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12
I stepped into the cabin, pulling my fingers through my hair and blowing out a long, exasperated breath.
She was in the kitchen, slicing cheese for a snack platter she was putting together for us to watch a movie.
It’d been a relaxing few days and it was making me feel guilty, especially after the conversation I just had with Deacon where I was filled in on all I was missing. A huge helping of bullshit the Jackals were serving my club.
A retired Rapid City member who’d had a longstanding beef with Mantis’s father was murdered. Blow’s piece, Marlena, was in a car accident after her brakes failed. Pudge wiped out as he was her tail. They were both in the hospital. The Jackals were pulling all sorts of bullshit to make their presence known and I did not like being out of the loop. More than that, I hated that I wasn’t there to lend a hand.
“Everything good?” she asked, shoving a potato chip into her mouth and then licking her finger.
Despite that the sight of that made my cock jerk, I had to break it to her.
“Time to go home, baby.”
She frowned.
“Shit’s amped. Moves are bein’ made. I’m needed. We need to head out soon. We’ll have that food, watch that movie, and then go back.”
“Tonight?” She bit her lip.
“Yeah.”
“Can… um… can I, uh…”
I moved to her. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t… I don’t think… I…”
I palmed her biceps, which made her face-plant into my chest.
“Hey?”
“I knew we’d have to leave here eventually, but… I’m homeless and…”
“You think I’m droppin’ you off on the side of the road?”
“Of course not, but they’re not gonna want me there.”
“Who?”
“The girls. Some of the guys, I’m sure. And…”
“You’re not homeless, Gigi. I want you there. The Valentines are grateful for what you did and you’re mine, so they’re absolutely cool with you being there.”
She looked up at me.
“You’re not homeless. I’m your home.” I pounded my chest once to drive that message home.
She swallowed hard.
“I didn’t tell the brothers we’re a thing not meaning it. You’re with me at the clubhouse. If you had a place and there wasn’t all this bullshit goin’ on, it’d be one thing. But that’s not the situation, so you’re with me.”
“We don’t even live in the same city.”
I backed her into the wall and put my hand to her jaw.
“You wanna be somewhere I’m not?”
She shook her head.
“You want this to be a long-distance relationship?”
She shook her head again.
“Didn’t think so.” I ran my thumb across her bottom lip. “Guess you live in Aberdeen now.”
She bit her lip.
“No apartment, no job in Sioux Falls. No reason to stay even if you didn’t have a target on you right now, which, baby, you might. So you’re with me. You can figure out your job situation later on. Right now, you’re under protection anyway. And even if you weren’t, you’d be protected by the club and your man in a volatile situation like this.”
“Can I… um…” She frowned.
“Can you what?”
“Can I stay here? I need time to wrap my head around that. About living there. With all of them. I need-”
“You can’t stay here by yourself, G. We’re in one vehicle.”
“You could just drop me some supplies in a couple days when you get a chance.”
I shook my head. “This is a safe house. Don’t know what Deke’s plans are for it but don’t wanna ask him that, babe. He doesn’t need to have to juggle more than he’s already dealing with. Let’s go eat and watch that movie and then we’ll work together and pack up.”
Halfway into the movie, I paused it and took her face into my hands.
“You’re really dreading going back to the clubhouse?”
“Like I can’t even explain. It’s that obvious?”
“I can see it. I don’t fuckin’ like it, either.”
“I just need… time. I think.” She rubbed my leg. “I’m sorry to be a pain in your ass.”
I took a breath and searched her face.
“My history with the club, it’s just… it all feels like it’s gonna come back and bite me.”
“Bite you how?”
“Turn you off.”
“Give it to me.”
“What?”
“Give me the history. I don’t need it, but maybe if you give it, you won’t feel like that. ‘Cuz you’ll see I don’t give a shit.”
“I don’t want anything to bite me in the ass later, so I’d really like you to have it.”
“Fine. Give it.”
She took a big breath. “I hope I don’t regret this. You might hear this and wanna drop me off at the side of the road.”
“Give me some fucking credit,” I bit off.
She winced.
I rolled my hand.
“I don’t want you mad at me,” she said timidly.
I leaned back and cleared my expression. “Tell me. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. Trust me.”
She moistened her lips.
“Do you trust me, Gigi?”
She nodded.
I rolled my hand again.
“So, you know Skip lied and told me he wanted a relationship. I met him and first started comin’ around. As you know, he neglected to mention he had a pregnant wife. I backed off. A while later, I got invited to another party and I hooked up with another guy in the club.” She bit her lip.
