As we got ready to head over to her grandmother’s in the cavalcade of cars outside, I flinched when I heard the knock on the door. Tiago stood to answer it only to have Frankie shove him back, and tell him to get stuffed.
I chuckled, watching as Tiago looked over at the other cousins, wounded. They all chuckled, knowing just how headstrong Frankie was. When she opened the door, I grimaced when I saw Chaos leaning against the doorjamb.
“Hey,” he said, with a devilish smirk but Frankie only put her hand on the door, closing it enough that he couldn’t see me.
“Hey yourself. You’re not welcome here, Cruz.”
“Frankie, I need to talk to her, please.”
“No.”
“Can I, at least, have the keys to my bike?” he asked. I looked at the keys I’d set down on the kitchen counter, and nodded at Tiago to hand them over to him. Frankie was momentarily distracted, when he opened the door wider and stepped inside.
“Cruz!”
“Come on, Rowan, please don’t make this difficult. The Burrow is safe, and Trey is there.”
“Fuck Trey!” Frankie screamed at him. “And fuck you and your stupid ass club. Take your goddamn keys, and get fucked.”
I’d never seen her so livid before, and it made me question what happened between the two of them. Had he finally pulled the plug on them? Had he hurt her?
A sudden wave of protectiveness surged over me, and I got off the stool and got in his face. “You can tell your little boss that I have no intention of following his orders. I’m not his, and I don’t belong to your club. I quit the second I walked out that door. I don’t owe him, or you, anything. Now fuck off.”
“I can throw you over my shoulder if that helps matters?”
“Like fuck you can,” Bruno, one of Frankie’s cousins said, getting up.
“This is to protect you, Rowan.”
“She’s got protection,” Tiago spat. “You really think you can defeat all of us and take her? She’s with her real family, not the one who breaks hearts.”
Chaos flinched at that, and I knew it hit a nerve. Frankie seemed to flinch too. Fuck, what had I missed?
“Rowan…”
“Leave,” I said, firmly.
The keys were thrown at him. When he bent to pick them up, he looked at me. “We can protect you, you know that. He ain’t gonna be happy if I turn up without you.”
Fuck this guy. He hurt Frankie, and now I wanted him to hurt too. If that meant he had to return back to the clubhouse without me, then that was what needed to happen.
I launched myself at him, his arms wrapping around my waist to steady me, and I planted a kiss on his lips. He pulled back quickly, as did I, smirking.
“Now, how do you think your Prez is gonna feel knowing you made out with me?”
Chaos’ eyes widened, knowing Reaper would lose his shit. Even if he was being a prick, I knew what claiming a girl meant. No other brother could have her. I was dead to them, but I was still “Reaper’s”. He made a move to turn back to see if anyone was around, but instead of waiting, Frankie slammed the door in his face. My heart hammered in my chest, anger pouring through me at an alarming rate. Turning to Frankie, who looked like someone had slapped her, I pulled her into my arms, and held her. She held me back, as we digested what the fuck just happened and what it all meant.
Fuck Wyatt, and fuck Chaos.
Fuck them all. I pulled my phone from my pocket, thankful it had been on me when I threw my luggage at Chaos to escape, and sent a text to Trey, just so he knew what had gone down.
The sound of Chaos’ bike taking off, leaving here, sounded loud in the room. I think Frankie hoped he would return for her, drag her onto his bike and take off, but they were as done as me and Reaper were.
Fuck the Shackled Sons MC.
“Let’s go fill up on food,” I announced to which all the cousins—Tiago, Bruno, Luis, Duarte, Miguel and Martim—cheered. Frankie grabbed her purse and led me out to Tiago’s car. The others all jumped in their own cars and we took off toward avó Maria’s house.
“Sit,” Maria demanded, pointing her wooden spoon at the spare seat next to Frankie. I smiled at her, and sat down, and watchedas she piled my plate full of food, more food than I could possibly eat in a week.
