“Business was booming. No issues unless you count all the damn guys coming in there to stare and flirt with your staff. It’s out of control. If Officer Talbot doesn’t stop it, I’m going to have to beat his ass,” I growled.
She seemed to be trying to stifle a laugh. “You mean there are guys flirting with Trudie and Jessica? Trudie’s husband won’t like that.”
I scowled. She knew I was talking just about Jessica. Trudie was in her late fifties. While okay for an older woman, she wasn’t the one getting all the attention. “Not Trudie, it’s Jessica, as if you didn’t know. That woman has no idea what she’s doing to those guys. She smiles and talks all sweet and nice to them. They’re getting the wrong impression. They’re going to think she’s offering more than she is.” She turned away from me for a moment. Rebel had wandered over while I was talking and joined us. He grinned.
Madisen looked back at me and replied, “Ajax, I know she’s sweet and she is nice, but that’s her personality. I know she has no idea she’s attracting guys. From what I’ve seen, she’s oblivious to how gorgeous she is. If a guy is going to get her attention and keep it, he has to be one to show her that she has value and that she’s it for him, to the exclusion of all others. I think someone has killed her self-esteem in the past. She’s the kind of woman who is the committed-relationship type.”
I could hear the warning in her voice. She didn’t want me to be using Jessica for a good time. Before I could reassure her that wasn’t my intent at all, Deuce from the Gastonia, North Carolina Warriors dropped in a seat at our table and commented. He must have heard what we were talking about.
“Hell, I don’t blame them. That Jessica is hot as hell. I think she could convince me to settle for one woman. Maybe I should see if she wants to go out. With our other clubs settling down, maybe my chapter should think about it. Seems like you guys are getting some very fine women.”
I came ripping up out of my chair. I saw red and blood pounded in my head. I rounded the table and got in Deuce’s face before he knew what happened.
“You stay the fuck away from Jessica, you hear me. Brother or not, you touch her, and I’ll break every bone in your body. She’s off-limits,” I snarled at him. The room got eerily quiet. I glared down at him. I’d make sure every man in here knew Jessica was mine. Deuce threw up his hands in surrender.
“Hey, no need to get hostile. No one said she had an old man. If she’s yours, why didn’t you say so?”
“She isn’t mine, officially, yet.”
“Well, then take a piece of advice. If you don’t want someone else taking her out from under your nose, you need to lock that shit down. She’s too fine of a woman to be unattached for long, no matter how much she doesn’t notice how attractive she is. Put a property cut on her, man, or prepare to lose her, maybe to a brother or friend.” He stood up and strolled off casually like I hadn’t just threatened his ass. I swore and stormed out of the clubhouse. I couldn’t go far, we had church soon, but I needed a few minutes to cool off.
As I stood outside, looking up at the night sky, I knew Deuce was right. I needed to nail Jessica down. If I didn’t, some other guy might swoop in and snap her up. If that happened, I’d have to kill someone. Knowing I needed to make my move, I took a deep breath and headed back inside. It was almost time for church. I couldn’t wait to hear what had happened today. It had to be something serious for us to be having church in the middle of the week.