Well, when he put it like that. . .
“No. But why do I have to stick close to you?”
“Because I don’t want any of these fuckers getting any ideas about you. You’re mine.”
Wow. That had to be about the most Neanderthal statement ever.
She rolled her eyes. “They’re hardly going to fall on me like a pack of wild hyenas.”
He just snorted. “They might be my brothers, but I don’t trust them not to attempt to steal you away from me.”
“I’m not that much of a prize,” she said dryly. In fact, remembering what she was wearing, her baggy jeans and his over-sized sweatshirt she suddenly wasn’t keen at all on going inside. “Are you sure I can’t wait out in the truck?”
“Baby girl, I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but I see someone who is gorgeous on the inside and outside. And believe me, anyone who looks closely will see what I see and they’ll know that if they got hold of you, then they’d have all that light shining so bright inside you to themselves. And no other asshole is having that light. It’s fucking mine.”
How could he say something so sweet with one breath and then something so outrageous with the next? She just shook her head. He was completely delusional. She wasn’t gorgeous and there was no light shining from her.
But it did feel nice that he thought so.
He opened the door and walked in, pulling her close behind him. The noise hit her first. And the heat. There were a lot more people in here than she’d expected. Then again, it was a Friday night. Just because she didn’t have a life didn’t mean other people sat at home in their PJs and gave themselves manicures.
The bar was old and dark, with the scent of beer and leather heavy in the air. There were tables and chairs off to one side and pool tables and more seating to the other side. They weaved their way through, people calling out to Duke as he moved through, towards the long bar that took up most of the back wall. There was a single door to the right of the bar.
Duke nodded at people but didn’t stop, veering off towards the door.
“Duke!”
She looked over at the familiar voice and saw Ink striding towards him. He looked more serious than she’d ever seen him look before. Duke’s life as part of the Iron Shadows was a bit of a mystery to her.
“Hey, man, we were just headed out the back,” Duke said to him.
Ink gave her a small smile. “Hey, there Sunny-girl.”
“Hi, Ink, how’s it going?”
“Not wonderful.”
She frowned at that and Duke squeezed her hand. “Anything I can help with?”
Ink looked a little surprised then he smiled. “No, babe. But it’s sweet you’d ask. I heard you had your own trouble this afternoon. Shouldn’t you be home, resting?” Ink gave Duke a chiding look.
Duke growled back at him. “I’m not leaving her home alone.”
Ink nodded. “Understood. I’d feel the same. But she can’t come back with us. Reyes will have a fit.”
Duke’s jaw grew tense. “I’m not leaving her out here alone.”
“Leave her with me, I’ll keep the wolves at bay.”
Sunny turned at the female voice and her mouth dropped open as one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen swayed towards them. She wore a tight, white, sleeveless top, high-waisted black jeans and a wide belt with a large silver buckle and dark boots. It all looked simple, but combined with her dark hair and lush lips and high cheekbones she was simply breath-taking.
“I don’t know, Jewel,” Duke said hesitantly.
Her name was Jewel? How awesome was that?
“You’re beautiful,” Sunny said.
The woman stilled and stared at her for a moment then a smile graced her lips. “I think we’ll get along fine, Duke. Run along.”