“I’m not yours,” Shelby yells. “I haven’t been yours since the fist time you though tit was okay to hit me.”
She tries to push past me, but I pull her back.
“Damn it Shelby, get back here.”
“This isn’t something I expected, but I’m not above sharing the little bitch,” Mason says, staring at Shelby over my shoulder. “We can show her together where her place in our world is. She always failed to learn respect. I was on my way to showing her, but the club needed my attention for a while. Seems she forgot her lessons.”
“If you don’t want to be breathing out of a straw or better yet not breathing at all, you’ll be smart enough to shut your fucking mouth,” I grit out.
“Don’t be that way, King. I know Shelby much better than you. She likes getting off with hands wrapped around her neck. The fear in her eyes, she pretends really wall, even when her lips start changing color,” Mason says, his eyebrows lifting slowly as he talks about it the smile on his face grows. “The way she cowers after I put her in her place. Even better how her milky skin shows my fingerprints when I make her listen. In fact, she would beg me for it. I could teach you how she likes it.” The appreciative growl he lets out makes my skin crawl.
I don’t need another word out of his mouth to slam the butt of my gun into his head. Mason was ready for me to make a move on his as he ducks down, tackling me into the wall behind me as I hear Shelby scream. He grabs my hand with the gun slamming it against the wall as I’m punching him in the ribs while trying to keep the gun in my hand. Mason slams his elbow across my face, sending blood flying from my nose, knocking the gun out of my grip as it slides across the floor.
He starts punching me in the side and stomach I try to clear the haze from my head. The fear I have for Shelby if he gets me unconscious is the only thing driving me as I slam my fist into his face, forcing him to stumble back. Shelby is still screaming, but I can’t make out the words. I just know I have to keep him from getting to her. I use the space between us to kick him into the wall next to the door, we both face off huffing as we try to catch out breath. He’s got a cut on his cheek, open and bleeding. His longer hair is wild as are his eyes.
I take a split second to make sure Shelby is okay and it was the wrong move to make, I turn back to see Mason is holding a gun, pointing it at Shelby.
“Fucking move and I’ll blow her head off.” He smiles, showing off his blood-stained teeth.
I try to calm my frantic mind, flexing my hands as the rage rolls through me. I take a chance of him shooting her before I can get to him. Even if I mange to knock it out of the way the bullet would still hit her, and I won’t take that chance. I refuse to move.
“You’re after me,” I tell him, holding my hands up in surrender. “Point that thing at me instead and we can talk about this.”
“No more deals—”
Before Mason can finish the sentence, two prospects I had watching her house, come up her porch, not even hesitating as one shoots out Mason’s knee as they storm in. Blood spray flying as Shelby screams again, covering her ears.
He drops to the floor on his still working knee with a piercing scream. I dart forward, kicking the gun out of his hand as I yank his head back. “You just made the mistake of your life, motherfucker. No one threatens my woman. No fucks with her or her family. Your death warrant was already signed, but you helped me out by speeding up that timeline.” I punch him in the face before anymore vileness can spew from his face. His head lolls forward as I drop him to the ground.
“Make sure Mongrel was along and get him to the club. I’ll be there shortly. Tell Ford to circle the wagons. We need to lockdown,” I instruct the prospects. I watch one of them, pick him up and throw him over their shoulder as they make their way outside, guns still drawn in case there were eyes on him. I lock the door behind them.
Shelby is crying as the sobs wrack through her body. I can still see the fear rolling off of her in waves.
“You’ve been keeping secrets from me, beautiful,” I tell her, walking towards her. “Why didn’t you tell me that asshole ex is the VP of the BMRRs?”
She frowns, wiping her cheeks. “I didn’t think it was important. I wasn’t seeing him any ore and its not like you’re a member of his club.”
“No, I’m just a member of a club at war with them.”
“War?”
“Yeah babe. War. My little undercover op? That had to do with that pencil dick’s club.”
“Well how was I supposed to know that? You don’t give me specifics,” Shelby argues, throwing her arms out. At least this is a distraction from her fear. I’d much rather have her giving me lip than being afraid.
“Seems like you and I need to talk to each other more.”
“Maybe,” she says, with a slight shrug.
“Get some clothes. We’re going to the club,” I tell her, reaching down to pick up my gun and shoving in the back of my waistband.
“I can’t go to the club.”
“Shelby, you’re going to the club. Even if I have to spank your ass, throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here. Now please get some clothes.”
If I wasn’t too worried about her safety, I’d be taking her on the couch right now with the way her cheeks warm at my promise.
She wrings her hands together. “You know he was lying right?” Her voice is small. I can’t tell she really needed to say it because her lip starts to quiver.