So, she’s homeschooled. Wow. Talk about being sheltered. Now, I understand her frustration.
“Are you smoking?” The big one, Ripper, stops in front of her looking pissed as he stares down at the pack of cigarettes.
I quickly snatch them up and tuck them in my hand. “I was,” I lie, hoping to spare the girl a punishment from the man.
“Well, make sure you never give one to the princess. She’s seventeen and isn’t allowed to smoke. I’m Ripper, by the way. You’re Link’s kid?”
That’s what he seems to keep telling people, but I’m not.
“No. I’m not his daughter. I’m just an old acquaintance.”
“Not what he just said in church,” he grunts. “Claimed you as his kid.”
Yeah, well, if Link thinks I’m going to be calling him daddy, he’s wrong.
“Heard you’re going to be our new bartender,” the other one chimes in. He’s got kinder eyes, and a soft smile, and silver hair, revealing the fact that he’s older. But in no way is he any less handsome than all the others. Every single one of them is good looking. Like seriously good looking.
“I am. So, if there’s a certain drink you like, I’ll make sure to perfect it just the way you like it.”
“I’m a whiskey neat kind of guy.” Raid winks. “You’ll find that most of us drink the brown straight or beer, so should be pretty easy. The girls like them fruity cocktails though. And this little princess…” He smiles at Rory, looking at her the same way King was. “Likes her virgin piña coladas.”
“I make a good one.” I smile at the girl.
She tips her head as the other big man beside her moves in. “Come on, princess. It’s time to take you inside.”
Rory rolls her eyes, reminding me so much of myself when I was younger. Wanting to spread my wings and fly but having too many people trying to control my every move. It’s different for her though; these men truly care about her. I can see it in each of their eyes. They love her like a daughter and are only trying to look out for her.
She’s truly lucky.
6
Link
Aday turned into a week turned into a month turned into a year, and the pressure keeps compounding with every passing second. It’s almost to the point I don’t recognize myself anymore. We all took a hit after losing Rubble in the raid. Then having Skully bound to that damn wheelchair reminds us on the daily of the shit that went down. It’s been a rough fucking twelve months, and the morale in this place is low. But amidst all the anger and pain, there’s a tiny flicker of light shining through.
Her smile is a guide to every man as he comes ashore from his anguished thoughts. Drifting in from his day job to get a drink. Shayna has become part of the family. She’s wormed her way into everyone’s hearts. And now, they all flock to her, hover around her like vultures, craving her attention.
She lets out a laugh and gives Dagger one of her beautiful smiles, and the jealousy sinks me in its quicksand. My thoughtsare a fucking minefield when I’m in her presence. I can’t fucking take it anymore. I don’t even recognize myself. The moment she walks into a room, the need explodes. Every nerve tingling like an electrical current is running through my veins. And the bitch of that torment is that there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
“Thanks, babe. I needed this.” Dagger tips his glass at her then throws back its contents. I know he has the hots for her, among some of the others of the club, but he’s the only one I’m worried about. He’s always following her around, finding ways to put his hands on her. Giving her looks from across the room. Winking at her like there’s some kind of secret between them. And there she is eating it all up. Getting giggly and pink faced.
“Looks like you could use a drink.” Ripper sits down with his shrewd observation tampering the last remaining shred of my calm. I want to punish the girl for putting me in such a tortured state. For turning my thoughts dark. For twisting me up in her beautiful smile and her sultry voice. What I really want is to bend her over my knee and spank her for giving Dagger her undivided attention. For gifting him her smiles.
She barely ever looks at me anymore. Lately, she’s been going out of her way to avoid me. If I enter the room, she walks out. If I try to speak to her, she gets tense and short with me. Our interactions are palpable to those who witness our angry exchanges. Like King, I feel like a dad whose teenage daughter wants to have nothing to do with him. She thinks I’m too strict, but my rules are only meant to keep her safe.
But like a rebellious girl, she refuses to abide by them.
“What would you do, Rip, if you caught one of the guys sniffing around Rory?” I’m only asking because he’s her bodyguard and the club’s enforcer. The number one rule of this place is to keep your hands off the princess. My number one rule is to keep away from Shayna, and yet Dagger is over there flirtingwith her and making it seem like he could give two shits about my rule.
Ripper’s entire frame locks up, his spine turning rigid in the chair as his eyes start scanning the room, looking for suspects. It’s only a hypothetical question, but I already know his answer. If anyone ever tried to touch Rory, no matter who they are, they better run and hide because they will not have a pulse if Ripper ever finds them. He’s even more protective of the princess than her own father. But given that he’s been charged to her care since she was two years old, his entire existence is centered around that girl.
I’m starting to feel the same about Shayna. My gravitational pull is that little spitfire who’s always giving me attitude when I tell her her skirt’s too short, or that her shirt is too low cut. My every thought is centered around her. From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I go to bed. My only problem is most of those thoughts stem from a place of darkness, which only feeds my anger. It makes the tension strained between us tighter.
“You aware of something I’m not?” His narrowed glare turns back on me. “Because I will hurt any fucking one who tries to lay one finger on my princess.”
My princess?He better be careful. King may cut off his balls if he says shit like that in his presence.
“Nothing’s going on. I just wanted to know how you’d handle the problem.”
