Page 26 of Protectors

“If you really have a girl, she doesn’t have to know we’re fucking behind her back,” Brittany says, her words making me tense because she’s no better than Liz and the other Phantom girls.

“Beckett!” I call out, watching as he rushes to my station. “Get her the fuck outta here. No one is to let her back in the shop for any reason. Brittany, it’s time you find someone else to play your fuckin’ games with.”

“What? You can’t do that! I scheduled an appointment with you and it’s time for you to make sure I get my tattoo done,” she says as if she has any right to dictate what happens in this shop.

“I can do that and I am. I’ve told you that I’m with someone and your response is that she doesn’t have to know I’m fuckin’ you. You are not anyone I would fuck or look at for any reason. Suggestin’ I forget about my girl because she’s not here shows your true personality and it’s not anythin’ I want in my life for any reason. We all know the only reason you book appointments with me is because you think you can wear me down and I’ll eventually give in to you. I don’t need, or want, your money from some stupid ass tattoo that has no significant meanin’ to you,” I growl, my anger getting the best of me as Beckett finally manages to pull her away from my station and I give Crab a look before disappearing out the back door of the shop so I can calm down.

I pace the parking lot right behind the door and try to take deep, calming breaths with no success in calming down. Even when my phone rings, I’m not calm and almost don’t bother looking at the screen so I can ignore the call. If it’s important, whoever’s calling me will either call the shop phone or Crab and he’ll get me. Closing my eyes, I pull out my phone and see Cage’s name on my screen.

“Hey, Cage,” I answer the phone, anger lacing my voice.

“What’s wrong?” he immediately questions me, his voice letting me know he’s on high alert.

“Dealin’ with a skank in the shop who told me it’s okay to fuck her behind Alana’s back because no one has to know,” I answer him honestly because I’m not about to lie to one of the men who is my woman’s world. Not to mention a man I respect.

“The fuck?” he growls, his level of anger matching mine.

“Yeah. She’s been comin’ in here for a while and I’ve told her each time I’m not gonna fuck her. Told her today I’m with someone and that was her response. I just banned her from the shop when I told her to lower her shirt a little and she exposed her tit to me. Alana’s not gonna have to deal with a bitch like her who I know will be petty and try to make my girl believe shit that’s not true,” I say, continuing to pace as the sun beats down on me even though the air is colder than I’d like it to be since I’m only in a tee-shirt and my cut.

“Fuckin’ skank! Glad you shut that shit down. How is Alana doin’?”

“Okay. She put one of the Phantom girls in her place last night. Claimed Geek and me before beatin’ the shit out of her. Didn’t use her hand that’s still in the cast, but still managed to do a lot of damage to the bitch,” I tell Cage, laughter filling my voice when I picture what happened last night.

“That’s my girl,” Cage responds, pride lacing his tone as he starts to laugh. “My girl isn’t gonna let anyone make her believe she can walk in and take her men away. Other than that how’s she doin’?”

“She’s still havin’ nightmares about Terrence. It’s not every night. I can tell it’s on the days when she’s been really stressed out or lost in her head about the attack. That’s when the nightmares take place. Geek and I are really good at wakin’ her up from them after goin’ through the first one with her. We can get her calmed down pretty quick now and we stay up with her until she can finally manage to go back to sleep,” I tell him honestly because he needs to know the truth of his daughter’s situation.

“Fuck! Alana is so fuckin’ strong and I know this is gonna be weighin’ heavily on her,” he says, his voice letting me know how hurt he is because this isn’t something he can fix for his daughter.

“She, um, she finally looked at herself in the mirror a few days ago. I’ve never seen her break down the way she did. Alana tried to internalize what she was feelin’, but I could see the pain fillin’ her eyes as she cried. She sees the marks he left behind as ugly and thinks that it will make Geek and I change the way we feel about her. It won’t. That day, Doc came in and took the stitches out from the stab wound and then where she had the surgery. She only has a bandage on those areas now. In a few days we’ll have to take her to his office so he can see if the cast can come off yet. When it does, she’ll have to wear a brace for a while. I have a feelin’ she’ll have to have physical therapy as well. Doc hasn’t mentioned that yet,” I tell him honestly once again because this is all part of what’s going on with Alana and he has the right to know without going to her and dragging it all up to the forefront of her mind.

“We’ll be there soon with her stuff. Gonna talk to Vault about spendin’ some time there because we need to be there for our girl and she needs us there with her. Did she have a good time in Cedar Bay with Haley?”

“Yeah. We had fun. The other thing that’s an issue for her right now is leavin’ the compound. She doesn’t feel safe when we leave there and we have to keep her distracted so she doesn’t have a panic attack. It’s a big thing for her and that’s why she’s only been at the shop one day since she got here. I’m not gonna push her to work if she can’t handle bein’ here. Alana will take that step when it’s the right time. And if she wants to try, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure she’s safe and can leave the second she needs to,” I say as Crab makes his way out to make sure I’m okay.

“The whole reason I’m callin’ today is because we still have no fuckin’ leads on Terrence. No matter how many favors we call in or where we go for help, no one’s seen him. There isn’t a day that goes by where we aren’t out scourin’ every inch of Clifton Falls and the surroundin’ area. The Phantom Bastards have been helpin’. Gage’s club is out every fuckin’ day with us. Caleb has been here with us and goin’ out with Brandon and Kyle. Some of the guys from Cedar Bay have come home to help the search. We’ve got Jameson’s club searchin’ their town and the surroundin’ area as well. No one has any fuckin’ clue where he’s gone,” Cage informs me, his voice low and lethal in the way only he can make it after years of practice and because this is about one of his daughters. Cage isn’t fucking around and I can’t blame him at all.

“What about Satan’s Anarchy? Has Slim or anyone reached out to them?” I ask, thinking of another club we grew up with.

“Slim reached out. Renegade has his guys out lookin’ too. Everyone we know and their allies are doin’ everythin’ in their power to help us find this fucker.”

“Okay. I’ll get with Vault and start havin’ guys out searchin’ more around Pine View for him. We’ve been keepin’ an eye out when we’re around town and shit. It’s time to step this shit up. The sooner we find him, the better everythin’ will be for Alana,” I state, typing out a message to Vault that I need to talk to him when I get back to the clubhouse.

“Good. I’ll call Alana later and talk to her. Find out how she likes the counselor she’s been seein’. When we get any kind of update on the situation, I’ll give you a call and let you know,” Cage promises before hanging up.

Sliding my phone back in my pocket, I turn to face Crab and let him silently know I’m good before we head back in the shop. I clean my station and see Beckett with his next client. He’s talking while working and I tune him out while I clean everything up and make a note by the computer that Brittany is no longer welcome in the shop. Alana needs to know in case she answers the phone and it’s Brittany. I have no doubt she’ll try to pull a fast one when she wants to play some other angle with me. This isn’t over with her and if she hurts Alana, I won’t be responsible for what I do in response.

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