Room Fourteen: Making Her Beg

“Um, well,” I hedged, not sure what was the right answer. I was done being the good little boy, but did I want a bullet lodged between my eyes? No, but if these guys were serious, then I’d agree to go along with the plan. I didn’t want to share Val, but what choice did I have? This was about protecting her. “Yeah, I mean, is this really how you propose we protect her? Is there a real threat to her?”

“Yes, and yes,” Diesel answered, a knot forming in his right cheek, showing an annoyance he was trying to control.

“Listen, I’m new to all of this,” I started, my tone low. “I don’t know how any of this works or if this some kind of test you two cooked up for the newbie, do I?”

“I see your point,” Derek murmured, leaning his forearms on the table to bring his head closer. “I know it’s an odd proposal, but if it keeps Val safe, I don’t care if my entire club has to declare she’s their old lady, that’s what will happen.”

The ferocity of his voice and features told me he spoke the truth, so I nodded. “Cool. If you tell me there’s a problem and this is the solution, then I’m fine with it.”

Val needed to be safe, and I was willing to put my life on the line if that’s what it took.

“Good, we’re all agreed then.” Derek sat back in his chair, satisfied with my answer. “Now, how do we make sure she doesn’t say no to the plan?”

“Say no?” Diesel asked as he looked at Derek in confusion. “Why would she say no?”

“Because I’m her dad’s best friend, you’re her stepbrother, and he’s her old teacher maybe, bonehead?” Derek rolled his eyes and shook his head at Diesel’s question, but I didn’t have the luxury, not yet. I was still too new in the club to push any member too far and I knew it.

“Oh, right.” Diesel frowned and looked down at his hands, covered in spider web tattoos that ran up his arms.

I knew the kid, like Derek was covered in tattoos, but I only had one so far, the club’s symbol, a crazy looking joker’s skull, over my heart. I’d got it the day I got my patch as a member of the club, a real reminder of the turn my life had taken.

“I don’t think she’ll say no,” I ventured, watching the other two. Both pair of eyes turned to me, curious.

“Why?” Derek asked, his brows together.

“Because she’s smart. I think she’s also adventurous enough to take us up on the offer of having attention from three guys. She’d have to be, wouldn’t she?” I added the question at the end because I wanted them to add to what I already suspected.

“She did kiss me once, when she was drunk as fuck,” Diesel volunteered, drawing a look of anger from Derek.

“What?” the leader of our club asked, his eyebrow up in what might be rage or might be curiosity, it was hard to tell with Derek.

“Yeah, it was her birthday, when Dad let her get drunk, remember?” Diesel said, pulling back a little from the look on Derek’s face. “I didn’t let it go anywhere, she was still a kid, and my stepsister, dude. Don’t bash my brains in. She started it. I stopped it.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to kick your ass over something that happened years ago.” Derek glared at Diesel for a moment longer before he brought that cold blue gaze to me. “I don’t think we’ll have to do too much convincing either. She knows when I tell her something is for her own good, I mean it.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I asked, and Derek gestured with his chin off to our right. Val was coming our way.

“That is. How are we going to survive the storm we’re about to create?” Derek said softly, and I nodded. Yeah, that look on her face wasn’t happy and if she agreed to this, I could see where there might be trouble ahead.