She nodded. “Sleep well, Wyatt. I won’t have any issues. I’ve worked in worse places, trust me.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but I could tell she could handle her own. I was just protective over her, and I had no idea why.
Well, sure I did.
I wanted to be balls deep in her, but this inherent need to protect her was starting to get noticed and not in a good way. If my enemies were to find out she was my weakness, she’d be in even more danger than she is now.
Maybe, just maybe, getting her Raf problem solved sooner rather than later was a good idea so I could let her go and move on before I dragged her down into this hell with me.
She was too good for that.
Church was basic today, not much movement from Raf, or the Ironborne for once. The diner and the bars were working well and bringing in as much profit as necessary and our imports were loaded into our warehouses.
I missed the days of all out war with the Crew sometimes. It was fun to live on the edge.
“Can we make sure there’s been no flags on Rowan?” I asked Trojan. He nodded, bringing up his computer and typing away furiously. Turning to my Sergeant at Arms, I looked over at him and wondered what he was thinking getting involved with Rowan’s friend. She was young, and impressionable. I didn’t want Rowan or her friends getting hurt. “Chaos, care to explain where you been all day?”
“Having a much earned sleep,” he said with a smirk. I was about to respond to him when I heard the sound of Rowanscreaming. I was out of my chair faster than I could breathe, and pushing out the door of the Chapel faster than I could think. Everyone had congregated toward the front of the clubhouse, with some of my men–including my prospects–looking on with glee. Rowan was on the ground, Tee and Tori clawing and scratching at her, pulling her hair and calling her every name under the sun.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I roared, positively seething at the two women who thought they could lay a hand on my Rowan.
My?
Fuck, where did that come from?
“Prez,” Tee got her ass off my girl and turned to me, pleading in her eyes. “She started it. We just took it outside to finish it. She doesn’t belong here.”
“Tee, you best hope she’s okay. If she’s not, you’re both out of here.”
“You can’t do that. Club girl business is for the club girls to decide and Cherry ain’t here,” Tori piped up.
“You’re damn lucky she isn’t,” I sneered at her, forcing her back into her shell like a frightened turtle. Turning back to Tee, who I knew was the ringleader of this little hunt. “Rowan is under my protection. You know what that means?”
Tee nodded, her lip turned up. “She’s a bitch, and needs to learn her place.”
“No, Tee, she doesn’t. She works and lives here. She’s under my protection, which means she’s higher in rank than you are. Watch your fucking mouth, or I’ll have you banished from every Shackled Sons chapter. Now get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you two sluts for a week.”
“But–”
I held my hand up for her to shut up, and Beast and Knight helped them find their way to the gates. I bent down, looking Rowan over for any damage, but it all looked superficial.
“Darlin’, you good?”
She nodded, wiping at the tears in her eyes. “Yeah. Maybe I shouldn’t have called her a two-bit hooker working for pennies.”
I bit off my laugh, and helped her up. “Come with me.”
Looking up, after I took her delicate hand in mine, I told everyone to scram and find somewhere else to be. They departed, unwillingly, some going back inside and others heading around the property to find something to do. Leading Rowan up the stairs I took her to the Chapel. One place I never took any woman, especially not one that wasn’t an ol’ lady but we needed the quiet.
We needed the privacy.
I locked the door, causing her to jump slightly before she relaxed, and moved over to my chair, pulling it out a little, away from the table, before I motioned for her to come closer.
“What started it?” I asked her, even though this shit was dealt with by Cherry, I wanted to know. I needed to know why my girl was being targeted.
“She’s a bully from school, never liked me,” she shrugged her shoulders, but she winced and I could tell she was in pain, even though she was trying to be strong.
“What hurts?”
