Page 48 of Daughters of Chaos

Whatever.I roll my eyes as I grab another customer's order, filling a glass with ice as I avoid his stare.

Over the next few hours, the MC clears out, surrendering their stools to other patrons. The only Sons left are the ones working the bar and Reaper, much to my dismay.

It's business as usual until a small group of men walks in wearing unmarked cuts. Jesse and Reaper take notice immediately, eyeing the men as they claim an open table. The biggest of the group orders beer for everyone as he leans his arms against the bar. He watches as I fill four mugs, looking away when he senses Reaper's deadly glare.

The man shakes his head, slapping a wad of cash on the bar as I line up the drinks. "Keep the change, sweetheart," he tells me, earning a growl from Reaper as Jesse moves closer to my side.

"Who are they?" I ask.

Jesse shakes his head. "Dunno. Never seen 'em before." He looks at Reaper, who's still clocking the group's everymovement. "They might not be anyone. Could just be a group of dudes who like to ride."

His words were a warning for Reaper not to do something rash. Luckily, the big lug listened, choosing to stare down the men until they left another round later.

"See," Jesse tells Reaper once they leave, "false alarm. No reason to stir shit up with the locals over a clean piece of leather."

Reaper growls back, "Walking into an MC establishment with an unmarked cut is asking for trouble."

"You think they could be working for Dom?" I cut in.

Jesse frowns. "I don't know. They could be. Or they could be a group of locals trying to look tough. Who knows? I told Viper and my dad about them. But since they're gone now and didn't actually do anything, all we can do is keep our eyes and ears open. If they come back, then we have reason to act."

I nod in agreement as Reaper scowls, training his eyes on the door. A heavy feeling sinks to the bottom of my stomach, refusing to let up as the rest of the shift passes without incident.

We haven't seen the men since they left, and nothing is out of the ordinary. There's no reason to be so on edge, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off. As the four of us make our way outside, locking up behind us, I finally feel that heavy cloud from earlier ease, but my relief is only temporary.

We head to where the guys are parked, and a loud noise catches our attention. The four men from earlier are back with a crazed look in their eyes. Without warning, they charge us from their hiding place across the street. Two of them go after Reaper, and the other two each take on Jesse and Archie.

Fists fly from every direction as mayhem unleashes. I back away, pulling out my phone to call for backup. Viper answers on the second ring, and I tell him what's happening as I watch thebrawl unfold. He says they're on their way, telling me to go back inside the bar until they get here, but my feet won't move.

All I can think about is the last MC fight I witnessed, the one that almost killed Tweak. That can't happen again. If these guys are with Dom, they won't think twice about fighting dirty, especially if it looks like they're about to lose.

Archie and Jesse are holding their own against their attackers. So is Reaper, with his multiple offenders. It won't be long before Viper arrives with help, but a lot can happen in the meantime. I watch as one of the guys going after Reaper stumbles backward. He sneers as his hand disappears under his cut, reaching for a weapon.

Not again!

Before I know what's happening, my feet are careening forward as I leap onto the fucker's back. It takes him by surprise, making him drop whatever he was reaching for. With a curse, he flails, trying to throw me off him. I lock my legs around him as I throw punch after punch, elbow after elbow, into the guy's face. He finally manages to get me off his back, tossing me to the ground before lumbering toward me.

Scrambling to my feet, I raise my fists, landing a solid punch square on his nose. He cries out as it breaks under my fist. Again and again, I swing at him, dodging his limbs as he fights against me. When he manages to get behind me and pull me into a chokehold, I toss my head back, cracking it hard against his face until his grip loosens.

"You'll pay for that, you fucking bitch!" he screams, lurching toward me once again. His steps falter with the sound of approaching motorcycles.

He and his friends scramble to their bikes, slipping away before any of us can grab them. Their taillights disappear as Viper and the MC pull up. He sends some of the guys to follow them, checking the rest of us for injuries.

Studying my bloody knuckles with a frown, he growls, "I told you to go back inside."

"Yeah, well, if I'd listened, Reaper would be bleeding like a stuck pig right now. That fucker was reaching for a weapon," I fire back.

"He could have fucking killed you!" he screams, making everyone turn our direction.

"But he didn't," I fume.

"Next time I tell you to do something, fucking do it!"

That strikes a nerve. "You have no right to tell me what to do!"

"I'm your father. I have every right!"

Years of pent-up frustration boil to the surface. "You haven't been my father for most of my life! You have no right!"

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