Page 12 of Ace

“I am not prissy!”

The outraged look on her face was too much.I burst out laughing.“You should see your face.It’s hilarious.I was just kidding.About the prissy part, anyway.Some of the brothers do get carried away, and they aren’t always discreet about it, so you might want to stay in my room if things start getting rowdy.”

“I’m staying in your room?”

“You definitely are.Don’t worry.I’m not going to assault you, but if you stay in my room the brothers will know you’re off limits.They won’t bother you.”

That mischievous smile I remembered so well from the ‘hood curved her lips.“What if I want them to bother me?It’s been a while, and a clubhouse might be just the place to find a no strings hookup for a day or two.”

A surge of white-hot jealousy threatened to choke me.Fuck that.If she really wanted a hookup it wasn’t going to be with anyone else.“Not happening.”

Her eyes widened.“I was just kidding.I’m not going to lead any of your precious brothers astray.”

I felt like an ass.A certified ass at that.I wanted a lot of things from Emma that were never going to happen, but the one thing I didn’t want her to feel for me was fear.

“Sorry.”I mumbled the apology.“Didn’t mean to sound like some kind of overprotective daddy.I’d just rather you didn’t get involved with any of the brothers.It would be awkward.”

“Because I used to date your little brother?”She sighed.“I get it.Don’t worry.I’ll behave myself.”

No, she really didn’t get it.It would be awkward because I’d have to beat the asshole she chose within an inch of his life.I sure as hell wasn’t about to explain that to her.Luckily, we came to the gates of the compound.

Thor and Tiny, two of the club prospects, were on guard duty.They recognized the truck and waved us through.The driveway curved to the left, behind a grove of trees that hid the clubhouse and outbuildings.Security wise, it was a great setup.Any hostiles who made it past the gate would be coming in blind, unable to see what was going on until they were within shooting range.

“This is beautiful!”The look of rapt wonder on Emma’s face caused me to look at the clubhouse with fresh appreciation.

The main building was an antebellum mansion.It had enough rooms for all the brothers, plus a huge kitchen and dining room.The living room was more of a central meeting room, with lots of comfortable seats and a huge fireplace that we’d never used.It rarely got that cold in these parts.

“We like it.”At some point before my time, someone had turned one of the main floor rooms into a game room with a pool table, foosball and a huge TV to watch sports on.A room for those that liked to play video games was down by the back door.The noise from those shoot-em-up games could drown out just about anything.There were several outbuildings that came in handy for working on bikes or cages, and one was set aside for church.

I doubted we could have designed a better club compound if we’d started from bare ground.

I parked beside a line of bikes, noting which brothers were here.Being early morning, none of them were due to work at the bar the club owned for a few hours yet.The only bike missing belonged to Deuce, the treasurer.Probably slept over at his old lady’s place.

I sent him a quick text.Church in an hour.Be here.

Emma looked hesitant.Understandable.Taking her hand, I led her up the stairs and through the front door.I’d forgotten how imposing the clubhouse was on first sight, and I didn’t have time to give her the grand tour right now.Maybe after the brothers and I discussed the murder and its likely fallout.

“Hey, Prez.”Rattler eyed up Emma.“Who’s the chick?”

“Emma.Old friend from the ‘hood.Ran into some bad luck last night.”I pulled her in closer to my side.“Bullet wound.Joker fixed her up, but I need him to check it out this morning.”

“You shot her?”Rattler had the grace to sound shocked.“What the hell did she do?”

“I did not shoot her.”I glared at my VP.“Some asshole in the park did and she came to me for protection.I’ll explain it in church.One hour from now.Round up the rest of the crew.Thor and Tiny are on guard duty, and I want old Jake to keep an eye on everything in here.We can catch them up later.”

“Church?”Emma looked up at me.“You got religion?”

I almost laughed at that.“No.Church is what we call it when the brothers all get together for a meeting.”

Joker ambled into the room just then, a coffee mug in one hand.“So, how’s my patient this morning?”

“Sore.”She gave him a tired smile.“But those painkillers are working, so thank you for that.”

He looked satisfied.“Good.I’ll check it out a bit later to make sure infection isn’t setting in.”He looked up.“I take it she’ll be in your room, Prez?”

“Just going to get her settled there now.Church in forty-five minutes.You can check her out after that.”

Mom wandered in, her coffee cup in hand.She wasn’t really my mother, or any of the other brothers’ mother for that matter.Jake had brought her in with him one day and announced she was staying.I’m not sure we ever knew her given name.She mothered us all like a hen with a brood of chicks, so we started calling her Mom and it stuck.Right now, she was eyeing Emma with a lively interest.

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