Page 42 of Pirate

Fletcher made to walk around Steel, but Steel stepped in front of him. Fletcher jumped. A look of excitement crossed his face, as if he thought he finally had Steel’s attention. It was a total mindfuck to know that this guy was the same age, or thereabouts, as Pirate, Sophia, Jasmine, and Carlos. Despite his military service, he was acting like he was in his late teens/earlytwenties, still spoiled with his daddy’s money. Sophia had a very similar background to this guy and she wasnothinglike him. Pirate wondered briefly if her older brothers were.

“You’re parked in a fire lane.”

Fletcher blinked at Steel’s words. “What?”

“You’re parked in a fire lane,” Steel repeated. “Move your goddamn bike before I call Captain Hunter to bring a firetruck here to run it over.”

“Oh.” The single word was small but filled with uncertainty.

The shock on Fletcher’s face had Pirate nearly doubled over trying to contain himself. Bulldog actually elbowed him in reprimand, but he could see the amusement on his SAA’s face too. It was just covered better because of his full beard.

“It’s… It’s okay,” Fletcher tried to reassure Steel. “Like I said, my dad’s a big donor here. I’m sure no one will mind.”

Steel took a single step closer to him so they were nose-to-nose. Or they would have been if Fletcher was taller. At six-two, Steel had to tip his head down, literally standing over the other man. There was no comparison in muscle either. Fletcher was a twig next to Steel’s twenty-year Marine bulk.

“Move. Your. Goddamn. Bike.”

Fletcher swallowed. “Yes. Yes, sir. I’ll… I’ll go move it. Sorry. I… Sorry.” Then he rushed back to his Tomahawk.

Steel turned back to Bulldog and Pirate as Fletcher sped away, still unnecessarily fast. Looking between his two members, Steel grumbled, “Let it out.”

Bulldog and Pirate burst into laughter, leaning on each other to stay upright. Steel watched them with a scowl on his face.

Pirate had to wipe tears from his eyes. He tried to speak, but his sides cramped from laughing so hard that the words came out in gasps. “Does…that…answer your…question?”

Steel grumbled something unintelligible.

Bulldog tried to straighten, the taller man still had his elbow on Pirate’s shoulder. “What the fuck was that? Who the fuck does this kid think he is?”

“‘My daddy donates here’,” Pirate mocked, trying to match Fletcher’s voice.

“Like to see what Cage thinks of his daddy’s donations,” Bulldog replied with a wide grin. Fletcher’s dad might donate money, but Cage had donated a kidney to Bree, who, at the time, had been a stranger to both him and the club.

Pirate saw Fletcher walking back towards them. “Please tell me you’re going to send him packing after making him park his bike like that.”

The glint in Steel’s eyes was pure evil. “I have a better idea.”

As Fletcher approached them again, Pirate noticed he was less confident. He was probably so used to throwing his daddy’s name around to get his way, he had no idea how to stand on his own two feet.

“I, uh, I parked my bike,” he informed Steel as if Steel didn’t already know that fact. “Do you want me to go see what I can find out?”

“No,” Steel said shortly. “I want you to head back to the clubhouse. I’ll call Viktor to let you in. There, you’ll find a patched member named Papaw. Tell him you’re his bitch. Use those exact words. You do everything, and I meaneverything, Papaw tells you to until I get back. If you don’t, you’re out. If you do, and by some miracle of God you impress him, then we’ll see.”

“I… But I…” Fletcher pointed in the direction of the hospital. “I just…”

“Not very good at following orders, are you,Romeo?” Steel threw the ridiculous moniker back in Fletcher’s face. It was also likely to remind Fletcher of his service.

“I… I…” Fletcher looked like he wanted to cry. “Can’t I stay here and help you?”

Steel raised an eyebrow. “And what the fuck do you think you can do for me that isn’t already being done? What makes you think I havelesspull inmytown than your precious daddy does?”

Fletcher swallowed audibly, like he hadn’t realized that he might have insulted Steel by name-dropping his dad. He hadn’t—but Fletcher didn’t need to know that. “I’ll… I’ll just head to the clubhouse then.”

“You do that,” Steel snapped. Then he turned his back on Fletcher and headed towards the entrance of the hospital.

Bulldog and Pirate remained to ensure Fletcher left. As soon as Steel’s back was to him, Fletcher turned a fierce glare on Pirate. “You did this. You told him not to let me in. But he saw right through you. I’m going to get in whether you like it or not, cripple. That’s right. I looked you up. I know all about youandyour leg.”

Pirate raised an eyebrow. “You say that as if it was a secret?” He turned to Bulldog. “Did you know I was missing my leg?”

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