Page 10 of Trident: Mayhem Makers

After pulling up my jeans and carefully zipping them closed over my aching dick, I grabbed the scraps of her underwear and shoved them into my pocket. Wasn’t gonna leave that behind. Shrugging into my cut, I put my jewelry on and tucked my phone and wallet away. Then I was out in the hallway, glancing left and right while I stroked a hand over my beard. Where would my little runaway be hiding? Her ride was a sweet black Harley Davidson Softail Breakout 114. I’d heard how loud that little beast could roar, and knew full well I’d have woken up, along with most of the others staying here, if she’d even tried to start it, let alone if she’d taken off on it.

With a sigh I headed toward the stairs. I couldn’t go knocking on doors to find her. Last thing I needed this morning was Taz, or any of the other Charon brothers, up in my grill about my intentions or some other shit. What was between meand Jacie was just that: between me and her. Once on the ground floor, it didn’t take long to scan over everyone who’d crashed in the main room. It was nothing unusual to have folks sleeping all over the place after a big party. Some of the snoring men had club girls draped over them, while a couple were awake and putting their women to good use. Doing what I’d wanted to do to Jacie when I’d woken up earlier.

Lucky bastards.

As I passed the table where all of us SCMC brothers had dropped our shirts after we’d gotten in yesterday, I snatched mine and tucked one end into my back pocket as I continued on my way. A quick pass down the hallway that led to the club’s offices, where I’d found her last night, turned up nothing but silence and empty or locked rooms. Next I headed to the kitchen, where I found Stone sitting at the big center table, nursing a coffee.

“Morning, Trident.” He ran his gaze over me. “Considering how early you disappeared last night, figured you’d be looking way more satisfied than you do this morning. You luck out or something?”

I ran a hand over my beard and gave it a tug as I contemplated how I should answer the man who wasn’t just a fellow SCMC member; he was also Flick’s biological brother. He raised an eyebrow my way.

“Cat got your tongue? If it helps, I was tailing Animal all day and night yesterday. Stayed in the hallway so none of youwould see me, but I saw how you played hero to my brother-in-law’s baby sis.”

Fucker already knew I’d spent the night with Jacie. Glaring his way, I was about to rip into him, but he cut me off before I could.

“So long as you don’t plan on hurtin’ her, I ain’t got a problem with you being with Jacie, but I will caution you to think it through before it gets serious. Animal’s got a helluva hard on for her, and if you start bringing her around the clubhouse, waving her under his nose, shit’ll get outta control fast.”

Keeping my expression neutral took some effort. Because him warning me like that fucking stung. We’d known each other for a long time, so for him to think for even a moment that I’d knowingly cause any female harm was bullshit.

“You know me better than that, Stone. I wouldn’t ever hurt any woman, especially not one I’ve claimed.”

This conversation was making my already bad mood worse by the second. Since I’d have to ride back to Cutler soon, I couldn’t self-medicate with alcohol. That left me with caffeine. Turning away from the table, I headed toward the row of pod machines to make myself the strongest coffee I could find.

“You already put her under your protection? Not sure that’s wise, Trident. Not only does that girl have fucking trouble from our club after her, she’s a wild one and loves her freedom about as much as any mustang I’ve ever seen. You think you’regonna be able to tame the untamable, brother? Because she’s been very fucking vocal about not wanting to be patched by anyone. Drives Taz up the damn wall that she won’t even accept a Charon Daughter of the Club cut.”

With a shake of my head, I removed my drink from the machine now that it was done and took a mouthful before I turned to face him and leaned against the bench.

“That woman is mine. I made it crystal fucking clear to her last night that I was claiming her. Made sure I got her consent before I had her screaming my name.”

He scoffed, humor lighting his eyes. “That so? Tell me, brother, was she not paying attention when you told her? Because you don’t fucking look like a man who’s just pinned down his old lady. Nor do I see her by your side this morning.”

Bastard had to call me out.

“Fuck off, Stone. She got spooked this morning, is all. Soon as I find my little runaway, I’ll set her straight. And Animal will back the fuck off now that I’ve claimed her. He knows better than to come after a brother’s woman, especially mine.”

Animal had tried to best me more than once in the past, and it had never ended well for him. Even before he fell into drugs, he kept thinking just because he was younger and an officer that meant he was the bigger man. He wasn’t. Only reason I wasn’t an officer was because I didn’t fucking want to be one. I was happy being an enforcer. And with his recent escalating drug use, I doubted he’d be an officer for much longer.The SCMC needed a treasurer who could think straight with a clear enough mind to fucking count.

I cleared my throat, “So, ah, speaking of her whereabouts. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her? Know where she’d be hiding?”

He laughed then, a dark chuckle that sounded strange coming from the man. He’d earned his road name because he’d been stone cold, never showing any emotion. At least, he had been until he and his sister reconnected a few years back. Since then he’d come out of his shell, slowly becoming more human. The changes took some getting used to.

“Haven’t seen her, man. But I doubt she’s left the clubhouse. That bike of hers would’ve woken near everyone in the clubhouse if she’d ridden out, and I doubt she’d try to walk home. It’s a bit of a hike from here, and if she had taken off on foot, she’d have sum’ explaining to do later to her brother about why she left without her ride.”

After taking another mouthful of coffee, I straightened and strode toward the door.

“I figured the same. She ain’t hiding in an empty office like she was last night either. Ain’t in here. Doubt she’d be out in the yard, but I’ll go check.”

Before I could make it out of the room, Stone called out again.

“Trident?”

“Yeah?”

He spoke as he stood, moving over to put his mug in thesink. “You know as well as I do, she’s most likely in one of the rooms upstairs, which means you’re shit outta luck. Because if you start knocking on doors, you’ll have the whole Charon MC on your ass in a heartbeat. Listen, she ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. Not only is she staying in Bridgewater to be near her brother and family, she’s working for the Charons now, too. She’s settled in well, but Taz has made it so no man is game to even look in her direction, so you got some time to lock her down.”

He gave me a friendly clap on the shoulder as he passed me then headed toward the main room while I went the other way, out into the rear yard. Once outside it didn’t take long to realize I was alone with nothing but some mess from the party that the prospects and club girls would no doubt clean up soon. Putting my mug down on the picnic table, I took off my cut, then grabbing my shirt from my pocket, put the thing on before I shrugged back into my colors.

Scanning the yard again, I shook my head. I knew Stone was right. My little runaway was being a coward and hiding in one of the upstairs rooms and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

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