In the Wind

Pacing around downstairs, I don't care about club etiquette. Sawyer is mine. Stanley is just out of fucking luck. If he doesn't see things my way, I'm perfectly willing to bury him in the backyard where the twins claim they once dumped a werewolf.

Sawyer is mine, but losing Kirk has her all torn up. I know how lost she feels. I felt that way for years. Hell, I still felt that way some days. Until Sawyer can think straight, I'll do what needs to be done to protect her from stupid decisions. The Todds did the same for me when the grief made me reckless. Now I'll help my woman.

Still pacing, I'm wondering about the werewolf thing when the twins race down the stairs.

"Are you Hannibal Lector?" Colbie asks, giggling. "Are you a hot Jigsaw?"

"Who?"

"The bad guy from Saw," Bodie answers, clearly unhappy I haven't seen and memorized every crappy horror movie ever.

When I stare hard at them, they sigh sadly in unison.

"Poor Jace," Colbie says in fake sympathy.

"Stanley is coming up the drive. You're not planning to harm him, are you?" Bodie asks. "That would not be a good move."

"I don't need to hurt him. He'll leave Sawyer alone, and that'll be the end of it."

"Sure, but you still have a problem with the Deadly Dumpling Gang. You didn't do a good enough job persuading Macaroni of your innocent intentions. Or he didn't do a good enough job convincing his club president Cheese. Either way, Lawdog is..."

Colbie howls "Lawdog" before Bodie continues.

"He's set up a meeting with you to see if he believes the Reapers are a threat to the Dump Faces."

"How come he set up a meeting with me, and this is the first time I'm hearing about it?"

"We've been busy. Didn't you see me trying to shove a football up Colbie's ass today?"

"So when is this meeting?"

"In a day or two. We'll go with you, so you won't pee your pants alone."

Before I can respond, Colbie throws open the door to reveal Stanley. He smiles like a guy hoping to get laid. Wearing a white shirt I plan to cover in blood, the pretty boy is holding a bouquet of flowers.

"For me?" Colbie asks, taking them. "You're such a tease."

Stanley gives her a fake smile. "Is Sawyer ready?"

Bodie looks at me and smirks. "This should be fun."

Stepping up to Stanley, I give him my best dark stare. "She's not going with you. Now leave."

"Where is she?"

"Handcuffed to the bed," Colbie announces then bops her sister on the head with the flowers. "You're it."

Bodie takes off after Colbie, and I appreciate their absence. Stanley and I stare at one another.

"Sawyer isn't going. Leave."

"Why is she handcuffed to a bed?"

"We were playing a sex game. Now leave."

"I want to hear from her that she wants me to leave."

"You can leave in one piece or I can put you back on your Harley in chunks."

Stanley only stares at me, not budging.

"You need to fuck off," I growl.

"The only way I'm leaving is if Sawyer tells me herself."

The twins run back into the room, and Colbie stops right in front of Stanley.

"What's it like to be dumped? Is it emotionally draining?" she asks tenderly. "Did you ever consider suicide to deal with your feelings of rejection?"

Stanley rolls his eyes at her comment while Bodie yanks me away from them. I frown down at the redhead, but she only laughs at my expression.

"You're like a Saint Bernard we used to have. He was huge, and his size scared people, but he was completely harmless. Just a big panting, drooling, adorable dummy."

"I'm kicking his ass."

"If you do, you'll make this club crap worse. I don't need you bringing your trouble to my house. I really don't need Macaroni throwing fits about how we're not respecting his authoritah," she says, doing an impression of Cartman from South Park.

"He's not going out with Sawyer."

"Oh, I know. I also know I could scare him away easy peasy. Instead, I'm putting on my Morpheus and teaching you the ways of manhood."

When I stare at her, she thinks about slapping me. I see her hand flexing. "From fucking Matrix. Have you ever seen any movie?"

"Yes, but I'm not interested in you being my Yoda. I want to kick his ass."

"Ask yourself why can't you scare him off with a stare? Or a threat? A real badass can do that shit. You're big, and I assume you've kicked ass before since you didn't get into the club by bringing Cooper flowers. Despite all that, no one is scared of you except maybe children, little people, and anyone in a wheelchair. Basically, people who might be squished if you fell on them."

"Bodie, if you have a point..."

"Your parents were killed, right? You must have all kinds of fucked up issues and anger that goes along with that kind of childhood trauma. I'm guessing you shoved those bad feelings deep down inside. Well, now you need to learn to channel them, so you can scare someone who isn't three feet tall."

"You're pissing me off."

"Yet you look more gassy than angry."

I open my mouth to say something. I'm not even sure what. I think I plan to tell her to shut up, but she speaks first.

"Imagine Stanley fucking Sawyer."