When I exit the restaurant, I head back from where I came, walking right in front of the club, but on the opposite side of the street. It’s still fairly busy, if the cars in the lot are any indication, but I need to move on or find a better vantage point. I should be treating him like any other mark, but I’m not and that’s stupid.
I force myself to walk back to my car, pretending I don’t feel like looking over my shoulder the entire time. I need a real plan, because this hasn’t culled my need to know about my stranger at all.
WINGER
Rex pulls up exactly when he said he would. He rarely comes by the club anymore. I think it’s because Lucy doesn’t like to come here—not that I blame her—and he hates being without her. He stops at the front, and Masher gives him a report, just like old times. “No problems inside.”
Rex does a chin jerk, acknowledging Masher’s words.
“I’ll be at the bar,” I tell him before he slowly makes his way to the front spot. He doesn’t even own the club anymore, but it’s still his spot and always will be.
A hush falls over the crowd when he stalks through the door, and even people who have no notion of who he is have a shift in demeanor. He pretends to ignore everyone in the place, even though I know he’s already clocked everyone here, and heads right for the bar.
I warned Misty to tell the girls to leave him alone. I swear to fuck the girls want him even more now that he’s got a woman and is committed to her, even after all this time. It’s like they think they have a chance now.
I’m eager to know why he’s here, so I grab the beer Saddle put out for me and tilt my head toward the office in invitation.
The rear security stands up taller when he sees us approach. We walk side by side to the backdoor, and I open it for Rex to go ahead of me.
I place the bottle on my desk after locking us inside. “How’s Fel?”
Rex’s eyes narrow. “Why are you always asking about her?”
“Some days, it’s hard to convince myself she stays around you willingly,” I retort.
That softens his features, something that never happened before her. “Willing or not, she’s mine.” He shrugs, fully admitting he would do anything it took to keep her.
I snort because I know he’s nuts. He would fillet his own skin if it would make her happy, but I don’t doubt he would lock her in a palace if he thought he needed to.
“I’m thinking about killing her horses,” he says casually.
“What the fuck?” I can’t keep the horror from my voice.
“She spends way too much time with them,” comes his justification.
“She would cut off your balls if you fucked with her horses.”
“I know.” He grins. It’s disturbing.
“You realize that’s fucked up, even for you?”
He shrugs, not caring at all. “I just think about it when she’s out riding or in the barn, but she cares about them too much for me to really do it.”
“You better think long and hard before you ever get her pregnant,” I warn. If he wants to off the horses because they take up some of her time, I can’t imagine what he would think of a kid.
“Oh, she’s having my babies,” he responds quickly, then glares at me. “Why though?”
“Because babies need their momma and take up a lot of their time,” I answer, dumbfounded that he needed clarity.
“My mom wasn’t ever around.”
“And that turned out so well for you,” I deadpan.
“Are you trying to piss me off?” Rex threatens.
“No, I’m trying to stop you from going supernova, ruining your own life, and taking out half the state with you. Imagine Lucy with a baby.”
“I’d rather imagine putting a baby in her.”
