Chapter Seven
Kylie
“Do you really think he was just helping the distraught wife of a friend?” Kylie asked. The pizza Emelise had ordered was mostly gone, and Hailey was distracted with a movie Eme had put on for her, giving Kylie a chance to question the other woman further.
“Yes, I do. Remy wouldn’t lie about that, Kylie. I know it’s hard to wrap your mind around—believe me, I had a hard time with it myself—but when you find your mate, there really isn’t anyone else in the world for you. Women could strip naked and throw themselves at Remy and he still wouldn’t want anyone but you. You’re it for him.”
Kylie couldn’t deny the way Emelise’s words made her feel. “Say you’re right, say he is my mate and I’m it for him. It almost sounds like…possession. I’m not an inanimate object someone can own. What’s to stop him from becoming overbearing, possessive, and controlling? What’s to stop him from going into a jealous rage if some guy flirts with me at work? I can’t live like that, Emelise. Not ever again. I would rather die alone than live that way again.”
Eme reached for her and gave her hand a squeeze. “Kylie, stop. Remy isn’t Ezra. Please, just give him a chance to prove that to you. I can’t begin to imagine what you went through, the hell you survived, but you are doing yourself, and Remy, a grave disservice by not giving him a chance to prove to you that not every man is like that.”
“I’m scared, okay? I’m scared to let anyone close again. The very thought of being vulnerable like that again, of being controlled, being told what to do, what to wear, having every aspect of my life not my own, terrifies me,” she whispered. She was shaking and silent tears slid down her cheeks.
“I know you are, but sometimes you just have to close your eyes and take that leap of faith. I promise you, you will not regret it if you do.”
Kylie closed her eyes for several minutes before she opened them and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll try.” She felt oddly light after finally agreeing to give Remy a chance to prove he was different.
Remy
As soon as he dropped Estelle off to visit with Mia, Remy called Declan. “Hey. I need a little assistance. I’ve got a buddy who has been a bit of an idiot. He got mixed up wit’ some motorcycle club and now his ass is in hot water. He left his wife a voicemail, tellin’ her to come see me. I’m pretty sure I know where he is, but I don’t want to go in dere solo.”
Declan chuckled into the phone. “I’ve been itching for a good fight. Meet me at the warehouse; we can head out from there.”
“On my way.” Remy hung up and headed back into New Orleans. Devon Beauchamp was always getting himself mixed up in things he shouldn’t. In high school it was some wannabe gangsters that Remy had to teach a lesson to before he proceeded to kick Devon’s ass, as well. Too bad he hadn’t learned his lesson from that mess. Here was hoping this time he woke up and realized fucking with the wrong people could get him hurt, or killed. Or worse, they could go after Estelle to get to him. That was the real reason he’d taken her out to the compound. He wanted to be sure she was where no one could get to her.
When he pulled up in front of the huge warehouse Declan converted into space for the Pack to gather, as well as headquarters for Ghospoint Security, he found Declan waiting with Holden and Steele. “Afternoon,” he said to them. “I take it you boys are joinin’ da fun,oui?”
“You got that right. When Dec told us what was up, we weren’t about to let you two have all the fun,” Steele replied with a grin.
Holden growled a little. “What he said. My bear is itching for a fight.” Holden was the oldest among the Pack. That wasn’t to say he was old, just older than the others by several years. Much like his bear, he was broad and a bit gruff, with just enough facial scruff to almost have a beard. He slid onto the back of his Harley and revved it. “As Steele would say, let’s rock and roll.”
“Damn straight!” Steele slid into the passenger seat of Declan’s car before they headed out with Remy in the lead.
Twenty minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of what was quite obviously, by all the motorcycles, a biker bar. There were a few cars and trucks parked in the lot as well, but it was mostly bikes. Remy approached Declan once the other man was out of his car. “Looks like I was right. Dat’s Devon’s truck.” He pointed out an older Ford that was in better condition than most of the cars and trucks in the lot.
“How do you want to do this?” Declan was letting the leopard take the lead.
“Let’s see what he’s got hisself into. If dey’re beatin’ on him, dey’re in for a world of hurtin’.” It was a fairly safe bet that that was exactly what was happening on the other side of the door.
Declan motioned for Remy to lead the way before he, Steele, and Holden fell in behind him. Granted, they were on the biker’s turf, but the men inside the bar were human. The four of them could handle it.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh, accompanied by a grunt of pain, reached them just inside the door. Remy’s eyes narrowed. Tables were pushed to the side and there, in the center of the room, stood Devon. He was being held immobile by two men. “You boys done gone and made a real big mistake.” Remy let a growl trickle out as he stalked closer to where his friend was being held.
His words grabbed the attention of the Club’s President. “The only ones making a mistake tonight, asshole, is you four. Look around you. You’re outnumbered.”
Remy rolled his shoulders a bit as if to loosen them. “You tink so, do you?” He looked to Devon a moment. One eye was already swelling closed and his lip was busted. Whatever other injuries he had, they were probably beneath his clothes. “Let’s dance. Unless you’re afraid. Maybe you need dem bound before you’ve got da balls to hit dem.”
That was all it took. Within minutes it was a free-for-all fight. Remy faced off with the Club’s Prez and traded him blow for blow. He lost track of time during the fight. It had his blood pounding and his heart racing. It felt damn good.
Declan seemed to throw himself into the fight with more control than the others. With the way Steele and Holden were fighting, it appeared they’d been itching for a fight.
From the corner of his eye, Remy watched as one of the bikers rushed at Declan and then froze. The enhanced hearing of his leopard helped him to hear the conversation between the two.
“Fuck,” the biker growled.
Declan’s eyes narrowed at the other man. “You’ve got a choice to make, wolf.” He kept his voice low so none of the humans overheard him.
Remy noticed that the other man just stood there for several seconds before he lowered the bat he’d been charging at Declan with. “Behind you.”The biker shouted the warning when he noticed one of the others coming at Declan with a blade.
