Page 80 of Avenging Devil: Part 1

I realise no one’s checking me out. No one’s leering or eyeing me up like a lamb to the slaughter. They’re all being respectful. They’re teasing each other good-naturedly without the use of fists to settle scores, and no one’s trying to be top dog. To top it all, Niran’s not claimed me.

Maybe Satan’s Devils are different?

But still, I don’t dare speak. I know a woman’s place in a clubhouse. I only do so when Niran asks a question of me directly.Hungry?Hell no. The loss of my baby coupled with the fear of what I’ve stepped into trumps any desire to eat. But when Niran tugs at my hand, I go with him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Niran

Saffie’s here. In my house.

Only an hour earlier I’d been minding my own business, not daring to hope Prez’s old lady would be able to persuade her to face her greatest fear. I still can’t believe it.

“Patsy’s fuckin’ worked her magic.” Grumbler approached me, locked thumbs and pulled me in for a man hug.

My eyes went wide. Well I’ll be fucked if I was interpreting his words correctly. “Saffie’s coming to the compound?”

The sergeant-at-arms grinned. “Should be arriving any moment now.”

Hell, I hadn’t expected that. It was great fucking news. Hastily, I looked around, seeing the place as if through her eyes. There weren’t too many brothers around as most were at their jobs or had gone for a ride. Salem was here, obviously having just come over from the adjacent hangar. He still wore his paint-stained overalls which showed his desperation for an after-work beer. They actually softened the appearance of the tall, rugged and often vicious-looking enforcer. His sidekick, Pennywise, was already seated on one of the sofas, his head rested back, and eyes closed. Relaxed, he looked deceptively harmless, but I knew within one second, he could leap into action mysteriously armed to the teeth.

Bones was here too, sniffing loudly as normal, and deep in conversation with Kink. Apart from Reboot, and one of the prospects, that was all the men who were around.

Shaking my head, I pondered, I’d never looked at my brothers in terms of how threatening they appeared before. Features that appealed to me, in that they’re the men who I trusted to have my back, would be off-putting to Saffie. Did we resemble who she was running from? We’re bikers, we wear cuts. Wincing slightly, I suspected there were far too many similarities, and hoped that she wouldn’t appear, just to turn tail and flee.

As if I was expecting an important guest, I ran through, other than the men, who else was in the clubhouse. Patsy, obviously, was out. Mary was resting at home. Eva was in the kitchen organising the rest of the sweet butts and they had dinner under control. Enticing aromas were already filling the clubroom, which should be a plus. On the negative side, none of the club girls seemed to own presentable clothes. I’ve gotten used to the way they’re attired, but to Saffie, it would scream that they were here for only one reason. Could I get them to go? Nah, the rest of the brothers would kill me if I turned them out. Apart from the obvious, the prospects couldn’t cook for shit, and that would be who we’d be left with. Cyn, I noticed, wasn’t in sight. Still, my sister wouldn’t come as any surprise to Saffie, we’d talked about her a lot. Except, perhaps, for the fact she was still here.

Anxious, just like a man anticipating a visit from his girlfriend’s fussy parents, I eyed the clubhouse in ways I wouldn’t normally, noticing the rings on the tables, and was that dust I saw on the shelf?

My inspection came to an abrupt end when the clubroom door opened. Expectantly, I’d swung around, and swallowed my disappointment when I saw who was entering. It was the VP with Alex, his adopted son, Tyler, and their daughter, Isla in tow. Tyler scanned the room as though he was much older than his nine years, spied Pennywise, and ignoring that the man was clearly resting, ran over and launched himself, landing next to him on the couch making the piece of furniture bounce.

Pennywise startled, pivoted, then seeing the boy, put away his knife that had magically appeared like a magician’s rabbit out of a hat, and proceeded to tackle and tickle him.

Isla, hating to be left out, tore her hand out of that of her father’s and toddled over to her brother as fast as her little legs would go. Unfortunately, the momentum of her drunken stagger had her falling straight into the leg of a table. Bouncing off, she crashed to the floor, and let out an ear-piercing wail.

As did a number of others, I took a step forward, but Alex was already making a beeline for her. Salem was there first. Crouching down, he righted her, then teased, “What’s all this fuss about?”

At that moment, there was a gasp from behind me. Turning fast, I saw Saffie standing in the doorway with Patsy just behind her. As though she was a magnet, I couldn’t draw my eyes from her. Wincing, I noticed her face was as pale as I’d ever seen it, apart from the flush on her cheeks. Her hand was over her heart, and the way her chest was heaving, she was hyperventilating. She was terrified, I realised, then following her line of sight, realised it wasn’t just on her behalf. She was staring at the screaming child, her eyes flicking between Isla and the big biker looming over her, and her hand covered her mouth.

Oh fuck no. She was going to turn and run.

She wasn’t to know we all had a fuckin’ soft spot for that child and would do nothing to harm her. And as Salem comforted the sobbing child, Saffie’s fear was partly replaced by surprise.

I made every move with care as I approached and started to introduce her to my brothers, touching her hand as though it was made of fragile glass. I felt I was taming a wild animal which could spook at any moment.

She was quiet, I noted, not speaking even when spoken to which made me wonder about the Crazy Wolves, and what her relationship had been with their members. Were any of them her friends or on her side? Probably not, if they’d condoned the treatment Duke had doled out. When Snips asked a direct question of her, I took it on myself to answer on her behalf.

It’s still hard to process, but she’s here. In my domain. By my side. And I’m going to do everything I can to keep her that way, and vow to look after her. I’m impressed as fuck that she’d been able to set some of her fear aside.

“Dinner’s ready if any of you want it,” Eva calls out, then steps back to stop herself from being run over.

“You hungry?” I ask the woman at my side.

“Not particularly,” she replies, quietly.

“Well, I am. Come and keep me company. Hey, Grumbler!” I shout out as the sergeant-at-arms hurries off, “Save us a couple of seats, will you?”

His hand wave in the air is my answer. Tightening my fingers just a little, I pull her with me as we cross the clubroom. Hungry buggers they might be, but many of my brothers are hanging back, mindful of the need to not crowd her. I give them grateful chin lifts as I walk past.

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