Compromising, she asks Neo to meet us at the coffee shop below her apartment. When we pull up out front, just before 7am, a tall, lanky, man in a Dark Leopard’s cut is climbing off his bike just down the block from where we park. If the cut wasn’t enough to give him away, the bright neon green hair sticking up like he’s never heard of a brush, is all anyone needs to see to know that this skinny biker is Neo.
“You better get me the biggest coffee they carry if you expect me to talk this fuckin early in the morning.” Neo grumbles by way of greeting as the three of us walk into the shop. Ava says nothing in response, but simply nods and heads to the counter to grab our drinks, leaving me and Neo standing in the doorway. Not awkward at all.
The night of no sleep and finding out everything I ever knew about the world was a lie is finally starting to catch up to me. I’m tired, confused, and not in the mood to put up with biker bullshit yet, at least not before I get some caffeine in my system. Saying nothing, I walk over to a small bistro table in the far corner of the coffee shop and plop my ass down in one of the four chairs crowded around it.
Neo follows and takes the seat across from me, giving me what I’m assuming is meant to be an intimidating glare, which I return unblinkingly. Which is how Ava finds us when she comes back with our coffees, sitting with our arms crossed over our chests, staring each other down in some bizarre game of macho chicken. She scoffs at us as she sets three mismatched mugs on the table and slides into the chair next to mine. Neo breaks my stare and raises a brow at her in question. Ava just rolls her eyes and shakes her head before taking a long sip of her steaming mug.
I’ve never been a territorial or domineering man with a woman, but I have an uncontrollable urge to stake my claim on Ava right here and now. While my cock is screaming that I should lay her out on the table and drive into her right in front of Neo, I beat that ridiculous urge back and settle for draping my arm possessively across the back of her chair, tugging her seat just a little closer to mine. Neo watches the move with a smug grin, settling back into his chair before returning his eyes to me.
“Kaden Joseph Wright. Son of Elijah and Bernice. Siblings, Jenna and Devon. Father is retired FBI, Grandfather was Military, Brother was special forces and now NYFD… and you washed out of U.S. Marshall training before winding up in our lovely little corner of the UP.” Neo rattles off, that smug grin only growing wider. So, the bastard looked me up. Whoopty-doo. Doesn’t mean anything and sure as fuck isn’t going to rattle me. I sit there, listening to his list, and give him zero reaction.
Ava on the other hand, stands up, knocking her chair over and smacks Neo upside the head. “You asshole! Was that necessary?!” she snaps.
“Just making sure he knows the score, Princess.” The sound of that fucker calling Ava, MY Ava, Princess sets off every caveman instinct in my DNA. Yes, the fact I am already calling her “mine” is… stalker-locking-women-in-his-basement… but I don’t give a shit. She’s mine. It just feels right. I do my best to control the reaction, not wanting to throw the cocky bastard through the front window before we get the information, we need out of him. That being said, no way in fuck am I just letting that slide.
“She’s not your Princess.” I growl. Yes, full-on growl.
Ava looks like she is about to yell at Neo again but pulls up short at my words, staring slack jawed back at me. Is that a good look? Am I about to be the one to get hit next, or does she like the alpha caveman act?
Neo just grins in return. “She’s an MC Princess whether you like it or not there, Sheriff. Best get used to hearing it.”
“No, he fucking doesn’t need to get used to it ‘cuz you all know how much I fucking hate that! I’m no one’s fucking princess!” Ava bites out. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling at that. My woman’s got spirit. Still staring down the asshole across the table, I lean over and pick up Ava’s chair, setting it upright again. Neo leans slightly forward while I do, and I watch as his eyes flash from the muted green of his human eyes to a bright glowing green. So much like Ava’s I don’t even flinch. Shifter. Makes sense. We didn’t exactly talk about it, but at this point I feel like it’s safe to assume the whole fucking club is made up of shifters. What the fuck is the world I live in now?!
Neo chuckles as he settles back in his seat, pulling my thoughts back to the present, and nods. “I like him Princess.”
Ava growls under her breath again as she settles into her seat, which I tug close against mine at the last second, settling my arm around the back again. “Get on with it… Sylvester.” I say with a smirk.
Gotcha.
Neo’s jaw drops to the table, and he lets out a booming laugh, throwing his head back and almost tipping his chair over.
“What? That isn’t even that clever of a cat joke.” Ava states not understanding what’s so funny.
Leaning into her, I press a kiss against her hair and explain. “That’s his actual name… Princess.” I say with a teasing smirk. I can tell Ava wants to say something, but Neo quickly sobers and cuts her off.
“Not a fuckin word,
