Page 17 of Fang (Lotus MC: San Antonio #2)

W hen Happy told me to come to the clubhouse for a patch party, I had no idea what he meant by that. Now that I’m standing outside of the Lotus MC clubhouse, I’m starting to think I should have stayed home.

I am so out of place here. I thought it would be a laid-back get-together. The kind Fang has told me about where the brothers sit around a fire and drink with their girls on their lap. It’s why I dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie.

Looking at all the people drinking and dancing around the outside of this place tells me I was wrong.

Why would he invite me here for this?

“Hey, you got the invite too?” Jenny says as she walks up to me.

“Invite?” I ask.

She nods. “Happy told a bunch of us to head over. Venus was pissed when he told her she had to stay at the club. You aren’t exactly dressed for this, though, are you?”

I look over at her. She’s in a skimpy tube top and the shortest shorts I’ve ever seen.

“I’m not sure.”

She shrugs. “I’m going in. You coming?”

“Unfortunately,” I mutter as I follow behind her.

If I thought the outside was bad, the inside is worse. There are so many bodies, it makes me feel claustrophobic.

Jenny peels off to the left when one of the guys calls out to her, so I go to the right toward the bar.

“Hey, what can I get you?” the woman behind the bar asks.

“A ticket out of this place?” I yell back.

She laughs. “Name’s Viv. You don’t look like a club girl. How’d you get past the gate?”

“I guess my name was on the list,” I tell her.

She looks me over. “You look young. Are you old enough to be here? I know these guys act like they have loose morals, but if you’re not of age, you can’t be here. Savage will lose his shit.”

“I’m nineteen, actually.”

Before she can ask me anything else, a brunette chick dressed a lot more reasonably pushes her way to the bar.

“Can you believe that he is letting them play strip pool in the other room? Not that I have a problem with them having fun, but that pool table cost a lot of money to get redone. If one of those fuckers gets cum on it, I swear to God I will be snipping balls.” The woman looks at me. “Oh, sorry. Hi. Who are you here with?”

“Oh, I guess no one? Happy told me Fang wanted me here.”

Her eyes light with understanding as she takes in my outfit. “I think he meant in your club clothes, honey. I have something you could probably make work. I don’t want you getting in trouble.”

“Oh, thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t do stuff like that, and if that’s what Fang was wanting, he’s about to get a piece of my mind,” I tell her.

She snorts. “Good for you, honey. I’m Bailey.”

“Cami,” I tell her, shaking her hand.

“I saw Fang over that way earlier. You could try for him there,” Viv tells me.

“Thanks.”

I leave them both feeling awkward. Here I was thinking that Fang and I were dating only to find out he invited a lot of the girls here for his friends. Maybe I should ask Bailey about cutting off balls. I think I might need to learn how.

I start to weave my way through people, keeping my face down to avoid attention. I look in the room Bailey said they were playing pool and have regrets. She wasn’t wrong about bodily fluids on the table. If I were them, I would be scared, though. That woman didn’t seem to make idle threats.

I check another area where tons of people are dancing, but still no Fang.

I decide I will check out back, and if I don’t find him, I’m going home. He can fuck himself.

When I step outside, I find the fire he told me about surrounded by a bunch of guys. They are all wearing jackets and cuts, so I can’t really tell the difference between them all. I’m looking for that adorably messy hair he always has when someone grabs my arm.

“There you are, Killa Kam. I was hoping I would see you tonight.”

I swallow hard as I recognize him.

It’s the asshole from the club. The one who thought I was club property, which meant he was entitled to me. It seems to me he has only gotten drunker and meaner.

“Let me go,” I hiss at him.

“There’s no saving you now. Happy isn’t here now, is he? If you were sent here, it means you are a club girl now. So why don’t you get down on your knees and show me what a good club girl you are?” He grabs his junk.

“Not in this lifetime.” I try to yank my arm from him, but he doesn’t budge.

I’m feeling trapped. I hate that I’m a woman. I hate that men see me as something they can do with what they please.

“Oh, honey. I think it’s cute you think you have a choice.

You see this here?” He points to his Lotus patch.

“This says that I am a full-fledged member of this club, which means if the club sent you here to take care of us, that means me too. So are you going to get on your knees now or do I have to force you?”

Fuck the consequences, I’m about to scream. If Fang fires me, then good for him. In this moment, I’m strongly considering quitting. I don’t want to work for anyone who would put me in this position.

“Hard way it is.” He goes to raise his hand, causing me to panic.

My breaths come faster as the familiar fear settles into my bones. I fucking hate it. I wish I were stronger. I wish I could resist the urge to crumble, but I don’t and I can’t. I’m stuck, held hostage by this trauma Barbara dumped on me.

Fucking Barbara.

I close my eyes, letting myself find that place. The one that has always helped me detach from my being. Then I wait for the pain that will come because the pain always comes.

It never stops.

I got the call she was there the moment she came through the gates. I tried to meet her out front, but by the time I was able to get through the crowd, she was gone.

“What are you doing out here?” Loyal asks as he leans against the porch.

“Looking for someone. Have you seen her?” I pull out a picture of her, showing it to him.

He whistles. “She is awfully pretty. Why would she show up here for an ugly fuck like you?”

“Who fucking knows, but I need to find her before someone does something I’ll have to deal with.”

He nods. “She went inside about five minutes ago.”

“Thanks, brother.”

I push my way inside but don’t find her. I see a few other girls from the club dancing around with men, but no sign of Cami. She wouldn’t be with them anyway.

Not seeing her inside, I ignore everyone trying to grab my attention and head outside.

“Hey, brother, you good?” Savage asks.

Before I can tell him that I’m looking for someone, I see her. Only she’s not alone.

My vision grows hazy as I see Biggy from the NorCal chapter with his hands on her. I will kill him.

I stride over to him, my hand finding his neck as I squeeze.

“Get your filthy hands off her right this fucking instant,” I demand.

He chuckles. “You can’t do anything to me. I’m a member. If I want this sweet little piece of ass, I can have her.”

He moves in to lick the side of her face, but I squeeze harder.

“Do you really want to risk it? You know me, Biggy. Have I ever been real good about following the rules? Ask yourself, would I kill you given the smallest excuse I could possibly be given?”

He hesitates before dropping Cami’s arm. I push her behind me, dropping his neck. I can feel her hands dig into the back of my cut as she holds on. She’s shaking. I refuse to allow him to make her feel this way.

“I didn’t realize you’re protective over your toys.”

Savage comes up to us, anger on his face. “What is going on here?”

I’m too angry to answer him. I want his fucking blood. I will hang his head from my mantle before this is all over.

“A misunderstanding. I had no idea that he had called dibs. No disrespect meant. I’ll go find another toy to play with.” Biggy heads off in the other direction.

“Fang,” Savage says.

I take a deep breath. “Cami is here as my guest and will be treated as such. Look at her, Savage. Does she look like a club girl? She told him no and he continued to go for her.”

Savage sighs. “Okay. I’ll have a chat with him. Take her somewhere quiet.”

He nods to Cami. I don’t bother telling him a chat will do no good.

Asshole has always been this way. He wants what he wants and it doesn’t matter the cost. I have no doubts that he would have hurt Cami to get her to do what he wanted then claim she wanted it all along. That’s the kind of sick fuck he is.

“Come on,” I tell Cami, wrapping my arm around her as I lead her back into the house.

Once we get to the hallway, the crowd thins out. Only people down here are the ones staying here. Opening my door, I usher her in before shutting and locking it behind me. Then I direct her to my bed, making her sit as I kneel in front of her.

“I’m such a fucking idiot. I didn’t even think about what you might think showing up here all alone to this shit.

I guess I’m so numb to the way it is here that I forget that for someone new it might be overwhelming.

I should have never let Happy ask you to come.

” I’m holding her hands in mine as I beg for her forgiveness.

“I don’t do extras,” she sobs out, her body shaking with tears.

I move to sit next to her, cradling her in my arms.

“Shh. I know. You don’t have to. There are no extras for you. Never. I will never let that happen to you. Fuck, I’m such a fuckup. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. You are safe. I promise you are safe.”

I keep repeating variations of my words to her as she sobs against me. I know that she was in a panic when I approached. I also know a little bit of what happened with her mother. I’m sure it’s much worse than I’m imagining.

When she finally settles down, she pulls back and looks at me. “Why did I get invited here? I’m not like the others.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t ask for them to be sent.

Happy did thinking he was helping. You are here because, well, fuck it.

I fucking missed you, Cami. I didn’t like being away from you and I couldn’t come to you, so Happy thought he was doing me a solid by bringing you to me.

I now see that I should have thought that through.

I’ve never been as impulsive as I am with you.

You make me do crazy things. Like speed to get back here to you. ”

She sniffles. “You missed me?”

I nod. “Like a fucking fool. You should’ve heard the guys making fun of me for looking at my phone so much.”

She smiles. “I might have missed you a tiny bit too.”

“Only a tiny bit? You’re breaking my heart, little dancer.”

She sobers a little. “I don’t like that guy.”

“Trust me, I don’t either. Savage is having a talk with him. I will too at some point. He won’t touch you again.”

“Okay.”

I lean forward, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “You forgive me?”

She nods. “This time.”

I’m about to offer to take her home when there’s a knock at the door.

“Yeah?”

“I need extra eyes out here,” Savage calls through the door.

I sigh. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Turning to Cami, I give her a sad smile. “I have to go back out there. We have a lot of out-of-towners in the place tonight. We need to be seen so they behave. I can walk you to your car.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want to be alone. Can I stay with you?”

“Are you sure? It’s going to get crazier out there as the night goes on.” I cup her cheek, wiping her wet face, glad she’s no longer crying.

“You’ll stay by my side?” she asks.

“The entire time, and if I can’t, I’ll leave someone with you who will protect you.”

“I trust you. I’ll stay.”

If that doesn’t make my heart jump for joy, I don’t know what does.

“You won’t regret trusting me,” I promise her as I help her stand.

Taking her hand in mine, I lead her out of my room. There will be no doubt to anyone around.

This woman is mine.