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Fucking hell. “Make me a fucking drink, Kree, or else you and I are gonna have words about your employment here.”
“Hyde.” King’s ominous voice came from behind me.
I faced him, shoulders squared. “Have you come to your senses?”
Distaste clung to his words when he ordered, “My office. Now.”
We watched each other, silently waging war. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence for us. One minute united, the next going to battle with each other. It never lasted long, but over the last few months, tensions had simmered to boiling point. I did my best to reel my shit in, but when my mind snapped like it had tonight, my efforts were futile.
When I didn’t budge, he repeated himself in the quiet, menacing voice that signalled he’d also reached his limit. I managed to come to my senses enough to heed his warning. When we arrived at his office, he kicked everyone out and closed the door behind us.
“If you were anyone else, I’d tell you to get the fuck out of the clubhouse for the way you spoke to Kree.”
“You’re fucking joking, right?”
“No.”
“Who the fuck is Kree to you, King? I’ve watched the way you are with her. I’ve never seen you like it with any other woman here.”
“That’s not fucking important here. Your—”
I cut him off. “You’ve never cared about this shit before. Why the change all of a sudden?”
“Fuck!” He slammed his hand down on the desk and then paced the width of the office in silence for a few moments. Finally, he stopped and looked at me. The torment I saw in his eyes was enough to make me stop. Something else was going on here.
“What?”
“The club is in danger, and I can’t fucking figure out who is behind it. I can’t fucking stop it. And I can’t fucking make sure everyone is safe.” He paused for a moment. I’d never seen King in this state before. He lived and breathed power, not this bewilderment. “The only thing I seem to have any control over at the moment is the club.” He jabbed a finger in the air at me. “I fucking need you behind me, brother. Not pissing all over club members and staff. Not losing that fucking temper of yours all the damn time. Go home, get yourself together, and when I see you next, I don’t wanna see any of this bullshit. It’s done. I’m not fucking putting up with it anymore.”
He was right. I was smart enough to acknowledge that.
I nodded, but said nothing. There wasn’t anything to say to that. King wasn’t looking for promises; he never was. The only thing he was interested in were actions that produced results.
“Go home. Bronze is looking into Ryland and the other guy for us. There’s nothing else to do here tonight.” With that, he exited the office, his shoulders tense with the burden he carried.
Fuck.
Letting King down wasn’t something I wanted to do. And I’d done plenty of it over the years. I hadn’t cared enough, though. Life had just been something to get through. Until now. Now, I had reasons to do better. To be better.
I stopped at the bar before I left. Kree was busy so I waited for her. When she was free, I said, “I was an asshole. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes searched mine. I had the distinct impression she was assessing my honesty. Finally, she nodded and said, “Apology accepted. Don’t do it again, Hyde. I’ve put up with enough shit from men in my life. I won’t accept it anymore.”
“Understood.”
I respected the hell out of a woman who stood her ground. If she’d told me to go fuck myself, I would have understood. Now that I’d calmed down I would have. Not earlier, though. No, earlier my temper owned me. And that scared the everloving fuck out of me. It reminded me that I really was my mother’s son.
Chapter 21
Hyde
I cracked an eye open and instantly regretted the whisky I’d drunk when I got home last night. My head throbbed and I felt like shit. The headache was intensified by the yelling coming from another room. Tenille and Charlie were going at it.
Checking my irritation, I headed out to the kitchen where they stood arguing. “What the fuck’s going on?” I asked.
Two heads snapped around to face me, and they both yelled something about the other. I held up my hand. “How about you take turns? I’ve got a headache and can only focus on one at a time.”
It took them a good five fucking minutes to tell me they were fighting over Charlie getting her hair done. She wanted a colour that was apparently out of Tenille’s budget.
