Page 29 of Loss

“No. I mean, I dated one guy in school and he knew where I was from, but I never talked about the club or being Slim’s daughter. Our relationship didn’t last very long and Hunter took me away from him one night,” she answers and I see red.

I’m not pissed because Annabell dated some douchebag. It’s because Hunter had to take her away from the fucker. That means one thing happened—some cock sucker put his hands on her and she called home to get help. I’ll find out who it is and make sure he suffers for ever thinking he could put his hands on Annabell. Looking over her shoulder at my brother, I know he’s thinking the same thing. Even if we aren’t close, I can still read my twin better than anyone else can. That aspect of us will never change.

“Okay, Angel. You go back in the office or do what you need to do to calm down. I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done here,” I tell her as Valor helps her out of his chair and walks her to the door. He whispers something in her ear before she nods in response and leaves us alone to continue the meeting.

“So, we’re gonna keep searchin’ for these assholes?” Chrome asks me, as Valor retakes his seat.

“Yeah, we are. You heard Annabell. I feel the same as her and I’m sure the rest of you do as well. The longer it takes us to find them, the more drugs are circulated and everyone is in danger of not survivin’ the hit they take. This is a problem that’s spiralin’ out of control and we need to end it now,” I state emphatically as the men nod in agreement. “I want you all out searchin’ for them durin’ the day and night. We’ve got our contact at the school, but they haven’t seen anythin’ out of the ordinary. I’m beginnin’ to think it’s one of the students bringin’ this shit in the school and that’s why no one’s gettin’ noticed by the staff, resource officer, or anyone else. It's the only thing that makes sense to me right now and I’ve had nothin’ but time to think since gettin’ shot off my bike.”

“I’ll get a rotation set up so you and Annabell are never left alone,” Red says as he leans forward in his chair and stubs his cigarette out in the ashtray in front of him.

“Appreciate it. I’m gonna get Doc here and talk to him about this shit so I can go to the garage with her durin’ the day. I want you all on high alert. Anyone who shouldn’t be around here, I want to know immediately. Someone let George and Martin know what’s goin’ on so they can watch even better at the gate for anyone lurkin’ in the shadows. Valor, talk to the girls and make sure they get the empty rooms ready. If Playboy and a few guys show up from Benton Falls, I want shit ready for them. Also want them to make a run to the store and stock up on shit we’ll need. Actually send one of the Prospects. They’ll actually get what we need and want instead of only gettin’ what the girls want. If you hear or see anythin’, let me know immediately.”

Slamming the gavel on the table in front of me again, I call church and everyone leaves the room. Valor stays back with me as I call Doc and he informs me he’s already on his way here. For the most part, the road rash has healed. There’s hardly any scarring on my leg and arm from it, but there are some marks that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Right now, it’s mainly my shoulder that’s keeping me on the sidelines and not able to do what I want to do. Hanging up the phone, I wait for my brother to say what’s on his mind.

“I’m gonna be with the two of you as often as possible. Nothin’ is gonna happen to either one of you, Alex,” Valor swears to me, slamming his hand on the table in front of him. “This has gone too fuckin’ far. It was too far when someone tried to kill you. Now they’re threatenin’ Annabell when she has nothin’ to do with this shit. It’s gonna end one way or another and I don’t give a fuck if we gotta rip this city apart.”

“I’m not gonna rip the city apart, Zach. I’ll burn it to the fuckin’ ground just to ensure no one gets close to my Angel. There’s nothin’ I won’t do to protect her. Even if it means givin’ my life so that she can continue to live. You need to prepare yourself for that because I’ll jump in front of a bullet for her and nothin’ will stop me from doin’ it,” I state, letting my brother see the truth of my words as he lets his head fall forward.

No, I don’t have a death wish. I want to live my life with Annabell at my side. However, if I have to die to make sure no one gets close to her, that’s what I’ll do. Annabell deserves to live her life until she’s old and gray with her children and grandchildren surrounding her. I want her to be happy, live a long life, get married, and find a man who loves her as much as I do if I can’t be at her side. Valor and I leave the meeting room because there’s nothing more to say. We’ve both made our stances clear when it comes to Annabell. I have to wait for Doc so I can go up and see my girl. Today is gonna be a long fucking day and I’m not looking forward to the coming weeks at all. Until we find the dealers and then the person in charge, I won’t be able to rest or relax. Not until I know for sure that Annabell is safe from anyone wanting to get their hands on her.

Chapter Eighteen

Annabell

FOR THE LAST week I’ve had the men shadowing every move I make. The only time I’m truly alone is when I’m in my room upstairs or in the office working on the paperwork. Vault is with me every second of the day unless I hide in my room. That’s the one place he won’t follow me and it’s the only time I can breathe easy. We sit in silence for the most part despite there being so much we need to say to one another. Honestly, I forgave him years ago for the way he acted and how he left me behind. Not once, but twice. Vault did what he had to do in order to finally mourn his loss and become the man he’s meant to be. From what I’ve seen, he’s even better now than when we were younger. There’s a deeper strength to him that I’ve noticed. He doesn’t rule this chapter of the club without including the men surrounding him in every decision he makes. There was truly no reason to bring me into church a week ago to let me know what was going on. He could’ve just talked to me after they decided what to do and made me follow his orders because he’s the President of this chapter. I’ve seen my Dad do it more than once. So, Vault has definitely changed as a man and the way he runs things.

Doc told Vault he can get up and go where he wants now that the road rash is healed. I no longer have to clean and bandage his leg and arm. That was an interesting experience and always left me wanting more from him. Every time I entered his room, he was only covered by a thin sheet and he had no pants on. His entire leg would be exposed so I had room to work. Every day I saw the outline of his large, hard cock on display under the thin sheet. There was no way for him to hide that from me unless he put a pillow over his lap or something. I pretended nothing was going on as I did my work and left his upper arm alone as he always requested. It’s not hard to figure out that injury has nothing to do with road rash and everything to do with a bullet wound. Vault wouldn’t hide it from me if it were anything else. I know him well enough to realize that’s the truth of the situation. So, I let him keep his secret because it’s what he needed.

I’ve talked to my Dad and brother. For now, they’re going to remain back home and let Vault and the guys handle what’s going on here. Playboy is mad as hell that I made him promise me he wouldn’t just randomly show up and throw his weight around here in Pine View. He needs to let the men here handle their business and protect me the best way they can. I had to tell Tank the same damn thing because he was ready to ride here with Playboy. My dad will always want to protect me, but he realizes Vault needs to make the decisions here in this chapter of the club as the President. If he believes he needs help protecting me, my brother and Tank will be the first ones he calls to make sure that happens. That’s a promise he had to make them because it was the only way they wouldn’t just randomly show up here. Now, I talk to all three of them every day so they know I’m alive and nothing has happened. It’s something easy that I can give them, so I do.

Today I have to go to the garage and it will be another day where Vault is in my car with me. I’ve let him drive it. Once. He was like a kid in a candy store that day. Then, when we pulled up to Hound’s he had to rub it in Chrome’s face because he got to drive my baby and Chrome never will. I wanted to hand his best friend the keys just to prove that it’s not a decision he gets to make, but I didn’t. Instead, I laughed at them and made my way into the office to get my day started. The first thing I did was make a pot of coffee. It’s the same thing I do every morning when we open. I start one in the break room and then a second one in the waiting area for any customers who might want one. I’ve also talked to Vault about getting soda and candy vending machines in here for them. It would give them something to eat and drink while they wait for their vehicles instead of leaving and walking around the city to grab something. Some people don’t want to do that.

A knock on my door sounds just as I finish putting the last hair tie in my hair. I’ve got my hair braided in pigtails today. As I make my way over to the door, I tie one of Vault’s old bandana’s around my head to keep the small pieces of hair out of my face. They’re getting just long enough that it annoys the hell out of me and I can’t stand them brushing against my skin when I’m in the middle of something. So, wearing a bandana ensures they don’t fall out and rub against my skin.

Opening the door, I find Vault standing there, the sling still holding his arm in place. His eyes run up and down my body in a way that causes heat to travel through me until it settles in my core and an ache starts building. This is nothing new when I’m in the presence of Vault and I have a feeling he knows that. It feels as if he’s caressing me without even laying a finger on me. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Vault’s eyes meet mine and we get locked in a stare that removes the rest of the world from around us. For this moment in time, it’s just the two of us and no one else exists.

“Are you almost ready to go?” he asks me, his voice hoarse as his eyes leave mine and travel once again down my body.

I’m wearing a pair of jean shorts that should probably be longer than what they are with a pair of sneakers on my feet since I’ll be at Hound’s. Today I’ve got a Phantom Bastards tank top on and it does nothing to hide the swell of my breasts with the bra I’m wearing. Vault’s eyes linger on the exposed skin of my chest and he does nothing to hide where he’s looking from me.

“I’m ready. I just have to grab my phone and keys,” I answer him, my voice sounding breathy instead of steady and strong like I was hoping for.

Vault steps back by the time I get to the doorway once again. He doesn’t give me much room to move around him though. As I turn to lock the door behind me, my body brushes up against his and I can feel the hard length beneath his jeans as it pokes into my ass. Still, neither one of us move away from the other one. It’s like we’re building up this tension between us until it has no choice but to explode and burn us both up from the heat of the inferno. Today is honestly the first time we’ve touched that wasn’t an accident and I don’t know what to feel about this change in our current situation.

My hands are shaking when I lock the door and I almost drop the keys a few times before I can even get them in the lock. Vault doesn’t take his eyes off me as he looks down over my shoulder. Finally, I manage to get them in the lock and turn them before pulling them out once again. I slide my phone in my back pocket when I manage to pull my body away from his and turn to look up at him. Vault is staring down at me with hooded eyes and a smirk on his face. Yeah, he knows exactly what he’s fucking doing and I can’t say that I hate it.

Together we walk down to the common room where Valor, Chrome, Red, Crab, and some new guy I’ve never seen before is waiting for us. I’m instantly filled with tension and my eyes don’t ever leave the new guy. Vault has to grab my arm as I almost trip down the stairs. He stops me from moving and steps down in front of me so I can no longer see the guys sitting around a table together.

“What’s wrong?” he whispers as he leans in closer to me. “Why are you so out of it all of a sudden?”

“Who’s that guy sitting with Valor and the rest of the guys?” I return, keeping my eyes locked on Vault’s muscular chest.

“It’s a new Prospect who will be workin’ at Hound’s with us. What’s goin’ on, Angel?” he answers, still not turning away from me.

“I don’t know. The second I laid eyes on him, I got this horrible feeling deep in my gut. You’ve all always told me to listen to my gut and it’s telling me he’s not here for good reasons. His eyes are taking in too much of the clubhouse in a way that tells me he’s memorizing everything about the common room. Who looked into him?” I tell Vault as he makes me look at him and only him.

“Okay. I’m not gonna take him with us. I’ll have Valor make up some excuse and leave him here at the clubhouse. Buzz will be here all day. You haven’t met him yet because he tends to stay locked in his room with the computers. I’ll tell him I want him to shadow Buzz today instead. Valor is gonna need help at the security company and that can be the first step to findin’ out what he’ll need to do to help Valor out by monitorin’ the properties they have put systems up on. Give me a second to get rid of him. Why don’t you go in the kitchen and grab us both a cup of coffee to go while I take care of this?” he says, not looking away from me while simultaneously motioning for his brother to follow him.

---