“Is she going home before you leave?”
“She isn’t leaving,” I tell my brother.
Lynch’s eyebrow raises, and I fully understand his shock. There hasn’t been a woman that’s walked this earth that I couldn’t turn my back on and walk away from, but Kaci isn’t like any woman I’ve ever met.
“You plan to keep her a prisoner?”
“It’s not anything different from what you did with Zoe.”
“Zoe was in trouble,” he counters.
“Same goes,” I argue.
Lynch nods, understanding without having to go into details about why I can’t let her return home right now. It’s not that someone else would hurt her. She’s a danger to herself.
“And if she tries to leave while you’re on the road?” I don’t answer him immediately. “I don’t want to be put in the situation of using force to make her stay.”
“I’ll make sure she’ll know the consequences if she steps foot off the compound.”
Ronan chuckles from the other side of the table. “You sure she won’t prefer your consequences?”
A grin tugs at the corner of my mouth. Ronan is well aware of how women respond to me. He’s got a couple of girls in the club that beg him for his certain style of attention as well.
“I’ll track her down if she leaves,” I assure Lynch, and just the thrill of hunting her makes my pulse speed up.
“We need to talk about the other matter concerning Kaci,” Virus adds, sitting up straight in his chair.
Like a real man, he looks me directly in the eye rather than deferring to Lynch to bring up this topic of conversation.
“Envy,” I correct. “She hates people using her real name.”
Several grunts of approval filter out from the men surrounding the table.
Not sparing any detail, Virus and I volley back and forth through my girl’s past. All the way up to including the fact that her father paid a trafficking organization to abduct her from the beach during her post-graduation vacation.
“And what do you want to do?” Lynch asks me once all the shit is out on the table.
“I want to torture him, peel his skin from his body inch by inch until he begs me to end it all,” I tell the group of men without blinking an eye. Most in the room nod their head in agreement, several speaking up to offer a hand if I need it.
“Prez—” Virus says on a sigh.
Lynch holds his hand up to silence him.
“But, I know this is her choice. She doesn’t know, and I haven’t told her yet. I don’t plan on having that conversation with her right before we hit the road. I need all of you fuckers to keep your mouths closed, and trust that I will handle this situation with the level of respect that Envy deserves.”
Everyone agrees, and when I look up at my brother, I see a glimmer of respect in his green eyes. Pride is something neither of us got from our father, and although the feeling is hitting me in the chest with that look on Lynch’s face, I can’t help but smile at him.
“Are you bringing her out of your room tonight?” Ronan asks with a sly grin.
“I haven’t met her yet either,” Virus adds.
“Kai has been chattering about her since he did shots with Xena last night,” Professor interjects.
“What are you? A bunch of fucking women?” Lynch bellows from the head of the table. “He’ll introduce her when he sees fit.”
“And all you motherfuckers will keep your filthy fucking hands off her.” I take my time to glare directly at each fucking man around the table. “Even if she tries something with you, you better back away.”
Knowing laughter filters through the room.
“And if she asks you for any drugs, the answer is no. She’s self-destructive.” I don’t have to say anything else before the guys at the table stop laughing. I have already explained why she was here, and how Briar and I met her. They know how serious I am.
I’m now the one filled with pride for the men in my club when they all nod their agreements. We’re all brutal motherfuckers, but we band together and protect when we need to.
“But,” I begin with a wicked smile, “I will bring her out of the room tonight for a little bit of fun. Ronan and Hornet, I’ll need your help making her night one to remember.”Chapter 33Kaci
When TJ doesn’t come back after an hour or so, I just let my eyes flutter closed and sink deeper into his bed. They open again when the bedroom door is flung open.
“Who the fuck are you?” I hiss when I realize TJ isn’t the one entering the room.
“Sassy,” says a slender man as he walks in and sets a tray of food down on the dresser before turning back around to look at me. “I like it.”