“Come on Kelley, you can’t even get around a girl.”
“Shut up,” I yelled over my shoulder, but I put my palms up on Hudson’s chest. He pushed against me, and my bare feet slid across the floor.
“You say one more damn thing about her,” Hudson snarled.
“What?” Andrew laughed. “What are you gonna do?”
I was picked up and moved aside and watched in horror as Hudson lunged for Andrew. A sudden blur went past me, and Hudson stopped dead in his tracks. I had never been so happy to see my father. I took a few faltering steps towards them, but King held up his hand to me and leaned his head close to Hudson.
“He’ll have the law down here so fast, Hustle. Do you wanna end up in jail? You want heat brought down on us?”
Hudson’s fists squeezed tight, and I wanted nothing more than to go to him, but King was right. I couldn’t get in the way of this. In fact, my presence was making it worse. I should have stayed inside.
“I want to beat his ass,” Hudson grumbled.
“Stand the fuck down.”
I could see in my father’s face even he wasn’t so sure he could hold Hudson back. Warren appeared beside him, a restraining hand on his shoulder. I couldn’t hear what he said, but Hudson let his shoulders drop, his stance becoming less confrontational.
A look passed between King and Warren and my dad let him go, but Warren kept his hand on Hudson’s shoulder, grounding him.
King took a few steps towards Andrew. “I want you off my property, go sort your business. If work doesn’t start here tomorrow, consider yourself in breach of your contract.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can and I will,” King said. His voice, though calm, was filled with authority and a veiled threat of his own, something Warren hadn’t yet mastered the art of. But I knew pretty soon he would be on the same level as our dad. “We may be a motorcycle club to you, but that is because you underestimate us. I know that contract inside and out and you have one chance to fulfil it before you hear from my lawyer.”
Andrew looked rightfully chastised by my father. He nodded once and turned away, hurrying to his pretentious Lexus without looking back. I released a long breath, knowing it was over for now. We waited until Andrew had driven out and the gate closed. The gate was replaced the same day it had been destroyed and was stronger than the one there before. There were also more security cameras and lights.
King turned to look at Hudson. “You good?”
Hudson’s jaw tensed again.
“Control your shit,” King told him. “I fucking know how you feel, but we won’t blow this.”
Then he turned to look at me. His eyes ran over what I was wearing, and without wanting to, I fidgeted under his scrutiny. He looked back at Hudson.
“What is this? You claiming my daughter?”
“Hey,” I protested, taking a step towards them. I saw Warren laugh behind his hand and glared at him. “No one isclaimingme.”
Hudson turned around and gave me an equally menacing glare as King was giving him.
“You’re mine, remember?”
I folded my arms over my chest. I didn’t want to admit the thrill that shot up through me at those words, but I’d be damned if I let anyone think theyownedme.
“You claim my daughter, you do it right.”
“Is anyone listening to me right now?” I shouted. All of them turned to me with an implicit ‘no’ in their eyes. I threw up my hands in frustration.
“Already done,” Hudson said.
Before I could ask what the hell he meant, he took off his cut and turned to face my father, pointing at his chest. King leaned in, his brows bunching together before he straightened up and looked at me. I couldn’t read what he was thinking and did not know what Hudsonshowed him that had my dad nodding, like he was giving Hudson his blessing.
“Whoa,” Warren blurted, then laughed after looking at Hudson’s chest. “I fucking knew it.”
“What?” I snapped.
