Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“They can try.” Sting’s mien hardened. “Wylde, get all hands on deck. Lock down the women and children. Mars.” My president gave me a look, pointing his finger at me. “Lock down your woman. I’ll let Ace know to expect a call. It’ll take him time to do a tattoo, so you don’t have much time to convince her.”
“I don’t know if she’s ready for that, Sting. I’m not letting her go, but she’s still healing. Inside and out. It’s only been a week since…”
“I know, brother. She’s out of time. She has to make a decision. We won’t allow a woman to be terrorized, but she can’t stay here unless she’s claimed.”
“Sting…”
“I’m sorry, Mars. We’ll protect her, but she has to be all in with you.”
“I know the rules, Sting. Until this moment, I’ve never questioned them. She’s not ready to commit to us, but she needs our protection.”
“Are you sure she’s not ready? Really sure? Because she’s been raised in a hardass MC. Her father gave her to a monster. You think she won’t welcome the protection of a strong man who’s taken such good care of her? I see the way she looks at you, Mars. Give her some credit.”
“You know,” Wylde tapped a finger on his desk as if weighing what he was about to say and trying to decide if he wanted to voice it or not. “Lemon told me Scarlet is worried Hammer will hurt her sisters. She thinks the reason Scarlet hurt herself was to keep Hammer from being able to use her sisters against her. Probably thought that if she was gone, they’d be safe.” He shook his head as if the very thought hurt him. His features were hard and dangerous. “She’s a loyal, self-sacrificing woman. She ain’t afraid of you or anyone else. Even Hammer. She fought back the only way she could.”
Wylde was right. If she did what she did to protect her sisters, then I wasn’t going to scare her. I just had to work through my issues and be really sure I could control myself. Otherwise, I’d be no better than that bastard, Hammer.
Sting gave me a hard look. “Go lock her down, Mars. Like I said.”
I wanted to howl in frustration. Claiming Scarlet was the one thing I wanted with all my heart. I wanted the right to protect her from now until the day I died. Then I wanted her to have the protection of my club if my protection wasn’t enough. Which meant she had to accept me. Whether or not she was ready.
“This isn’t fair to her.”
Sting raised an eyebrow. “Just talk to her. You might be surprised by what she wants.”
As I left Wylde’s office, I scrubbed a hand over my face. Though I wanted Scarlet with everything inside me, I didn’t think she was ready. Sure, she let me kiss her -- I’d made sure to do it often until she was tilting her head up at me in anticipation. But she was still so fragile. The trauma of what she had been through was still fresh in her mind. And I didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for.
As I made my way through the clubhouse, I couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing right at that moment. Was she thinking about me or was she deep into something with Apple and Lemon? Likely the latter.
And why the fuck was I even contemplating this? This whole romantic thing with a woman fifteen years my junior? Sure, she liked my kisses, but tying herself to a biker of questionable morals who was so much older than her probably wasn’t something she was considering. Or would ever consider. She had her whole life ahead of her and was so fucking beautiful and courageous she could have any man she wanted. In this club or any other club.
Yeah. That wasn’t happening. As I got to the rec room, I noticed Breaker and Deacon outside the door. Both sat in chairs, chatting lightly. Breaker had a ball he bounced off the opposite wall before catching it and throwing it again. I opened my mouth to greet the two when a loud screech from inside the door interrupted me.
“Would you fuckin’ stop that fuckin’ racket before I come out there and rip off your nuts and throw them against that fuckin’ wall, Breaker!” Lemon.
“Sorry, sunshine. My bad.” Breaker grinned at me… before throwing the ball against the wall again.
“You must like living dangerously, man.” Deacon chuckled and shook his head.
“Nope. It’s just that she’s so fun to bait. Gonna miss the little shit when some brother snatches her up. Hopefully from another club. On the other side of the country.”
“I heard that.”
Breaker winced even as he smiled. “Ouch.”
Despite my misgivings about what I needed to propose to Scarlet, I found myself smiling. “Better watch Wylde doesn’t hear you say that.”