Page 19 of Hatter

“Underland above all,” he replied.

“Underland above all,” I echoed, feeling the weight of the words settle in my chest like an anchor. Protect the club. Protect Jo.

Let the traitor come. We would be ready.

“Watch your back,” I muttered, low enough so only he could catch it.

“Always do.” There’s a shadow of a smile there, not quite reaching his eyes. Cheshire’s hand fell to his side, and his fingers brushed against the leather of his cut as if feeling for something. Reassurance, maybe.

“Be careful,” I added, the warning clear in my tone.

“Careful’s my middle name, Hatter.”

That got a half-grin out of me. Bullshit, but comforting all the same. He stood, then left the room. If he and March couldn’t find the intel we needed, then no one would.

I forced myself to turn away, to scan the room. My gaze found her again, before I’d even realized I was looking for her. Jo.

She was with both Mock and Knave now. The smile on her face twisted something inside me. I wasn’t sure if it was jealousy over someone else making her feel so happy or worry that the two men who had her so relaxed could stab her in the back.

She spotted me, and once more I was caught watching her. She waved off Knave and Mock, then sauntered over. I saw a confidence in her step that hadn’t been there before. Although, I also caught a tightening in her expression that belied the pain she probably still felt. The woman had so many damn bruises.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Fine,” I said. “Just club stuff.”

“Club stuff,” she repeated, a playful lilt to her voice, but her gaze searched mine.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” I tried to smile, but it felt more like a snarl. Yeah, I didn’t want her to know there might be trouble here. “Let’s get you a drink, yeah?”

She nodded, still watching me with those keen eyes. I’d always been good at hiding my thoughts and fears. With Jo, it felt like she saw too much. Part of me wondered if she would actually be my salvation, or my downfall. Either way, I wanted to find out.

“Sounds good,” she finally said, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. I knew being here, amongst strangers, had to be scary for her. Learning to trust after everything she’d been through wouldn’t be easy. And I probably sounded like I was hiding shit from her. Well, I actually was, but…

“I’m not trying to be an asshole,” I said. “This club doesn’t have women, but the ones we know who do, there’s one rule the women follow.”

“Only one?” she asked, a smirk on her lips.

“All right. There’s quite a few, but there’s one in particular. When your man says it’s club business, it means back off.” I ran a hand down my face. “It’s not about you, or the thing with Eddie, all right? It’s stuff we had going on before we met you.”

“Not the best way to word it, but fine. I get it,” she said. “Never really been much of a drinker. Eddie allowed me some wine here and there, but nothing else.”

“Then let’s find out what you like,” I said, slinging my arm around her shoulders and leading her over to the bar. She might not be able to spread her wings a lot until I had her issue sorted, but this was a baby step in the right direction.

Chapter Seven

Jo

“Hey, Jo!” Rabbit yelled from across the room, holding up a sketch of a wild-eyed hare. I grinned, my pencil hovering over my own drawing as I watched him proudly display his creation.

“Looks great, Rabbit!” I called back, feeling the warmth of camaraderie wash over me. It had been nearly a week since I had arrived at the Underland MC clubhouse, and I was slowly settling into life here, finding joy in simple things like drawing again. It had started with Rabbit angrily drawing something when he’d been upset. It had looked like a horrific monster to me. Since I could tell it was Rabbit’s way of dealing with crap, I hadn’t asked too many questions. Instead, I’d found a piece of paper and pencil, then drawn a picture as well.

Once the club realized I had some artistic ability, they’d surprised me with two sketch pads, a set of art pencils, and some pens for inking fine lines. It had been a long time since I’d done anything like this, but I’d been enjoying it. It was a part of myself I’d lost after meeting Eddie.

As I returned to my drawing, Hatter walked in, a package tucked under his arm. His presence filled the room, demanding attention without even trying. He caught my eye and sauntered over, placing the package on the table beside me.

“Thought you might like this,” he said gruffly, nodding toward the box. I looked down at it, curiosity piqued, and carefully tore off the brown paper.

Inside was a sleek tablet, perfect for reading e-books and continuing my newfound love for art. My eyes widened, and I glanced up at Hatter, who was watching me closely. “You didn’t have to do this.”

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