“How was breakfast this morning?” I asked his boy.
“I think he’s still got half a bottle of syrup on his face,” Sage joked.
The boy rolled his eyes, and I chuckled. “That’s smart, saving something sweet for later.”
Sage grinned as he swiped at his son’s cheek. “See you around, Thunder.”
I didn’t know them well, but they seemed like good people. Sage had moved back to town a few months ago as a single dad and the women’s tongues were wagging about what might have happened between him and his son’s mama. I figured it wasn’t anyone else’s business, but no one bothered to ask me my opinion.
Ashley delivered my omelet on an overflowing platter. It had been a while since I’d stopped in for more than coffee. My eyes widened at the sheer amount of food set down in front of me.
“Thanks. This looks amazing.” I unrolled my silverware from the thin napkin before setting it in my lap.
Her smile seemed a little brighter. I wasn’t sure if it had more to do with her slipping into work mode or the fact that we were no longer alone. “I’ll be right back with a refill on that coffee.”
I was so focused on digging into my food, I almost didn’t notice the two guys wearing Savage Bones cuts slither through the front door. They didn’t even scan the room, just headed toward a table in the back. Based on the casual way they joked with each other, they didn’t seem too worried about being seen in a public place. Just another sign that their club was getting way too comfortable moving in on my turf.
The bite of biscuit I’d just swallowed stuck in my throat as I watched Ashley cautiously approach their table. I couldn’t hear their interaction, but they seemed too friendly toward her to be strangers. One of the guys reached out and flipped up the hem of her skirt. Within seconds, I covered the distance to their table, stepped in front of her, and stared down at the two fuckfaces.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” I warned, my fingers itching to grab them both by the neck and hurl them out onto the street.
“Ashley, Ashley, Ashley.” The blond guy with spiky hair clucked his tongue. “Don’t tell us you traded in Razor for this bag of bones. He’s been asking when you’re going to pay him a visit.”
“Thunder, meet Spike and Dunk.” She gripped my wrist and tried to tug me to the side. “I can handle this. Why don’t you go finish your breakfast? You’re just going to make things worse.”
“You should listen to her, old man.” Spike leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “If you keep making a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, you might just lose it one of these days.”
“Speaking of losing things, either one of you know who this might belong to? I’d like to return it to its rightful owner.” Every muscle in my body tensed, but I forced myself to relax as I slid the leather knife case out of my pocket.
Spike did a good job of covering his surprise. His gaze flickered to the case with no reaction. Dunk jumped so high his knee hit the bottom of the table.
“No telling who that might belong to. Where did you find it?” Spike asked.
“Just out and about. It’s kind of a nice case. Maybe I’ll just hang onto it.” I’d rather burn it than carry it around in my pocket, but I was hell bent on figuring out who it belonged to so I’d know who to take down for messing with Ashley and her grandmother.
“I didn’t know you were such a fan of the Savage Bones. There’s plenty of room at the top for a man with your experience,” Spike said.
Damn, I wanted to punch that smug grin right off his face. Starting a fight at the café wouldn’t help anyone, so I pulled in a deep breath through my nose and shook my head. “I’m going to have to politely decline. I can’t say I agree with a lot of your club’s methods.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame. If you ever change your mind, the offer stands.” Spike picked up his menu and pointed to something halfway down the page. “I’ll take the steak and eggs? Rare on the steak, sunny side up on the eggs.”
Ashley scribbled the order down on her notepad. “And for you?”
Dunk cast me a nervous glance. “I’ll take the special. Coffee too, please.”
“You got it.” She whirled around from the table and headed toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with the two assholes.
“That wasn't so hard now, was it? I expect you’ll go back to your table to finish your breakfast and leave us in peace to do the same?” The placating smile stretching across Spike’s lips pissed me off. These two motherfuckers knew something. As much as I would enjoy the process, beating it out of them wasn’t an option.
“I’ll be watching you,” I warned.
Spike chuckled. “I’m shaking in my boots. You can’t be everywhere at once. Think about our offer. Once we’re in charge, you’ll wish you were on our side.”
“You’ll never be in charge, not if I have anything to say about it. And if you touch Ashley again or I hear any of you have been out to her grandma’s place, you’ll have to deal with me.” There was no denying my protective side when it came to Ashley.
Spike’s eyes narrowed. “I look forward to it.”
Ashley returned with two mugs of coffee and bumped me out of the way with her hip. “Your omelet’s getting cold, Thunder. Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll bring over some coffee to warm up your cup?”
