Page 27 of Sparrow

Spittle dropped on her face as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. “No. Get off! You’re hurting me.”

“I don’t know how much clearer I have to be.” He ignored her demand. “You’re mine. I’m making it official in the eyes of the club today, and you’re going to wear my property patch and be a good little Ol’ Lady.”

“That’s not how it works,” she protested.

Moving both her hands to above her head, he joined them and held onto both wrists with one hand. His now free hand collared her throat and he squeezed. The pressure of his palm against her throat cut off air just as much as his fingers pressed into her jugular cut off blood flow.

Pressure built in her face immediately as her eyes bulged. Kicking her feet, she tried to knee him in the back. She struggled harder against him as he tilted his head and stared into her eyes with a stone-cold expression.

He’d kill her.

She couldn’t let him. She had to leave. Panic gripped her, pumping through her body. It gave her renewed strength and she doubled her squirming, wriggling efforts to get free of him.

“It’s how it fucking works for you,” he whispered before lowering his face and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Just when she got dizzy, he released her throat and her hands. Gasping for breath, Sparrow reflexively touched her neck with the tips of her fingers while she watched him crack his neck.

“You’re not going anywhere.” He pointed his index finger at her.

A rattling sound caught both of their attention. Looking around, the two of them spotted her phone dancing on the dresser. They shared a look before they both sprang for it.

Pipes was closer, so he got it and tapped the screen to read the message before her. She watched as his face darkened even further. She should run. She needed to run. Yet her feet were cemented to the floor.

He’s going to kill her.

Shifting his ire-filled stare to her, he peeled her phone out of the case, took it in both hands, and snapped it in half.

She took off, out of the bedroom and into the hall. The loud stomps of Pipes chasing her thundered behind her. She made it to the living room before his fingers curled around her arm and jerked her backward.

Taking hold of her with one hand, he pulled his fist back and the force of it slamming into the side of her head sent her sprawling to the floor at his feet. The pain rocketed through her face. Seeing spots, she curled up into a defensive ball when he crouched down beside her.

“You’remyproperty. Whoever that was, isnothing. Your world revolves aroundme.” He took her chin between his fingers and pulled her tear-stained face toward him. “Do youunderstandme?”

Chapter 17

Romeo

About to head into church. Meet me at the bar in an hour. I want to take you on a proper date.

Romeo had sent that text fifteen minutes ago, and she hadn’t responded. He’d never stared at his phone waiting for a woman to text him back before. As the son of the vice president of the local MC, women fell at his feet. He didn’t exactly chase them. Even the ones who weren’t directly linked to the club knew about it.

But Sparrow wasn’t just any woman.

Looking up from the cell, he spotted Dash eying him. Lifting his brows, his brother snickered. Romeo gave him the one-finger salute before tucking the phone into the pocket of his cut. She was probably sleeping off their night. She’d text back. If not, he was in town for a while. He’d find out why. Ghosting him wasn’t an option this time.

The new Ohio Chapter of Odin’s Fury slowly filed into church. The out of state members lined up along the wall, leaving the seats open for the local chapter. The presidents of the clubs stood behind Bowie in solidarity. Romeo had to switch gears from lovesick teenager to Romeo, Enforcer for Odin’s Fury, Montana Chapter. Taking a moment, he took a deep breath before he scanned the men as they entered for any signs of dissension in the ranks.

The changes coming down on these men were bound to breed animosity. That sort of thing could be cancer for a club as small as this chapter. That was why so many men stayed behind to make sure the transition went smooth. Bowie needed support and his brothers were going to give it to him.

The out of state men stood silent as Bowie reviewed all the club’s dealings and how things would or wouldn’t change. He spoke about accounts, and job duties. The dues would be the same, and their treasurer rattled off who owed what.

All the while, Romeo made note of anyone who seemed particularly fidgety. He came up with three names stitched on their leathers. Jackal, a man who had to be in his seventies, hadn’t stopped glaring at Monty since the moment he walked in the room. Old-timers were not ones for a change. Tut, who bore a striking resemblance to Jackal, wore an equally disturbed expression. If he recalled from the last visit, they were father and son, so the animosity made sense.

The one that stood out was the man who hadn’t stopped shaking his knee the entire time. Pipes. His knuckles were red, and he rubbed his fingers over them while Bowie spoke. The room was hot with so many men jammed into it, so the sweat could have been explained away. However, the pinpoint pupils and ashen skin were big clues to the fact that this man would most likely have a problem with stopping their drug dealing.

Just as Bowie was about to throw the gavel down and end the seemingly endless meeting, Pipes stood up. “Prez, I got business.”

Bowie nodded and placed the gavel down. All of Odin’s Fury turned to Pipes.

---