“You told him that I mentioned how cute he was,” Isla sputters. “You basically made me sound desperate and a stalker. He refused to look at or talk to me again for like a week!”
“I already apologized for that. Besides, weren’t you the one who told me that he was being a dick to your friend, and it made you realize that just because he looks good doesn’t mean he’s a good guy? So maybe you should thank me instead for helping you see that early.”
Isla glares at me and turns away to look at Rose. “You’d be mad if your sister did that to you, right?”
Rose gives a sage nod, but when Isla turns back to give me a righteous look, Rose winks at me as if trying to tell me not to worry. “But sounds to me like your sister might have helped you out so she should probably get a little credit for that.”
Isla shrugs. “Fine, a little, but that doesn’t change the ban. If you come to pick me up from school, then you have to make surethat you stay in the car and speak to no one. I’m developing a reputation at school and I need to keep it.”
“And what kind of reputation might that be?” I ask drily. This should be good.
“The kind where I’m a bad bitch that you don’t mess with me or my friends, and that you don’t step on the little guy. All the people that people bully, if I find out, I go toe-to-toe with their bully and most people stay out of my way.” She gives a decisive nod to that, and I smile.
“I can live with that reputation,” I say, reaching out to rub the back of her head. “And people knowing you have a crush on a guy could get in the way of that.”
She nods. “Exactly. Besides, I don’t want a stupid boy who’s going to spend all of his time trying to change me. I want one who gets who I am and has the same ideas.” She rolls her eyes. “Which is about one percent of the entire school population, so you can see why it’s going to be hard to find someone.”
“The right one will come along,” Rose promises her, reaching out to grab her hand in hers and give it a quick squeeze before going back to the delicious food she’s making. “But don’t rush it. You’re fifteen, so now’s the time to have fun with your friends, not worry about boys and their constant need for attention and validation.” She winks at Sawyer. “Present company excluded, of course.” Sawyer smiles at her, unoffended. “Now, all of you grab a plate and come and dish up something to eat before the rest of the horde descends to get something.”
“The brothers should be served first,” a voice says behind us disapprovingly, and when I turn my head, I see one of the men from the other MC. I’ve seen him around, but other than the name on his cut, Crook, I haven’t spoken to him. Probably for the best with how pissed off he looks right now. He looks at Hulk, who regards him with a cool gaze, and he backs down a little bit before he looks back at Rose and gives her a narrowed-eyed glare. “That’s how shit is. Brothers first, then everyone else. That’s how a proper club runs.”
“Is it?” Rose returns mildly, and I can feel the tension in the air rising. I edge closer to Isla and Sawyer because I don’t want them in the middle of whatever this is. “Well, that might be how your club does things, but in this club, the children are served first, then those who are injured or sick, before the women, and finally the men. Considering the first three are in here, minus one other woman, that’s how my kitchen will be running. I’ll have everyone else in here to grab something in under five minutes. Or is that too long for you?”
Crook’s face hardens, and his eyes go stormy. This is a dangerous man, and he does not appreciate a woman telling him no. I hope to God he’s not married, because I feel sorry for his wife. His eyes move to Hulk, completely dismissing me and the kids. “You’re going to let her talk like that?”
Hulk merely gets to his feet, towering over him without even needing to be near him. “That’s how our President’s Old Lady runs this kitchen,” he states mildly. “That’s the way things are and have been since you got here, so getting pissed off about it now seems pointless. Tell the others that it will be ready in a couple of minutes. No one is going to starve between now and then.”
Crook’s hands ball into fists. Even still recovering, something tells me that taking down Hulk will be a hard thing to do. Turning on his heel, Crook stalks out, the swing-style door moving so hard that I’m surprised it doesn’t slam into the wall with the force.
“Someone’s hangry,” Isla mutters.
“Tensions get high when things are stressful around here sometimes,” Rose states lightly, though I can see the anger burning in her eyes. She does not like Crook even a little bit.“Don’t mind any of that. Once they get fed, they’ll be good. Now, all of you get your plates and dish up.”
“We’ll eat out in the common room,” Hulk states. “Rose, Bullet’s on his way down and he said he’ll give you a hand.” I note the pointed look he gives Rose, who nods as if understanding whatever silent message he’s trying to get across.
Something is going on here, and everything inside is standing up and urging me to start paying attention.
I grab my plate of food—a helping of spaghetti with salad and a fresh roll—and follow Sawyer and Isla out into the common room, Hulk not far behind, just as Bullet comes down and walks through to the kitchen. There’s a look in his eyes that I can’t quite make out, but it’s enough to have me feeling bad for anyone who goes at his wife again. Hulk follows me and sits next to me at the table the kids pick.
One that I note is on the opposite side of the room from where the Misfits are sitting with their men. I see a couple more Devil’s Soldiers, but they are mostly talking amongst themselves and not with the other club.
I move my eyes away from them, but find them snagged by a dark gaze of a man at the center of the table with the most men sitting around it. I hold his gaze, refusing to cower to the dominance he’s trying to project toward me. I can’t make out the name on his cut from here, but something tells me that he’s important, and from the way the men seem to defer to him in their movements, I’d say he’s their President.
And he does not like me. It’s written all over his face. A part of me wants to look away, knowing that this little staring contest isn’t going to accomplish anything good, but the larger, rebellious part of me refuses to back down. I don’t let anyone intimidate me. There’s a flash of something in his eyes before he finally looks away and murmurs something to the man besidehim. Neither of them looks back at me, but I’m sure I’m the topic of discussion.
I turn my head and see Hulk watching me and then his gaze sliding to the table. His eyes harden, but his expression is calm, even serene, as he looks back at me. Yeah, that’s not going to fool me.
I don’t know what’s going on around here, but I’m about to find out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
HULK
It’s a good thing I’m surrounded by strong, stubborn women, and the men that have won them all over.
The knockon my door is loud and sharp, pulling me out of my thoughts. I move to open the door and find myself face to face with Avery, who has now changed into more casual clothes, her hair still a bit damp from her shower. The scent of her body wash hits me, and my mouth waters. Damn, I wonder if she smells like that everywhere. I want to taste it so fucking bad.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, concerned, peering out into the hallway. “Something up with the kids?”
