somehow. It’s not like he talked to them and would find out.
“She hasn’t tried anything here again,” he said in response to my fears about Claudia’s twin.
“That doesn’t mean she’s not planning something. The chick’s seriously fucking unhinged.”
Micro nodded, the serious version of him so different from the man I’d known back at the OG chapter, before he lost his mind and tried to massacre everyone or whatever.
“There’s a charge registered now against her for harassment against the club, so she needs to watch it, or next time it could be more serious.
I don’t think she’s evil or anything, but she’s messed up enough that I don’t want her here destroying all that we’re working for.
Her sister is under our protection now though, so hopefully she’ll be able to stay out from under her thumb. ”
He’d called her my old lady earlier, and I was quick to argue, but since it was what I wanted, more than anything, the words were sticking in my head. In my throat. In my fucking heart. Was she my future old lady, or the first woman to truly break my heart?
“Brother, she’s safe with you, and she knows that. Do you guys need anything, or are you all set at Henley’s?”
It took me a moment for my brain to step out of my thoughts, and catch up with his words.
“Uh. I think we’re good, but why was Henley here? He said he was going away.”
Micro shrugged. “He’s taken Glory to stay at one of his glamping sites nearby, seems someone was curious about what they’re like, and he felt she needed a few days away from the norm.”
“So he took her to a campsite? That’s a shit way to treat the woman he loves.
” The moment I said it, I sighed, because I knew I was doing it again.
I couldn’t just say something like ‘why stay so close’ or ‘why not take her somewhere fancy’.
I had to crap all over his gesture. The same gesture that led to me having somewhere swanky to stay with the woman I was falling in love with.
“Sorry. I’m an asshole. I know he’s good people.”
Micro watched me hating on myself for a moment, probably seeing shit I didn’t want to be letting anyone see.
“Why do you think your go-to is to say something insulting first? I’m not being a prick here, I’m just wondering. You’re a good guy, but you seem to always opt for the path of most resistance.”
I went back to fondling the table surface. Why were we having some fucking girly feelings chat anyway? This was keeping me away from the only person I wanted to be around.
“I just explained it. I’m an asshole.”
“You’re not though. I’ve known you a few years, man.
I know you’re funny, and sarcastic, but sometimes I feel like you just try to bait people.
I know some people think we’re a pussy club because we’re not all about starting trouble and pissing everyone off, but isn’t it an easier, happier life when we don’t?
I mean, I hear your old lady chewed Rocket and Harley new ones for dissing you, so maybe you should listen to that and apply it to how you speak to us.
We’re your family, not your punching bags.
Although, that said, I’m sure Rocket would let you punch him. I think it’s like some kink of his.”
His face twisted into a grimace, and I snorted. He wasn’t wrong about Rocket. He liked the fisticuffs, and he loved winding people up to get them. Was I worse than that? Was I making people uncomfortable just for shits and gigs?
“I’ll work on it, Pres,” I said finally, lowering my hand from molesting the table.
“I like her. She’s got your back, and you need to know you have that. You have it from us, but like Rocket did until recently, I think you doubt that. You may be from the other chapter, but you’re also a founding member of this one now. You matter. There and here. Everywhere.”
He cleared his throat, tilting his mug to glance at it, probably realising it was as empty as mine at this point. He didn’t move to get more though, and neither did I.
“So your day job, what’s happening there?”
Oh yeah. That. “I have one meeting with them tomorrow. I know it’s the last day I’ll be employed by them. It’s been coming a while. Redundancy is bullshit. I’ll get a payout, but it’s not like that’ll last very long.”
Micro glanced at his mug again, which FYI isn’t going to refill itself, and it annoyed me in that irrational way the most inconsequential things can.
“You want me to refill that or what? It’s not like you can’t just get more.”
He shoved the mug further away. “Trying not to drink it like water. Apparently it’s not great for you when you do that, and I have a daughter to stay young and healthy for. So, what about your other job?”
Oh hell. That. “Well, they didn’t make me kill someone this time. I just sat in a fucking cage for nearly seven hours, watching a door that never opened or got approached once.”
I wanted to smack that laugh from his face, but as boring as it’d been, I’d take a dozen of those jobs over another murder. I’d whinged at the time, but it was the easiest job there was, right?
“They’re paying you, I hope? This isn’t just them taking the piss?”
Ah the silver lining to the very large, disturbing cloud.
“A few days a month working for them and I’m earning a few times what I was getting at the office, so yeah, I’ll say.”
Micro’s eyebrows raised. “Nice. You can buy the drinks next time we’re at the pub. Don’t get in too deep, okay? You can come to me any-”
My phone rang, and the name on the screen was Claudia, which made me hesitate for a moment, because how the fuck could she call me?
“Best you answer that, brother.”
I lifted it to my ear, hearing panicked breathing on the other end of the line.
“Claudia? What the fuck. You can’t hear me! What do I do, Pres?”
He dug out his own phone, tapping out a message.
“Grease is on the case.”
“Stag? I can’t hear you, of course, but if you’re there… I need you. M… Marissa’s been in contact, and I’m... Oh god, please come home!”
Fuck! Micro was already on his way out of the room with me, his phone to his ear now.
“Yeah, brother. I’m with him, so we’ll head over there now. Meet you there.”
I kept my phone by my ear, and I could hear her ragged breathing, and the way she was muttering something, but it was so low I couldn’t hear it, and it was freaking me the fuck out.
I couldn’t ask her anything, or reassure her.
All I could do was listen to her fear. If you’d asked me yesterday what hell would be like, I’d never have said ‘a phone call’, but here it is.
My woman’s in trouble, and I can’t do a fucking thing to help her, not even offer her reassurance or comfort in her time of need.
“Let’s go, brother.”
Micro reappeared, handing me an earpiece that he showed me how to sync to my phone, so I shoved that in my ear and ran for my ride. I could still hear her, could still speak to her, even though she wouldn’t hear me, but more importantly, I could get to her as fast as possible.
Claudia
The front door burst open in my peripheral vision, making me scream, and Stag stood there, with several of his biker brothers behind him, and as he stepped into the house, they dispersed, moving in all directions into the house like a search party.
“Oh god! What’s happening?” I practically threw myself into his arms, and he held me close as he stepped away from the door and kicked it closed.
He kissed the top of my head and released me, tilting my chin up with his fingers as he set his helmet on the floor by the door.
“You were upset. What happened?”
I blinked at him, turning to watch men appearing from all over the house, saying things like ‘all clear’, and ‘nothing’ when I looked at them.
“Claudia,” Stag said as he turned my face to his once more, “did she get in here?”
She. Oh god. I backed up a step, twisting my fingers together as I eyed the five large biker guys, my favourite one included, and realised they’d all come running to my aid over an email. An email.
“Oh god. This is so embarrassing. There’s nobody here. She’s not here. She…” I turned and pointed at my laptop on the table, “she’s been emailing. My god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise you’d all rush here like this!”
Their faces all relaxed, and a few started to smile or laugh, and that’s when I realised one of the men was the Club President, Micro. He stepped ahead of them, shooting a quick glance at Stag before he continued to approach me.
“Don’t worry, darlin’. The main thing is that you’re okay. You wanna show me what she’s been saying? I can have people block her from reaching you at all. Sorry, we should have considered this. The phone is only one avenue. We need full lockdown here.”
The other guys looked surprised as they started talking at him, but I ignored them, turning to catch Stag’s eye as he rested a heavy, warm hand on my shoulder, his heat seeping into my skin like a layer of comfort and safety. I hadn’t realised how chilled I felt until he offered me his warmth.
“You’re okay?”
I nodded. “I feel like such a pain in the ass. I should have explained. I didn’t mean to drag everyone here like this. I’ll do better next time.”
Stag opened his mouth and then his head lifted and he nodded, guiding my attention to Micro once more.
“You did the right thing, and no matter how many times she gets through to you, whether it’s a message, or a fucking love letter, or a smoke signal, you let us know.
We’ve got your back. Now, can I get Grease to access your laptop and deal with the emails?
We don’t need to see them, but he can make them go away, and block her from reaching you via any apps or methods from her IP.
He’s working on what else he can do, but if she goes to some random location, she could, in theory, still reach out. ”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “He doesn’t need to go to that effort. Maybe I should just meet with her, and-”
“No. Let’s not do that yet. I mean, unless you have a desperate urge to see your twin, I think distance is safer.”
Safer. Like she’s literally a threat to my life. Are we just taking things out of proportion, or is this really as serious as they’re all saying?
“Claudia?”
I felt Stag gently untwisting my fingers, lacing his own through my hand and holding it in both of his. His quiet strength was exactly what I needed right now.
“Yes, please ask him to lock her out of whatever he can of mine. I can give him my pass-”
“In the words of Grease, or Ice… ‘please’. I think that means they’re a pair of self-congratulating assholes, who think they’re unstoppable.”
His grin was infectious, setting off a light giggle from me, something that seemed impossible just a few moments ago. I could see why they all respected him. He was like a father figure to them, to anyone they cared about.
“Thank you, Micro. Thank you all. Can I make you some coffee, or I could-”
Stag’s fingers landed on my lips and I turned to glare at him.
“I’ll get them drinks. You don’t wait on them, they’re nobody important.”
Wow. Even I was frustrated at his words this time. I know he didn’t mean it that way, but after their efforts to help me, it wasn’t right of him to say it.
“They’re your family, and they just rushed here to my aid over a fucking email, Stag! I’ll get drinks on and you’ll sit your damn ass down.”
I caught smirks and what looked like respect on their faces as I started walking to the kitchen, but I spun on my heel to look at the men amassed in the hallway.
“I don’t know how anyone takes their drinks, so I’m going to pour coffee, and set it out with milk and sugar. You can do the rest yourselves.”
A few nods, and a grudging look of approval on Stag’s face sent me into the kitchen, clearly not where he felt I belonged, but I needed to do something for them after they’d all risked god knows what to rush here to my aid.
I had no idea that’s how they would behave if they thought I was in danger.
I barely knew these men, but they’d dropped everything for me. To protect me.
“Oh!” I jumped as Stag slid my phone in front of me. There was a message on it, but thankfully not from Marissa. From someone I exchanged numbers with before she went away.
Glory: Is everything okay? Henley says some of the guys rushed to the house for you.
“Oh wow, it’s Glory checking in on me too.”
Stag grinned when I lifted my head to look at him.
“He’s probably got cameras on the door and stuff. Who knows. People care about you, Claudia, so don’t underestimate how much this family will back you up.”
I pressed the button on the coffeepot, because with this many people I wasn’t making individual ones with the fancy machine.
“And that makes me wonder why you said that in there. They are important, Stag. To me, and to you. I know you didn’t mean it, but… I’d have been hurt to have been on the receiving end of those words. You should apologise.”
He grimaced, cupping my cheek gently. “I’d never say something like that to you, but I already apologised before I followed you. They’re used to my banter, but I’m trying. Now, I think after I rushed here to save your sexy ass, I at least deserve a kiss, don’t I?”
He offered me a cheeky grin and leaned closer, giving me the option of whether I closed the distance. Naturally I did, because his presence made me want to always be kissing those perfect lips, even if it meant I silenced his main method of communication, or maybe also because it did.