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“No more than any other day.” Jerking his chin toward the door, he gestured for him to leave.
Walking Ryder and the women out to Tiffany’s SUV, Ace spotted something concerning. Ryder saw it too. Ace could tell because his capricious friend came to a staggering stop. Ryder’s younger sister, Rose, was leaning against the chain link fence talking to one of their new prospects. The man was boxing her in with one beefy arm and using the hand to twirl a long strand of her pretty blonde hair around his finger. Her laughter floated over the parking lot, alerting them that their interaction was all kinds of mutual.
“They’re just talking. You got women to see to and ammo to buy.”
Ryder ground out, “She’s sixteen. He’s thirty-one.”
“Well, he’s about to be dead meat, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Make sure he knows she off limits.”
“One attitude adjustment coming right up. See to your women. I got this, brother.”
Jerking his head slightly to one side, Ryder’s jaw locked. Ace knew he wouldn’t want to punch the stupid fuck in the face in front of Tiffany or Rose. Brawling that way was usually done in private. Ace knew it was the natural propensity to assault someone when there weren’t witnesses around. Finally, Ryder forced himself to get into the vehicle.
Watching Ryder stop at the fence and offer Rose a ride to school, Ace waited patiently for Tank to head back to the clubhouse. Once the SUV was kicking up dust with Rose safely inside, Ace jerked his chin at the prospect. “Getting kind of cozy with Ryder’s sister aren’t you?”
Shrugging, Tank responded dismissively, “Ain’t gonna turn down a pretty little bitch like that.”
“Actually, that’s exactly what you’re gonna do.”
“So this is the kind of club where brothers ride each other’s back over a piece of tail? I wish that I’d know that before—”
The moment Tank wandered into grasping distance, Ace had one hand around his throat. Jerking the startled man forward, Ace turned and pinned him against the front of the clubhouse. “We don’t call Rose names. She’s sixteen damned years old and directly related to two club officers.”
“She’s just a chick. Look, man, I didn’t approach her. She came to me.”
“You ain’t gonna last long in this club unless you learn to use better judgment. In what universe do thirty-year-old men mix it up with high school girls?”
Trying to yank Ace’s hand off his neck, Tank sputtered, “I didn’t have my head screwed on about that. Now, I do. Let me go, you crazy fuck.”
Squeezing tighter, Ace’s other fist flew hard and fast multiple times before he could think it through. Gripping his hair, Ace jerked Tank’s face up to look him in the eyes. “I’m a fully patched member. You’re a prospect. Therefore, you show respect. You don’t like the boundary I’m setting, fine. You don’t like me, that’s fine too. If you want to climb on your bike and ride outta here, that’s your choice. No matter what happens, if you so much as speak another word to that young lady, I’m gonna drop you where you stand. Got it?”
“I’m hearing what you’re laying down.”
Letting go, Ace stepped back. Watching Tank gasp for breath and wipe his bloody nose on his sleeve, he sighed. “You’re damned lucky I chose to give you a little tune-up. Ryder or his old man wouldn’t have stopped at fisting you in the fucking face. I’ve seen Ryder beat a man bloody with a fucking chain for whole lot less.”
“Your club president won’t let you all beat the shit outta each other.”
“Show’s what you know. Darkness would have given you a fucking dirt nap for that shit. I’ve heard him say men who can’t keep their dicks outta kids don’t deserve to have one. He keeps a bull castrator in his desk drawer for just such occasions.”
Shock registered on the man’s face. “Shit, I honestly didn’t know she was only sixteen. She looks older.”
“You’re a grown-ass man. The responsibility is on you to figure that shit out right up front. If you can’t stay away from that little piece of jailbait, you need to get the hell on outta here. Next time it’s gonna cost you a whole lot more than a simple punch up.”
Not keen on being castrated or being given a dirt nap, he stammered, “I’m square, sir. I swear.”
“You better be. I ain’t interested in spending a whole damned evening digging an unmarked grave for your stupid ass.”
“That will not be necessary. I won’t even look her way.”
“Better not. Find something to do. I don’t want to see your ugly mug the rest of the damned day.”
“You got it.”
Ace watched him practically run to garage. Tank was a great mechanic, but Ace suspected he was a seriously shitty person. This was not some shit Ryder or he would forget when it came time to vote Tank in. Ace was feeling some kind of way about the ignorant fuck. He knew deep down inside, if it came right down to it, he would put a bullet in his brain pan before he allowed him to mess up that girl all over again.
~ Barbara ~
