Page 142 of Filthy Love

The biker president glare to convey everyone to stay the fuck away from him if they knew what was good for them.

She’d never witnessed it before, and for a second, tears stung the back of her eyelids. This was her big brother Ambrosio who would walk her home from after school clubs, who took her to college and made sure everyone knew what would happen if a hair was touched on her head. He was the one she’d call when she was so damn homesick, and he’d tell her she could conquer college, but he’d come and get her no matter what the time if she wanted him to. He was the brother who never got sick of her trailing after him when she was a kid. The same big brother who would take her all over the island of Syros every family summer vacation and never complained.

The same brother with anger and disgust in his cold deep-set eyes.

Rather than her own anger calcifying her bones she chose to glance at the second man in this ridiculous standoff. Though he hadn’t moved an inch she still felt Hawk at her back for solidarity and protection.

It radiated like a furnace and it was that which settled her.

“Okay, you can both stop peacocking now and calm your feathers. We should have told you, Ambrosio, now you know. That’s the only crime here. Hawk hasn’t don’t anything wrong. I haven’t done anything wrong and I’m not going to give you a list of reasons why this is about us not you.”

Ears flapped like bird’s wings. The bikers so damn interested in the drama. Even her uncle Jed had an elbow resting on the bar listening in.

“He’s too damn old for you, Gia.” Said Rider.

“Zara is ten years younger than you, big mouth, your argument is worthless. Next.” She shot back making a few rough men chuckle. “I’ll remind you I didn’t bitch when you forgot to mention you even had a girlfriend. Uncle Jed told me.”

“That has no baring here, Gia, for fucks sake.”

“I thought we weren’t cursing around the biker princess?” Snake could be heard from the back somewhere and someone wisely told him to shut his fucking mouth.

Gia sighed and rubbed Hawk’s arm before stepping forward towards her brother. “Is this really a problem for you? I understand it’s come as a surprise. It did to us, but, Ambrosio, it’s been a long time coming. We didn’t go into this lightly.”

“Between him and me? There’s a damn problem. Fucking A. So, you can run along with Zara while we talk.”

She huffed. “Not likely. What? Going to offer him my dowry? Or smash his face in? You sound just like dad.”

If it were possible under his natural sun golden tan Rider’s face turned purple and his jaw worked a vicious tick. She’d overstepped knowing how he felt about their domineering father. Never had she uttered those words to him before and she wanted to bite her tongue off. “I didn’t mean—”

“And I thought you had more fucking sense.” He bit out.

Behind her Hawk emitted a growl from the animal family and she turned in time to see him thunder-staring at his boss and friend.

This was getting so fucking out of hand.

Hawk pointed a long finger over her head. “I will start a fucking war over her if you keep throwing out shit she doesn’t deserve, so choose the hill you want to die on wisely, Rider.” Hawk said calmly. It was like that eerily calm before a storm hit and destroyed a whole town in minutes.

“This is my kin.Myblood. If anyone starts a war, it’ll be me, you, arrogant fuck.”

“She’smywoman now. Gia is no longer your duty. She fucking means something to me even if we all know I’m a piece of shit who doesn’t deserve her.”

She saw Rider’s brows fold in as if he realized what truth he was putting on Hawk.

Zara sidled up to her man and curled an arm around his waist. The gesture brought her brother down from whatever lofty throne he’d put himself on where he thought he ruled the whole damn world. Heads together they spoke quietly.

Facing away from the room, she took her hands up Hawk’s chest slowly, felt how his breathing slowed.

“Hawk. Stop glaring at my brother and look at me, please.”

He did immediately. A frown bunched in the middle of his forehead.

“I’m your woman? That’s what you said.”

He frowned deeper than ever before but didn’t say a word.

“Colton Hawk, answer me, please. If you’re gonna declare something like that to a room full of your boys, then it would be nice if you’d told me it first.”

Behind her Rider muttered and she heard Zara shush him. Gia would scowl at her dumbass brother in a moment but for now, she held Hawk’s eyes and waited.

---