“Oh, come one, she’s every man’s type.”
“Nah, she’s really not. I prefer brunettes. Petite, sexy, brave brunettes.”
I feel my cheeks flush at his words, but then my face tightens. Jack strolls into the gathering as if he owns the place, which I guess he does.
He’s such a fucking liar. He lied by omission. And, in doing so, he made me think he didn’t want me.
I think about the fight with Vani in the clubhouse. I’d been made to feel like an idiot and a complete bitch that day. He’d lied to his daughter about there being anything going on between us when he’d known he’d had his fingers inside me at the clubhouse, then he’d sent Ace after me to make me feel better.
God, this is all such a headfuck. If he really does care about me, why would he send Ace after me?
If he’d been honest about his feelings from day one, would I even have been alone in that house and beentaken? Maybe it’s not fair blaming him, but I need an outlet for my anger.
I take the drink Ace brought over for me and tip it down my throat in a few quick gulps. The alcohol immediately warms me through, loosening my limbs and making me feel braver. I need that bravery right now.
“Jesus, Princess.” Ace’s eyes grow wide. “Take it easy. You’ll get drunk.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what I want.” I put my hands on my hips. “Can I have another?”
Ace sighs, throws his hands up in the air, and turns and heads back to the drink table. Meanwhile, I stare at Jack, wondering how the hell to bring this up with him. Do I just come right out and say, ‘I know it was you in the clubhouse?’ How will he react to that? Will he deny it? Then where will that leave me?
But then I see a familiar figure being dragged through the crowd, and all thoughts of having a word with Jack blow away on the breeze as my stomach drops.
“Oh, fuck,” a male voice curses.
Rook is by my side in an instant, his hand snaking into mine, fingers holding tight.
“¡Mierda!What is he doing here?” I hiss.
“Fucked if I know.”
A group of younger guys, some prospects and some patched in, drag Ledger through the crowd.
Muttering spreads around the group in a wave. The men drag him near the fire, and the voices quiet. Oh, my God, are they going to burn him?
I move toward the group, despite my shaking legs, wanting to know what’s going on.
Jack makes a gesture across his throat to the guy manning the music decks, so he cuts the sound.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jack demands of the younger men.
“We heard this piece of shit came onto our compound and took one of our women,” one of the kids say. “We think he should pay for that.”
“Yeah, we heard he killed an ol’ lady!” another young man shouts.
Shelley shakes her head and storms over to the guys who have Ledger. There are five of them, and they’re basically holding him up. His head hangs, and his body is limp. He’s a totally defeated man, and that fact gives me a surge of victory. It runs like steel through my veins, providing me with a newfound strength.
“Do you see any ol’ ladies missing, Jagger?” Shelley asks him. “Think before you speak and start spreading rumors that might scare folk.”
“He fucking raided us at night,” a different guy yells. “Burn him, like he deserves.”
“Burn him like a witch.” Someone gives a manic laugh.
“Oh, fuck,” Ace says as he joins us.
“What?” I demand.
“Just that holding a club of hardened, hot-headed, and in many cases supremely fucked-up men in line can be hard. Sometimes things get out of control.”
