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“We’re not some bunch of bastards who’re gonna pounce on them, Mars.” The big man who spoke was as rough as they came. He was built like a fucking mountain. Tall, muscled, but kind of soft-spoken. I thought it was probably a defense mechanism. So people underestimated him, and so he didn’t seem so big. “You can let ‘em out of the fuckin’ cage.”
“Not until I’m convinced they’re safe.” Brick’s rough voice wasn’t raised or angry. Just matter-of-fact. As vice president, he’d come with Mars in an official capacity. Also, the big man was great backup. “I swore to Scarlet we’d keep her safe, and that’s what I intend to do. If you’re gonna get your panties all in a twist, maybe you should go back to your fuckin’ clubhouse.”
The big man took one menacing step toward Brick. Brick was by no means a small man, but this guy towered over him and had to be at least half again as thickly built as Brick. Which was saying something. Brick was the largest man I’d ever met in my life. “You don’t get to dictate in this club.”
“Stand down, Bear.”
And just like that, everything inside me went on red alert. Rocket. The president of Grim Road. He was also just a little more scary than I liked. Of all the men I’d met in Iron Tzars and the few I’d had encounters with in Grim Road last night when Hammer and Claw had died, Rocket was the one who unsettled me the most. I wouldn’t say I was afraid of him exactly, just… wary. Like I needed to be on guard at all times or he’d catch me unaware and pounce. What happened then would be anyone’s guess. Personally, I was going with he loses his balls and I mount them like fucking trophies, but who could say.
“Don’t like this, Prez,” Bear grumbled, but backed off a couple steps. “I get we messed up, but we don’t hurt women.”
“And the only thing they’re concerned with is the fact we messed up.” Rocket didn’t sound mad or give away anything, really. In fact, seemed like he was looking forward to this. The only way I could describe him in this moment was… gleeful. The expression on his face made me decidedly uneasy.
“Something’s off,” Scarlet murmured. She didn’t appear scared, just puzzled. “Rocket’s too accepting of this whole situation.”
“You think he’s gonna hurt you? ‘Cause I will hand him his balls this time.”
“No. Rocket is many things, but he’d never intentionally harm one of us. Whatever they had going on before must have really consumed the club because the whole deal with my father and Hammer isn’t something Rocket would normally have missed. He was as baffled by the whole thing as I was.”
“Still not sure I trust him.”
Scarlet glanced at me. “You probably shouldn’t. You caught his attention and that’s not necessarily a good thing.”
The door to the SUV opened then, stopping further discussion. I got out before Scarlet. When she exited the vehicle, I kept my body between hers and everyone else. Mars stood in front of me, and Brick and Smoke from the second SUV were in front of Mars.
I looked around, making sure I had a handle on our surroundings. If things went south, our best bet was to get back in the truck and do our best to get the hell outta Dodge. I had no idea if the thing was bulletproof -- knowing the Iron Tzars, there was every possibility it was -- but we’d have to keep our heads down and book it as hard as we could. If I ran over someone in the process? Fuck ‘em.
“Get that look off your face, girl.” Rocket stepped closer to us, his gaze focused squarely on me. “We ain’t gonna pounce on you. You’re here to let Scarlet get anything she wants that she left behind, and to talk to Sunshine and Rainbow.”
“We’re here to take Sunshine and Rainbow with us,” I snapped before anyone could say anything else. “Not leavin’ ‘em here.”
“You will if they don’t want to go.” Rocket didn’t raise his voice or even look angry. His features were mild. Reasonable, even.
“Scarlet’s their guardian now. They’ll go where she says.” I stuck my chin up. I thought I heard Mars groan, but I didn’t dare take my gaze from Rocket to make sure.
“They’re old enough to make up their own minds. If they don’t want to leave Grim Road, I’ll look after them.”
“Not on your fuckin’ life.” I bared my teeth at Rocket, who looked amused. Which just pissed me the fuck off. “How ‘bout I wipe that smug grin off your fuckin’ face?”
That got a couple chuckles from the members of Grim Road nearby.
“That one’s askin’ for a whoopin’, Prez. You gonna teach her some manners?”
“Yep.” Rocket crossed his muscled arms over his massive chest. He wore jeans and a leather cut without a shirt under it so he showed off a lot of muscle and tattooed skin. “Just not now. She ain’t old enough.”
“Like fuck you are.” I took a step toward Rocket, fully intending to give him more of what I’d given him last night, but Mars held out his arm to prevent me from going around him.
“Just calm down, Lemon. He’s baiting you.”
“Lemon?” Bear barked out a laugh. “Her name’s Lemon.” It wasn’t phrased as a question.
“You got a problem with that, fuckwit?” I ignored Mars. I knew they were baiting me. Of all of Scarlet’s protectors, I was the weak link and they were testing my boundaries and how far they could push me.
“I got a problem with your mouth. Maybe there’s somethin’ else you could do with it.”
“Bear,” Rocket growled, his facial expression changing like someone had flipped a switch. “She’s underage.”
“Yeah?” I plowed on, ignoring Rocket. “Try it. See what body part you lose, you freak.”
