“What is poutine, exactly?” I question and giggle as he fakes being stabbed in the heart.
“You’ll see.” He winks.
Once dinner was all finished and we were comfortably sitting on the couch watching a movie, my thoughts get away from me.
I thought back to the day I had and wondered what it would take for the mayor and his daughter to leave us alone.
“Etienne, have you ever been bullied?” Rhys's voice brought me from my negative thoughts as I watch Etienne’s head tilt as if he is thinking.
“Who’s bullying you, little man?” is the one question I wish he wouldn’t have asked.
“This girl, Becky, at school and when she sees me out. Her dad also picks on my mom.” Etienne’s head snaps up as I lower mine.
“How does she bully you?” Etienne growls.
“She is always calling me names and making fun of me. She tells me that the reason I don’t have a dad is because I’m too stupid and that eventually my mom is going to leave me too. She hits me and pushes me and then tells the teacher that I hit her. She even steals my lunch and puts it in the garbage can.” Rhys starts to sniffle.
“When did that start?” I growl.
“She has been doing it every lunch for the last two weeks; I started putting the stuff I like in my backpack.” I am seeing red; I’d like nothing more than to spank her ass raw.
“I’ll take you to school tomorrow and I will guarantee she will leave you alone. I need you to remember something though, no matter what someone says to you, it’s words and yes words hurt, but when you react to them, it gives the bully ammunition. I want you to stand tall with your head in the air and a smile on your face, armed with the knowledge that you have a support system that will always back you, and that now includes me and the Dark Leopards MC family. Now, Viktoria, what does the douchebag mayor do to you?” His question shouldn’t take me off guard but it does.
“He, um he.” I close my eyes, hiding my face because I don’t want to tell anyone this.
“You are safe here, with me. I promise that he will never come near you or Rhys again.” He slides closer to both Rhys and I, placing his arms around us in a hug.
“He is always accusing me of messing up his order at work. I have paid for his groceries more times than I can count. If he catches me at the park with Rhys, his sexual advances become overly creepy and then he will tell everyone that I wanted it. I think the worst thing was him informing me in front of Rhys that I would make a good tenth wife to a wealthy sheikh that didn’t want kids, and that Rhys could be the garden gnome that takes care of the flowers.” I have tears in my eyes, and I try to move away from the hug.
“Can I go have a shower? Mom, can I sleep in my underwear tonight since I don’t have any clothes?” I know that Rhys is upset, and I wish that I could take it all away.
“Little man, I will give you one of my t-shirts to put on over the top of your underwear, I’ll get one for your mom too. You go have your shower and I will get them.” Etienne stands up and heads upstairs as Rhys and I follow.
After the shower, I tell him a made-up fairy tale before heading downstairs to talk with Etienne. Something I don’t want to do, but something that I need to figure out.
I feel this connection with him, and I hope that I am not the only one.
246
Etienne
I am fuming; I can’t believe this tiny woman and her son have endured bullying from the mayor and his family, a man that was elected to run this town.
I pick up my phone and dial Axl, he needs to hear this. With everything that the mayor has put the club through, this is just another nail in his coffin.
“Yo!” he answers the phone then groans.
“Tabernac, Pres, you could have let it go to voicemail. I don’t want to hear you cum, you fucker. I have news about the mayor burnout,” I growl into the phone.
I hear him bark at whoever is in the room with him, before he answers me, asking me questions about what I know.
I tell him the story that Rhys told me, and how the mayor and his family have been picking on both Viktoria and Rhys, and how he has told her that he could have her shipped to a harem and no one would miss her.
“Listen, Axl, I have to go, she is coming back down. I will fill the brothers in more in church. Adieu.” He grumbles a curse and agrees before we both hang up the phone.
“Do you think the mayor will follow through on his promise? He told me that Rhys will be an orphan soon,” she whispers and bites her lip.
I step into her, placing my hands on her waist, drawing her close to my body. “I can’t promise you that he won’t attempt to place you on the auction block, but I can assure you that your boy will always have a family in the Dark Leopards MC. I want you to be mine, but first I need to tell you my story, go and sit in the salon, I’ll get some water and a box of Kleenex.”
She nods her head and turns, making my hands slip from her waist and fall to my side. This story I am about to tell her is either going to make her fall in love with me or make her run away screaming.
“I am originally from a small town on the Quebec
