Page 46 of Johny B

Johny B

“He’sin his office waiting on you,” Stone flicks his head towards the back room.

“How’s his mood?” I ask him. Can’t deny that I’m nervous as hell. Not because I’m scared of Smoke, but because of how important this is. My worry is, that although I’m willing to go up against anyone and everyone, when it comes to Scarlett defying her dad, I’m not sure I’d even want to push her into doing that. He’s her only true family.

“Grumpy, but that’s nothing new when it comes to Smoke,” he replies.

“Not helpful,” I snigger back.

“Suck it up buttercup, and get your ass in there, because the longer you keep him waiting, the angrier he’s going to get.” Stone gives me a firm pat on the back before making his way out of the clubhouse.

He’s right. I need to fucking do this.

With every step, I suck in a deep, calming breath so by the time I get to the door of the office, I have on my game face. I rap quickly on the door and wait.

“Yeah!” Smoke’s voice bellows from behind the door. I grab the handle and fling open the door, stepping inside, showing confidence and determination that I don’t really hold. “Sit your ass down, JB.”

I grab the back of the chair and swing it around before straddling it, my chest to the back, and my arms resting across the top.

“You wanted to see me, Prez?”

“Cut the cocky bastard shit, JB, that won’t cut it with me,” he warns. I search his face for any signs that will give me a clue to how this is going to go. “It’s no surprise to you, or anyone else, that I’ve never liked you, JB. You excrete arrogance, insolence and self-importance, and it fucking riles me.”

“Or you would look at it as confidence, bravery and audaciousness,” I offer in defense.

“What the fuck? You check that out in a dictionary before you came in here?” He accuses. He taps out a smoke and brings it to his lips, but surprises me when he doesn’t go to light it. “No less of the cockiness. For once, shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say before I lose my shit.”

I mime closing an imaginary zip at my mouth and tilt my head, waiting for him to continue with his character assassination. My guts are rolling like a milk churn. If my stomach wasn’t empty, I’m pretty sure it would have been by now. The contents littering the floor.

“You’re fucking infuriating, do you know that?” he hisses, shaking his head at me. “Yet, you’ve gone way beyond any brother’s expectations for this club, and despite the earlier misgivings I had when it came to you and my daughter, it’s clear that you care for her.”

“I fucking love her,” I can’t help blurting it out, regardless of Smoke’s previous warning.

“You say that, but how do I know this is not just another challenge for you. Reel in the daughter of the president, then drop her and move on to the next pretty girl who shows you attention?”

“Because that’s not who I am anymore,” I growl at him, pushing up out of my seat, my body tensing as a mix of anger and fear starts to grip me. Anger at his ignorance and a fear of losing Scarlett. “Fuck, Smoke. You don’t get it, do you? Not once haveI even looked at another woman since you fucked me off back to Florida. Jesus…”

“Then help me understand,” he cuts me off, leans back in his chair, rolling the unlit cigarette between his teeth, unfazed by my outburst. Oblivious to my internal torment. “Tell me, how do you know you love her?”

“The pain… the pain I feel when I’m not with her. The utter euphoria I feel when I am.” As the tension begins to ease from my body, an uncontrollable smile takes over my face. “She’s so beautiful, so incredibly astute. She lights up the darkness, erases the bad and has the ability to bring me to my knees. The months away from her have been nothing but a living hell. I walked around in a haze going through the motions, doing what was needed for my club, but I sure as hell wasn’t living.”

Getting to my feet I do a one-eighty and walk the few spaces to the door, but needing to say more I turn back to face him.

“I’m addicted to her. Don’t you see that? And when you’re addicted to something, that’s all you want, all that you crave. Scarlett is my addiction and like any addict, when I’m not with her, I’m not a complete man.”

Silence falls over the room. Smoke finally flicks open the lighter that he’s been playing with, and puts the flame to the tab still in his mouth. He takes a deep draw, filling his lungs with the nicotine, holding it there before releasing it through his nose and mouth. The tension rises along with the plume of smoke.

“You can have my blessing to date my daughter, but it comes with conditions,” he says firmly.

“Anything,” I quickly respond, not quite believing what I’m hearing. His ultimatums don’t faze me, because I will do anything for Scarlett. Anything other than give up and walking away.

“You patch over to Nevada, because if you think I’m going to let you take her away from me, you’re deluded.”

“Done.”

“Hold your fucking horses, that’s not all. You let her continue with her career, and if you do make her your old lady, you wait until she’s established before you put any babies in her belly.”

“Sure thing, I will support her in every way she needs me to, and more.”

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