He glared briefly. “Yeah, whatever. Look, hanging in here and festering isn’t bringing Rocket back, or winning you any friends. But itishampering the club’s chances to rebuild and thrive. Is that what you want?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Give me half an hour to pack the rest of the stuff in here, and get it in my car. Nobody touches anything, right?”
He held a hand out. “Gimme your keys, and I’ll back your cage down here for ya.”
Cage. I rolled my eyes. “It’s called a car.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Iwas still onthe fence, still arguing with them, despite the fact that they had me convinced V might not have gone back with that cunt, and seemed to be nesting in my old room for some strange reason. The tipping point?
Forcible removal.They said that Micro and Grease were going to have to physically remove her or lose thousands if they delay the demo party again. Put their hands on her. That’s what they meant. In my mind, which was already filling with rage, I saw them literally manhandling her out of there, while she argued and raged at them.
The thought of them touching her, even for non-sexual reasons, had my blood boiling in my veins. Before they’d even finished telling me, I was already grabbing stuff and jamming it into my backpack. I ignored their smug grins, and put them to work helping me, and we were out of there in fifteen minutes, and on our rides. Weirder than every other moment without my cut was this one. Riding with my brothers, staring at their cuts, while I wore none. I wanted it back and I wanted it now. Butfirst? Keep them from touching my woman. Or the woman I wanted anyway.
The ride home took hours, because I was way up past the Midlands when they found me, but it’s amazing how fast you can get somewhere when you’re worried about someone. I had to keep Nixie safe, which affected my speed a lot, but I’d refused any stops or breaks, except for refuelling when we needed to.
When we arrived at the club, I could see differences already. There was heavy machinery on site, parked up and doing nothing. Hardly anyone was there, no brothers milling around shooting the shit, and just one prospect on the gate, who took one look at me and broke into a grin.
“Welcome home, brother.” I nodded at him, and followed the others inside.
“Oi, he can’t come in here. He’s not wearing his cut,” Stag yelled from the lounge door. Ha. At least some things haven’t changed.
My eyes found V’s car almost immediately, as I scanned the place for any sign of her. It was backed up to the dorm block, and I could see Grease there jawing at her.
Fucker.
I got off my ride, lifted Nixie from her carrier and passed her to Has, and then I was running right for that fucker. I’d break his fucking face if he was touching her.
“Get the fuck away from her, cunt!”
I landed on Grease, and we both crashed onto the dusty ground, while he cursed and shoved at me to get me away from him.
We scuffled, until people started pulling us apart, and his shit-eating grin when we were finally standing again should have pissed me off, but I was too busy looking for her. And there she was. Standing in the doorway of my room, wearing one of my hoodies, and looking strangely fragile.
I turned back to Grease, pointing a finger right at his smug face. “If you touched a fucking hair on her head, you’re dead.”
He just laughed, slapping my hand away and walking around the side of the car.
“She wishes. You’re welcome, by the way.”
For what? I turned to look at V again, seeing a bundle of my clothes hanging loosely in her hands, and that look of stunned surprise on her face.
“You’re really here,” I said softly, still half convinced they’d lied to get me here.
“So are you,” she pointed out, taking a deep breath and casting her eyes over me, like she was checking me for injuries or something.
“I uh…” I stepped closer to her and she shoved the armful of my clothes at me, disappearing into my room while I stood there like an idiot, still right there when she returned with more.
“Uh… I’m being evicted. Or I guess you are. I don’t know.” She edged past me and dumped the clothes into the boot of her car, grabbing the ones I was still holding like a dickhead.
“They gave me five minutes, Rocket.” Her breath suddenly rushed out of her and she dropped the clothes, throwing herself into my arms.
I held on tight, squeezing my eyes closed against the rush of emotion I felt as she began to cry. Fuck me, did I do this to her? Something hit my chest, and then again, and I pulled back to watch her wail on me with her fists, calling me a bastard, and an asshole, sobbing the words out, amid the repeated word sorry. That one appeared a lot.
I caught her wrists, because that was starting to hurt, and she was going to hurt herself if she kept going.
