Before Locks can react, Shadow head-butts him in the face, making Locks fall to his knees dazed and confused. Shadow paces back and forth in front of him, flexing his hands with anger. Locks tries to stand but Shadow throws an upper cut to his jaw and throws him back into the kitchen chairs.
“What the hell is going on in here?” my dad bellows, pushing through the doors to the kitchen with force. I set the knife back into the sink, hoping my father didn’t see it.
“He put his hands on Dani, and I’m going to kill him,” Shadow yells.
“He touch you, Dani?” my dad asks.
“I can take care of myself,” I reply, straightening my shirt.
“Get the fuck out of here, Locks, before I fucking kill you myself,” my dad orders, nodding toward the doors.
“Fine, but this club went to shit when that little bitch showed up. Remember that,” Locks spits, his voice cracking as he pushes past everyone.
“What the fuck was that?” Shadow asks my dad. “He’s going to fucking pay for hitting Dani.” Shadow walks up to me, taking me by the chin and surveying my face. My right cheek feels hot and irritated from the hit.
“I understand that. Trust me. I want him dead for that just as much as you,” my dad admits, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. “But until I figure out what the hell he’s up to, I need him alive.” He blows out a strangled breath and looks at my cheek. “You okay, doll?”
I nod in reply.
“Stay out of his way. You see him, you walk the other way,” he demands.
I nod again, but really I want to grab that dirty knife and shove it into Locks’ kidney. Show him what happens when he puts his hands on me.
“What do you think he has up his sleeve?” Shadow asks, letting my chin go.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s in with another club. We need to keep an eye on our merchandise.” My dad shakes his head, shrugging.
“Think he would sell it from under us?” Shadow asks, his tone high with shock.
“I don’t know anything,” my dad responds, taking a cigarette pack from his pocket. “Get her home, away from the club for now.”
“I’M GOING TO GET in the shower. I have to work tomorrow,” Dani calls, walking into the bathroom.
I’m lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the apartment. It hurts to look at Dani with her cheek a light pink from where Locks hit her. I should have killed that fucker before Bull had a chance to come in and spare him. When I close my eyes, I can see the look of defense written on Dani’s face as she gripped that knife. Her instinct to fight has me a little relieved but not by much. I wouldn’t have put it past Locks to shoot Dani if she stabbed him. I feel like I let her down; I didn’t protect her, again.
“What are you thinking about?”
I look up and see Dani with wet hair and in a Devil’s Dust shirt, her cheek reminding me what a piece of shit I am. She is beautiful, though, glowing even.
“You look like Heaven,” I say, eyeing the droplets flinging off her hair and dripping down her neck.
She smiles. “It’s not happening tonight. I don’t feel well,” she says, climbing on the bed.
“I noticed you didn’t eat dinner,” I comment, moving over so she can climb in bed. She hasn’t been feeling herself for a while now, and she has me worried.
Maybe I should take her away from all of this for awhile. With her mother and the events of the club lately, it appears to have taken its toll on her. If we left this place, even for a little while, I could focus solely on her.
“I’ll be fine. Just a lot going on,” she counters, cuddling with one of the pillows. I climb off the bed, turn the lights off, and then return, shuffling behind her. I pull her ass closer, where it belongs, her smell of peaches surrounding me giving me a chub.
“Trust me when I say I’ll kill that fucker if it’s the last thing I do, Dani,” I whisper into her ear. I don’t have to say his name; she knows who I’m talking about.
“I know you will. I trust you,” she whispers back.
Dani
I wake up to the smell of food cooking and I stretch out, trying to wake myself up and make my way into the kitchen. As I get closer, I can see the house is filled with smoke and the smell of burnt food lingers in the air.
“Someone is up early,” I say, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
“Hey!” Shadow greets as grease pops him from the skillet. “Fuck, that hurt,” he yelps, sucking on his finger and making me laugh.
“Well, I tried to make you breakfast, but all it’s proved is that my ass can’t cook,” he admits, turning the faucet on and tossing the skillet with black food in the sink.
“Let’s go get breakfast,” he says.
“We don’t have to,” I suggest, shrugging.
“Yes, we do. You need to eat,” he declares, rounding the island only wearing black briefs, the sight making me want him for breakfast. He brushes the hair from my face before continuing, “We can eat anything you want: pancakes, eggs, you name it.”
“To be honest, the sound of food makes me want to gag,” I tell him, trying to hold down the vomit crawling up my throat.
He rubs his finger over my sore cheek, making me wince. I pull away, mad I didn’t kill Locks myself for hitting me.