Page 13 of Arrow: Riding Rebels MC

“Daddy told you that you had to be nice to me, and you’ve been everything but that. I’m gonna tell him about your mistreatment and how you invited an insider into our fold without consultation?—”

Arrow’s big stealthy ass jumped to his feet and got in her face.

Well, Izzy was only an inch or two taller than me, so it was mostly chest to face, but the point was Arrow had gotten in her face. Izzy tried to keep the fear off her face, but it was in her eyes, and that made me fear he’d hit her. If Arrow lifted one finger to Izzy, I’d join her in kicking his behind. There had been no one to protect me, and I wouldn’t allow the next woman to experience what I did.

I jumped when he clasped his hands in a prayer motion.

“If yo’ pops told you that’s what he told me, then he lied to you. I told your father that as long as you stayed out of my way, then we’d be good. I don’t owe you nothing. I deal with you because you’re here. Nothing more and no less. All that you do to get my attention back on you makes you look weird. Like I’ve said from the very beginning… I do not want you. There is literally nothing that you can do that would change my mind. Your existence has no bearing on how my life operates. Go tell your father you’re harassing me and see what he says. Your position may be permanent because of who your father is, but by no means do you have some type of leverage over me. Leave me alone.”

The entire time Arrow talked, I prayed for the couch to swallow me because he held nothing back.

“Izzy, do you need to come here with me and your mother? You too damn old to be bothering that man when he told you to leave him alone now. I’m trying to enjoy my vacation but can’t because you want to be a high schooler! Leave the damn man alone.”

Arrow and Izzy looked behind the couch toward the voice, and at the sound of it, he relaxed, but she tensed up. Just from their reactions, I could tell whoever was speaking was her father.One of the guys must have called him, and that made me even more embarrassed for her.

Arrow sat down on the couch a lot more gingerly than he did the first time.

“I won’t say it again. The next time, it’ll only be action,” he said through clenched teeth.

Izzy left the living room without another word.

I wanted to ask Arrow what happened that made him so mean to her, but I didn’t want him to think I was more invested than I was. Soon enough, I’d be long gone, and whatever they did would no longer matter. Silence filled the space as the television played some fight that had the rest of the guys in an uproar. Arrow was mean to Izzy, but his tight jaw and that vein in the middle of his forehead told the story of just how disturbed she had him. I wanted to comfort him, but in the same breath, I knew I couldn’t.

We couldn’t cross that invisible line, because I wasn’t here to stay.

I could feelCharlie’s eyes on me, but I refused to give her any attention because I didn’t do that soft shit.

Izzy was famous for embarrassing herself, but this time, she had crossed the line. My blood was boiling, and having Charlie witness Izzy’s meltdown only added fuel to the fire. Charlie’s presence had Izzy in her feelings, and I couldn’t understand why.

Charlie and Hendrix’s arrival caused us to speak more than we had in the last few months.

“Come take a walk with me.”

I stood up, turned, and held out my hand to Charlie.

“A walk where?” Her brows dipped, and I bit my lip so I wouldn’t smile.

“Outside. Now come on.”

Charlie looked at my hand for a long while, then placed her hand in mine.

When she was on her feet, she tried to snatch it back, but I held on. I led her to the door, but she pulled back again, and I stopped walking to look down at her. Charlie’s eyes were on Boss and Hendrix, and I nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at me. I pulled my cell phone from my jacket pocket and FaceTimed my brother.

He looked at his phone, then looked up, so I raised my hand.

“What you callin’ me for?”

Charlie looked at me and rolled her eyes.

“Charlie and I are about to walk around the block. She knows Hendrix is good with us. She just wanted to have an excuse why she couldn’t join me, and I eliminated it.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” She huffed.

I shrugged and tugged her toward the door.

Several of the guys looked but tried to act like they were busy. Charlie squeezed my hand like she was hurting me and that time, I couldn’t keep my laugh to myself. Her only response was to suck her teeth. When we were outside, I stopped right at the entrance and stared into her eyes. She smoothed a piece of her hair behind her ear and looked to the left.

I gripped her chin and brought her face back toward me.

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