Chapter 12 #2
I rolled my eyes and stood up. "You're ridiculous," I told him before looking down at the girls again. "I'm just going to be staying here for a little while."
Taz gave Priest a questioning look, but he shook his head.
They were obviously having some kind of silent conversation, but I didn't know what it could be about.
Finally, she stepped forward. "It's so nice to meet you.
" I shook her hand. "You can call me Jenny.
The guys all use those names for us, but we women just use our regular names with each other," she explained.
"Thank you." I nibbled my lip, then asked her in a low voice so hopefully most of the men wouldn't hear. I wasn't trying to offend anyone. "Everyone has very strange names," I admitted. "Is there a reason for that?"
She laughed and glanced over at Idaho. "He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"I didn't explain much yet," Idaho said. "They're nicknames. Road names. It has to do with the club."
"Oh." I nodded, feeling stupid. Of course they were nicknames. I had a feeling since Idaho had said his name was Levi, but I just wanted to make sure.
Jenny gave me a warm smile. "It's okay. There's a lot to learn if you don't know anything about motorcycle clubs."
"I'm sure there is," I agreed. "Thank you for being so welcoming."
"Of course." She looked back up at Priest. "I'm going to show her around and get her settled in."
Priest looked over at Idaho. "She need a room?"
"Give her one of the apartments for now," a voice so similar to Idaho's answered.
I turned and found Lockout standing near the bar.
He'd snuck in while we'd been talking to the others.
The kids had already scampered off and were sitting over near Toxic and Butcher.
I frowned, watching the two rough looking men interact with the little girls.
It only took moments to realize they were head over boots for the girls. It made me smile.
Lockout's voice drew my attention back to him. "We can't have her staying in one of the smaller rooms."
"I'll be staying with her," Idaho claimed. "I'm not leaving her alone, it's too dangerous."
"Fine," Lockout agreed, though he didn't look happy about it. "You're responsible if something happens to her."
"Nothing will happen to her," Idaho assured him.
"I'm right here," I muttered, drawing their attention back to me. "And it's not appropriate for us to live together."
Idaho's brows rose and he looked at his brother again. "It's fine," Lockout said. "The only thing that's going to piss your father off more than knowing we lied to him, is finding out you were harmed because no one was watching you."
"I'm not leaving her here alone," Thomas interjected.
"Too bad," Idaho said with a shrug of his shoulder. "She's my responsibility."
Thomas bristled and took a step forward. "I'm the one who was hired to protect her. I've been working for her family since she was a kid. If you think I'm leaving her here with you, you're fucking insane."
"Thomas," I said quietly. He stopped, but didn't take his eyes off Idaho. I sighed and turned back to the men who seemed to be running the show. "I appreciate that you want to protect me, but Thomas is my bodyguard."
"He can watch over you while you go to school. But we're picky about who gets to live here at the clubhouse," Idaho stated, folding his arms over his chest.
"Then why don't I just stay with Thomas," I shot back.
"Because we will be able to protect you better," he snapped. "There are more of us."
"How do I know you can actually protect me?" I asked. I only said it to get under his skin. Besides the fact that he had already protected me, there was this air about Idaho that gave me the impression he was dangerous when crossed.
"You mean other than the fact that I've already done it?" He narrowed his eyes, irritation flickering over his face. "Look, Duchess. If you want my help, you'll follow my rules. And one of those rules is you're staying here at the clubhouse."
He gave me a challenging look while I nibbled on my lower lip. I was so confused. It wasn't right to not tell my father about what happened, but the consequences of doing so were unthinkable. I nodded in agreement with Idaho's rule.
"In words, Duchess."
"Okay," I sighed. "I'll stay here."
"You know which apartment?" Priest asked Jenny. Now that the decision was made, and he'd waited until I made it, he wanted to get a move on.
She nodded and motioned for me. "Come with me. We'll get you settled into your new apartment." Her eyes flicked to Idaho. "Both of you."
Idaho stalked up the stairs behind us and I frowned at him. "I really don't want to be a burden to anyone."
"You're not," he muttered. "Once I get my own background checks done, I'll be fine with your bodyguard handling your school schedule. I'll go with you wherever else you need."
"Background checks? Why do you need those?"
"I don't know this guy from shit. For all I know, he set this whole thing up to get some extra cash."
I gasped in outrage while Thomas froze in place, then slowly turned to meet Idaho's angry gaze. "Eva is like family to me," he rumbled. "I'd give my life to protect her."
That might have been the first moment that Idaho acknowledged Thomas, showed him real respect.
Thomas looked like he was ready to take on the whole club at the accusation.
Idaho gave a slight tilt of his head and said, "Then you understand why I want the background check.
" Thomas's eyes didn't exactly soften, more like the two men reached a respect for their mistrust in each other. Men were so confusing.
That was the part of all of this that I hated. I didn't want anyone to put themselves in harm's way for me. Thomas had a six-month old baby at home, and a three-year old. They needed their dad to be there for them. The guilt was overwhelming. "I can't do this," I told them, changing my mind.
Three pairs of eyes landed on me, before Jenny spoke up. Her gentle voice made me feel even worse. "Do what, Sweetie?"
"If there really is someone out there targeting me, I...
I should just go home. I don't want anyone giving their lives for me.
You have children living here," I told Idaho when he opened his mouth to speak.
"I can't put them in danger. He has a wife and kids at home, waiting for him.
" I motioned at Thomas. "You... I'm sure you have people who need you just as much.
" My eyes met Idaho's. "I can't be selfish and disrupt everyone's lives. "
"Eva," Thomas said with a heavy sigh. "You can't go home."
Startled, I looked over at him. "What? Why not?"
"You're fading away," he said with a shrug.
"Every year you remain there a little more of you disappears.
You needed to come here. It's why I agreed to come along.
It's why your mother threatened to do something drastic if your father didn't allow it.
" My eyes widened and he grinned. "I hear more than you know. "
"But-"
"No, Duchess," Idaho interrupted me. "You can't go home."
"Why not?"
He stepped forward and took my hand in his. His thumb rubbed over the back of my knuckles and I felt the touch all the way down to my toes. "The men are more than capable enough to protect the women and children. We're going to find out who did this and put a stop to it."
He ignored my question and just went straight into how to fix the situation. He was so much like my father in that regard all I could do was shake my head.
"We are?" Thomas asked, brows raised.
Idaho nodded, then looked at me again. "We are."