Page 47 of Skid
“Let’s go see what’s going on,” Sadie said, and we walked out the side door closest to the picnic pavilion.
The fence was closing as we sat down on top of one of the concrete tables, and we watched as a group of ladies, scantily dressed and wearing wobbly high heels, exited a vehicle. Sadie rolled her eyes and huffed as the women dispersed throughout the gathering of leather vested men.
“Just wonderful,” she muttered, and I glanced at her.
“What’s wrong?”
She placed her drink down before turning to me to explain. “Those are the girls who work at the Dog House, a bar the club owns a few miles from here. They come to the parties and usually try to cause trouble.”
“Trouble?” I asked, sipping the last of my drink and turning back to the party.
“Can I be honest?” she asked, to which I responded, “Please.”
“A few years ago, when Gunner and I were dating, he did something stupid, something nearly unforgivable, and the club girls were the catalyst. I don’t blame them, I blame him, but seeing them still pisses me off. I wish they didn’t come around so often, but at least I got them to leave the committed brothers alone. Now they skulk around the single brothers, looking for an old man.”
“Wow,” I remarked, and she hummed around a swallow of her drink.
Sitting under the pavilion, I caught a glimpse of Skid across the parking lot and smiled as he threw his head back in laughter. Guys were slapping him on the back, and he joked around with them as I sat with Sadie, taking it all in. The grills were going with more meat than I’d ever seen cooked before.
“Let me get you another drink,” Sadie remarked and took my glass. “I’ll be right back.”
Nodding, I turned back to people watch, feeling a little out of place. Dalton kept moving through the crowd, greeting different brothers. It was hard to keep track of him with all the different people, and I lost sight of him just before Sadie came back with my drink. Sitting next to me, she tapped her glass with mine and took a drink.
A minute later, she shook her head and looked at me. I could see the worry in her eyes, so I turned back to the crowd to see one of the women pressed against Dalton’s side, rubbing her hands across his chest as he talked with someone. Confused, I watched as he said something to the woman, and she laughed, throwing her head back in delight.
“Can I give you some advice? From someone who’s sat where you are?” I nodded, feeling sick to my stomach as she continued. “If I were you, I’d stake my claim before my stupid brother does something even stupider.”
“Stake my claim?” I asked, and she turned to fully face me.
“Go out there and show that bitch who Skid belongs to,” she explained.
“Won’t that cause a problem? I don’t want to embarrass him.” She giggled, leaning closer.
“I guarantee my brother won’t be able to keep his hands off you if you go and tell that bitch what’s what. Look at your shirt. He asked Needles to come by and grab it this morning so everyone would know he was claiming you. Go out there and claim him. Show him you won’t take that kind of shit. If you don’t put your foot down now, they will keep coming back until they drive you away.” She knocked her shoulder into mine and said, “Trust me.”
Gunner walked up and sat next to Sadie, taking in the scene in front of us. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as I watched Dalton step away from the half-naked blonde, only to have her push closer to him as he talked to someone next to him.
“I told her to go stake her claim, but I don’t think she believes me,” Sadie remarked to Gunner, and he leaned forward, catching my gaze.
“She’s right, darlin’. Those women can be aggressive to the point of annoying. Skid made sure we told everyone you were with him, but I don’t think he realizes how that looks to everyone.” He pointed to the woman rubbing against Dalton’s side, only for him to shift, putting space between them. “He’s trying to be a nice guy and not shove her away, even though he should. You need to go set her straight. I promise, Skid won’t be angry or embarrassed.”
Inhaling deeply, I cracked my neck and finished my drink, needing the courage to do what I was about to do. I prayed Sadie was right and I wasn’t about to make a fool of myself as I hopped down from the table.
“Go get him,” Sadie urged as she and Gunner watched me walk through the crowd of Death Hounds. The large, leather vested men glanced at me and stepped to the side, somehow knowing where I was going.
Stepping closer to Dalton, I could hear the woman trying to be sexy with him as he talked to another man standing with them. Letting anger fuel me, which may have been a mistake, I walked closer to Dalton. Standing behind him with my arms crossed over my chest, I tilted my head and watched the desperate woman make her advances. She looked behind Dalton and smirked before rubbing her hand back up his chest, and that was it for me.
I could feel the presence of people behind me, but I focused on Dalton and the skanky woman rubbing her nastiness on him. Giving her a saccharine sweet smile, I spoke clearly, leaving no mistake in my warning. Until he said otherwise, Dalton belonged to me.
“Either take your hand off my man, or I swear I’ll break it off and beat you with it,” I menacingly stated, and Dalton turned around to see me standing behind him.
“Grace, baby. What’s wrong?” he asked, his blue eyes filled with worry as he stepped up to me.
The woman whined, “But, Skid, you promised to take me for a ride again.”
She reached out for him, and I slapped her hand away before stepping in front of him. Her eyes grew wide, and she moved to me, trying to use her height to intimidate me. Dalton was behind me, and he placed his hand on my lower back, giving me assurance as the skank squealed.
“Who do you think you are, bitch? I don’t see his cut on you, so you have no claim.” Her words pissed me off, and I tilted my head to the side, sizing her up.
