“Sugar?” He tugged on my hand.
I blinked, coming back to the present. “What?”
“I called to you several times. You were deep in thought.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb.
“Oh, um.” Holy crap, I zoned out. How embarrassing.
A door slammed closed, making me jump.
Jack looked past me and smiled. “Art, how’s it going?”
Oh shit. I pulled away from Jack as dread crashed down on me.
Art appeared beside me.
“Hey. What’re you doing here?” I forced a smile.
Art’s narrowed eyes ping-ponged between Jack and me. His gaze moved over my body painfully slow. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“I…” I didn’t know what to say. Of all the people, why did it have to be Art to find me with another man? My heart seized as we stared at each other.
He cut his eyes to Jack, then dragged them back to mine. “Are you with him?”
“No!” The two-letter word flew out of my mouth. I’d rather hurt Jack than Art.
“No? Then what the fuck you doing here, Sugar?”
“Hey!” Jack pointed his finger at Art. “Don’t you fucking talk to her that way, son. Don’t forget this isn’t your clubhouse. Treat her with respect.”
Son. Jack could be Art’s father if he’d been a teenage dad.
“Yeah? Well, she’s Knight’s property.” Art extended his hand in a silent demand for me to take it. This was bad.
I grabbed my phone and put it in my purse, obeying to not cause trouble for the Soldiers.
“What the hell is going on? Sugar?” Jack stared at me perplexed. “You don’t need to leave.”
“It’s okay, Jack. I should be going anyway.”
Art reeled me into his side, wrapping his arm around me in a possessive hold. “Tell Mitch to find another tattooist to do his ink. I’m done here.” He tugged me to follow.
“Art. Please,” I whispered.
“Is that why you’re here? Turner didn’t say you were coming!” Jack hollered.
“No, but I’m done just the same!” Art slammed open the entrance door with his free hand.
“Please, Art.”
“Please what?” he hissed through his teeth.
“Don’t do this. It’s not a big deal.” I grabbed onto his cut to stop him.
The look of disgust in his eyes cut me deep. If I were alone, I would cry for hurting him. But I had once been the queen of the Knight’s Legion MC. The old lady of the prez and I wouldn’t break in front of Art now.
“Don’t tell Storm,” I told him in a stern tone—my mom voice.
Art ran his fingers through his brown hair, his jaw clenched tight. I’d never seen him like this. He was one of only a few in the club who didn’t walk around with a deadly glint in his eyes. But right now, he looked like he could strangle me.