“Get used to it, babe, got to keep an eye on you somehow. Especially when you have crazy ass ideas like leaving the club. Your store is closed until we sort this shit.” His tone was serious.
Anger bubbled up inside me and I was barely able to stop myself from slapping him. “Excuse me?” I asked quietly.
Cade crossed his arms, trying to intimidate me with his macho stance. “Your store is closed until we get these pricks out of the picture. It’s an easy target, too vulnerable.”
My temper flared to epic proportions. “You think you have the right to dictate whether my business opens or not? Are you fucking insane?” I shouted, going toe to toe with him, even if I only came up to his shoulders with heels on.
“You think for one second I’m taking a risk with your safety, Gwen? The store is closed, end of story.” His voice was raised, he obviously wasn’t used to people arguing with the great and powerful Cade.
“Fuck that!” I screeched. “There is no way in hell you’re telling me how to run my business. I have staff that expect to get paid, orders to fill, it’s my fucking livelihood. Those thugs aren’t going to come back, they aren’t that stupid. I am not letting this shit run my life, not again.” I was breathing heavily, anger pulsing through me.
Cade’s eyes flared and he turned away from me, his arm sweeping across his dresser, sending everything on top crashing to the ground. I jumped at his sudden outburst but refused to back down.
“How the fuck am I even going to think straight knowing you’re vulnerable? Anything could happen to you and I won’t fucking be there!” He whirled back around to face me, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
“Well, you’re just going to have to find a way to deal with it. You’re not stopping me from living my life. I refuse to let this shit stop me from doing anything, and I am not dealing with your macho man shit today!” I yelled back, breathing heavily, anger like a fire ripping through me.
Cade’s face turned into a mask of pure anger. He prowled up to me, pushing me against the wall. My heart threatened to beat out of my chest as he wrapped his hand around my neck, applying enough pressure that I felt the strength he had, but not enough to hurt me.
“Why can’t you just do as I fucking say? No arguments,” he hissed, eyes dark.
I didn’t recognize his face with this much anger directed at me. “Get your hands off me,” I managed to wheeze out as I tried to push his iron chest.
Cade glanced down at his hand with disgust and immediately released me, taking two steps back. I rubbed my neck trying to get my breathing steady. I glanced up at him, unable to fathom what just happened.
Cade’s face was marred with regret. I straightened and reached over and grabbed my bag and phone. Cade stayed frozen, looking down at his hands as if he was unable to believe what they had just done.
“I’m going, you can’t keep me prisoner here. I have a life to live,” I said quietly but firmly, looking at him with determination in my eyes.
He lifted his head, his face blank. “I’ll put Skeet and Rosco on you. You are not to leave their sight.” His voice was low, dead.
I nodded and walked quietly to the door, unable to be in the room any more. He didn’t say a word as I exited.
“Come on, Amy, let’s blow this popsicle stand,” I called through Brock’s door, surprised she wasn’t sitting at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me to exit.
The door flew open and an angry looking Brock stormed past, giving me a stiff chin lift. Amy followed him out, flipping the bird to his back.
“Asshole,” she muttered.
“Bitch,” he yelled over his shoulder.
Despite my somber mood, I couldn’t help but be a bit amused, even if I still didn’t know what was going on with Amy and my brother.
“Whoa, what’s going on there?” I teased.
Amy glared at me. “Don’t. Even. Ask.”
I guessed everyone’s day was starting off like shit. We made it to the common room and saw Skeet and Rosco waiting for us.
“Ready to go, ladies?” Rosco asked politely.
I gave him a proper look, he wasn’t bad looking, ripped of course, but that seemed to be a requirement for being in the club. He kind of reminded me of some of the sleazy Italian guys back in New York. Slicked back black hair shining with grease, a gold chain around his neck and dark pronounced features. Not my cup of tea, but nothing to sneeze at.
Skeet was a bit smaller, still built but leaner, with more of a runner’s body. He wore slim black pants and a tight wife beater under his cut, making him look even slimmer. He had amazing curls, which contrasted with his harsh face, scarred in a permanent grimace with a line going from his eyebrow to mouth.
I wonder how he got that.
“What the fuck is this?” Amy hissed, gesturing to the men.
I gave her a look, telling her to reign it in. “Cade wouldn’t let us leave without babysitters.”
She opened her mouth to protest.
“No complaining, let’s just get out of here.” I nodded to the men and we walked out to my car.
Luckily I was allowed my car, the guys were going to follow behind. As we got in, I caught a glimpse of Cade sitting on his bike. His stare bore into me, I quickly got in the car, avoiding his gaze.
“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?” Amy asked, catching the exchange.
I reversed, resisting the urge to hit his stupid motorbike, and sped off out the gate.
I glanced at Amy over my sunglasses. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?”
She laughed. “Biker men are assholes, no way am I breathing Brock’s air if I can help it. There’s nothing to tell,” she lied, inspecting her manicure.
“Bullshit. There is definitely something going on. Does that mean you and Ian are over?” I was hoping to finally get something out of her.
She sighed, looking out the window. “We were never even properly together. I don’t know what to think. I finally start getting over him with someone that drives me crazy and is a polar opposite, then he comes back fucking my head up then dropping a bomb that he’s quitting the Army. I can’t deal, it’s too much to handle. I told him we’d talk when he came home, if he really is leaving, but I don’t know if I can do it, Gwennie.”
I gave her a look filled with sympathy, she really was in a prick of a situation. I loved my brother and didn’t want him getting hurt, but there was so much in play here, especially adding Brock in the mix, the waters were definitely muddy.
She gave me a sideways glance. “I feel weird talking to you about this, there’s nothing going on so can we just drop it?” she pleaded.
I didn’t believe her, but I nodded. “I’m always here if you need me though, Abrams.”
She smiled. “I know. Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and your delicious man?”
“Not a chance in Hell. Let’s just forget about men for the day, okay?” I asked as if it was even possible.
“Best suggestion I’ve heard in ages,” Amy replied.
The day passed by quickly, there was no more creepy deliveries or car bombs or drive bys or anything dramatic. Although I was jumpy for most of the day, convinced a spider would crawl out of somewhere. We tried to keep the incident quiet, but this was a small town and the cat was out of the bag.