Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Perfect.
Harper stares wide-eyed at everything, her head swiveling like it's gonna fucking fall off. The guys leaning against the far wall clock her as fresh meat right away, their eyes locked on her fuckable curves like goddamn laser beams. I glare until they look away. She rode with me, and even if she doesn’t know what that means, I’m not going to let anyone disrespect what’s mine. I'm a little surprised at the surge of possessiveness I feel considering Lightning and Thunder are the only ones that have fucked around with our little bride so far.
Not that I’d kick her out of bed if the opportunity rose.
A scuffle breaks out, and one of the brawlers comes stumbling our way. Quickly wrapping my hands around Harper's waist, I swing her around to my other side while deflecting the guy with my shoulder. He must be drunk outta his fucking mind, since he topples and goes down like a sack of potatoes. Nobody gives a shit, people just step around him until he picks himself back up.
A finger tapping on my hand brings my attention back to Harper, who's looking down at where my hands are still locked around her waist. “Thanks, but you can let go now.”
It only takes a moment to decide. “I can, but I’m not going to.” I drag her with me up into one of the bar stools, settling her right in my lap.
She squeals in surprise and wiggles like she wants to get down, but I'm way too strong for her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she scowls. “This is ridiculous.”
I brush a lock of golden, silky hair away from her ear and lean in close. “Look around. These horny fuckers will only stay away if they think you belong to someone, and right now, that someone is me. It’s for your own damn good.”
She huffs. “But who will protect me from you?”
That makes me laugh. “Don’t play innocent. I saw you with Lightning and Thunder, remember?”
She turns beet red and looks pointedly away from me. “I didn't plan for it. It just sort of happened.”
“Yeah. That's why I'm keeping you close. In case something sort of happens again.”
“It won’t,” she snaps.
“Why? Am I not pretty enough for you?” In our world the scar doesn’t scare off the kind of women that come looking, but she isn’t one of the sluts. She’s just a naive young woman who’s way out of her depth.
“What? No! I mean, you’re plenty pretty. Wait, that’s not right either. You know what I mean.” She looks so fucking flustered it’s hard to keep a straight face but I want to see how much shit she can shovel before she gives up. “Not that I want to, but I would… You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”
“A little, but feel free to keep telling me what you’d do with me.”
A grizzled guy with a faded blue bandanna on his head and a thick beard that's more white than the hints of red still left in it is working the bar. His leather cut has a patch on it that says Mad Dogs. “Screaming Fucking Eagles, been a while since we’ve had any of you come through here. Name’s Red. What can I get you boys? First round’s on me.”
“Whatever you got on tap that won’t burn a hole in my stomach,” Thunder says with a grin.
“Good choice.” He starts filling our glasses and passing them out. “You probably don’t give a shit, but you took a fucking load off us when you took out the Pit Vipers. Those nasty fuckers were creeping closer and starting to put pressure on some of the local clubs.”
Outlaw lifts his beer to him in thanks. “Kitchen open?”
“Sure. No menu. All we got is fries and what we can do on the one grill.”
“We’ll take it,” I say with a nod and Red vanishes into the back.
“I didn't know you guys were celebrities,” Harper says curiously. She takes her beer and tastes it, then takes a deeper drag.
“We're not,” says Outlaw. “But the club’s earned a lot of fucking respect. That’s why we came out here in the first place. Mesner’s shit was in our territory, putting our people in danger. If we let that shit slide, people would think they could get away with more.”
Now that he's got a beer in hand, Outlaw doesn't even seem to mind Harper so much. Not that I think he actively dislikes her, but he’s always been slower to trust. Most of the younger members go through a wild phase, fucking and fighting until they level out. He never did. I’ve seen him with sluts here and there so I know he’s not made of stone, but he usually holds himself a bit apart. I’ve always wondered what it would take to make him relax.