“It’s bread, Sis. I’m just helping you to shrink that ass you’re always complaining you have.
“I happen to like my ass.”
“Today maybe, but you complain all the time.”
“He’s right about that,” Gabby says, smirking at me.
“You’re such an asshole, Hawk. Remind me again why I love you,” I grumble.
“I’m your favorite person in the world,” he shrugs and while what he’s saying is mostly true, I elbow him in the gut.
“Ow,” he moans, rubbing his stomach—which is mostly rock hard and solid abs. I’m the one that should be rubbing my elbow at this point. “Don’t make me spank your ass—”
“Let’s go, Red,” Luke growls, surprising me.
I had no idea he was even around. I turn my gaze toward his voice to find him standing over me and Hawk. He looks good, sadly. He’s wearing a worn white t-shirt, the kind most guys where under a regular shirt. He’s got on black jeans and his boots again—and this time he’s wearing an MC cut, that proclaims him an enforcer of the Demon Chasers. I’ve never heard of them, but that’s not surprising. What pisses me off is that he never mentioned it, let me think he might want to prospect for Gabby’s father’s club. The asshole.
“Red?” Hawk asks, looking up at Luke as my brother studies him.
I can tell Luke has already dismissed Hawk. That’s a mistake. Hawk might not look like the guys in the club, but my brother could take any of them—and that’s not sisterly pride. Dad’s proud of him. I think he secretly wants him to become part of the club, but he’s always said our lives were ours to live. My father had his choices taken away from him in his life. He knows how important that is—even when he doesn’t agree. He’s proud of Hawk. Me? I think he wants to strangle, but he does love me. I’ve never doubted that.
What I’m unsure of right now is Luke. He’s pissed and I mean really pissed. His face is locked into place, stiff and unmovable. Anger is radiating from him and firing in his brown eyes. My first reaction shouldn’t be that he’s extremely hot when he’s mad. I also shouldn’t feel myself get wet when I stare at him like that. I’ve always known I’m different from other girls. It turns out that I might be twisted.
“Are you stalking me again, Grunt?”
“Grunt?” Hawk’s body grows stiff beneath me, but I ignore my brother. If Luke can be pissed, so can I. He’s basically ignored me for three days and now he shows up, acting like an overbearing asshole—ordering me around and not even saying hi first.
Definitely an asshole.
“I told you what would happen if you called me that. Now, get your ass out of this fuck-head’s lap and get over here.”
“I’m quite comfortable where I am, thank you very much,” I sass back, with a saccharine smile plastered on my face.
“If you don’t get over here, you’ll be uncomfortable for a week because I’ll leave blisters on your ass.”
“I’d like to see you try. You lay a hand on me and I’ll gut you like a pig, Grunt. Annnnd…I’ll do it smiling.” I add the last part, by drawing out the word and showing that the idea brings me nothing but pure glee.
Hawk laughs, probably because he knows I can do it. You don’t grow up around the men I did, who live the lives they live and not know how to defend yourself. Especially since so many of their women were in danger in the past. They take self-defense classes seriously and bring them to a whole new level.
“We’ll play our little love games later. Now get your ass over here,” Luke huffs, but I get the feeling he’s wanting to laugh at my comeback. I saw a spark in his eyes and that spark fuels my anger.
“What?” I screech, sliding off of Hawk’s lap, slapping my hands on my hips and stepping up to Luke. “Who in the fuck do you think you are?” I snarl, my anger beginning to rise to what my family likes to call the danger zone.
“The man that’s going to tame you if it kills the both of us,” he growls back.
“Tame me?” I screech.
“Who is the guy?” I hear Hawk ask Gabby.
“No clue, he showed up a few days ago and got Jazzy all hot and bothered and then ghosted her,” she says.
I jerk my head to look at her, my eyes going wide. “I did not get hot and bothered over him!”
“Oh please. You so were! You’ve been pouting for three days. You’ve barely paid attention to anything I’ve said for days,” Gabby whines.
I can’t believe she just outed me. Who does that? I’m pretty sure there’s a girl code about that shit.
“I’ve been ignoring you because there’s only so much I can handle about you mooning over Dom. You need to kick his ass to the curb and move on,” I snarl, and okay, that was harsh, but I’m pissed, and she started this shit.
I turn back around to see Luke nodding at his buddy Jonesy, and I narrow my eyes at them.
“What?” My question is more of a demand, because I want to know what’s going on. It feels like they’re communicating with each other about something and since he already lied to me about being part of a club, I’m not big on trusting either of them right now.
“We’re leaving. Say goodbye to your girl,” Luke orders.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, you idiot,” I argue.
“I don’t think I’m her girl anymore,” Gabby says, and I close my eyes, because I know I’m going to have to grovel to get her over being pissed. Gabby can be a bit of a drama queen, even though that’s what most think I am.
“And I don’t think she wants to go with you,” Hawk announces, standing up.
Oh shit.
I know that tone and I need to do something quick. The problem is, Hawk’s not wrong. The last thing I want to do is go anywhere with Luke.
Damn it! How do I get in these situations!?!?!
9
Grunt
“Kid, this ain’t none of your damn business. You need to step back,” I mutter. I just want to collect my woman and get the fuck out of here. Now that we have the kid’s name who has hurt Lyla, we can get shit handled without involving Jasmine’s friend, which is good, since she looks like she already wants to kill me. I don’t need to piss her off any more than I already have.
“If it involves Jazz, it involves me,” he says, folding his arms at his chest.
“Is this one of them, Red?”
“One of them what? Will you start making sense?” she mutters, and I swear to God, if I didn’t want to strangle her right now, I’d kiss her instead.
“One of your many boyfriends.”
Gabby gasps, and the boy laughs, surprising me. Maybe he thinks it laughable that I called him a kid, but hell, that’s what he is. A damn kid. I doubt he’s even old enough to buy his own fucking beer.
“Oh God,” she mumbles, covering her face.
“Many boyfriends, Jazz? How many do you have?”
“Shut up, Hawk.”
“You need to leave, Gru—”
“Baby, I’ve been pretty damn understanding to this point, but if you call me Grunt one more time, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here and when I get you back to my place, I’m going to remind you exactly who I am,” I warn her.