Page 172

“King said, if you take this off again, he will kick your ass. And if he can’t do it, he’ll have Big Ben hold you down while Angel comes up here and does it for him.”

“Princess, what are you doing? I left the club.”

“Did you ask me if I wanted you to leave the club? Did you ask me what I wanted at all?”

I stared at her, my cut held to her chest as she waited for my answer.

“You said you couldn’t be with a biker.”

“I did say that,” she agreed. She sat on the end of the bed, my cut laid out over her legs. Her fingers traced over my name and title. “When I was a little girl, I was scared all the time. Until one night I finally screamed. And my brother came running. He killed the monster I was afraid of. And then he slept in my room with me every night.”

I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. I was overtaken by rage like I had never felt before. I wanted to hunt down the man that had hurt my woman. But he was already gone.

“He dropped out of school at sixteen so he could work while I was at school and be home when I was home at night. Our parents didn’t care about whether we ate or not, had clothes to wear. When he was twenty-one, he met King. And he joined the club. He got an apartment and worked out his prospect hours with Steele so he could be home with me at night. If he couldn’t, Cash was there. I was only thirteen, but he forced our parents to sign over custody. And even in the apartment, he let me sleep in his room until I felt safe enough to have my own.”

Tears streamed down her face as she talked, and all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and take away the pain.

“When I was eighteen, I was so excited about getting into college. I couldn’t wait to tell my brother. I had been told not to go to the clubhouse unless he or Cash or King were with me. But this was a special occasion.”

Her fingers continued to run over my name, like she was in a trance. Not realizing what she was doing.

“When I got there, I walked in confidently. Not thinking about what could happen. These were my brother’s friends, and Cash was like an older brother, even though he was six years older. And King was like a dad, always so serious.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

She smiled, but still didn’t look at me.

“Someone grabbed me as soon as I walked in. He pushed me against the wall and held my hands over my head, rubbing himself against me.”

“Give me a name, Princess.”

Her eyes finally met mine. “Gunner beat the shit out of him.”

“He should have put him in the ground.”

“He would have. But he was pulled off him, and then he carried me out. A few days later, he set me up in an apartment in Oklahoma City until the semester started.”

“I want his name.” The man didn’t deserve to walk the Earth.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s dead.” She shook her head when I opened my mouth. She wouldn’t give me any more information, but her brother would.

“I was so angry at Gunner for so long. And then Danny and Dante showed up with Danika. I fell in love with that little girl. Then they left, and I became her mom.”

Her shaky inhale was mirrored by an equally shaky exhale. Her tears had dried, but the streaks still showed. I wanted to reach out and wipe them away.

“When the notes started, I assumed they were about Danika. What else could they mean? Danny and then Dante disappeared without explanation. Dante was scared when he left. Worried about his daughter’s safety.”

Melissa moved from the bed, holding my cut to her chest as she stood in front of me.

“I was so caught up in being angry at my brother, them, the clubs they were a part of, I didn’t realize that what I was going through had nothing to do with the club at all. The club wasn’t the source of my danger. But they were the source of my safety. When I walked into the clubhouse, everyone dropped what they were doing. For Dani and me. They didn’t hesitate. And they did it because I was Gunner’s sister and Danika was Danny and Dante’s daughter. We were family. And family doesn’t walk away without a damn good reason. Even if it is misguided.”

She twirled her finger, telling me to turn around. Then she helped me put the cut on my back. When I turned back around, her eyes glittered with fresh tears.

“You don’t walk away from family for a woman. Even if that woman is incredibly hot and a whore in bed.”

That damn giggle got me every fucking time.

“Princess—”