Chapter 7
AXEL
I’m in the weight room the next morning when Grayson walks inside. My brow furrows when I take him in. He looks tired as hell and has spit up on his shirt. He’s not supposed to be here, though. I rack my weights and then walk over to him.
“What are you doing here? Needed a break already?” I tease.
His jaw clenches. “I wish,” I he mutters. “I’m calling church. I need to talk to everyone.”
My brow furrows. “Is everything okay with Sophie and the kids?” I ask as I wipe a towel over my face.
“They’re fine, just come to church,” he orders before patting my back and walking out of the room.
It’s unlike Grayson to be so secretive about things.
It’s making me really curious about what happened and why he’s not just coming out with it.
I sigh and grab my t-shirt, slipping it back on before heading out of the gym and towards church.
I file in behind Cane, Nash and Cole and take my seat by Grayson.
Rowan, Atlas, Luke, and the prospects walk in, closing the door after them, and take their seats.
The prospects aren’t allowed to vote in club business, so them being here is a surprise.
Grayson bangs the gavel, and we all wait for him to begin.
“I’m here because Sophie was freaking out last night and we hardly got any sleep,” he mutters as he leans back in his seat. “Before any of you ask, the kids and Sophie are fine, it’s not that. It’s about the phone call she got from Wren last night.”
I sit up straighter as murmurs break out in the room.
“What happened?” I grit out impatiently.
Grayson faces me. “Wren called late last night and confided in Sophie. She wasn’t supposed to tell me what happened, but I’m glad that she did.”
“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Luke mutters from the other end of the table.
“Wren walked outside to check her mail and a guy was waiting for her at her apartment door when she came back,” he says, and my blood immediately turns to ice.
“She said it was a guy that she went on a few dates with and that he called her a tease. I know it doesn’t sound so bad, but Sophie thinks there is more to the story.
It doesn’t really matter why it happened, all that matters is that it did happen. Wren is family and we protect our own.”
Murmurs of agreement break out in the room, but my mind is spinning. Who the fuck showed up at Wren’s apartment? She has dated lots of guys over the years, but none of them last for long.
“What are we going to do?” I ask when I calm down.
“I think we can all agree that she’s getting a protection detail,” he says with a pointed look at all the brothers.
“No kidding,” Rowan mutters. “This doesn’t even need a vote.”
“I’ll do it,” I offer, and everyone’s heads swing in my direction. “We can act like we’re dating; it’ll look less suspicious to the fucker than someone new being around her every day,” I murmur, feeling like I have to cover for my response.
“Are you sure about this, brother?” Rowan asks from across the table. “You guys can barely stand each other most days.”
“I’m sure,” I tell him. “It just makes the most sense. Plus, I can torment her a bit,” I add with a smirk, drawing a few laughs from the guys.
The truth is, I’ll get to keep an eye on her. I know it’s going to piss her off, but I love getting under her skin. Maybe I’ll even figure out why she left the other night.
“Can I be there when you give her the good news?” Luke asks with a chuckle. “I want to see that.”
“Shut up,” I mutter playfully before nodding my head.
“You know this isn’t just for a few days, right? Unless she gives us his information and lets us take care of him, this could be an ongoing issue,” Grayson confirms.
“I’m fine with that,” I murmur. “She can spend time at the club so I’m not slacking around here.”
“Good luck with that,” Cane mutters.
“Good luck with getting Wren to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” Atlas says. “She’s a fierce woman.”
“Tell us something we don’t already know,” I snap, wincing immediately after. He just looks at me with a raised brow. “None of this talk is doing her any good. I’ll go to Lenny’s office to let her know what’s happening.”
“Sounds good. She’s going to be pissed that Sophie told me,” Gray warns.
“Let her be pissed,” I shrug.
Grayson chuckles and lifts the gavel, bringing it down on the block, drawing church to a close. I hop from my seat and head towards the door feeling Luke at my back. He wants to see Wren’s reaction so he can give me shit for it later.
I don’t say anything as I walk out of the clubhouse and to my bike where it’s parked, I just hop on and secure my helmet. I see Luke climb on his bike out of my periphery and start my engine, knowing that he’ll be right behind me.
Luke is the brother I’m closest to after Grayson and Rowan. He’s a good man. His parents died about ten years ago and he fully emersed himself into club life after that. We’re all the family he has left. He would do anything for our brothers.
I pull onto the road and head towards town, eager to get to Lenny’s office. I need to see for myself that Wren is okay, that she’s not hurt. I just feel it in my gut that there is more to the story.
Wren has a history of putting everyone before herself. This isn’t going to be one of those times, though. I won’t let it be. Neither will the club.
I pull into the parking lot outside of Lenny’s office and cut the engine on my bike.
I climb off after setting the kick stand and unbuckle my helmet, hanging it on my handlebar.
Luke parks beside me and I wait for him to join me before walking up to the office door, pulling it open and walking inside. The door dings announcing our arrival.
“I’ll be right there!” Wren’s voice calls from the other room.
We wait by the front desk until we see Wren. She’s wearing a dark red button-down shirt and black slacks that hug her curves. Her chocolate brown hair is pulled back in a clip with tendrils escaping around her face. She’s wearing black glasses and hardly any makeup. She looks incredible.
Most of the tension leaves my body when I see that she’s okay. Her face, though? Her face goes from pleasant to annoyed as soon as she sees us.
She stops in front of us and puts her hands on her hips. “Sophie told y’all?”
“Why didn’t you?” I ask, staring her down.
She huffs. “Not every part of my life is the clubs’ business. Some things are just for me to deal with.”
“Not when it comes to your safety,” I grit out.
“Why wouldn’t you tell us about this guy so we could help?” Luke asks.
Wren sighs. “Because I got myself into this mess. I’m the one who went on a couple of dates with him.”
“That doesn’t give him the right to show up at your house unannounced,” I mutter. “That shit can’t fly.”
“I know,” she murmurs softly. “I just didn’t want you guys to know. It’s embarrassing.”
“The only one who should be embarrassed is the man who can’t take a hint,” I say as I step forward.
She crosses her arms over her chest, and my eyes fall to where the fabric is pulled up to her forearms. I step into her space when I see red marks on her arm. I reach out and pull her closer so I can inspect it.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I growl. “Did he do that?”
She pulls her arm away before I get a good look and walks behind her desk, putting some distance between us.
“Yes,” she admits. “I didn’t tell Sophie because I figured that would have brought the Sovereign Sons down on my ass, but apparently, a guy showing up at my apartment unannounced is enough to do that. ”
“You should have told us.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why are you here?” That makes me smile and she immediately goes on edge. “What?”
“We came to a decision as a club,” I tell her. “You’re officially under our protection.” She visibly relaxes before I finish. “My protection to be exact. We decided that it’s best if we act like I’m your boyfriend so the guy will back off.”
“What? Why the hell would we do that?” She hisses.
“Because he would be stupid as fuck to approach you when you’re dating the sergeant at arms of the Sovereign Sons,” Luke chuckles.
“It’s either that or you tell us who he is so we can take him out,” I offer with a shrug.
If looks could kill, I’d be long gone.
She thinks about it for a moment before sighing in exasperation. “Fine. You can be my fake boyfriend. It’s fake, though, and you better remember that,” she warns with a finger pointed in my direction.
I smirk at her. “Of course.”