“God, do I look weird or something?” I ask Rook from the side of my mouth.
He chuckles. “You’re not claimed. You don’t have a property of patch, and you’re younger than a lot of the women around here, and very pretty, so you’re going to get attention.” He laughs. “Good thing you’re not coming to the party at the clubhouse tonight.”
“What party?”
He swallows, his gaze darting away as though he’s realized he shouldn’t have said anything. “Nothing.”
“Rook,” I say warningly.
“It’s just a thing. One of the men is having his thirtieth birthday party, and they have lined up some fun for him. Got a few of the bar crawling girls from town to come in and have some drinks with us. Ghost hates these kinds of nights, as he has his hands full. Things can get wild.”
I’m glad I won’t be there. “Are you going?”
Rook shrugs. “Yeah, I’ll probably show up.”
“So will Jack be there, too?”
“He’ll swing by. He normally does. It’s kind of expected for the Prez to show his face.”
I’m guessing Ace will most likely be there, too, and Ghost. I imagine them all drinking, with the bar girls grinding all over them, flashing their tits in their faces, and experience a surprising stab of jealousy. I have noright to be jealous. I don’t have a claim on any of these men, just like they have no claim on me. But it still breaks my heart a little to think of Jack flirting with some sexy girl, and even for Ace to do the same. I wish I was the type of person who could have that kind of connection with someone and move on with it meaning nothing, but my heart is far too soft and open for that.
We pass by two much older men, and even they stare.
“What about the girls you call sweetbutts?” I ask Rook. “Where are they? How come they don’t get all the crap I am?”
“A lot of them don’t come around until night, and many of them are a bit older than you, and they’re different.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know, Camile. You’re… classy, I suppose.”
His words don’t sit right with me, and I immediately get defensive on behalf of the other women. “Are you saying those women aren’t classy? That you all view them as trash?”
“No. That’s not it. You’re different, though. How you dress, your hair. You stand out. Plus you’re new, so they’re curious.”
As we pass by one of the outbuildings with a few men inside tinkering with bikes, a low wolf whistle chases after me.
I sigh and hurry to the house, wanting to be inside.
Rook is with me now, but he’ll be gone later, and I’m beginning to understand a little more why Jack wanted guards on my door.
“Rook?”
The deep voice behind us has me freezing, my keys in the door. Right beside me, Rook also freezes, his shoulderstensing. His nose wrinkles a little, and he almost shrinks, as though wishing he could vanish.
“Yes, Prez?”
“Fuck off. Go find something useful to do.”
Rook shoots me a regretful glance but says nothing.
I don’t turn around as Rook shuffles off. Jack’s scent wraps around me, and his heat at my back almost makes me fumble the keys, but I get the door open and am inside without incident. Thank God, because I look enough of a fool around this man as it is. I’m aware of Jack following me in, but I try not to make a big deal of it.
Not wanting to show my trepidation, I place my sandwich on the counter in the kitchen and turn to face him.
I place my hands on my hips and cock my head. “What do you want? I’m about to eat lunch.”
“Why are you sniffing around Rook now?”
