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“Yeah, okay.” He closes the laptop down then heads to the bar. I head down the hallway, then use the key I have to open Saige’s room. I put the roses on the table by her bed. I got her yellow ones, I know they’re her favorite. I pull out the teddy bear and books, sitting them up against her pillow. Lastly, I put the gallon of sweet tea in her little fridge, then lock the room. I head down to the bar, hoping she likes everything, and accepts my apology. When I get to the bar, I see Loki and Sloane over in the corner all snuggled up. I give him a chin lift, getting one back. I get a beer, walk over to talk to Bear, Hawke, and Ryker.

“What’s up, fellas?”

Ryker gives me a chin lift, stating, “Not much Cotton. We’re just getting ready to play some pool. Want to join?” I nod, going with them. We have a few pool tables and darts set up, everyone here loves to play. We aren’tplaying long when a couple of the club whores come over, they start talking to and rubbing on a few of the guys. I see movement out of the corner of my eye, as a pair of arms go around me, and I try to push away.

“Dayna, you know not to touch me. Now get away.” She does that thing where she sticks her bottom lip out trying to pout, thinking it looks sexy. It looks stupid to me.

“Cotton, don’t be that way with me. I know you aren’t screwing any of the other girls, so I know you need to have some fun. You know I’ll do anything you want to. You need me baby, I know you want me.” She tries to rub up against me again. Why can’t this chick get it through her head, that I don’t want anything to do with her? Why does she have this crazy notion in her head that I’ll ever want to be with her?

“Dayna, you need to go find someone else to lay you. Cause it sure as hell won’t be me.” I push her away. Bear, seeing how things are going comes over, grabs her hand and rubs his crotch with it. Her eyes light up and she goes off with him, only because he has a patch and is the Road Captain. Damn, I wish they would just get rid of her. She loves to cause trouble and is only here because she thinks she’ll get a brother to make her an old lady. Won’t happen.

Hawke is laughing. “I think I won the game while littleMiss Skank was trying to get you to fuck her. Want a rematch?”

I laugh. He had in fact cleared the board. “Nah, man. I’m good. I see Stone at the bar, and I need to talk to him. Raincheck.” I head over to the bar, get another beer. “Pres, need you to see something Tech found. It’s got him all worked up. I have to admit, it makes me upset as well.”

Stone looks at me, sighs. “Alright. Let’s go. Tires, Cruz, need you to come to my office with us. Tech, let’s go.”

We pass through the common room where the girls are setting up things for dinner. Saige and Bexley are helping Stella out, laughing at whatever she said. I can’t help but stare at Saige for a minute. She is just beautiful. Faded bruises and all. Sensing me staring she looks up at me, her smile fading a little. Yeah, she’s still mad at me. I wonder if she has found the gifts I got her, when I realize that she has flour dusted all over her still. So I know she hasn’t been to her room yet. I give her a head nod and follow the guys into Stone’s office. Tech goes over everything he has learned, also what he hasn’t learned with the others. Stone sits down behind his desk hard. This is taking a huge toll on him. “Cooper, call Commander Thomas, let him know what is going on. He wanted any updates that we found.” He nods, pulling out his phone, going into the corner so he can talk.

“I hope when we find this asshole, that you let me have some time with him. I want to have some fun with him for sure,” Cruz says, his eyes dark and full of anger.

“You’ll get your time with him, brother. “

I sigh, “Guys, I hate to say it, but we just have to bide our time right now. Keep an eye on the girls still, wait for them to make a move on them. They’ll slip up sometime, and we’ll be there to catch them.” They all nod in agreement. I stay back when the others leave. “Stone, I want to apologize for how I acted today. I didn’t know that man, or anything about him.”

“It’s okay, Cotton. It’s not me you need to apologize to, even Saige knows what you meant. It wasn’t what you said, but how you said it.”

I nod as I think about what he just said. “Yeah, okay. Another thing, is there not something we can do about Dayna? That bitch won’t take a hint, a straight out no, or anything. I’ve told her numerous times to leave me alone. She bombards me in the club, tries to get into my room. I’m sick of her. I even had a prospect escort her off the property once. I’m sick of all the trouble she is trying to stir up too. She is trying to get with a high-ranking patch, and it’s not going to happen.”

“I’ll have a talk with her, if that doesn’t work, she’s gone.”

“Thanks, now let’s go get something to eat. The ladies were setting up when we came in here.”

Stone rubs his stomach, “Sounds good.”

I grab my plate, load it up with a steak, baked potato, and salad. I see that Saige brought some of her cakes and cookies home for dessert. I grab a few cookies then go sit down beside Tires. He’s laughing looking over in the corner. I follow his gaze to see Loki holding Sloane, and she is feeding him. “Sis kicked him out of her room. She told him that he needed to focus on his girlfriend, not her. I think she is feeling suffocated with all of us hovering.”

“She probably is, but she knows why we’re doing it. Are you staying in there with her tonight?”

Tires shakes his head, “Naw, man. I’ll be in my room in case Bexley needs me, like always. She has nightmares too. I think Sis told Loki that she would have me stay, he bought it. I think she just wants some time to herself. We can get that prospect, Bacon, to stay at her door, like we do every night, and have her text someone if she needs them.”

“Yeah, that could work.”

We eat in silence and I watch Saige the whole time. She is picking at her food, barely eating. She looks up,smiling at something Stella says. Saige gets up, taking her plate to the kitchen. On her way back she hugs her dad, kissing his cheek. She walks over to the table we are sitting at. “Goodnight, guys. I’m going to go shower, read, savor the quiet time.”

“Goodnight, Sis. Text either one of us if you need us tonight okay?”

“Yeah, I promise.” She is staring at me as she hugs her brother.

“Goodnight, Saige. Enjoy your time.”

“Thank you, Cotton.”

I watch as she walks down the hall. Tires is smirking at me. I just shake my head. “Talk to you later, man. A shower sounds great right about now.”

“I’d be glad to join you in that shower, Cotton. We can get even dirtier than we are.” I look to see Dayna standing behind me.

“Look, I have told you repeatedly. I don’t want anything to do with you. If you don’t stop, you’ll be out of this clubhouse. Now go away!!” She reaches out to touch me and I push her away from me. She hits the table edge, turns and runs out of the room. “Damn, I didn’t mean to hurt her, I just wanted her away from me. I’m so sick of her coming at me!”