Page 32 of Claimed

“I’ll have E make the call.”

He kisses my forehead, grabs his bag, and heads for the door. I decide to follow him out because I’ve been cooped up in this room for far too long. The bar is like a beehive. I’ve never seen so many people in here before, and they’re all moving around with purpose. The guys are getting ready to leave, but the Hounds look busy, too.

“What’s going on?”

“Chopper,” Gage answers. “He’s preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”

Thanksgiving? That would mean it’s November. Not only that but theendof November.Holy shit.What have I been doing for a whole month?I missed Halloween,DiadelosMuertos…I didn’t even light a candle for Daddy.

Chopper comes out of the kitchen, giving out directions left and right. The moment he spots me, he comes right over and pulls me into his arms.

“Oh, lil darlin’. It’s good to see you.”

“You, too, Chopper.”

“Come.” He ushers me away. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

He doesn’t even spare Gage a glance. I turn my head to look back at him, but he just shakes his head and moves toward the door. In the kitchen, Chopper chases everyone out and lifts me onto the counter. I’m a little surprised but I say nothing.

“What do you want?” he asks. “Pancakes, eggs, bacon? Anything you want.”

“I’m not really hungry.” I return his smile. “Toast would be fine.”

“Nonsense.” He grabs a tray of eggs from the fridge. “I’ll make you an omelet.”

I watch him, wondering if he knows how alike he and his son are. They each have their own brand of ‘sweet’, but I would bet Chopper was as much of a player as Gage is. Hell, he probably still is.

He pours me a glass of orange juice then gets started on the eggs.

“How do you feel, darlin’?”

I raise both shoulders in a shrug. “Okay, I guess. I just want it all to be over.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” He turns to face me with a determined stare. “If Gage can’t get to the bottom of this then I will. You have my word on that.”

Overcome with emotion, I hop off the counter and wrap my arms around him. He curls one arm around me and kisses the top of my head.

“It’ll be over soon, baby girl.”

“Thanks, Chopper.”

Gage walks in, brows drawn together. I detach myself from his dad and transfer to his arms.

“You okay?” he asks.

I nod into his chest. “Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah. Just came in to let you know.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

He takes my hand and I follow him outside, ignoring the curious stares of the other women. I really don’t know any of them except for Deena and the blonde. I guess they all want to know what’s going on with the girl who was raped. I keep my head down and let Gage lead the way. Out in the courtyard, the guys are propped on their bikes waiting. They all smile when they see me approaching; except Tek, who’s off by himself, immersed in something on a laptop. I release Gage’s hand and stand in the middle of what’s supposed to be a group of big, scary bikers.

“I just want to say thank you. I know you guys are out there doing whatever it is you’re doing for me. I really appreciate it.”

Allah is closest to me, so I hug him first. “Ain’t nothin’ to it, shawty,” he says in a low voice.

I give each of them a hug and they all echo the sentiment in their own words. When I get to Razor, he picks me up in a bear hug and gives me a squeeze. He places me back on my feet and I make my way over to Gage. He’s sitting on his bike, observing me. Draping his arm around my waist, he pulls me close. His right hand is resting on the handlebar and I cringe at the cuts and bruises on his knuckles.