Slow Ride (Hell's Tribe MC Series) [Book 1]

Chapter 17: Keeping it Quiet

~Ronnie~

"If you wanna act like a jealous girlfriend, admit that's what you are to me," Knox demanded.

My mouth fell as an instant replay went off in my head.

Did he really just say that?

When he didn't blink twice, I knew this was real. He looked surprised, but not like he didn't mean it. I didn't know what to say, mostly because I would have never expected Knox to want a commitment from me, much less this soon. We'd only been fooling around for a few weeks and he already wanted me to tell the Tribe and call myself his girlfriend? It all just seemed way too soon, but at the same time, I was really jealous when I saw that Hellcat rubbing herself all over him.

"I don't want you to fuck Candy," I blurted out, instead of fully addressing his previous statement.

"I don't want you to fuck Cash," he said back, without missing a beat.

I felt confused and slightly hurt at what felt like an accusation. "I haven't been with Cash in over a year," I defended.

After we fooled around when I first came to Utah, I was the one asking for the commitment prematurely. A few days later I found him in bed with a Hellcat, and I hadn't been with him ever since.

Knox looked relieved to hear that since he clearly assumed Cash and I were still fooling around.

He let out a relieved breath and I could tell that he believed me. "Then why don't we agree to keep things exclusive and let it be known so you don't murder that girl out there?" he teased.

I had no reservations that I could take Candy, but it was the first part of Knox's sentence that had me lost for words.

He really wanted us to be a couple?

Most guys in the Tribe ran away from labels or any kind of commitment, and here was Knox pushing it on to me in a twist of fate.

"So?" he pressed.

I shifted my weight between feet, desperate to escape this conversation. Knox's words were practically suffocating me in the tiny room and I was not ready to address them.

"Listen," I began. "The Tribe has done a lot for me, and I don't think telling them about us is a good idea. I'm not looking to start drama, or piss off the only family I have. So, for right now I think we should probably cool things off," I said, nervously.

I didn't want to end things with Knox, but it was all moving so fast. I didn't want to get either one of us in trouble, and most importantly, I didn't want to disappoint Mick and Tawny—who were both hoping I would end up with their son.

Knox shook his head disapprovingly. "Do you still have feelings for Cash?" he asked, frustratedly.

"No," I answered immediately, and with absolutely no reservations.

"Than what the fuck are you so scared of? If I'm not worried about the repercussions than why are you?" he roared.

I flinched at his loud tone. Knox had never raised his voice at me, and I was in complete shock.

"You know that if Cash finds out it will land on the both of us, not just you, right? Mick and Tawny have done so much for me and I don't want to upset them." I realized how crazy it sounded as I said it, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of duty to them after all they had done to help me.

"I don't understand," he growled, frustratedly. "You're mad at me because Candy was flirting with me. I tell you we should be exclusive so that shit doesn't happen, and you tell me you're not interested. I don't know what the fuck you want from me."