Page 14 of Dagger's Property
“No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
God, give me strength. My patience is barely hanging on by the thinnest hair. “I’m taking you for burgers. Now, let’s go.”
“I’m no longer hungry.” She crosses her arms. “Your overbearing attitude has killed my appetite.” She turns and starts to stalk back inside. I’m on her tail, wrapping my arm around her waist and stopping her in her tracks.
“You’re not going anywhere but on my bike. Now, either you walk over there yourself, or I’ll lift your ass up and carry you over.”
She turns in my arms and shoots me down with one killer stare. Damn, I’ve never met anyone so stubborn.
“What are you going to do, force me to eat? I said I’m not hungry. Now, let me go.” She struggles against my hold, but she would never stand a chance. I’ve got a hundred pounds on her, along with an ironman’s strength, so she should give up now.
“You may want to calm the fuck down, Vale.” Cage’s voice is at my back.
And he may want to back the hell out of my business before I clock him one. “This is a family matter, Cage. You can take a hike. And if I ever see you flirting with her again, we’re gonna have beef.”
“Vale!” I ignore her shriek, keeping my eyes trained on the fucker who looks like he wants to go to blows with me. Cage is a wily one, but he and I have never had issues before.
“You better watch who you’re speaking to like that.” His voice is steel. “I’ll let this one slide since she’s your sister, but I suggest you get your shit together. I’ll see you around, Wynter. Anytime you want to have a smoke, you come out and find me.”
He gives her a wink, just to piss me off, and then he heads off, leaving me with a struggling Wyn.
“You are such a barbarian.”
She manages to push me off balance and get out of my hold, turning and marching back into the clubhouse. I’m on her tail again, following her right down the hall to my room. She and I need to have words.
“Don’t slam the door on me.” I catch it right before it hits me in the face. If she broke my nose, I’d have to spank her ass.
“Then don’t embarrass me in front of your friends.”
“I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. But you don’t need to get tangled up with a man like Cage.” He’s too angry. Ask anyone how he got his name, and they’ll tell you it’s because he’s like a caged rabid lion, just waiting to be unleashed so he can destroy his prey. “And you definitely don’t need to be filling your lungs with that toxic shit.”
“Geez, when did you turn into such an ass?” She throws her head back in a grunt of frustration, sending expletives toward the ceiling. When I got a look at her fucking tits and realized every single one of my brothers is going to be trying to fuck her is when the instinct to kill kicked in. I was beating myself in the shower not ten minutes before I went outside and saw Cage looking like he wanted to have a taste. Suddenly, I was the lion wanting to rip him to shreds.
“Excuse me for trying to look out for you. After watching my mom die of cancer, I don’t want to see the same happen to you.”
The creases around her eyes finally loosen. “I’m sorry, Vale. I wasn’t even thinking about your mom. But still, you have to let up the reins. I don’t want to be told what I can and can’t do. You’re acting like I’m twelve. And I’m twenty. I get to make choices now. Good or bad, I still get to make them.”
She’s definitely not twelve. Her tits are too ripe for that and so is that ass she’s packing. The reason the door almost caught me in the nose was because my eyes were glued to the thing.
“I’m not gonna stand by and watch you get hurt, Wyn. Now, are we done? I’m fucking starved.”
What I really need is a six pack of beer to wash down my shit mood.
“Are you going to promise to back off?” She crosses her arms.
I move in closer, stepping right into her personal space so she has to tip that head back to keep her glare locked on me. Even when she’s mad as hell, she’s pretty.
“Are you going to promise to quit smoking?”
“One thing at a time, okay, Vale?”
Her answer gives me a good knock in the chest. I need to remember that she’s dealing with some shit right now. And on top of that, I’ve cut off her booze and moved her up here with me. Last night—the night terror—proved that shit’s eating her alive. So, she’s right. I need to lighten up. At least, a little bit. I still won’t stand for her flirting with any of the guys. And the sooner we can get her addiction dealt with the better.
“Okay, I’ll back off. But can you at least try to cut back on the smoking? For me?”
I cast her my charming smile, and her eyes do a giant roll in their sockets. It used to be where I’d smile big, and she couldn’t hold one back. I don’t like the fact that she’s now immune to my charms.
“Fine. I’ll try to cut back. But if you see me going out for a smoke, you better not give me a look or open your mouth, or else I’ll be chain-smoking like a fiend.”
