Chapter 15
Ember
After dropping my stuff off in Tico’s room, I lock it back up and slip the key into my pocket. I still can’t believe that Tico wants me to stay with him and on top of that, he gave me a key to his room. Still, my chest warms at the gesture.
“Let me show you the open rooms,” Liam says as he leads the way down the hallway, away from Tico’s and Taco’s rooms. Their rooms are side by side, the most protected ones in the clubhouse.
“They’re all pretty much the same except for what view you have out the window, so it really just boils down to who you want to room by. ”
It hits me then that this will be the first night since Dad and Scooter’s attack that Pyper will be sleeping alone.
Worry churns in my stomach.
What if she has nightmares? What if she wakes up screaming and I don’t hear her? We’ve always shared a room because of our small trailer so the only nights we’ve slept apart were for sleepovers at a friend’s house or when I traveled for my fights.
“Which room is Daemon’s?” Pyper asks as Liam opens the first open room nearest Tico’s.
“His is actually a few doors down on this side,” he says as he tilts his head to the right.
I look around the room, noting that it’s smaller than Tico’s but that’s to be expected since he’s the club’s President.
I can see through another open door that it has an attached bathroom and relief fills me that Pyper won’t have to use a communal bathroom.
There’s a queen-sized bed on the far wall with nightstands on either side of it.
To my right is a dresser and in the far corner is an armchair.
In the back corner there is another door that I’m guessing that’s the closet.
“All the windows in the clubhouse are bulletproof by the way. Each room also has their own bathroom, so you don’t have to worry about communal showers or shit like that,” he tells us, confirming my train of thought.
“Is… Is there an open room close to Daemon’s?” Pyper asks, her voice small and timid. Her eyes meet mine briefly before embarrassment colors her cheeks. “Just in case I need something,” she says quietly.
My throat tightens. “You know you can come get me if you need me.”
She nods shyly. “I know, but I want to give you and Tico space, too. Also, I don’t want him getting mad at me if I bother you guys too much.”
She shifts hesitantly on her feet and I hate where her mind’s gone. Pyper’s seen enough around the clubhouse and our trailer to know how violent some men can be but I’m really starting to believe Tico and Daemon about this club being different.
“Pyper, he knows I’m a package deal. I don’t care if he gets pissed.
If he can’t handle the fact that you need me, then he isn’t the right guy for me.
If it does come down to that, I’ll move into an open room if we’re still here.
If the lockdown is over, then we’ll move back to the apartment above Daemon’s shop.
But if you need me, Pyper, I’ll be there. Day or night.”
Her eyes are bright with unshed tears as she steps forward and I hug her tightly.
“Thank you.”
I kiss the top of her head. “You don’t have to thank me for that. You’re my sister and I’ll always be there for you.”
She nods and after a moment, she steps away as she wipes her cheeks. “I’d still like to take a room close to Daemon so that he is nearby if I do need him or if you aren’t here to help me with something.”
For a moment, I see the same terrified panic in her eyes that I saw when Dad and Scooter were holding her down on our bed, but then it’s gone.
I nod, not commenting on it. I lift my gaze to Liam in question.
He dips his chin in acknowledgement, closes the door to the room we were just looking at, and walks a few doors down before opening another door.
“This one is right next to Daemon’s room,” he says as he points to the next door down.
Then he steps into the room and reaches up, taking a set of keys off a hook that was hanging up by the corner of the door and hands them to Pyper.
“Here’s the keys to this room. The only other people that have keys are Tico, Taco, and Tico’s mom, Sofia.
She’s here at the club frequently, but once a week, she oversees the bunnies cleaning each of the rooms unless a brother specifically requests otherwise.
Honestly, with the Prez claiming you, Ember, and having both of you under his protection, I’m betting Sofia will be coming to the club pretty soon to meet you both. ”
I stare up at him in shock.
Shit.
It was only a few hours ago that I agreed to see where this goes with Tico and now I’m being told I might meet his family soon?
Double shit.
What if she doesn’t like me? How would that go if Tico and I kept seeing each other? I don’t want to create a rift between Tico and his family. My thoughts start to spiral but a chuckle has me blinking out of them
“I can tell where your mind just went but I doubt you’ll have a problem with Sofia,” Liam says, still chuckling as he shakes his head.
“When she finds out about you, she’ll probably mother hen you to death as she cooks up a storm.
She’s been waiting for Tico to settle down but knew it’d take a special woman to snag his attention. ”
I give him a hesitant smile and Pyper steps into the room, dropping her bags on the bed. She takes one of the keys off the key ring and gives it to me. As I pocket it, I catch the time on the clock on the nightstand and wince.
“Any chance I can cook something? I need to eat soon and then prepare for the fight tonight.”
Liam looks at me in question.
“I’m filing in for Ice since she can’t fight.”
“Well, fuck,” he says as his gaze roams over my body. Not in a leering or sexual way, more like he’s really looking at me for the first time. “That would explain why you look so fit. Come on, I’ll take you down to the kitchen. If any of the bunnies give you shit, just holler,” Liam says.
I nod even though I won’t take him up on that.
If they give me shit, I’ll handle it myself.
I’m almost finished with my dinner when I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I have a pretty good idea of who’s standing behind me right now.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two little leeches that have somehow lied their way into getting the club’s protection,” a woman says as she saunters into the kitchen, swaying her hips.
I suppress an eyeroll at the typical bunny behavior.
Looking up, I notice it’s the bleach-blonde woman that had been glaring at me while Tico was introducing me to everyone earlier.
She’s dressed in a tank top that barely keeps her breasts from spilling out and a skirt so short I’m surprised her ass isn’t showing.
Oh, and let’s not forget the stripper heels.
I share a look with Pyper who’s trying very hard not to giggle at the woman’s antics.
“We didn’t lie about anything,” I tell her blandly as I take another bite of my dinner.
She scoffs and pops out her hip as she points at us. “Everyone knows Daemon doesn’t have any siblings.”
“Not biologically, no,” I reply, “but family comes in all shapes and sizes. Not that it’s really any of your business but we do consider each other as siblings and his family considers us part of theirs. Or have you never heard of the concept of ‘found family’?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You need to pack your shit up and crawl back under the hole you came from.”
I huff. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, lady, so you might as well get used to us because we aren’t going anywhere.”
Her face screws up in anger. “It’s Sunny, not lady and stay the fuck away from Tico! He’s mine so get your shit out of his room! If anyone’s warming his bed, it will be me, not some carved up, yuppy trailer park trash.”
I cock my eyebrow at her as I lean back in my chair, letting her insults roll off me. Through the pass-through window, I see Liam giving me a questioning look and I minutely shake my head, letting him know I have this.
“Huh,” I drawl out. “Funny because I know for a fact that he isn’t with anyone. If you were really with him, you wouldn’t be a club bunny, but you are. As for Tico, I’ll be the one warming his bed for the foreseeable future. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
“You aren’t cut out for the biker lifestyle. You’d run as soon as you saw a gun.”
I shake my head at her and this time Pyper doesn’t even try to hide her laughter.
Sunny’s face turns red with anger as she turns towards her. “What’s so funny, pipsqueak?”
“You,” Pyper says between giggles. “Did you miss the part where we said we’re Daemon’s sisters? We grew up in a club—the same club he grew up in.”
Sunny hesitates, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face before she hides it. “You’re lying. You’ve tricked them into covering for you. There’s no way Tico would ever pick someone like you over me.”
Picking up my empty plate, I level her with a hard look. “It’s no skin off my back if you believe me or not, but we are telling the truth. And if Tico was going to pick you as his Ol’ Lady, it would have happened by now.”
I walk past her towards the dishwasher, intent on putting my plate inside, when she stops me. She grabs my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I still and turn toward her. She blanches at the look on my face, but her grip doesn’t loosen.
“Release me or I’ll make you release me.”
I hear someone shifting behind me and know Liam’s about to step in.
Sunny scoffs. “No. You need to get your shit and scram, bitch.”
I drop the plate, ignoring the shatter it makes when it falls to the ground and breaks. I grab Sunny’s arm and press on her pressure points. She screeches in pain as I press harder until she releases me. Her other arm raises to hit me but I catch her wrist and tsk at her. Behind her, Pyper cackles.
“Yeah, that was real smart, Sunny,” she says sarcastically. “Like you’d be able to beat or slap my sister. She’s a trained fighter and has been fighting for the past ten years.”
Sunny blanches and I nod.
“Very, very stupid. If you ever lay a hand on me again or my sister, I will beat your ass into a bloody pulp. Now get out of here,” I tell her as I release her hands, slightly shoving her away from me.
She’s obviously shaken by how easily I out maneuvered her, but I know this isn’t the end of this.
It never is when it comes to bunnies and the men they set their sights on.
“This isn’t over,” she sneers, confirming my train of thought but then she shrieks in surprise when Liam clears his throat from behind her. She whirls around at his voice, almost falling on her ass.
“Yes, it is, Sunny. You know the rules of the club. You respect the women and Ol’ Ladies of the club. If you don’t, your ass gets thrown out on the curb, and you can bet your ass I’ll be informing Tico of your little stunt.”
Sunny blanches, and with another glare sent my way, she struts out of the room like she did nothing wrong.
Liam gives me a nod of approval which has more tension bleeding out of me. This club really is different.
Walking over to the closet, I grab a broom to clean up my mess.