MAYHEM

Two

"So you made this big save-my-ass promise but now you have to run it by your buddies?" Valentina raised a brow in annoyance at Gunner.

He'd guided her to a large room with a round table. Large chairs to fit large men were all around it. Outside the room it was labeled 'Church'. Funnily enough, she didn't think any of these men were particularly religious. While it was kept nice, the walls of the room had several holes punched in them and the table had been seemingly carved with knives or stabbed at some point.

Butcher was trailing after her, and behind him was Jude, walking as if he had his tail tucked between his legs.

"I have to update the bikers in high ranking positions. This little adventure we're about to embark on is going to take time and resources. It's going to take these guys to save your ass, so I'd like to let them in on the situation," Gunner replied with mild attitude.

Valentina frowned tightly but said no more as he offered her a chair. Butcher had walked to that chair initially but didn't sit down. Instead he watched her sit in it slowly. Skeptically, she looked at the wooden arms that were the most beat up out of any of them, etched with a seemingly sharp knife randomly, and poorly taken care of.

Glancing up, she looked around for Butcher again, only to see him leaning against the wall behind her. It was like his presence held weight. It was something that could be felt in the room.

Jude idled in the doorway, but Valentina couldn't even look at him. "Do I have to be here?" she asked quietly,rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, we need to know exactly what your old man is capable of. And from Jude's reaction I doubt we'd get the full story from him." Just as Gunner finished talking, older biker men flooded in with confused and mildly annoyed looks. When they saw her, one of them opened his big mouth.

"Did you get that broad pregnant, Gunner? I told you not to claim the one you knocked up!"

Valentina immediately reached for her purse to leave, officially fed up. As she went to push her chair out, Gunner waved a hand to stop her and Butcher shoved her chair even farther in from behind her. She groaned as the wood of the table dug into her ribs, glaring at the man behind her.

Butcher eased up on the chair but didn't move from behind her. And there was no way she could move him.

"She's not pregnant, boys, we've already established that. I'd like to inform all of you of the business deal we've just made. One that'll benefit both parties." Gunner sat in his chair that was larger than all the others. All of the chairs around were filled now, Butcher still standing behind her. He didn't plan to sit, Valentina figured, considering he was white-knuckle gripping the back of her chair as if to make sure she stayed put.

Looking around, Valentina could see that there were six bikers. They were all different races and ethnicities. The one with the patch that read "Vice President" looked to be Latino like her. His name patch read "Rhodey." Their eyes met and he spared her an arrogant grin.

Their eyes crawled all over her as if she were a piece of meat. Once again, she was doubting her decision-making skills.

Behind them, Butcher glared, but was distracted because he was practically suffocating in her soft, sweet smell. This is weird, he scolded himself. He shouldn't be thinking about how good she fucking smells. Creeps do that shit. Creeps like his biker brothers who were staring at the woman for too long.

This entire thing was goddamn annoying. This was all stupid. Butcher grew frustrated as Gunner started speaking.

"Valentina Vasquez is Jude boy's big sister," Gunner introduced. "And apparently Jude has forgotten the rule that we don't leave family behind for shit. In exchange for protection, Miss Vasquez will be our very own club nurse. Since Doc's more or less unavailable, she'll be treating what she can, and for the big things we'll call Doc."