“He was trying…to…help,” she cringed with every word, but her eyes watched me without a waiver.
I scoffed. “He fucking shot you.”
“What would you rather? Her shot, alive and here, or those dudes in suits doing who knows fucking what with her?” Chelsea yelled from behind me.
I turned and shot her with a dark glare before I clicked to what she had said. “Suits?”
“Yeah, suits,” the prospect said, getting off the floor finally and rubbing at his jaw. “They were wearing dark suits and glasses. Definitely not a couple of thugs.”
I caught Optimus’ eyes. A grave looked passed between us and we both knew that this was too much of a coincidence. Two very aggressive approaches to the girls in less than a week by not just anyone, but well put together men in suits.
The door suddenly slammed open and an older man came shuffling in carrying a large old-school doctor’s briefcase. I figured this was the club doctor. I’d never had the pleasure of meeting him personally. He had a gray beard and wrinkles from here to kingdom come, but his body was thick and solid like he’d never missed work out in his life.
“Caleb, call all the boys in. Now,” Optimus ordered, eyeing Chelsea with a look that was full of agitation and what I thought might be fear.
“Yeah, Prez.”
“Trying to kill off your girls now, Op? What happened to just throwing them out when you were done with them?” the old man joked as he stared at Harmony.
Somehow Harmony managed to raise her hand and flip off the old guy. “Fuck you, Doc.”
He chuckled, but still didn’t move to help her. “You hear the way your club girls talk to members, Optimus?”
“I claimed her. She can speak to you, however the fuck she likes,” I growled, standing and folding my arms across my chest.
“Ha,” he burst out, shocking me. “You know when you claim a woman you’re supposed to protect her, right? Not let prospects take pot shots at her.”
I moved forward, ready to teach the fucker some respect, but Optimus stopped me with his arm across my chest. I pointed at him with a sharp finger. “Watch your damn mouth, old-timer.” He grinned at me. The old dude had balls of steel, that was for sure.
Harmony groaned, shifting uncomfortably on the couch.
“Just help her out damn it, doc,” Optimus growled before shoving a hand against my chest and pointing toward the meeting room. “In there.Now.”
I glared at him, but the look he returned was just as fierce. I bent and kissed Harmony on the forehead. “I won’t be long.”
She didn’t look at me but nodded gently. I couldn’t tell if it was the pain or if she was angry at me. I wouldn’t blame her if she were. The doc was right; I should have been protecting her. I should’ve taken the threat to the girls more seriously, and I shouldn’t have relied on some inexperienced prospect to watch over her life.
Well, that was all about to change. I wasn’t sure if she was going to like it, and there was a huge possibility that she might actually hate me for it, but I’d claimed her now. It was up to me to watch over her and keep her safe and I would do whatever it fucking took to do just that.