Oh shit! “Hook! Hook, wait!” Marcie scurried after the very heated biker who stormed out of the kitchen intent on slaying her dragons.
Shit, shit, shit. She wanted Tanner gone as much as they did, probably more, but she didn’t want anyone injured, or any damage to Hook’s hard-won property. And she wanted to rid herself of the problem on her own.
She raced out the sliding doors and reached the patio just as Hook reached Tanner. He dragged Tanner up by the shirt, tromped across the patio and slammed Tanner’s back against the stucco of the house.
Marcie winced. That must have hurt like hell.
“All right. Now we’re talking.” Striker turned from the grill, a huge smile on his face. “What’d he do now?”
“Hook! Don’t do this.” Marcie darted over until she was only a foot away from the men. Hook anchored Tanner to the house with a bulging forearm across her ex’s chest. He shot Striker a searing look.
“On it, brother. Come here, baby doll.” Striker jogged to her and wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders. He steered her farther away from the ensuing fight. Not that it would be much of a fight. Tanner didn’t stand a chance in hell. Not if Hook’s fighting skills were anything like what she remembered. Given that he was now named after a punch, she had a feeling his abilities had only improved. Growing up in in a seedy part of a rough town taught them early on how to defend themselves.
“Don’t worry, hon. Hook’s just gonna have a little chat with your man. I promise he won’t kill him.” Striker’s laugh rang out above her head.
“He’s not my man anymore,” she muttered.
“Hook mentioned that. Guess Tanner wasn’t too happy about that news.”
“You could say that,” she mumbled. This entire situation was so uncomfortable.
“Well then, I take it back.” Striker’s voice dropped to a lethal pitch. “Hook just might kill the fucker.”
Annoyance scratched at the back of her neck. She wasn’t a child. For the past eight years, she lived on her own, supported herself and didn’t rely on anyone for anything. “Don’t you guys think I’m old enough to take care of myself without my surrogate big brothers getting involved?”
Striker laughed again. “Baby girl, you may be my sister in all but blood, but you know damn well Hook would take you right here on this patio if Tanner and I weren’t here. And no. When we’re around, you’ll never have to fend for yourself.” He gave her an affectionate squeeze.
Marcie’s face heated. Leave it to Striker to toss everyone’s cards on the table. Despite the embarrassment, her heart warmed with a sense of family she hadn’t experienced in ten years. Part of her wanted to protest. She didn’t need any white knights to save her, but she couldn’t deny the warm fuzzy feeling at knowing they cared for her.
“Fuck you, asshole. You think I’m scared of you or your club?” Tanner’s belligerence sure wouldn’t earn him any points with these two.
Hook spoke to a struggling Tanner, his voice too low for Marcie to make out, but the tone of the conversation was clear. Hook was pissed and Tanner was the reason. The longer Hook spoke, the more color drained from Tanner’s face. She could only imagine the threats he issued.
Hook and Striker never knew, but she was well aware of the ass beating they’d issued the john that had accosted her when she was just ten. That was the start of them constantly looking out for her. It’d been one thing when she was a defenseless child with a grown man harassing her, but now, standing passively by and letting them handle her problems felt like taking the easy way out.
“Maybe I should say something.” She glanced up at Striker who still wore a smile like he was very much enjoying the show.
“Nah, Hook’s got this. He’ll be done in a minute.”
The urge to roll her eyes was hard to resist. She supposed they could just whip out their dicks and compare sizes. It would end this charade much faster. No doubt Hook’s would be bigger.
Tanner nodded and finally stopped struggling against Hook’s immovable hold. He glanced in her direction.
“Don’t look at her.” Hook’s voice was loud and clear this time. “Striker will call you a cab. Your car will be done tomorrow morning and you’ll leave town. Marcie isn’t your concern anymore. Understand?”
Silence followed, probably only for five seconds but it might as well have been an eternity.
“Hey, buddy, you stupid enough to ignore the man’s question?” Striker called.
Tanner looked at Hook and winced. Whatever he saw in the other man’s eyes did the trick. “Understood.”
Well, this afternoon certainly solidified her decision to buy a plane ticket home. Marcie held her breath as they waited for Tanner’s answer. Silence stretched for long seconds. Could he really be stupid enough to defy Hook?
Tanner glanced at Marcie again. “She’s a cold bitch anyway.”
Striker grunted. “Fool,” he muttered.
“I told you not to look at her. What makes you think I’m okay with you insulting her?” Hook’s open palm cracked against Tanner’s cheek and Marcie winced along with her ex.
Okay, enough was enough. “Hook! Just let him leave.” She hardened her voice and tried to sound as stern as possible.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. Don’t like how he keeps looking at you.” Without releasing Tanner, Hook glanced her way, his eyes sparkling. “You sure I can’t mess him up a little?”
This time she didn’t bother to suppress the eye-roll. “I just want him to leave.” She stepped forward, shrugging off Striker’s arm and planted her hands on her hips. “Now.”
Hook took two steps back, his forearm dropping to his side. Tanner sucked in strong gulps of air as though the pressure from Hook’s hold had prevented his lungs from filling with oxygen.
“I’ll be more than happy to escort our guest out and wait for his cab,” Striker said as he stepped around Marcie and made his way to Tanner. “After you.” With a flourish, he gestured toward the house.
Marcie didn’t bother to watch Tanner scamper into the house. Her attention turned to Hook, who had returned to the grill. With a long pair of tongs, he removed the juicy steaks and potatoes from the heat. His posture was rigid, muscles bunched and tense, movements jerky. Only the rapid rise and fall of his back as he breathed let on that he was struggling to gather control.
Well that was just too damn bad. She had some things to say.
She let out a heavy sigh and walked with soft steps until she stood directly behind him. “Hook?”
“He won’t bother you again, Marce.” He remained focused on his task.
“Please turn around.”
With a grunt, he closed the lid and faced her.
“Listen, Hook, I appreciate that you are willing to look out for me and help me, but I’ve been taking care of myself for quite some time. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
His face darkened and his eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh really?” He waved a hand toward the door. “That was you taking care of things? Cuz it looked to me like the asshole put marks on your arm, then railroaded you and refused to leave you alone. But if I’m off base here, please feel free to correct me.”
Oh, hell no, she’d just shed one jackass. No way was she going to acquire another. She stepped forward and jammed a finger into Hook’s hard chest. Unfortunately, the feel of his muscles under the sensitive pad of her finger did more to distract her than get her point across. “Look, buddy, if I’m in over my head, I’ll ask for help. I’m not stupid. All I’m saying is that I don’t need you to play knight in shining armor. I’m not the same scared little girl I was when I left here. I’m actually fairly strong.”
She let her hand drop. Touching him made her feel weak, needy. And in this moment, it was vital that he understand where she was coming from. Imperative that he understood her need for independence and self-reliance. She would not be the girl he knew ten years ago.
He grasped her face between his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. The brush of his lips was sweet, tender, but no less potent than the kisses he’d given her at the garage. She wanted to melt into him, forget all about standing on her own and let him take over. But she wouldn’t, she couldn’t. That girl had grown up and just didn’t exist anymore.
Digging deep, she found the strength to break out of his embrace. Her mouth tingled and her mind spun, but she held her ground. “I need to know that you hear what I’m saying. That you’ll let me handle my own life.”
Oh gosh. That statement implied he’d have the chance to take over her life. That she planned to be a major player in his. What was she thinking phrasing it like that? She couldn’t read him. His eyes swirled with powerful emotion, but she had no idea what it meant.
“Never once did I think you were weak, babe. Not then and not now.” At least he ignored her other comment.
“Thanks,” she whispered. But she knew the truth. She remembered the constant fear, the helplessness, and inability to care for herself as a kid. They’d just have to agree to disagree on that one.
“I hear Striker coming back. Let’s eat. You must be starved.” He retrieved the platter piled high with thick steaks.
Damn it looked good.
“I’m starved,” she said. And she was. Starved for dinner, among other things.