I hadn’t heard pity in his voice when he spoke to me—just concern.
I shake off the thoughts of possibly talking to him. There’s no way I could share something like this with him.
My uncle’s words filter in, and I almost want to laugh and cry at the same time. He’s put Cerberus in charge of my protection. If only he knew the full story about what happened between the two of us, he might not have been so quick to allow this. Then again, he wouldn’t have been inclined to patch him in as a member of the club.
Then again, what the hell do I know? Other than the fact there’s no way I’m going to be getting any closer than I have to Cerberus. I won’t take that chance again. Not by a long shot.
CHAPTER 6
CERBERUS
“I’m ready to go,” Ember says, strutting into the main room of the clubhouse, her bag slung around her body, hair up in a ponytail.
I barely got the first sip of coffee in me while taking a look at her, then at the time on my phone.
“We’ve got time before we have to head out, get yourself some coffee,” I tell her, and take a long swallow.
“I don’t have time. I need to get to work,” she retorts.
“You’ll be fuckin’ early as shit.” Her shift isn’t until seven, and it’s only six-o-two. The dispatch center was only a twenty-minute ride from here. “Get a coffee and sit for a damn minute.”
“I can get my coffee there, Cerberus.” She huffs narrowing her eyes to thin little slits. “You’re just dropping me off. You can drink the rest after you get back. Let’s go.”
“I’m only dropping you off?” Is that what she seriously thinks? Hate to break it to her, but that ain’t what’s happening.
Yesterday, while she stayed hidden away in her room, keeping to herself, I saw to business in regard to her protection.
“Well, yeah,” she agrees. “So come on, I need coffee, and I don’t want to be late.”
“Already told you that you aren’t gonna be late, Em, and it’s do damn early to leave so park your ass with a coffee here.” I figure she can find out about her protection arrangement when she gets to work.
“No, Cerberus, we need to go. I need to get to work. After the other day, I can’t afford to be late. It’s a twenty-minute ride, which will put us getting there in plenty of time I could step into the coffee shop next to it. Way better coffee there.”
“Babe, there’s coffee right here. No reason to waste your damn money on shit when you can have it now if you stop arguing with me.”
“Did you just call me babe?” she demands, hands going to her hips.
“Jesus, fuck, it’s too damn early for this shit. Sityour ass down and we’re not leaving right now,” I tell her, not hiding my annoyance.
“Haven’t you ever heard of the time rule?” she snaps.
“The what?” I look at her, sure she sees that this whole thing is doing nothing but getting on my damn nerves. I won’t hide my reaction to her.
“You know if you’re on time you’re late. If you’re early, you’re on time.”
“Let me guess if you’re late, you’re fucked?”
“Exactly, so let’s go. I need to get to work,” she states, making her way past me.
Just as she gets to the other side of me, I twist around, grip her upper arm, and yank her into me. I don’t do it harshly or hurt her, but I do surprise her.
“We’re not leaving yet, babe,” I tell her, using my free hand to slide my fingers into her hair. “You want to go to work, that’s fine, but you’re not going against my orders when it comes to your protection.” I tug her fully to me, not missing the way her eyes flare and her lips part. “You keep arguing and pushing me, Em, swear to fuck you’ll find yourself over my knee with my hand bearing down on it. Got me?”
“You . . . I . . . you . . . I can’t believe . . .”
“Believe, babe, I’m not playing around,” I tell her and dip my head down closer. “We got a lot of shitbetween us. A lot of it we’ve got to talk about but know I’m not gonna fuck around with you.”
“You’re an asshole,” Ember snaps quietly.
