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CHAPTER ELEVEN

I WALKED INTO the common room, it was buzzing with energy, music blasting from the speakers, the sound of laughter and conversation loud enough to bleed into my ears. I stuck to the corner, trying to stay out of sight and out of mind.

It didn’t work.

The stares hit me the moment I strolled in. The club women didn’t even bother to hide it, their eyes sliced through me like a pack of mean girls auditioning for queen bitch.

Spinner had told me to “play nice,” but that wasn’t really my style. I’d dealt with too much shit over the years. Still, I wasn’t looking for a fight—I never was. They just seemed to find me.

I kept my head down, eyes locked on the pool table where Gatsby and Thunder were deep into their game. Zeynep was resting, with Mystic hovering over her like a damn sentry. His constant watch cut into my time with her, but it also meant she was safe, so I wasn’t about to bitch about it.

Another giggle drifted from the corner, and I was starting to think holing up in Spinner’s room, or hell, even stepping outside, might’ve been the safer move. But when have I ever done the safer option?

“Look at her,” a female voice sneered, cutting through my thoughts. The bitches had moved behind me. “Actin’ like she belongs here.”

I turned my head just enough to catch the source: the woman from the kitchen—Ashlynn, if I remembered right. Her lips curled into a smirk when she caught me looking.

One thing I learned when I was inside the Dragon Fire MC was that the women who hung around motorcycle clubs were bitches. They weren’t the women I set out to help, like Zeynep. Not by a long shot. These women loved what they did, hoping for that property patch, and they saw every other woman as competition. I learned real quick not to take any shit from them.

And Ashlynn had already pissed me off.

“Got something to say, or are you just gonna stand there gossiping like a high school cheer squad and slip a note into my locker?" I asked, keeping my tone even.

Her smirk faltered, but only for a second. “You don’t belong here, sweetheart. I can’t figure out why Spinner dragged you in.”

I laughed and said, “You keep telling yourself that while I spend my nights with him.”

The other women quieted, their eyes shifting toward me. A few exchanged glances, leaning closer like this was the best entertainment they’d had all week. The others turned and walked away, clearly not wanting to get caught in whatever was about to go down.

Ashlynn stepped forward, her heels clicking against the floor. “At least I’ve earned my place here. You? You’re just a stray. Don’t think for a second you’re stayin’.”

I felt the fire ignite in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. It was stupid as hell to brag about sleeping your way through a club of men and call it “earning your place.” These women had no clue how counterproductive their behavior was, how it would never actually benefit them.

“You don’t know shit about me. And last I checked, you don’t make decisions around here. While I’m here, you don’t get to tell me what to do, or, for that matter, talk to me.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms, clearly not about to back down—they never did. “You think Spinner’s gonna keep you around? He’s not that interested, honey. Whatever fantasy you’ve got in your head about him, let it go.”

My jaw tightened, but I refused to rise to the bait and get angry. “Trust me, Spinner’s the one with the fantasy, honey . My life doesn’t revolve around being a cock rest.”

Her laugh was brittle, forced. She stepped closer, but my words had hit their mark. I could see it in her eyes. “The men here love me, includin’ Spinner. He don’t belong to you. He doesn’t belong to anyone. But if he did, it’d be me, not some outsider who thinks she can waltz in and—”

“Enough!”

The word sliced through our little conversation like a blade. Spinner’s voice was quiet but hard. He walked up beside me, arms crossed, his eyes locked on Ashlynn.

Ashlynn turned, her expression softening instantly. “Spinner, I was just—”

“You were just runnin’ your mouth,” he said, stepping closer and glaring at her. “Shut it down.”

Her lips parted in protest, but she quickly shut them, her face flushing. “I was just tryin’ to—”

“I don’t care,” he interrupted, his tone final. “Get gone.”

Ashlynn clenched her fists, her glare cutting back to me. “Fine,” she spat. “But I was only watchin’ out for you.”

She stormed out, her heels clicking angrily against the floor. The other women quickly turned back to their drinks like nothing had happened.

Spinner turned to me, his eyes softening. “You okay?”

“Oh, just fantastic,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Nothing like a little unsolicited backup to make my day.”

He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Pretty sure you were two seconds from tearin’ her apart.”

I snorted. “Not worth the effort—or the stain remover.”

Spinner smirked, shaking his head. “Maybe. But startin’ fights with the sweet butts isn’t gonna help you lay low here.”

“I didn’t start anything,” I snapped. “She came at me.”

“And you threw it right back,” he said, leaning against the wall. “Not sayin’ she didn’t deserve it, but you need to be smart, Lucy. Next time, just walk away and let Brenda know they’re startin’ shit.”

“I think that ship sailed the second I walked in the door,” I said, crossing my arms. “I don’t take shit from anybody.”

He chuckled softly, his expression softening further. “I get that, Lucy. But don’t let Ashlynn get to you. She’s… complicated. Her past makes her—”

“Complicated,” I interrupted, rolling my eyes. “You mean she’s got a thing for you?”

Spinner didn’t deny it, which was answer enough. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure, it’s not,” I said, pushing past him toward the door. “But it’s also not my business.”

“Lucy,” he called after me, but I didn’t stop.

I wasn’t about to stick around because I liked Spinner, had since the moment I laid eyes on him. But I refused to admit I was jealous, not when my nerves were already shot, and not when I had so many other problems.

I took a deep breath, stepped out the door, and muttered to myself, “You’re Lucy Luck. No man has the power to hurt you.”

THE AIR IN the room still buzzed with the aftereffects Ashlynn had left behind. I stood in the corner, watching as Lucy disappeared down the hallway, her back stiff and her stride quick. She was pissed. Not that I blamed her.

Ashlynn, though…

I pushed off the wall and made my way toward the back of the clubhouse, where I knew she’d gone. Sure enough, I found her leaning against the wall, her eyes red and her face tight with anger.

“Ashlynn,” I said, keeping my voice hard.

She flinched but didn’t look at me. “What?”

“We need to talk,” I said, stepping closer.

“There’s nothin’ to talk about,” she snapped.

I let out a slow breath, trying to keep my patience. “Yes, there is. This thing you’ve got with Lucy, it stops now.”

She turned to me, her eyes blazing. “That ‘thing’ is her actin’ like she belongs here. She doesn’t.”

“She’s here because me and the rest of the club want her here,” I said evenly, hiding my rising anger. “You don’t have to like her, but you sure as hell don’t get to run her out. You keep doin’ that shit, and you’ll be out.”

Ashlynn’s hands curled into fists at her sides. “Why are you with her, Spinner? And you’re defendin’ her like you care for her. Why? What’s so special about her?”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “This isn’t about her. It’s about you. You’re lettin’ your feelings get in the way of how things work around here.”

Her face crumpled for a moment, the anger giving way to something raw. “You don’t get it. She’s—”

“Not your problem,” I interrupted. “And neither am I.”

She looked like I’d slapped her, but I didn’t back down. “Ashlynn, I care about you as a person, but not the way you want. I never have. And you know that.”

Her lips trembled, and she looked away. “You don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do,” I said, softening my tone just enough. “What you told me—what happened to you—it was awful. But you can’t go bein’ territorial or pickin’ fights. Lucy’s not your enemy and I’m not your property.”

She sniffed, brushing her hair back from her face. “She doesn’t belong here, Spinner. She’s going to ruin everything.”

“If anyone’s ruining anything, it’s you by stirrin’ this shit,” I said sharply. “This is your warning, Ashlynn. You or anyone else start trouble with Lucy again, and you’re out of the clubhouse. Got it?”

Her eyes widened, tears threatening to spill, but she didn’t argue. She just nodded and walked away.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I turned back toward the common room. This was one of the reasons I didn’t even entertain fucking a sweet butt. They tended to get territorial. Hell, all I did with Ashlynn was listen and offer advice one day when I found her crying. Her story was similar to mine, and it made me want to help. But that’s as far as it went. I wasn’t interested in anything else.

I barely made it halfway to the bar when I heard Chain’s voice. “Well, did you explain shit to Ashlynn?”

I rolled my eyes as Chain and Bolt sauntered over, their grins wide enough to light up the room.

“Ashlynn was out of line,” Bolt said, crossing his arms. “I was about to intervene, but shit, Lucy was doing a fine job of handlin’ it.”

“Lucy doesn’t take any shit,” I muttered, grabbing a beer.

“Kind of sexy,” Chain teased, leaning against the bar. “You gotta claim on her? Because if not, I might be interested.”

I shot him a glare. “Don’t even think about it, asshole.”

Bolt smirked, shaking his head. “Yep, he’s claimed her.”

“You better make sure she’s on the up and up before gettin’ too deep,” Chain added, his tone light but pointed. “Gatsby and Kickstand are still diggin’ into her history.”

“Lucy’s cool,” I said smoothly, taking a long pull from the bottle.

Bolt raised an eyebrow. “I hope so, but just be careful. And watch out for Ashlynn, you know the shit I just went through with the sweet butts.”

“She’s got her issues,” I said, shrugging. “And I’m not gonna let her or anyone else run their mouths about Lucy. But I don’t think Ashlynn can be compared to Jenny or Barbie.”

“She acts like she’s got feelings for you, and that, brother, is a problem,” Chain said, no longer kidding around. “You’re too damn nice and don’t realize she’s playin’ on your sympathy.”

I slammed the bottle down on the bar and snapped, “I just try to be a good person, but I warned her she was out if she stirred any more shit.”

Chain raised his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right. Relax, Spinner. We’re just lookin’ out for you.”

“He’s right, Spinner. Just keep your eyes and ears open,” Bolt said, his eyes promising we’d talk more later.

I looked around the room and noticed Lucy hadn’t returned. I had a feeling I knew where she might be.