Page 5 of Sprite

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I’ve heard a rumor that you’re going home with Chains tonight,” he said. “I know we don’t have any rules about dating the guys, but I thought that you had a personal rule that you’d never go out with a Royal Bastard because it was too messy.” Savage was right—she was technically breaking her own rule except she wasn’t dating Chains.

“I’m not going out on a date with Chains. I’m going to stay with him for a little while so I can stop sleeping in my car. It won’t be forever, but I think that it was kind of him to offer to let me stay with him,” she said.

“There is nothing kind about Chains, Sprite,” Savage growled. “I’d bet money on him having an ulterior motive and I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” Sprite went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “What was that for?” he asked.

“That was for looking out for me and caring enough to warn me, but I’ll be fine, Savage. Promise,” she said. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest—something that used to scare the hell out of her, but not anymore. Savage was one of the nicest people she ever knew unless someone tried to hurt one of his friends or loved ones. She wondered what category she’d fall into, but was too afraid to ask.

“You know, you can always stay with Dallas, Bowie, and me,” he offered. Savage and his wife and husband had about a dozen kids and staying at his place sounded like her worst nightmare. Sprite didn’t really like kids, and she had a feeling that she’d be surrounded by them if she took him up on his offer.

“I appreciate the offer, Savage, but I’m going to stick with my plans to stay with Chains,” she said.

Savage chuckled, “I guess it would be quieter over at Chains’ place,” he said.

“Um, yeah,” she agreed, “I’m sorry but kids scare the hell out of me if I’m being completely honest.”

“Hey, they aren’t that bad,” Savage insisted.

“I’m not saying that they aren’t,” Sprite defended. “I just don’t like kids in general.”

“I’m just giving you a hard time,” he said. “Listen,” he breathed, “if you need me for anything, all you have to do is yell. I just wanted you to know that you have other options.”

Sprite nodded and turned to go back out to the bar. She was sure that the guys waiting for beers were probably getting pretty antsy. She turned back to look at Savage one last time. “I appreciate you saying that. And thank you for caring enough to ask me what my plans are. I really don’t have many friends; my mother is my only family, and she’s kind of written me off after my run-in with her boyfriend. My mom told me that he had left her, but I drove by the trailer on my way into work, just to checkon her, and his truck was parked outside again. I guess he’s back,” she whispered that last part.

“Yeah, I heard about that too,” Savage admitted. “You need me and a couple of the guys to go over to your mom’s place and beat the shit out of her boyfriend?” That wouldn’t solve anything except making Sprite feel better seeing the asshole get what he deserved.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Sprite admitted. “You see, if her boyfriend gets mad enough, I’m afraid that he’ll go after my mother and do what he did to me. I don’t want that to happen, so don’t send the guys over to her place just yet.”

“I get that,” Savage assured, “but, if you change your mind, just let me know. A few of the guys in the club owe me favors.” Sprite nodded and went back to work, hoping that Savage would get the hint that she was done talking about her messy life. She needed to get her head on straight because in just two short hours, she’d be going home with Chains and while her girl parts were telling her to jump the guy, her brain was being reasonable and telling her to follow her self-imposed rules because dating a Royal Bastard was a bad idea.

Sprite hung back behind the bar until closing, trying to keep to herself. Honestly, she was rethinking her decision to go home with Chains, and trying to figure out a way to get out of it.

“I’m looking for my girlfriend’s little bitch of a daughter,” a man slurred from the front door. She knew exactly who it was before she even looked over at him.

“Shit,” Sprite grumbled.

“Can I help you?” Chains asked, stepping between her and Jake.

“I just told you, asshole, I’m her mother’s boyfriend and my woman’s worried sick about her kid.” Sprite had a feeling that her mother wasn’t even giving her a second thought since she helped her load all her belongings into her car and told her to leave.

“Well, you and I have some unfinished business,” Chains insisted. Savage and his husband, Bowie flanked Chains’ sides and the three of them together made a gruesome sight. She had to give it to Jake—he didn’t back down. He was probably too drunk or just too stupid to know any better, but he took a step toward the three of them as if daring them to do their worst.

“Go ahead, talk,” he growled. He swayed back and forth a bit, telling Sprite that he most likely went on a bender before driving himself to the bar. She hated to break it to him, but there was no way that the guys would ever let Jake drive himself home. The one thing that the guys in the Royal Bastards hated most was drunk driving. They would take his truck keys away from him and send Jake on his way to walk home. Maybe by the time he got back to the trailer park, the sun would be coming up and he’d be sober.

“Sprite told me that you put your hands on her—she has the bruises to prove it,” Chains shouted. He looked mad enough to tear Jake apart, not that he was bright enough to see the danger that he was in.

“She’s a fucking liar,” Jake spat, he looked around Chains to where she was watching them. “Tell them that you lied about me touching you,” he shouted across the bar. “You know how upset your mom gets when I get angry,” he said, hinting that he’d do the same thing to her mother that he did to her. He liked to use women as punching bags and he wouldn’t care who it was—Sprite, her mother, or any other woman that was in his way.

“Don’t you fucking talk to her,” Chains growled. He grabbed fistfuls of Jake’s dirty t-shirt and shoved him back against thewall before he even knew what was happening. “You don’t ever talk to Sprite again.”

“Oh yeah?” Jake taunted “Who’s going to stop me? You won’t always be around to take up for that little slut.” Chains punched Jake in the nose, and he yowled in pain as blood trickled down his face and hands. “You broke my fucking nose,” he shouted at Chains.

“Don’t you talk about Sprite that way,” he yelled. “If you lay one finger on her, I’ll do more than break your mother fucking nose. I’ll fucking kill you,” he said. Sprite’s gasp filled the bar and Savage stepped in before things got worse.

“Stand down, man,” he said to Chains. “This asshole isn’t worth our time.” Savage took a step closer to Jake and Sprite worried that he wasn’t going to take his own advice. “Chains is right though, if you hurt Sprite or her mother again, you’ll have to answer to me. I’m the one who will stop you, and you won’t even know what hit you.” Sprite knew that Savage was in the Army, and right now, he certainly looked the part. She believed him when he said that he’d take care of Jake, and he wouldn’t even see it coming. But her mother’s boyfriend looked as though he still had doubts—idiot.

“You haven’t seen the last of me, bitch,” he shouted. As Bowies and Savage showed him, not so politely, out the door. Chains crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, with no hesitation and not asking permission. He just wrapped his arms around her, and damn if she didn’t feel safe. It had been a long time since anyone held her the way that he was. He was almost being gentle and even sweet with her, and those were two words that she’d never use to describe Chains.

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