“You got it. Where are we headed?”
“Strip club, going to get some girls.”
“Sweet, I’m always down for a night filled with titties.”
I scoff, “You’ll be cleaning up and pouring beers, so don’t get your cock too hard over the prospect of tonight.”
He shuts up, and I settle my attention on Manic, Plague’s prospect. “You too,” I order. He’s about to get patched in and has no idea, so we’ve been basically making him be stuck up our asses to see how much shit he’ll put up with before finally welcoming him into the fold. Plague’s best friend from school will most likely end up taking Manic’s place once he’s a patched member.
I notice my motorcycle is extra shiny, thanks to Plague pimping his prospect’s cleaning skills out to the rest of us. I’ll have to remember it later and buy his woman some cookies orsome shit. The chick has a crazy sweet tooth, but I guess it matches her personality; she’s a good girl.
The three of us load up without another word, and then we’re ripping out of the lot. Our bikes are loud enough together to know we’re coming, long before we arrive at our destination. It only takes a few minutes before we’re pulling into the lot, the sign above blinkingGirls, Girls, Girls.It’s normally a bright red, but it’s still too light outside for it to do much advertising. Regardless, I only have one thing on my mind while I’m climbing off my bike.
Raven.
Chapter Seven
Powerhouse
We’re greeted at the door as we enter. The ladies here are good about always treating me like I’m their favorite person, and normally, I’d eat the attention up, but not today. I only have one woman on my mind, front and center.
The moment we pass through the entrance area and are inside the dimly lit bar near the seating, I’m scanning the room. I haven’t seen Raven in what feels like forever at this point, no matter if it hasn’t truly been that long in real time. I’m so motherfuckin’ thirsty to lay my eyes on her, I may as well be in the middle of a desert.
“What’s up,Papi?” Maria interrupts my perusal. She, Vanessa, and Jennifer all surround me, eager for whatever it is I’ve got to say. They probably think we’re all going to come in and throw some drinks back like we did for my birthday. It wasa good night, until it wasn’t. I have no doubt they’re down for another wild night with plenty of tips to line their pockets.
My lips tip up as I share, “Got a bunch of brothers chillin’ and letting loose at the clubhouse. You ladies down to party with us tonight?”
Maria rubs her hand over my chest, leaning in to squeeze me. She’s been more handsy lately, and while I typically pay it no mind when any of them touch me, I can’t let it continue. Not if my girl, Raven, wants me to herself. Who knows, though, she may not give two shits if I keep myself only for her or not. I can’t stand the thought of any other men touching her, and if she has an ounce of the same possessiveness where I’m concerned, I want her knowing she doesn’t have to think twice about where my loyalty lies.
I catch Maria’s hand, my brows raised, and step away from her. “We got a club full of lonely brothers right now, so it’ll be a good time. Is Raven here?” I finally ask, and three matching wide smiles grace their faces.
“Yeah,Papi, she’s around here somewhere. You gonna ask her to come play with the brothers too?”
It takes everything inside me not to growl at the thought. I’m the only one messing with her; my club will have my back on this. If anyone has an issue with it, I’ll make damn sure every single person knows she’s off limits to them. My fists will do the talking if it comes down to it. “She can head to the clubhouse too,” I say instead. “Where is she?” I flick my stare at the others, but they shrug in response.
Leaving them behind, I find Roxy next. “You seen Raven anywhere?”
She frowns but nods. “Yeah, she was here earlier. She was leaving early since it’s dead, though, so you missed her already. Went out the back door right around the time Maria was kissing your cheek and wrapping her arms around you.”
“F my life,” I grumble, my eyes shooting heavenward as my hands move to clench the back of my neck. I stretch my muscles out, noting the pull my fresh ink still has on my skin. It’ll tingle for a few days while I get used to the newness of it.
“Mmhm. You can probably catch her if you go now. She walks home through the alley out the back door. Follow it down a ways and her apartment’s off on the corner.”
You have got to be kidding me. She walks home after her shifts? That shit is way too dangerous, especially at the times she’s getting off work, and with her being a tiny little thing.
Poking my head out the back door, I find her a bit down the alley already. She’s booking it, her hips swinging like she’s full of sass and seduction. It’s pointless to yell at her and gain any bum’s attention in the vicinity of her presence when she can’t hear me. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize her safety in any way. I need to catch her, though, before she takes a turn or something, and I can no longer see her as easily.
With a determined sigh, I decide I’m going to prove a point to her, so she’ll stop this walking home alone bullshit. Especially with us patching over, shit around here could get even more dangerous than usual if the cartel or our old MC decides to get ugly. If the wrong person catches wind of me claiming her as my girl, they’ll be looking for an easy way to get a chance at her to try and weaken or hurt me.
With that knowledge spiraling through my mind, I take off in a jog around the strip club. I make my way down the road a bit to where I know a break in the alley is, so I can get to Raven. If I’m aware it’s here, then others certainly are as well. The liquor store, car wash, and a chicken wing shop are next to the strip club before a few older fourplexes and apartment buildings come into view. I’m assuming she lives in one of them, which only makes me want to pack all her shit up and move her inwith me and the brothers. Those apartments aren’t safe, in the slightest.
I hate how she’s so damn unaware of potential dangers. Her lack of caution makes me feel like I have to prove my point to her. I would never hurt her or scare her, but I have a feeling she’s the stubborn type of woman who needs me to show her the potential dangers, so she’ll listen and learn to trust my warnings.
She strolls on by, oblivious to the outside world as she’s looking at the ground and watching where she’s walking. I swoop in before she notices, grabbing her from behind. I spin us until her front is firmly pushed up against the closest building, my breathing labored afterwards. I shouldn’t enjoy having this much control over her sexy, lithe body, yet I do.
In the next beat, she goes completely limp in my grip.
My heart thrums rapidly in my chest, panic overtaking me as I worry, obsessing that I’ve somehow hurt her in the process or made her pass out. G-damn. I’m such an idiot! I shouldn’t have done this. Someone should’ve been here to tell me this was a bad idea. I’m a fuckin’ dumb-dumb sometimes, I swear, and I’m gonna jack shit up before I ever get a fair shot with her at this rate.
