Wrong Choice

Chapter 6: You Belong to Me

I got complacent at Sleepless Knight's. It was Rooster's influence, and Jade's. They made me feel safe, especially the former. Joining him at the lake was a risk, but it was one I was glad I'd taken. There was something cleansing about the shock of cold water over my goosebump skin. It made me feel like a new person, washed off years of secret shame.

Maybe that had something to do with the careful way Rooster held me. Like an anchor, knowing I couldn't swim and still wanting to be there for me. I'd gotten so used to his gentle, solid touch I was shocked when one of the Sleepless Knight's guys grabbed me in the hall.

His fingers closed around my arm, biting into the soft flesh with a menacing growl. A shiver went down my spine and I froze. I should have fought. That's what Jade would have done. Or pleaded for mercy, with a sugar dipped tongue. But I didn't do any of that. I was stiff like a board, terror made my blood ice.

"What have we here?" His breath smelled like stale coffee, and I wrinkled my nose. Stubble made him look rougher than he was, as did the scar cutting through his left eyebrow. "You're not one of our girls. I think I'd remember that ass."

His grip tightened when I didn't answer. But how could I? The possessive touch was the exact opposite of Rooster's, who was always mindful to move slow around me. He left plenty of space and voiced what he was going to do before he did it. This biker reminded me so much of Savage Sons I shut down. I stared at the dark, dirty tiles as he dragged me behind him, huffing the entire time. I swallowed a frightened noise as the biker slammed through a closed door. The room spun, but I saw Jade's wide expression of shock as the biker pushed me to the ground.

"Found this girl in the hall. She won't answer why she's here or who let her in," he spat.

Jade was sitting in a chair, pale and trembling. I cringed when I noticed the man behind the desk. He looked like my father, if he ever stopped drinking and went to the gym. His presence commanded respect, and we were in his domain. This room dripped with masculinity and power. His hair was thick and neat, with silver peppered in the wavy strands. He toyed with his thick, well-groomed beard while he regarded me. Deep-set hazel eyes framed by thick eyebrows. His leather jacket clung to his broad shoulders and tattoos crept up his neck. The power wasn't menacing though, there was a curiosity and softness in his expression.

This was the President of Sleepless Knights.

But I didn't trust him, and the look in Jade's eyes confirmed it for me. Blown open, barely contained panic. She'd put her neck on the line for me to hide here, but these weren't soft men. They would tear us apart if they knew who we were.

And I belonged to Savage Sons.

"Who let you in, sweetness? Did another club send you in to wriggle your way into our beds?" The man's voice was a tender croon, and he rounded the table slowly, dragging his thick fingers on the desk. Jade widened her eyes again. I ducked my head. Club girls were an easy way for rival clubs to get intel. But usually, they would vet or keep club girls on probation, like they did with prospects. I caught my tongue between my teeth, letting the taste of iron coat the back of my throat.

I wondered what he would say if I told him how utterly pointless the effort was. Any biker worth his leather wouldn't say shit to a club girl.

"I was invited. One guy picked me up and brought me back." I swallowed a sharp knot in my throat as the man brushed a thumb over a lingering bruise. Was he the type to be moved by my marks? Or would he clear the room and add to them?

"What was his name?" he asked, like he was cajoling a distraught child. If I weren't so terrified, his comment might have offended me. I was so damn sick of men talking down to me.