I’m not meant to be in here, but as soon as I left Dax’s house, I knew I needed to come over to share the news. I couldn’t wait; I didn’t want any detail to be left behind.
“We’re having church right fuckin’ now if you don’t mind,” Mykel mutters.
“Oh, bite it, Mykel. It’s urgent or I wouldn’t be here.”
Someone chuckles.
“Give me ten. We’re about to wrap this up,” Alarick tells me. “I’ll come out after.”
I nod and turn towards the door.
“And Waverly?” Alarick calls.
I glance back.
“Don’t interrupt church again.”
Oh, boy.
Bikers are moody creatures.
I wait outside the shed until all the bikers start filing out. An older man tells me I can go in, and when I return, only Alarick, Cohen, Samson, Kendric, Bohdi and Mykel are sitting at the table, still in their same spots, spread out over the large space. I cross my arms and wait for Alarick to tell me to speak. God knows I don’t want to piss him off even more.
“Did you meet the uncle?” he finally asks, nodding to a seat across from him.
I walk over and sit down, and then I say, “Yes, he was there today and I met him . . .”
“What happened to your eye?” Cohen asks. “Dax do that?”
I forgot about shiner. I press my fingers to it and wince. “Oh, no. Sissy did.”
“Sissy fuckin’ did that?” Alarick growls.
“To be fair, she asked her to,” Samson points out.
“It’s a long story.” I wave a hand. “It wasn’t an ill-intentioned act. Now, can we get back to the uncle because honestly, he scares the shit out of me.”
“What happened?” Alarick asks.
“He wanted to take me, but Dax wouldn’t let him. Dax said he wanted to keep me, which is apparently a first because it didn’t go down well and Peter, the uncle, was dribbling on about rules and finally let Dax have his way, but not without threat that he’d be back. Apparently, I’m just his type, which scares the shit out of me because that man is evil, I’m telling you. He’s the true Prince of Darkness.”
“He could have any woman. What would he want with you?” Mykel mutters.
“Wow,” I say, swinging my gaze to him. “That’s just lovely, isn’t it? What a charmer you are.”
“I mean,” Mykel grinds out, “what makes you different to the rest?”
“Not helping,” I point out. “And I have no clue what makes me different. But apparently Peter isn’t the only one who sees it because Dax has, ah, taken quite the liking to me also.”
“How so?” Cohen asks, leaning back in his chair.
“He’s kinder to me—gentle, even. He’s different with me than he is with the other girls. It’s like he actually enjoys spending time with me.”
“The man’s feelin’ on you.” Kendric nods, grinning. “That could work fuckin’ well in our favor. He trusts her, falls for her, and she gets far closer to him than we could have ever hoped.”
“Or it fucks everything up because he’s not goin’ to do things the way he usually does.” Mykel growls. “I think it’s all gettin’ too messy and she should be very fuckin’ careful because not one, but two of those men are lookin’ at her in a different light.”
“I have to agree with Kendric,” Alarick says, and I give Mykel a ‘so there’ look, to which he glares at me so hard I have to turn away. “It’s better for him to like her. It gives us more time and it lets her get closer to him. A man that has feelings is a man that’s vulnerable. That will most certainly work in our favor.”
“So, what do we do about the fuckin’ uncle?” Bohdi asks, grabbing his thick blond locks and throwing them up in a messy man bun that suits the shit out of him and then leaning back in his chair. I usually can’t stand those things, but he rocks it in a way I didn’t know was possible.
“We keep an eye on him. The last thing we want is for him to get his hands on Waverly. That happens and shit is goin’ to go south real fuckin’ quick,” Alarick says, his voice firm and commanding.
“The last thing I want is to be anywhere near that man.” I shudder. “He scared the absolute hell out of me.”
“We’re not goin’ to let him get his claws in you.”
I nod and then exhale, relaxing a bit. “Well, that’s about it. We’re supposed to be going to some holiday house on the weekend with a group of girls and some of the potential ‘buyers,’ so I’m not sure how we’re going to work that, protection wise.”
“We’ll find a way,” Alarick assures me.
“Okay then. I guess I’ll see you all later then. Who’s taking me out of here? I came in with the old guy from the bar, but he’s not going to want to go back out.”
I have to wait for to an escort to get exit, because I’m not supposed to be seen here. I was escorted in, hidden in a car, and I have to leave the same way. Mykel stands and tells me he has business to tend to at home, so he’ll take me back there. I’d love to protest, but it makes sense considering we’re both going to the same house and all that.
I turn without a word and go the back way to the car, making sure not to be seen from the front entrances. I get in the bed of Mykel’s truck and lie down. I’m used to it now, and it doesn’t actually bother me anymore.
At least I don’t have to talk to Mykel when I’m back here.
God knows, talking to him never goes well.
4WAVERLY
“What the hell kind of kitchen is this?” I mutter, pressing my finger on the cooktop buttons over and over again, but nothing happens.
It flashes red lights at me, beeping, and I can’t figure
