Chapter 12
Tico
Heading back upstairs, Daemon cocks an eyebrow at Ember and I holding hands. A second later, he grins and gives me a chin lift, letting me know he’s okay with it. A bit of tension bleeds out of me, and I notice the muscles in Ember’s shoulders and frame loosening a bit as well at his approval.
But then my chest tightens when I feel Ember’s hand tensing in mine. I look over and meet Pyper’s narrowed gaze.
“I just have one question,” she says and I swear both Ember and I hold our breath. “Your club, it’s not like the Chrome Vipers, right? Em isn’t going to be a piece of property? She won’t be degraded, passed around, or sold?”
“Fuck no,” I growl. “If she does become my Ol’ Lady, she’ll get a property cut, but we don’t mean property like the Chrome Vipers see it.
It means Ember is my woman and I’m hers.
She’s under my protection, and with that, it means you are as well by extension since you’re her sister.
Anyone that fucks with her or you will have to answer to me. ”
She smiles and comes up and hugs Ember before hugging me.
“Good. Then so long as you treat her right, we won’t have a problem.” Pyper levels me with a look that tells me she’s serious and based on the damage I’ve seen Ember land on her opponents, I’m betting she’s taught Pyper some of her moves.
“Reese, can I have the tablet? I’m filling in for Ice for the foreseeable future, so I need to refresh my memory on Banshee’s style.”
“Wait, what?” Daemon damn near yells as his head pops up from the bookcase he was assembling.
“Ice found out she’s pregnant and can’t fight. The only possible fill-in I currently have is Empress, and you for damn sure know why I’d rather not call her in.”
Ember narrows her eyes at me. “Why?”
Daemon curses before I can answer and runs his hands through his hair. “Fuck no, don’t call that fucking bitch.” He sighs when Ember turns her hard stare on him. “She’s fucking vile and is desperate to claim one of us. Lately, she’s had her sights set on Tico.”
A dark smirk forms on Ember’s face as she looks back over at me while also taking the tablet Reese hands her. “Then I guess I’ll be able to have some fun staking my claim. Anyone else I need to keep an eye out for besides the bunnies?”
“Just the bunnies and Empress. The worst bunny will be Sunny as a word of warning.”
Ember’s smirk darkens at my words and surprisingly, I find myself hoping that I’m there to see whatever she has planned for them.
I step up beside her, wrapping my hand around her long braid and pulling her head back slightly to kiss her.
“Put some jeans and boots on, Vicious. I want you on the back of my bike.”
Her eyes widen in surprise before she smiles brightly and heads back to the bedroom she claimed.
I would honestly prefer that she and Pyper were staying at the clubhouse, or even my house, but I don’t know if Ember is ready for that just yet.
Though if there are signs of the Chrome Vipers or Oasis lurking around, I’ll need her to see reason.
I can protect them better on club property.
A few minutes later, Ember emerges from a bedroom. As my gaze roams over her, my blue balls get even bluer and my pants even tighter. Her jeans mold to her figure like a second skin and she’s slipped a leather jacket on that I’m already itching to have my cut on the back of.
“Want to come along?” she asks Pyper and this time, it’s Pyper that hesitates.
“If you’d rather stay, I can have a Prospect downstairs watching the entrance up to your apartment,” I tell her. “I can also have another one up here in case someone tries to get in from the fire escape.
She still hesitates but then hugs a book to her chest. “I think I’d rather stay for now. Later when I’m feeling more comfortable, I’ll come along. I want to learn some more moves, too, since I couldn’t…”
Her voice trails off and Ember quickly crosses the room and hugs Pyper tight.
“When you’re ready, I’ll teach you all the moves you want to learn, Pyper. Until then, I’ll have your back and take care of the things you aren’t able to.”
“You’re not alone, Pyper. I’ve got your back as well,” Daemon tells her which Reese seconds.
“And don’t forget, you’ve got me and my club behind you now as well,” I tell her and Pyper gives me a grateful, though wobbly smile.
Taco steps forward as he stares at his phone. “Jesse is on his way to watch the entrance, Tico. I also informed the officers that the girls are under our protection since you’ve claimed Ember as your woman. I’ll stay with Pyper for a bit and order in food, so she doesn’t need to leave.”
I dip my chin in thanks to Taco as I clap him on the shoulder. “Gracias (Thank you), hermano (brother).” Turning toward Ember, she gives Pyper one last squeeze and then picks up her bag. “Ready?” I ask her and she nods.
“Ready.”
Daemon, Reese, Ember, and I head downstairs. Both Daemon and Reese will be present to help Ember get ready tonight since she has very little prep time. Ember puts her stuff in Reese’s SUV while Daemon gets on his bike.
“Have you ridden before?” I ask her and she nods.
“Yeah, it was usually with Daemon, then later his uncle Marcus, or Wrench to the club. Back when Daemon was still there, they’d sometimes take Pyper and me out for a ride together.”
I push down the irrational jealousy of her being on someone else’s bike, but at least it was with people she considers family.
I hand her some sunglasses that are a bit too big, but since my bike doesn’t have a windshield, eye protection is required.
I also hand her my brain bucket and tighten the straps for her once she has it on.
Helmets aren’t required in Wisconsin so long as you are over eighteen and you have a full license, but in my opinion you only get one brain, so you best protect it.
“We’ll get you set up with your own helmet and some other gear later, but what you have will do for today. Hold on tight and lean when I do.”
I straddle my baby and hold out a hand to help Ember on.
She takes my hand and gets on behind me.
Her arms wrap around me and chingar (fuck), the rightness of having her wrapped around me hits hard.
And in that moment, I also know I now have a major fucking weakness, well two weaknesses.
Despite that, I know I’ll do everything and anything I can to protect Ember and Pyper.
Starting up my bike, I pull out onto the street and lead Daemon and Reese to our gym.
Ten short minutes later, I park my bike and help Ember off.
Glancing in the window, I’m surprised to see the glare on Rocket’s face, one of mis hermanos (my brothers).
Though, if Ember sees it, she pays it no mind as she walks over to the SUV and retrieves her bag.
Rocket is one of my managers and helps me with the day-to-day nuances at the gym.
However, he better not give my woman any grief.
While we mainly have men clientele, there are a few women who work out here. Namely, my fighters.
Walking into the front door, we’re stopped by Rocket blocking the way, his arms crossed over his chest. I glare at him, but the fucker ignores me.
“This isn’t the place for the likes of you, little girl,” Rocket sneers, a bit of his Irish accent coming through since he’s pissed. I’m about to tear into him when Ember speaks.
“I see we’re doing the dick measuring contest already,” Ember sighs heavily. “Well, contrary to what you think, this is a place for me being as I’m subbing in for Ice since she’s unable to fight. Name’s Ember and my moniker is Viper, though I’ll be changing it going forward.”
Rocket’s eyes narrow on her. I know he’s heard about Ember’s fights, but judging by the look on his face, he doesn’t believe she’s the real deal.
“Very well, we’ll do this the hard way,” Ember says before taking off her jacket and then she leans down, unzipping her boots, taking them off along with her socks. She starts to pull up her shirt and I step forward.
“Whoa there, Vicious.” No one is going to see what’s mine.
She turns, patting my chest. The corner of her lips twitch like she’s fighting not to smile and her eyes glitter with mischief. “Easy, Handsome, I’ve got my training gear on under these clothes. No one is gonna get any more of an eyeful than what you saw the other night when I fought Luna.”
Rocket’s brow furrows further at the mention of Luna, and I think he’s starting to get the picture that Ember really is who she says she is, but still, he says nothing.
I don’t like it, but I step back, letting her take the lead on this.
If she’s going to be respected around the gym and in our circuit, then I can’t do this for her.
Even though I’d much rather be the one to hand Rocket his ass right now, but that will have to wait until later.
Ember quickly strips until she’s in a sports bra and short workout shorts. She takes a couple of hair ties from her wrist and wraps her braid into a bun at the base of her head. Then she sinks into her stance.
Rocket huffs out a laugh, a smug look of superiority on his face that I want to beat off him.
A glance around the room shows that some of mis hermanos (my brothers), Shuriken, Creed, Chief, and Claw; a few of our fighters; and some of our clients are watching Ember and Rocket interest. I narrow my eyes at the ones that are blatantly eye fucking my woman and they quickly advert their eyes. I’ll be talking with them here shortly.
As well as Rocket.
“I am not someone you want to mess with, little girl. I’ll wipe the mat with you and your blood.”
Ember shrugs a shoulder. “It’s not the first time a big lug like you has underestimated me. Even women underestimate me because of my size. Bring it big boy. You’ll be the perfect warm up for my match tonight.”
Rocket shakes his head but pulls his phone out of the pocket of his shorts, then takes off his shoes and socks.
He looks up at me in question and even though he’ll be feeling my wrath later, I just smirk at him, which just confuses him even more.
He looks back at Ember, still not taking her seriously.
“Last chance, little girl—”
Ember rolls her eyes at him and strikes, nailing him with a few jabs to his unprotected ribs and stomach that has him trying to hide the fact that she just partially knocked the wind out of him.
She dances out of striking range, and in the process, moves further into the room which gives them a bigger area to fight rather than in the crowded entryway.
Rocket angrily lunges for her, but she easily sidesteps his attack and lands more jabs to his ribs.
“Your footwork is sloppy. Tighten up your stance and take this seriously.”
I bite my cheek to keep from laughing at Rocket’s pissed off look as Ember critiques his form. He swings and Ember blocks it while frowning.
“When fighting someone of my size, attacking at that angle puts a man of your size off-center,” she says while proving her point and slipping under his arm, using his imbalance to help her throw him to the ground.
He almost grasps her ankle but she once again steps out of his reach, narrowly avoiding his hand.
Rocket clamors to his feet and they repeat this dance for another ten minutes, him trying to hit her or pin her down and Ember critiquing his form the entire time.
Suddenly, Ember latches onto his arm and throws him down onto the mat hard, knocking the air clear out of his lungs.
Several of us in the crowd, me included, wince in sympathy at the force in which he lands.
He rolls onto his side to get up but then Ember latches onto his back, contorting her body around him to prevent his arms and legs from reaching her while simultaneously getting her arm around his throat.
“Now, do you yield, or are you going to take a nap?”