Lila and I hadn’t talked about… exclusivity.
A foreign word, or more like a curse word to the man who’d never slept with a woman more than twice, but one I suddenly found myself repeatin’ it at the back of my mind like some kinda spiritual mantra.
I didn’t want anyone but Lila.
It was as simple and fuckin’ complicated as that.
Especially ’cause I was forced to keep my distance if I didn’t want all the Old Ladies and some of the guys on my ass, houndin’ me about what was goin’ on there.
I had no answers to that question, not even in the privacy of my own mind.
Why’d everyone need labels and sound-bite answers to stupid ass questions?
Life could exist in chaos, and most of the time, it fuckin’ well did. That world I operated in just fine.
Why did Lila and I have to change who we were or what we stood for just to make other people more comfortable?
We didn’t. I sure as fuck wouldn’t.
Only…there was a question I caught in the back of Lila’s dappled forest eyes sometimes, when I’d turn to see her watchin’ me before she could look away, or when I’d wake up and her hand would be playin’ over the tattoos on my chest like an archeologist searchin’ an ancient text.
She wanted answers too.
“Why’re you bein’ such a broodin’ asshole?” Boner asked, knockin’ his beer into mine so they both sloshed over our hands. “Kendra promised me a blowie if I came over to ask you what the fuck’s up.”
I arched a brow at him. “You know Kendra’d probably give you head anyway, yeah?”
Boner grinned, his boyish, frat boy looks a deep contrast to the cut and biker swagger he wore like a second skin. “Oh, yeah. But hey, I gotta heart too. Thought I’d check in and make sure you haven’t got herpes or some shit keepin’ ya benched.”
“Jesus fuck, Boner, I don’t have goddamn herpes.” I rolled my eyes and chuckled ’cause he was a bonehead, but he was always good for a laugh.
“Good.” He nodded somberly like he’d been truly worried. “There’s plenty of prime pussy here tonight, but you gotta get a jump on it, you don’t want those Frenchie motherfucker’s leftovers. Look at ’em! They even got Lila up in there now.”
My neck about cramped as I cranked it over my shoulder to check out the scene. Some asshole had cajoled Lila up onto one of the tables with him, and she was laughin’ as he spun around then dipped her back, trying to land a kiss on her mouth which she blocked with a raised hand. She wasn’t down for the kiss, but she was flirtin’ like she had been with the newcomers all night.
Tryin’ to prove a point maybe, or more likely, just bein’ Lila.
Sweet, outgoin’, so easy on the eyes it was hard to pull them off her.
My blood went to poison in my veins.
“Uh, Nova?” Boner called after I slammed my beer into his chest to hold and stalked across the lot.
I ignored him.
Just like I ignored the call of Kendra and her girls as I stalked past them on my way to those tables.
I arrived just as the guy with the handlebar mustache dancin’ with my Flower Child grabbed her in a tight cinch with her hands behind her back and planted a wet fuckin’ kiss on her. When she squirmed, he only redoubled his efforts, lickin’ a line from her mouth to her throat where he bit down to hold her still while he gyrated against her.
Rage broke free of the chains in my gut and howled up my throat.
Leanin’ into the table, I tagged the asshole’s leg and pulled, bringin’ him down on his back in a way that shook the table. Lila had the good sense to hop down immediately, but I kept the guy pinned, climbin’ onto the table, kneelin’ into his chest to pound my fist into his face.
“This is our club, you ask before you stick your dick where it doesn’t belong,” I growled as I drove my fist into his face again.
No one stopped me.
It might of been the black rage swirlin’ around me, but whatever the reason, no one even got close.
“Fuck,” the guy groaned, hands up in a weak attempt to defend himself. “What the fuck, man? I asked around, and she ain’t anyone’s piece.”
“You’re damn right, she’s not,” I snarled, droppin’ in close to say the words into his bruised up, beaten in face. “She’s fuckin’ family. You want one of the other girls around here, you damn well ask.”
“This ain’t a cotillion,” he argued. “Just havin’ some fun.”
“Yeah? Well then, so am I.” I grinned into his face, lettin’ the beast break through my pretty veneer, then I laid a blow to his cheek, one of my rings splittin’ open his skin so red sluiced down his neck. “Sorry I didn’t ask fuckin’ permission first,” I mocked.