Virgin (The Henchmen MC 16)

"Left 'em in the car," I told him, it being the truth. I didn't go anywhere without a way to defend myself. Not since I was a teenager. But I hadn't brought any into Freddie's apartment, not knowing her feelings on that kind of thing yet. She knew my job, of course, but that didn't mean she expected to be exposed to aspects of it. Like my illegal personal gun.

"You're seriously okay with this in your place?" Colson asked, directing his anger to a safer target, one he was more accustomed to shooting at.

"Okay with Freddie having whatever company she wants to have in our place? Yes. Since I ain't her father, I am okay with her making her own decisions like the grown ass woman she is. 'Sides, did you get a look at his fine ass?" he asked, sending twinkling eyes at me.

"Look, I get that you like being the nice brother, the one who doesn't say shit so he doesn't have to deal with the backlash of it, but I can't be the only fucking one worried about her future. And if we can..."

"Politely mind your own business and let me live my life for the first time in a decade," Freddie cut him off. Involved in each other, we had somehow missed her getting up, throwing on a simple tee and a pair of silky purple shorts, moving into the doorway. "That would be great," she added, lifting her chin as she stared down her brother.

"I know you think I am being overbearing and overprotective, Winnie, but I just... I want you fucking here, okay? Not catching another charge because you end up with another asshole who cares more about himself than you."

"Normally, I'd say this wasn't my business," I cut in, voice low, rough. Angry? Yeah, angry. It wasn't a sound you often heard from me, but there was no mistaking it when it was there. "But don't you fucking dare compare me to that asshole ex of hers. I might not be on the side of the law you'd prefer, but I would never let her go down for my shit.

"Aw damn," Thad said, smirking. "You done gone and pissed off an outlaw biker."

"And why the hell should we believe you?" Colson shot back, getting closer.

"Okay, enough," Freddie declared, voice raised, stepping between us, her back to my chest. "You need to leave."

Colson and I both seemed to realize what just happened at the same time, both of us stiffening, looking at Freddie, then each other.

She'd stepped between us, sure, and there was nothing strange about that. The testosterone was stinking up the joint. He was riled. I was ticked off. And neither one of us seemed the sort to back down from a fight. Of course she wanted to stop that from happening.

But she had told her brother to leave.

Not me.

Maybe to someone else, that seemed small.

But to me, and to Colson, it was clear it was significant.

And there was no mistaking the shock of pleasure in my system at realizing she was siding with me. But I squashed that shit down. It was petty. Selfish, even. You didn't make someone choose loyalty like that. It wasn't fair.

"Nah, it's okay, babe," I said, reaching up to squeeze her shoulders. "I will get going. You two have been overdue for a talk for a few days. I'm just in the way."

"You're not in..."

"It's alright," I cut her off as she spun on her heel, looking worried, like she thought I was heading out, never to be seen again. "You gotta repair this shit, or it is just going to keep being an issue," I told her, voice low even though I knew Colson could easily hear and that Thad was doing his best to as well. "Talk to your brothers. Suss this shit out. We will meet up when you're free again," I told her, reaching for my phone, handing it to her. "Put your number in."

I had to admit, her confused slow blink up at me was fucking cute as shit.

And cute was not a word I had ever - in my recollection - used to describe a woman before.

Yet another first.

She reached for my phone, adding in her number, pressing it back into my hands.

Aware of morning breath, I leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead, giving her wrist a squeeze.

"I'll call," I told her, moving out. "Thad, nice seeing you. Colson," I added, simply giving him a nod, then making my way out.

It was a short drive back to the clubhouse, not nearly enough time to figure out what the fuck was going on. With me. With Freddie.

And seeing Reign's bike parked out front that early in the morning had me parking and all but running inside to make sure nothing was going on.