Chapter 10
Tico
A niggling feeling tickles the back of my mind as Taco, Dameon and I discuss what all the girls will need, but then the quiet of the apartment surrounds us.
“Chingar (Fuck),” I curse as I turn on my heel and stalk back to the living room, already dreading that I know what I’ll find.
The room is empty.
“Where the fuck did they go?”
“Aw fuck,” Daemon curses as he crosses the room, heading towards the stairs and we follow him down. “Not even a day and I’m already pulling the same fucking shit as those fucking assholes,” he mutters as he locks up behind us.
“?Qué mierda? (What shit?),” I ask, my chest tight with worry that Ember and Pyper are out and about with no protection other than that Reese guy. What if the Chrome Vipers suspect she came here because of her ties to Daemon? Could they already be lying in wait for them?
Deamon swings his leg over his bike as he levels me with a hard look that would make a lesser man piss his pants.
“Ember and Pyper grew up always being told what to do, how to act, what to eat, what to wear. Ember got a little freedom when she beat the shit out of that brat who tried to bully Pyper because that’s when they started training her.
But still, everything in her life was dictated by her dad, Jerry; her uncle Ryan; and later when he killed my parents and took over the club, by Scooter.
Even before Scooter took over, most of the women didn’t have the best lives.
But out of everyone, the way Jerry Foxx treated his wives and the girls was by far among the worst.”
He pauses as his gaze flicks up to the apartment and back to me.
“And there we were discussing what all they needed and what changes to make to the apartment without even asking them their opinions or what they wanted. As much as she put on an act of submissiveness growing up just to survive that hell hole, Em’s a fiercely independent woman.
Knowing her, she’s going to get the bare minimum of what they need for now because she’ll never let herself be indebted to someone.
I know you like her, that much was extremely evident the other night with how you were watching her,” he says with a smirk.
I fight to keep my face neutral, but it’s true and I don’t even try to deny it. Something during the night of the fights drew me to Ember like a moth to a flame and that pull is somehow even stronger now that I’ve met her in person.
“But steamrolling her will get you absolutely nowhere except for sore balls and her fists pummeling you. She has to be suspicious of you already offering the club’s protection, which I’m grateful for by the way, but I will warn you.
If you really want to pursue Em, then you’ll need to change your approach.
” He pauses again as he shifts on his bike, kicking up the stand.
“And I need to fucking grovel before she beats my ass black and blue,” he mutters before starting up his bike.
He pulls up to the street and waits for us.
As I walk back to my bike, I contemplate his words. A part of me wants to ignore him and demand that Ember listen to me, but I saw the same fierce spark in her eyes that he described. If I do that, then from what he said, I’ll lose her for good.
The question is though; do I want to chase her or do I let her go?
To let her find someone else closer to her age?
It’s obvious I’m older than her by at least ten years.
Maybe even fifteen. Thoughts of someone else’s hands on Ember has me snarling, my stomach twisting painfully and my mouth tasting like ash.
Chingar (Fuck).
No fucking way is that happening.
Ember Foxx is mine.
Starting my bike, I take off with Taco to my right and Daemon pulls up to my left as we ride up and down the streets of downtown.
A few minutes later, I spot the SUV that I believe is Reese’s and we all park across the street from the thrift store.
The urge to drag Ember out of the store and into one where she can get better furniture and belongings hits strong, but I curb the urge for now.
Especially when her emerald eyes land frostily on us through the window as we cross the street.
Entering the store, I head straight for her.
A few other customers startle at seeing the three of us enter, and they eye us warily.
I ignore them and keep my gaze locked on Ember.
Somehow, her eyes turn even harder as I come to a stop in front of them.
Daemon is right behind me and I know Taco slipped off to check the exits and anywhere someone could be hiding.
“Pyper, go with Reese and Daemon and get what you need,” Ember tells her. Even though she doesn’t take her eyes off me, she catches Pyper’s silent, questioning look and the corner of her lips twitch. “You can get two books.”
Pyper squeals, hugging Ember before running off to the other side of the store, Reese and Daemon trailing after her.
“Ember,” I start and she cocks an eyebrow at me as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“Tico,” she replies with a hard edge to her voice.
She doesn’t back down back down from me.
Her shoulders are squared, her chin lifted, and a part of me enjoys the fact that she’s going toe-to-toe with me.
Despite that, the urge to demand that she listen to me rises again, but I force the urge down.
Somewhat. There are things she needs to consent to if we’re going to protect her.
“Don’t run off like that again. We don’t know if the Chrome Vipers know you’ve come here because of Daemon. We can’t protect you if we don’t know where you are.”
She visibly bristles and narrows her eyes at me. “I’ve been controlled my entire life, Tico. I will not be controlled again. I will not be a doormat nor will I be steamrolled into something. I didn’t escape one cage just to be thrust into another.”
“I’m not trying to control you, Vicious, I’m trying to protect you, but I can’t do that if you run off.”
“Then maybe you should have talked with me instead of assuming you knew what we needed or wanted. Instead of assuming that you knew what was best for us.”
I clench my jaw, not believing I’m about to say these next words.
Thank fuck mis hermanos (my brothers) are not within hearing distance because I don’t want them hearing this.
“I know and I’m sorry. I’ll try not to let it happen again, but there will be times when I tell you to do something and I expect you to listen.
Especially in regards to protecting you and Pyper or when we’re around the club. ”
She blinks in surprise up at me and her shoulders relax slightly. Her mouth parts in shock and my traitorous body responds to her. My mind supplies images of her sucking my cock and it takes a huge amount of effort to derail those thoughts. At least for now.
Her lips twitch again and chingar (fuck)…I think I know what’s coming.
“Did the big, bad, biker President just apologize?”
I grunt as I wrap my arm around her shoulders pulling her into my side, and as I do, I get a whiff of her perfume. Something floral which has me even harder than I was before.
“Don’t get used to it, Vicious.”
She laughs and fuck does the husky sound go straight through me, making my dick twitch again in my jeans. She leans into me for a moment, and chingar (fuck)…the feel of her body against mind just feels right.
I follow her through the store as Ember picks out things they’ll need, trying to get the most bang for her buck. My fingers twitch, wanting to tell her to get whatever she wants, but from what Daemon said, she probably won’t accept my help. Not yet anyway.
As she shops, her gaze keeps going to Pyper who is still looking through the books.
She has multiple stacks sitting on the floor surrounding her and more than once, I catch the pain in Ember’s eyes and the heartbroken look on Pyper’s face as she tries to choose two books out of what she’s picked out.
“We had to leave almost all of her books behind,” Ember says, her voice strained and when I look down at her, I find her stricken face once again watching Pyper. “She loves reading. It was her way of escaping the shitshow that was our life.
Maybe there is something I can help with. “Let me help with this.”
She looks up at me, her eyes shiny and fuck does it almost bring me to my knees.
“Por favor (Please).”
She blinks rapidly to keep the tears from falling. A moment later she gives me a jerky nod before turning away and discretely wiping her eyes, which I don’t comment on.
Walking towards Pyper, I catch the list of prices for the books on the side of the bookcase. For paperbacks, the most expensive is three dollars and for hardback, it’s five.
I crouch beside Pyper and when she looks up at me, she tries to hide the indecision in her eyes, but she still clutches two thick books to her chest.
“These two,” she whispers but longing is written all over her face as she looks at the stacks of books around her.
I look at the colored stickers on the spines of the books she’s stacked up, mentally adding them up. Then I look up at the shelves, noting similar series and titles that she might like as well. Reaching into my cut, I pull out my wallet and hand her two hundred dollars.
Pyper shakes her head, leaning away from me as her eyes flick over to her sister in worry. “I can’t,” she whispers.
I find myself smiling in response. A real fucking smile. Daemon looks at me in shock which then turns to approval as he dips his head in thanks. I know with the way he was watching Pyper sort through everything that he was planning to come back and get the books she has stacked around her.
“I talked to your sister, and she said I could do this for you. Consider it a welcome home present. Use it to get the books you want. Then, we’ll make sure you have enough bookcases to hold them all.”
Pyper lunges forward, wrapping her arms around my neck as she hugs me tight and whispers a choked ‘thank you’ to me. I swallow the lump in my throat as I hesitantly hug her back. Daemon grins at me and stands before walking back over toward Ember.
Pyper’s eyes are bright as she pulls back, and I leave her with Reese to pick out the books she wants.
Reese dips his chin and the silent look he gives me says he’ll watch over her.
Turning, I walk over to the furniture section and check out their supply of bookshelves.
Feeling eyes on me, I look up to find Ember staring at me, her eyes shiny as her gaze bounces between me and Pyper.
She mouths ‘thank you’ to me and I dip my chin.
The warm feeling that surges through me is foreign, but I welcome it.
Ember may not know it yet, but I’d burn the world to the ground for her and her sister.
Or better yet, I’d give her the match and stand by protectively as she burns the world down herself.