“Congratulations, you’ve seen him. Anyone could tell methat.”
“His dog’s name is Jupiter,” Blade adds. He cracks his neck, and I catch a glimpse of another scar, curling its way around his neck and down into his shirt. Whatever that’s from, I bet it hurt. With the strong jaw and high cheekbones of a model, he’s still beautiful, but like a battle scarred panther. Every inch of him says he’s seen enough shit for two lifetimes.
A knife appears out of nowhere, and he spins it around his fingers as he talks. I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it, which is really freaking scary.
“Whatever, maybe you’ve seen them taking walks.”
“His woman’s name is Miriam,” Ripper says. “They keep it quiet, but she used to live in an honest to God mansion.”
“I knew it!” I yell, pointing at Ripper like he’s the one that’s been fudging the truth with me. “I asked him if there was something going on with that lady and he said no. But like, come on, right?”
Alpha grimaces. “Enough gossiping.” He shrugs off the black leather cut he’s wearing and I notice it’s been inside out. On the other side is a logo I’ve seen before, for Dad’s MC, the Screaming Eagles. “Your father was trying to keep you safe but we fucked up.”
“This is about that box, isn’t it?” I sit down on my bed, exhausted from the fear and adrenaline rush of the last few minutes.
“The tape,” says Ripper. “He wanted us to get it.”
He turns his own cut around, and it isn’t until then that I notice he’s missing a hand. His arms are bare, and every inch of skin leading down to where his right hand should be is covered in ink. Abstract black shapes swirl around his bicep, getting denser and darker until the skin at the stump is completely black.
I’m staring.
Embarrassed, I look up and find him giving me a wry grin. I’ll give him this, it’s a really nice smile. I’d appreciate it more if they hadn’t just broken into my house. Still, he has full lips that someone more inclined to be friendly might describe as devastatingly kissable.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He holds it up. “Work hazard. Lost it fighting pirates off the coast of Tortuga. You should’ve fucking seen the other guy, though.”
“I’m so sor—Wait, what?” Then I see his smirk. Jerk.
“Ripper.” Alpha elbows him in the side. “Stop fucking around.”
“Why do you want the tape? And why break in? Couldn’t he just have called? What the hell is on it?”
Alpha shakes his head. “Not our business.”
And because he’s their president, that’s good enough and they all just hopped over, broke into some girl’s house and started rummaging through her underwear. Me. I’m the girl. I can’t deal with this.
Maybe Dad’s new club isn’t as bad as the Pit Vipers, but this is a cold dash of reality about why Mom took me and ran all those years ago. Nice smiles aside, these aren’t slightly tarnished scouts, they’re grown men following orders.
Standing straight and pulling on every ounce of strength I have, I shake my head. “Go tell my father that you screwed up and if he wants anything from that box, he’ll have to talk to me in person about it. And get the fuck out of my house!”
“Look, little girl—”
I whip around and fix Blade with a look. I haven’t forgotten that he was the one that actually grabbed me. “Out! Or are you going to attack me again?”
Alpha bristles. “We didn’t—”
“Then prove you aren’t going to andleave.”
The guys grumble the whole way, but slamming the shop door shut behind them and flipping every single lock makes me feel slightly better. Not that they helped much the first time, I guess. I’ll have to look into getting an alarm system, if I can afford it.
My feet are heavy as I climb the stairs. Other than the underwear drawer on the floor and my gun sitting on the dresser, everything looks normal, but I know better. It’s happened again. Even if my mind believes Alpha, Ripper and Blade weren’t here to hurt me, my body doesn’t understand that.
With buzzing in my ears, I grab my pistol and my poor stuffed elephant and retreat to the closet. Ollie has always been my valiant protector, the one little guy I could rely on to comfort me. He’s the only thing I still have from my time living with the Pit Vipers, at least until that stupid box showed up at my doorstep. I haven’t needed him like this in a long, long time.
Clutching Ollie in one hand and the gun in the other, I back myself into the corner and let the panic wash over me.
3