“What you saw in there, the way my boy fights, it’s because of me. It’s who he is, who we are. That’s his biggest value to his club, his fists. You know he just gave up his chance at sergeant at arms?”
I had no idea what that meant, any of it.
He laughed without humor. “You had no idea, did you? Do you know what he does when he goes away for the club?”
I shook my head, shivering, the coldness dripping from him, seeping into my bones.
“He uses those fists. He hurts people who have tried to hurt us. He makes them bleed, Lila. He was on his way up the ranks. Could easily be president of this chapter one day, maybe the whole fucking club. People look up to him, respect him because of what he can do with those fists. What I taught him. He gave that up, for you.”
He snarled the last, looking at me like I was worthless trash.
“I didn’t know…he never said…”
“You don’t belong here.”
His words hit like a physical blow, cutting way too close to the bone.
“You are not one of us. You will never be one of us, you’re a dead weight around Grifter’s neck. I don’t give a fuck how tight your pussy is, it’s not worth Grifter giving up his future. Our future. And that fucking pathetic tiny tattoo that he gave you sure as fuck won’t change that.” He shook his head in disgust. “So when you go home with him tonight, you’re going to end it.”
I wasn’t just scared now, I was terrified. But somehow, I found the courage to shake my head. “No.”
“Yes. You will.”
He came at me, crowding me, and in that moment, I truly thought he was going to hurt me. That he might actually want to. That he was daring me to give him a reason to do it.
“And if I don’t?” I whispered.
“I’ll kill him.”
He did not flinch or look away, or even blink. His words were an icy blast. He meant it. I could see it in his dead eyes.
“He’s your son,” I choked out, horror taking hold so sharp and swift I was surprised I was still standing.
“You think I won’t?” He gripped my arm, tight enough to hurt, and leaned in. The scent of stale alcohol washed over my face. “You have no idea what I’m capable of, the things I’ve done.” He rubbed a piece of my hair between his fingers, then tugged on it, painfully hard. “He’s only useful to me if he’s advancing my cause, which means climbing the ranks of the club. That can’t happen while he’s with you.”
This man was a monster. I’d never met anyone so evil in my life. This was the man who had raised Jesse. He was the reason for the cold detachment I sometimes saw in Jesse’s eyes. The explosive anger when he saw a woman threatened or hurt. The reason his brother was a monster as well. And the reason Jesse could fight the way he did.
I thought of Jesse’s mother and shivered. Jesse’s dad had hurt her. He had hurt Jesse. This cold and terrifying man. I knew it without a doubt.
I was going to be sick.
“Do we understand each other, Lila?”
I nodded, trembling so hard my teeth chattered.
“Give me the words,” he bit out. “What are you going to do when you leave here tonight?”
A hot tear streaked down my cold face. “I-I’m g-going to break up…w-with him.”
“And if you think to lie to me. If you’re thinking of telling him about our chat tonight, I won’t just kill him, I’ll hurt everyone you love. Your little friends. Everly’s with you tonight, yes? And there’s the girl who owns the café? And who’s the one living all by herself in the trailer? Trixie, that’s her name, right? Yeah, that’s it. A pretty little thing. I’d hate for anything bad to happen to your friends.” He gripped my chin, his rough skin biting into my flesh. “If you haven’t done it by tomorrow morning, and I even suspect you’ve told Riff about our talk, I’ll send my boys to spend some time with your friends while I hunt Grifter down. Do we understand each other?”
I swallowed several times, struggling to make my vocal cords work. “Y-yes.”
He stood over me, eyes on mine, intimidating, making sure I didn’t doubt him. And I didn’t. He’d do everything he said and more.
When he was satisfied that he’d successfully terrified me, he grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the door. Opening it a crack, he glanced inside, then opened it the rest of the way and shoved me through.
“Now get the fuck out of my sight,” he said.
I rushed back into the main room, spotting Eves and Dane on the far side.
“Where’s Grifter?” Eves asked when I reached her side.
“I couldn’t find him,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Eves frowned. “Are you okay?”
Dane was frowning as well, watching me too closely. I couldn’t let them see the truth.
I plastered a smile on my face, while I was dying inside. “Just a bit of a headache.”
Eves took my arm. “Come on, we’ll find Grifter and get out of here.”
I followed them on autopilot, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe this was happening. But I had no choice. I had to do what Jesse’s father told me to.
And I didn’t know how I’d survive it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jesse
I woke and reached for Lila. Somehow, she’d ended up on the other side of the bed when she’d been pressed up against me all night, so tight I hadn’t been able to move.
We’d left straight after my fight last night because she’d had a headache, which is also why I’d kept my hands, and my dick, to myself when it had literally been torture to do it.
I was still on a high from last night, and maybe this wasn’t the right time to give Lila my property patch, but I was done waiting to claim her properly.
I reached under the bed and grabbed the bag I had stashed there. I’d had a vest made and everything. Jesus, I couldn’t remember ever being this nervous in my life. I never thought I’d ever have anything like I had with Lila. Never thought I deserved it. Had never let myself hope for it. For someone like her.
I tucked it behind me and tugged Lila across the bed so she was plastered against me. She stiffened. It was slight, but there was no missing it. She usually melted against me.
“You still not feeling good, Bambi?”
She shook her head. “I just…I need to go home.”
I lifted to my elbow and rolled her to her back. Her hair covered her face, so I brushed it out of the way. She kept her eyes closed. My girl was still tired. I could work with that.
“Why don’t we stay here? Neither of us needs to be at work until tomorrow. We’ll get up earlier and head back to Rocktown in the morning. We can chill here until you feel better, then I could show you around Black Stone properly. Take you out for dinner. Come home, watch TV, fuck on the couch.”
I expected her to laugh, or at least grin. I wasn’t even sure she heard me.
“Lila?”
“Hmm?”
I chuckled. She was cute all soft and tired like this. “I’ve got something for you.” I reached back, heart in my throat, and pulled the cool leather vest from the bag behind me and held it out for her. “This might seem quick, but I’ve wanted to give this to you almost from the moment I met you.”