All eyes fell to her, and I almost laughed as Gauge unashamedly reached down to rearrange his junk as he sucked in his bottom lip.
“A bunch of hot bikers on my doorstep—to what do I owe this pleasure?” she purred with a wink.
Gauge climbed off his bike and took the stairs two at a time until he was standing right in front of her. “Rick the prick in?”
She shook her head and he grinned before looking over at Quinn.
“You good with the kid?”
Quinn sighed and shrugged and Gauge took that as a yes. He grabbed Gracie, lifting her up and over his shoulder in one quick move before heading back inside the house with her giggling.
“I’ve got this handled now,” Ripped said to me, holding out his hand for me to shake. When I didn’t immediately take it he added, “She’s fine. You did a good job of watching her for me.”
Oh, you have no idea, motherfucker,I thought darkly.
I looked over at Butch and Dom—my brothers, my family—who were watching me carefully, clearly sensing that something wasn’t right about the whole situation. Was I ready to get my brothers hurt because of my fuckup?
I looked between Q and Ripped, hating that he was standing so close to her. Her eyes were wide as she silently pleaded with me, begging for me to leave and not do anything stupid. She had the baby in her arms and I had no doubt that Ripped would shoot both of them just to spite me. If I wanted to keep Q safe, I needed to get the fuck out of there and settle that shit a different time.
I nodded and shook his hand, feeling bile rise in my throat at what I was about to do.
“See you back at the clubhouse,” I replied gruffly before heading toward my bike.
I hated leaving her there, with him.
Hated him and the whole motherfuckin’ situation.
But most of all I hated myself for not telling Ripped there and then that I was taking his woman for my own. That I was claiming her. That she was gonna be wearing my cut, and my ring, and that he’d have to kill me if he wanted shit to go any other way.
Love was a powerful emotion, but right then nothing felt as powerful as hate. They say love overcomes anything and everything, but I wasn’t so sure that was true. Because right then I felt more hate than I did love. And the hate was blocking out the light and the love and anything else good in my life.
Right then, all I felt was hate.
As I drove back to the clubhouse I wondered how a man I had once respected had suddenly turned into my enemy. Because without a doubt, that was exactly what he was then: the motherfucking enemy, a man coming between me and what was rightly mine.
And if I had to go through him to get to her, then so be it.
~ 15 ~
Battle
I stormed through the clubhouse, my hands shaking with anger.
Pops looked up from the beer he was nursing with a scowl. “You’re turnin’ my beer sour, motherfucker,” he bit out as I stomped passed him.
I gave him the finger and headed to my room, knowing that Butch and Dom wouldn’t be too far behind me. They’d left Gracie’s at the same time I had, but I’d lost them somewhere on the intersection as I’d pushed my bike past ninety-three.
Didn’t need them giving me shit, and I didn’t need Pops giving me shit either.
I slammed my door shut behind me as I got to my room but it swung back open. I turned and kicked it shut, but once again it bounced back open. I hadn’t seen Quinn since the day before, and Ripped hadn’t been back to the clubhouse. I knew they hadn’t left town yet, but where the fuck they’d gone was anyone’s guess.
I’d just ridden back from her friend Gracie’s house thinking she’d be there, but Gracie had said they’d all left not long after I had the day before and she hadn’t seen anyone but Gauge since. Gauge, the fucking horndog, had stayed most of the night, even helping to get the little kid into bed so he could spend more time with her mom. Man would do anything for pussy, even play happy families.
“Fuck!” I roared angrily, putting both hands on it as I slammed it shut, holding the door closed with both hands as my heart raged against its confines and I tried to catch my breath.
A knock came from the other side of the door and I threw it back open, coming face to face with Candy. She flinched and took a step back from me. Probably scared her shitless, but right then I didn’t care.
“This a bad time?” she asked giving me a pout.
