Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
He flinched. “Say again?”
“She’s under club protection and watch.” I emphasized the and watch. “She’s in my room for now.”
I saw the tension leave her body. It was not hard to read.
“Jesse…brother... My room happens to be in the clubhouse. She’ll still be under club protection.”
“She’s also under watch. My watch.”
“So?” he pushed.
I stared.
“You think I don’t got your back, brother?” He straightened.
What he didn’t do was let go of her hand. And she did not want to be in the hall with him, didn’t want his hands on her. What she did next proved my gut was correct.
“I’m not lookin’ to cause any trouble,” Gianna spoke up. “I’ll just go in –” she pulled her hand out of his and jerked her thumb back.
“Gia,” he said, grabbing her wrist. “Wait.” He turned to me. “It’s all good, brother. We’re just down the hall. I’ll send her back here shortly,” he stated.
Gianna’s eyes hit mine with something in them that had my blood heating up before her eyes moved down to point at her bare feet. She pulled her lips tight.
“Skip, all due respect, Prez asked me to watch her, and I can’t watch her if she’s in your room.”
Skip looked at me with shock. Then his face started to go hard.
“Jesse, man…”
“In there, G. Go.” I gestured to her.
She tried to go, but Skip hadn’t let go of her wrist. And he was lookin’ like he was about to throw attitude.
“Bro,” I said. And jerked my chin at him.
He ground his teeth together. He wanted to rip my head off.
She managed to pull away from him, prying her wrist out of his grip in a way that looked difficult, which notched my temperature even higher. She slipped into my room and closed the door.
“What the fuck?” Skip scowled and took a step toward me.
“Could say the same,” I fired back, then I leaned in. “First, she didn’t look like she wanted your hands on her.”
He jerked back. “What’re you tryin’ to say?”
“Second, my ass is on the line here. Nobody knows if this chick is here for us or for them. Deke asked me to keep her under lock ‘n key and that’s what I’m doin’. Don’t need you throwin’ a monkey wrench into shit by not standing down when I asked.”
“She’s not for them,” he sneered, looking at me like I’m off base. “That sweet butt is all but mine, brother, and you’re tryin’ to cockblock me? This is bullshit. I’m takin’ her to my goddamn room.” He turned my doorknob. It was locked. This meant she locked it as soon as she got in there.
I scoffed. “Easy, Skip.”
He leaned forward. “You hear what I said? This is some bullshit and I do not fuckin’ appreciate it. Gia!” He pounded on the door with his fist.
“Stay in there, Gianna,” I called out loudly, then lowered my voice. “Yours, Skip? Didn’t I meet a woman who’s actually yours? A woman who wears your ring, man? A woman you have kids with? You two split?”
He pulled air through clenched teeth, looking even more pissed. “I do not appreciate this. You may be newly patched, but you fuckin’ know better. I know you’re not this dense.”
“Also heard from Bront she’s been pretty close to Spence,” I went on, ignoring the insult. “Yet you’re sayin’ she’s yours?”
“You don’t wanna piss me off, Garcia.”
“Don’t I?” I volleyed. “Piss you off by doin’ what Prez asked me to do? Piss you off by gettin’ you to unhand a girl who clearly didn’t want your hands on her?”
He whistled low like I had a whole lot of balls. “You read that wrong. You’re off base and I do not appreciate what you’re insinuating.”
“Maybe I did. If so, my bad. You don’t like it, Skip, take it up with Prez when he gets back. He says it’s okay, all the power to ya. He wants her under lock ‘n key. By me. I don’t take that shit lightly. You pushing like this makes you look bad, not me, bro. You want her out of my watch and under yours, get our Prez’s permission and I’ll tell her the score.” From there, the girl could decide what to do.
He stormed past me, knocking my bicep with his shoulder, heading out of the clubhouse instead of down the hall to his room, which was two doors deeper into the hall than mine.
I went to deal with the food I’d just dropped on the table in the kitchen. As soon as the exit door snicked shut, Bront came my way.
“Thinkin’ dude’s got it bad for her,” Bront muttered. “Asked for her when he got in and didn’t see her in either of the lounges. I said she must’ve been in your room and told him she’s under your orders so he should probably wait for you to get back. He pulled rank and said, ‘Mind your business, prospect.’ And then he knocked on your door. She didn’t answer, so he paced a bit. Finally, she came outta the bathroom; I was watching from the kitchen. Didn’t realize she was in there, and serious, bro, she did not look happy to see him. He cornered her in the hall. You called it right when you said she didn’t want his hands on her. She didn’t try to go nowhere. He was talking low, but she wasn’t, and she kept sayin’ she had to be in your room, or she’d get in shit, but he kept chatting her up by the door. I stayed close ‘cuz honest to fuck, I thought it’d escalate. She sounded upset. Did hear him say he wanted to spend time together. That he’d been thinkin’ about her. He was laying it on thick. I heard him tell her it’d be all right, but she was puttin’ up a fuss sayin’ she’d get in shit from you if she wasn’t in your room when you got back.”