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When Sting approached us, he raised an eyebrow. “Everything good?”
“I need ten minutes with Pepper alone before we do this.”
Sting shrugged. “Not a problem.” He looked at me, and Rage growled.
“Don’t you fuckin’ scare her, Sting. None of this is her fault.”
“Christ, Rage. I ain’t a fuckin’ ogre. At least, not to the women and children. Iris would smother me in my sleep if I wasn’t careful with the girl’s feelings. Daisy too. She might only be twelve, but that girl’s a fuckin’ terror.”
Rage shrugged. “At least you won’t have to worry about boys tryin’ to date her.”
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? She’s already lookin’ at fuckin’ prospects decidin’ which one she wants. Don’t get me wrong, she ain’t interested in them sexually -- that I know of -- but she’s decidin’ who’s the biggest and meanest ‘cause she said she figures if she can bust his balls -- her words, not mine -- no one will dare fuck with her. I’ve caught her sharpening knives in the common room while she stares at everyone. It’s creepy as fuck.”
I blinked. “She seems so nice. I’d never pegged her as the psycho-killer type.”
“Oh, she’s not. Not really. She just wants the prospects to think she’s crazy. Says it’s all to see who runs screamin’ like a girl whenever she walks in the room. After I’ve run her off, she goes home to Iris, laughing so hard she nearly pees herself. She’ll either run every man in the area off from her, or attract someone as crazy as she is, and they’ll live happily ever fuckin’ after. I ain’t sure which I prefer.”
“We’ll be back in ten,” Rage said, tugging me after him.
“Take your time,” Sting called after us.
I took her up to my old room. It hadn’t been assigned yet, thank fuck. We stepped inside and I shut the door, locking it before turning back to her.
“Come here, baby.” I pulled her into my arms and held her for long moments. “Tell me why you’re scared. Ain’t no one here gonna hurt you.”
“It’s stupid. I let my imagination run away with me, I guess.”
“Tell me, Pepper.” He took my chin in his hand and tilted my head up to him so he could give the command with me looking straight into his eyes.
I sighed. “I was thinking about how you said no one leaves the club. My rational mind went on hiatus, and I got afraid Dustin had told you guys something to make you think I was fucking you over, and you were all going to get rid of me.”
If I’d struck him, I’m not sure Rage could have looked more shocked. He actually stepped back from me.
“You think I’d ever let someone hurt you? Let alone hurt you myself?”
“I told you I wasn’t thinking straight. I know this is about Dustin. He will do everything in his power to manipulate everyone. Plus, he’s your brother. Wouldn’t that carry weight with your club?”
“He’s a menace and a motherfucking bastard!” Rage snapped. For the first time in several weeks, I saw the old Rage peeking through. He seemed to have… I don’t know, settled? Like his mind was at peace. Like all that anger and hot temper that had always simmered below the surface was calmed. He smiled more often. Relaxed with me and Cassie. He was rapidly earning points to be father of the fucking year, for Christ’s sake! Now, he looked like he had before. When he checked on me and Dustin. When he’d come to my mother’s funeral, and Dustin wasn’t there. When he realized I was alone for the birth of my daughter.
Then he took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. I could see him gathering his control back. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze clung to mine as if willing me to see him. The true Rage. The man I’d thought I’d been in love with before I came here. I realized now that what I’d felt for Rage before paled in comparison to what I felt now, after he’d inserted himself into mine and Cassie’s lives. I was all in with Rage.
“Baby, there’s a couple things you need to understand. First, no one is going to take Dustin’s account of anything over yours. You’ve lived here with us for weeks. Everyone has gotten to know you, and they all love you. Second, you’re my woman. No matter what happens, I will always stand between you and everyone.”
“But if Sting --”
“Sting would never just decide anyone in this club needed to die. Not from a conversation with a pathological liar. Not after one conversation with anyone. Before he takes that kind of extreme measure, he has to be thoroughly convinced there’s a bad enough infraction, and that there was no other way to take care of the situation. Honey, he’s here to protect you, same as the rest of us.”
