Page 36 of All Your Firsts

“How can you say that when you’ve just seen her?”

“She lives with him,” Ax supplies as he scoots back into the booth.

“She’s your girl?” Trey asks.

“No.”

“Long-lost family?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the deal?”

Ax stays silent. I told him not to tell anyone who she was. It’s safer that way even though I trust the guys with my life.

Ax personally knows Gage and realizes how big of a mistake it would be to touch her. I’m not sure the guys would be as worried, and I’m apparently an idiot who knows and is still tempted to touch the fire that is Rosie.

“She’s just mine. Dibs.”

“Fine, hands off...” Trey mutters as he looks over at Ax, who’s still watching Jess sitting at the bar.

Ax and Trey had a falling out when we were younger–around the time I got popped–over something similar to this, and their friendship still hasn’t recovered. It even put a strain on the MC with how much they were at each other’s throats. Now they ignore each other and only communicate when necessary. Needless to say, we all take it seriously now.

Rosie returns with the drinks while the guys sulk and just offer a thanks. No more comments from the three stooges.

I let her walk away, knowing it won’t be the last time I see her tonight.

“Shit. We gotta go. See you guys later,” Trey, Marcus, and Julian all vacate the booth. Probably found a poor soul to corrupt for the night.

“So, you finally did it.”

“Did what?”

“Staked your claim,” Ax says with a huge grin.

“It was just a statement. No one is going to touch her,” I say with a shrug before taking a healthy drink of my beer to extinguish the flame raging inside me when I think about her with another guy.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Looks like your statement didn’t get the message,” he says with a head nod toward one of the other tables with a couple of guys.

I turn and find Rosie with some fucker’s hand around her waist. Her body is rigid, and she’s clearly uncomfortable.

I hear Axl curse under his breath as I shove him out of the booth. I waste no time getting right behind the fucker who thinks it’s acceptable to touch what’s mine.

Tapping on his shoulder, he turns, releasing Rosie. I don’t even think before I knock his ass out. He hits the floor with a nice thump of his head, and all hell breaks loose.

His friends rush me, and I feel like I’m in my element. Bring it. I know Axl won’t be far behind covering me, so I’m not worried.

This is another statement I must make. No one will place a finger on her ever again.

The other guy is no match. He runs around the table, charging me. What he doesn’t know is I’ve been fighting all my life. Both trained and untrained. He runs right into me, but I expected it, so I grab hold and twist, driving him right into the ground, knocking his breath right out of him. He might also have a broken arm from the crack I just heard. I bend down since he’s still conscious, unlike his handsy-ass friend.

“This is our town and our bar. Find yourself somewhere new, or I’ll bury you.”

Thirty years ago, the club found its beginnings on this very soil, and this bar served as its original clubhouse until the club made enough revenue to find a more secluded and protected plot of land. The townies know not to fuck with us, especially in here, so these idiots must be from out of town.

Both guys grab an arm each while struggling to lift their friend, whose head lolls to the side as he’s still in a daze from me knocking him out.

I turn and see Rosie, who looks stunned and as white as a ghost. I take a step toward her when I get intercepted by someone I don’t want to be on the bad side of.

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