Page 17 of Marked By the Possessive Biker

I almost ask him what he is worried about, but I already know he’s not going to tell me. Instead, I try to find out what I can about the Exiled Guardians and if the rumors are true. “Tell me about your club.”

His hands tighten on the steering wheel, and he looks straight ahead. “What do you want to know?”

“I’m assuming there are things you can’t tell me about it.”

He nods. “Yeah, there’s some things I won’t be able to talk to you about.”

I blow out a breath. “Okay, tell me this. Do you do illegal things?”

When he doesn’t answer right away, I feel a knot form in my stomach. I want to be with Ben more than anything, but can I overlook what he and his club do? “Ben, I’m going to need you to tell me something good about the Exiled Guardians because I’m freaking out a little bit. I’ve heard rumors, but I don’t know what to believe and what not to believe.”

He pulls to the side of the road and puts the truck into park. “What have you heard?”

I lean the side of my head against the seat and look at him. “Well, I’ve heard that y’all help Walker and his mercenaries.”

He nods. “We do.”

“I’ve heard that you have saved women and children that were kidnapped and threatened.”

“We do.”

I start to breathe easier. “I heard you do drugs.”

He points at himself. “I don’t. I don’t know what all the other guys do, but we don’t sell drugs, if that’s what you mean.”

I nod. “Okay, and what about the rumor about your run-in with the Mafia? You killed?—”

He cuts me off. “Princess, like I said, there are things I can’t talk about. One of them is the fact that we do things that are illegal. Do we kill people for fun? Absolutely not. Do we kill people to save other people? Yes, sometimes that’s exactly what we have to do. These guys are my family, and I want you to go in there with an open mind and just, I don’t know, trust me.”

I don’t hesitate. “I do.”

He nods once, turns in his seat and shifts into drive. We arrive at the clubhouse in no time, and it’s not until we’re walking in that I start to get nervous. The men are looking at me curiously, but Ben doesn’t stop and introduce me to anyone. Hepulls me up to a stool at the bar and sets me down next to Alice, the woman that works at the shop. “Hey, Alice, do me a favor?”

She looks at me and then rolls her eyes at Ben. “We’re off the clock. I’m not babysitting.”

I turn away from Alice. “I don’t need someone to watch me.”

Ben smiles at me. “Alice likes to act like a badass, but trust me, she’s not going to let any of these guys mess with you.” He looks to Alice and just laughs. “Thanks, I need to talk to Pres.”

Alice’s whole face lights up, and she looks between Ben and me. I’m not sure what she’s smiling about, but it makes me feel a little less uneasy. She nods her head. “Fine. Make it quick.”

Ben laughs. “Why? You in a hurry? I know you’re waiting on Gunner.”

She flips him off. “I’m not waiting on anyone.”

“Right,” Ben says before kissing the side of my face and whispering in my ear, “I’ll be right back.”

I nod and try to seem unfazed by all this. When he disappears through the crowd, I turn to Alice. She points toward the bar. “You old enough to drink?”

Geez, how old does she think I am? “Yeah, I’m more than old enough.”

“What do you want?”

I have never let peer pressure bother me before, and I’m not going to now. “Nothing. I have to drive back to Jasper tonight.”

She doesn’t try to pressure me. I look around the club and try not to stare. There are people in the corner playing pool, people dancing across the room, and then a place set up like a living room with mismatched chairs and sofas, and the people there are all watching television.

I point at it. “Is that—?” No way. “Uh, is thatThe Big Idol?”

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