Page 77 of Paladin's Hell

Chapter 26

Moira

I can’t believe this is happening. Glancing around, I see the club girls sitting at the bar. They seem to have composed themselves now the immediate threat has gone and are doing shots. To my disgust, Sheila’s pouring hers into Titsy’s bare cleavage, the ample breasts that frame it are being held up in the latter’s two hands. Sheila then proceeds to noisily slurp, suck and lick the vodka or tequila, who cares for the details, all up.

Runt, who’s appeared with a bandage on his arm, is resting on the couch soaking the sight up. The other two prospects, supposedly on guard are also distracted.

Not my first rodeo, certainly not the first time I’ve seen something like this. But Hell had promised me a family afternoon, and it’s turned into a freak show as normal. Worse than that, he’s forbidden me to leave and go home. Fuck that. I’d prefer to take my chances, though I’ve still got my brains. As old lady to the president, if someone’s coming after the club, I might be a target.

“You’ll be with Hell in his room. Bomber and Buzz have rooms here, so Sindy and me will be fine.” Jeannie’s mouth narrows as she looks at Jayden. “Haven’t got any spare rooms, so Jay will need to bunk down with Pal.”

“No,” I tell her. “She can take Pal’s room. Pal will have to sleep somewhere else.”

“For goodness sake, Mo. She’s not your daughter. I’ve seen enough of that boy to know he wouldn’t take what wasn’t on offer.”

“I told her sister I’d watch out for her,” I insist, disliking the idea immediately. “Putting temptation in her way isn’t taking care of her.”

“Well you can tell Pal he’s sleeping on the sofa.” Jeannie doesn’t seem to understand.

“I will.” I respond, my temper rising. “Not going to have that girl taken advantage of. I’ll give Pal a piece of my mind. Pal won’t…”

“Hey, what’s all this about Pal? Pal won’t…?” I hadn’t realised Jay had come up behind me.

I open my mouth, but Jeannie gets in first. “There are no spare rooms, Jay, so you’ll have to stay in Paladin’s.”

“Paladin will sleep on one of the couches,” I get in, tossing a glare at my friend.

Jay looks around. Her jaw setting when she sees the lumpy, filthy, worn out couches. When she turns back to me, her eyes are sparking. “No he won’t. If that’s the way it has to be, I’ll stay with him. In his room.”

“No you won’t.” I contradict. “I promised your sister.”

“What Mo?” she challenges me. “Just what did you promise her? All I heard was you offering to give me a room in your house. You promised nothing about defending my honour, nor keeping Pal and I apart. My sister trusts Paladin. And so do I.”

“You’re not seventeen yet…”

“I will be in two months. Sixty days. And that’s going to make how much of a difference? You gonna call the cops on me? Get Pal arrested?”

“So you will be sleeping together,” I throw back, through gritted teeth. “You want to throw your life away? Hitch up with a biker at sixteen?” I notice Jeannie’s staring at me in confusion as the words keep tumbling out of my mouth. “You’re going to jump at the chance to fuck?”

Jayden’s looking equally taken aback, but unlike me, she’s able to speak calmly. “I’m not saying that. What I am saying, is that whatever I do, it’s my business. Not yours.” She turns to Jeannie. “Thank you. I’ll discuss the arrangements with Pal.”

When she swings on her heels, the men are exiting their meeting. As soon as she spies him, Jay’s straight over to talk to her man. Being on lockdown hasn’t seemed to have upset her at all. But then, I suppose she’s more used to that, than being able to get on with her life free of constraints.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jeannie hisses. “I was fifteen for fucks sake when I lost my virginity, never regretted it. That girl’s already lost hers. Now you’re keeping her to a mythical age limit. Lots of places she’d already be legal anyways.”

“I don’t want her to repeat the mistakes I made.”

Jeannie’s eyes soften. “You made no mistake, Mo. If anyone did, it was down to me. I plagued the hell out of you until you gave in and came to the club. That you were Hell’s put a fucking target on your head. Neither of us had a clue what was going to happen, wouldn’t have come within a mile of the place if we had. Jayden’s not you. You, shit, me too. We were both naïve and clueless. Jay’s been living in a club for two years. She’s known Pal for that long too. I say we leave those young folks alone and let them work it out by themselves.”

I don’t know what the hell to think. Am I being unreasonable? “I’ll talk to Hell. Maybe there’s a spare office Pal can sleep in.”

My friend is shaking her head. “You’re not going to let this drop, are you?”

My eyes swing back around to her. “I can’t.”

Seeing Bomber leaving Hell’s office, I take my chance and pop my head around his door. “I need to talk to you.”

For some reason, seeing me makes him grin. Then he stands. He walks around to my side of the desk. He steps, no prowls toward me. A look on his face so intense, I take a step back. “Er, if you’re busy…”

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