Chapter Five
“Slow and steady. This isn’t a race. It’s going to take a while, but you’ll get where you want to be.”
Roadkill stood to one side giving Allison instructions as she pulled down on the lat bar. He was careful not to watch her too closely, no matter how enticing she worked at being.
Allison was attractive enough, but she seemed to be looking for attention. She had picked up how to use the equipment easily enough, but she insisted she needed a spotter, and not just for the weights. She liked having one of the staff, always men, never the women, spot her, just in case she said.
Roadkill stood by, but let his mind drift. He hoped Jenna would be back today. She hadn’t had much time after filling out paper work, and he ached to see her again.
Thankfully, Hex had done as he’d requested and put Phantom on something else. He’d assigned Bobby Lee instead. The prospect did whatever Roadkill asked, jumping every time Roadkill called for him, as if he was afraid each time he was about to get his ass beat.
The enforcer didn’t really blame him for being jumpy.
The prospect had made some mistakes in the past, mistakes that had almost ended up being devastating, but he hadn’t been malicious, only gullible, and stupid.
He was learning and Roadkill had little doubt the prospect thought he’d been sent here so Roadkill could punish him in some way.
That was one of the enforcer’s responsibilities.
If it kept him jumping and doing what Roadkill needed done, then he’d let the kid believe it a while longer.
Maybe another day or two, or maybe he’d have mercy on him this afternoon.
“How many times do I have to do this?” Allison asked, drawing his attention back to her.
“I’d say three sets of fifteen, three times a week. You’ll start seeing results in a few weeks.”
“A few weeks?” Allison stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “I was hoping you’d be able to see it sooner. Don’t you think it’s making a difference already?” She batted her eyes at him.
Roadkill fought to keep from rolling his eyes disappointment in her voice.
“You didn’t lose the muscle overnight. It will take time to build it again. In the meantime, make sure you’re eating plenty of protein. You can’t build muscle without it.”
She nodded and exhaled as she set the weights back on top of the stack.
“All right, hot stuff What should I work on next?” she said, she arched her back so her tits stuck out.
“Next you can spend five minutes on the treadmill or head upstairs and make two laps on the track, walking, not running.”
She stared at him, then turned toward the hallway where the stairs were before turning back to him and looking him up and down as if she had ideas about what should happen upstairs. “And after that?”
“That’s all for today. You can take a soak in the hot tub if you like.” Roadkill shrugged. He didn’t want to alienate Allison. She would tell all her friends, and he would lose a good chunk of business, but he could do without catering to her demands and fielding her flirtations.
“Will you join me in the hot tub? Or better yet, in the shower?” her voice went husky.
“I don’t make use of the hot tub, or the showers while the gym is open.” He kept his voice neutral, even as he continued to scan the room, looking for anyone needing assistance.
Allison spent more time and effort flirting and trying to get him into bed than she did on her workout.
“If you’ll excuse me. I have a couple of things I need to check on.” Roadkill headed for the front desk. Behind him, he heard Allison huff, then turn and got up the stairs that led to the walking.
“Have you checked on the laundry?” Roadkill asked Bobby Lee as he reached the desk and found the prospect lounging in the same chair Phantom had dragged in a couple of months ago, so he had ‘somewhere that didn’t hurt his ass’ or at least that was what he’d said when Roadkill had looked at the disreputable looking monstrosity.
“I started the towels in the washer forty-three minutes ago,” Bobby Lee said, checking his watch. “Will they be done already?”
“Don’t know. Never timed it. Better go check.
” Roadkill scanned the computer as the kid pushed himself to his feet and headed for the rear, past the stairs to the second floor, to the laundry room.
He knew the washer wouldn’t be done yet.
The wash cycle took at least an hour and fifteen minutes, but a little bit of hazing was part of being a prospect and Bobby Lee knew better than to argue or complain.
Besides, it wasn’t like the washer here was one of the fancy new models that told you when it would be done. He might could get away with doing this all day long. Maybe all week.
Roadkill pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Rachel, the woman who normally came in and took care of the laundry for the place.
He let her know he had things covered here this week, to enjoy some time off.
And that since this wasn’t something she’d asked for, or planned for, he would make sure she got paid for the time.
Rachel used the money she earned here to supplement her retirement.
The last thing Roadkill wanted to do was make things harder for her, but he couldn’t resist tormenting the prospect with the job, so best of both worlds, he’d continue to pay her, and make the prospect do the job. His phone buzzed with a message.
**Rachel: Thank you for letting me know, but you don’t need to pay me if I’m not working.
Roadkill stared down at the phone, thinking.
**Roadkill: I’ll cover this week, we’ll see about next week when we know more.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of bringing her in next week, but not to the laundry like she had been doing.
No. he wanted her to oversee Bobby Lee doing it.
He’d have to talk to Rachel first and make sure she understood what he was after, and would participate.
She was a sweet older woman, but she had an ornery streak in her, he thought if he could convince her it was all in fun, then he could get her to help.
“I’m not sure I want to ask,” Hex’s voice asked from far too close for Roadkill not to have realized he was there.
“Hm, what?” Roadkill looked up and found his president watching him.
“You look way too happy to have been staring into space. I’m afraid to ask what you’re thinking about.”
Roadkill grinned. “Just dreaming up ways to fuck with the prospect. Can you give him to me next week too?”
Hex narrowed his eyes as he watched the enforcer.
“Do I want to know?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Roadkill twisted around and looked toward the doorway in the rear where Bobby Lee was on his way back. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
Hex rolled his eyes. “No permanent injury and nothing that will embarrass the club. You know the rules.”
“I do. But that’s not why you’re here. What brings you to Savage Iron today?”
Hex heaved a sigh as he moved around to Phantom’s chair and sat.
“It’s Elle.”
Roadkill lifted one brow and waited. There had to be more to this than just her, and the best way to get his president to talk was to wait him out. He would talk when he was ready.
“She says she needs to exercise, she needs to get in shape.”
Roadkill stayed quiet. While it was something, his president had yet to tell him what he wanted, and why he was here to ask Roadkill. Bobby Lee came up, looked back and forth between them for a moment, then walked away when Roadkill waved at him to go away.
“I’m worried.” Hex lifted his gaze and looked at Roadkill. “I don’t want her to hurt herself or the baby.” He let his gaze scan the room behind Roadkill. “There are so many ways for them to get hurt here.” He sighed again as he turned to look out the glass wall that fronted the building.
Roadkill looked at the room from his president’s perspective. All of the equipment could be dangerous if used improperly. And his woman wanted to come in and make use of it. How would he feel if his woman was in the same condition and wanting to do the same thing?
His mind flashed on an image of Jenna, her belly swollen with his kid as she leaned over to give him a kiss.
His breath caught in his chest as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He wanted that. He wasn’t sure how to get it, at least not yet. But he wanted to be able to call that woman his.
“Exercise would be good for her, but I agree, the machines may not be the best bet. Let me talk to Savannah. She’s my yoga teacher.
She may have some ideas about a class she can teach once or twice a week.
I’m sure Elizabeth isn’t the only one expecting who could use a class like that.
” He turned back to his president. “In the meantime, she can walk on the track or use one of the treadmills.”
Hex shook his head. “No treadmills. I offered to get her one for the house, so she doesn’t have to deal with the heat and the humidity once it gets hot, but she said she hates them.
Though, upstairs, that she could probably do.
” He looked encouraged by the idea, then he frowned again. “You don’t have an elevator, do you?
“No. I didn’t really see the point. If you’re here, you’re at least mostly able bodied, and should be able to use the stairs. I haven’t had anyone who couldn’t, at least not yet.”
“I’m not sure I like her going up and down the stairs.” Hex said with a frown.
Roadkill blinked. “While I understand your need to make sure she’s safe. That she’s not doing anything dangerous that would put her or the baby at risk, I think prohibiting stairs is a bit far. Have you suggested to Elizabeth that she avoid stairs?”
Hex shook his head. “I know better than that. She’ll skin me alive for suggesting she can’t do anything she sets her mind to, just because she’s pregnant.
I need to have a plan in place before I take it to her.
I need to be able to articulate why my plan would be better than whatever she’s looking at.
Then I can take it to her and, hopefully, make her see reason. ”
“Or see that you’re being overprotective and decide how she wants to deal with that,” Roadkill put in, still watching his president.
“What do you mean by that?” Hex said with a frown. “How she wants to deal with that?”
“The way I see it, with what I know of Elizabeth, I figure it will go one of two ways.”
“What are they?”
“I figure she’ll either give in, do what you want and how, or she’ll tell you where to shove it and do what she wants, no matter what you say.”
Hex’s frown turned into a scowl. Roadkill fought the urge to laugh.
It might feel good, but the last thing he wanted to do was to piss of his president.
He could send Phantom back and that was the last thing Roadkill wanted, at least for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks.
Just long enough for him to convince Jenna the Savage Warriors weren’t as terrifying as half of Wilmer thought them to be.
Not that they wanted the town’s perceptions of them to change.
They were a one percent club, and that wouldn’t change.
But they could let a few in on what they were really like.
A few like Elizabeth, and Roadkill thought, maybe Jenna.
“I don’t think you’re taking this as seriously as you should.”
Roadkill took a deep breath and schooled his features. The last thing he needed was to be on his president’s shit list.
“I don’t want you to think I’m brushing off your concerns.
” He looked down for a moment, trying to find the right words.
“And if there were an actual threat, you know I’d be the first to jump up and stand firm.
But you can’t wrap her in bubble wrap for her entire life.
Not only is it not practical, your woman isn’t the kind to put up with that kind of coddling.
Sure she might accept it for a day or two, but she’ll get sick of it quick, then you’ll spend more time trying to find her, to keep up with her, than it’s worth, because when she starts feeling smothered, she’ll do anything she can to get out of it, whether it’s bribe whoever’s with her or evading them.
Then we’ll be scrambling to find her, and you’ll be losing your shit until we do. ”
He kept an eye on his president, trying to gauge how well the other man was taking what Roadkill was telling him.
“If we were talking about her going running up and down the stairs of a stadium as a workout routine, I’d be right beside you saying it wasn’t a good plan.
But we’re talking about her climbing a single floor of stairs to get to the track so she can walk.
Walking won’t hurt her and neither will the stairs.
It’s not like they’re narrow, slippery or any danger to her as long as no one comes along behind her and pushes her down them.
If something like that were to happen here, we’d know who it was and could react appropriately,” he held up one hand because he could see Hex wanted to say something, but he wasn’t finished, “I’m not saying something like that could happen here, just that this is a controlled environment.
No one who comes here would harm a woman, much less a pregnant woman. ”
Hex looked up at him, worry and uncertainty in his gaze.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. But if it makes you feel better, anytime the doors are unlocked, one of the Warriors is here, if not more than one.
How about we put that as the only restriction.
She has to make sure there’s at least one Warrior here any time she is.
And if she wants to come after hours, then that’s up to you.
I won’t issue her a key card, you can bring her in with yours if you want.
And I’ll talk to Savannah about some kind of maternity class.
” Roadkill shook his head. When they’d opened the place, the last thing he’d expected was to be planning to invite a dozen or more pregnant women in several times a week.
But business was business and if it would help his president’s woman, he’d do it even if they had to run it at a loss.
Hex stared at him for what seemed like forever before nodding. “You’re right. As much as I hate it. You’re right.” He sighed. “Talk to your yoga instructor. I’ll talk to Elle and see if I can get her to see my side of it.”
“She’ll understand, as long as your reasonable. If you start trying to carry her everywhere she goes and cutting up her food, so she doesn’t choke? Well, then you’re on your own. She’ll have your balls in short order.”
“She already has them, all she has to do is ask,” Hex muttered as he pushed himself to his feet.
Roadkill was sure he hadn’t intended anyone to hear that. Not wanting to push his president any farther, he chose to keep his mouth shut on that one.