Page 27 of Bear Hunt

“She didn’t even hear me, Bear. Is she even here?” Diablo tries to look over my shoulder but I side step because I don’t want him to see even a hint of her shadow.

“That don’t sound like an apology, asshole.” I’m so close to him now that the heartbeat pulsing at the side of his neck is clearly visible.

“C’mon, Bear. Don’t be like that, man. It’s just a joke. Didn’t mean anything.” Both of Diablo’s hands are up in a classic show of surrender, so I take a deep breath and force my blood to cool to below boiling. It’s the best I can do at this time.

“That’s it, Bear. Let it go, man. We’ll have him cleaning the shithole for a month.” Psycho ain’t lying either. Diablo will be on toilet duty and I’ll make sure he’s using a fucking toothbrush. To be clear, with the amount of high protein we put away here, by the end of the month, he’s gonna wish he’d had more sense.

“Don’t fucking disrespect, brother.” My shoulders are less tense knowing Diablo understands that I won’t have my woman… any woman, talked about like that.

“Got it, got it. Sorry, man.” With a grunt, I turn on my heel but don’t make it another step before I hear his next words. “But if you don’t tap that, I’m gonna hav—”

One second my brain is registering the direction his phrase is taking, the next I’m throwing a punch worthy of MMA. Diablo is out cold yet I’m not satisfied.

“Ah, I tried but that motherfucker needs to learn to shut the fuck up.”

Psycho is standing beside me when I grab Diablo’s neck and squeeze enough to bring him back to consciousness. I’ve got shit I need to say before I can call it a lesson learned.

“Fuck, I think you broke my tooth.” Diablo ain’t laughing now, is he?

“Listen good and hard,brother.” I spit the word out like he doesn’t deserve it right now. “Y’all sit around here talking about pussy like it’s a fucking joke, ignoring the women and the pasts. That girl out there? She’s been through shit your dumb ass would never understand.” I squeeze a little harder just to get my point across. “Next time you suggest anything she didn’t specifically ask for, I’ll fucking kill you.”

The clubhouse is completely silent, which is the only reason I hear the slight gasp behind me. I don’t turn around, I don’t react, until I know Diablo understands that I’m not fucking around.

“Got it. I’m sorry. I’m fucking sorry, man. Won’t happen again.” When I release him, he doesn’t try to make a joke. In fact, he shuts his fucking mouth and waits for me to rise back to my full height.

As I stare down at him, I grin, but it holds zero humor. “Enjoy cleaning shit for a month. And don’t forget to call the dentist.”

Now, I’ve got to face the proverbial firing squad and it’s in the form of a five-foot-nothing woman with fire in her eyes and kindness in her voice.

The drive to Maribel’s was quiet. We opted for the truck because Athena was two seconds away from turning into a popsicle.

As I park alongside the curb, I put it in park and turn off the engine. I’ve got my own apology to give to her.

“Baby Girl, I’m sorry you saw that back there.”

“Are you sorry that you hit that guy?” Yeah, I’m not apologizing for punching Diablo, that fucker deserved it. But I do hate that she witnessed my capacity for violence.

We’re both looking out the windshield, the dark night interrupted by the street lamps and front porch lights.

“No.” Closing my eyes, I wait for her to tell me that she can’t be around someone violent. That she has had enough of this kind of behavior for too long. That she needs calm and tenderness. My heart is waiting and ready for the rejection that might do me in.

“No one has ever spoken up for me before.” I don’t dare respond or move or even fucking breathe for fear that I maybe misheard that. “I like the way it makes me feel.”

This time I do turn, and I’m met with glistening green eyes that hold so much appreciation. Fuck me, I’m putty in her hands. Hell, I’ve been like a little cub following her around ever since that day on the side of the road, but her words, just now, fill me with pride the size of the fucking continent.

“Thank you for speaking out for me. For us, really.” A smirk pops up because I did a hell of a lot more than just speak. I knocked a brother out and that usually comes with huge consequences in an MC. We don’t fight amongst ourselves.

If I need to be punished, I will take it like a grown-ass man and just seeing all that gratitude written all over her features makes it worth it. Every second of Hell will be bearable because of it.

“You go inside and you sleep. I’ll be out here in case…” What do I say? In case some psychopath—and not the good kind like our Aleko—tries to find you?

“In case I need you?” She smiles and I think she knows I walked myself into a corner.

“Yeah, that. No matter where you are, no matter where I am. You come to me if you need anything.” Raising a brow, I make sure she sees the truth in my declaration.

“You should go home, it’s going to be cold and I don’t want to worry about you all night. That won’t help me sleep.” Leaning in, I grin.

“You let me worry about that. I’m a big boy, I’ll be just fine. Besides, we’ve got blankets in the back in case I need them.” At my words, Athena shakes her head, her pouty mouth turned down in disagreement.

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