Page 69 of Demon
Several nodded as she spoke, as if they understood what it was like for a woman trying to prove herself, and be respected, in a male dominated field.
“Anyway, last week, Dad gave me a big skip, that’s someone we paid the bail on, but they didn’t show up for their court date.Anyway, when he gave me this big skip, he assigned one of the men to ‘help’ me.”She made air quotes with her fingers as she said help.“Jack is an ass.He treated my like a stupid child and I can’t decide if it’s because that’s how he actually sees me or if he’s just following my father’s lead.Either way, I had to deal with him.I started doing research, found Demon, and started following him.It wasn’t until I confronted him outside a convenience store, and he told me, that I figured out I was following the wrong man.My skip is Demon’s cousin.”Ronnie shook her head, remembering how stupid she’d felt.
“Demon has family in town?”London asked.
Ronnie nodded.“He grew up around here.Anyway, my brother shows up, he works back east.”She didn’t tell them her brother worked for the DEA.She didn’t know how they might take it or how it might make them feel about her.“He told me he had found out about someone out to hurt me.Next thing I know, Demon is knocking on my front door.He and my brother talk, and now I’m here.It seems like Dad is mixed up with someone, I don’t know the details, but he is either using them to get rid of a pain in his ass or is using that pain in his ass to pay them off and get them off his back.”She didn’t want to say exactly who her father was mixed up with.She didn’t know if these women knew about them or where the y would stand.Plus, who liked airing their families dirty laundry to strangers?
“Pain in the ass?”Dana frowned.
“Me.”
Dana’s eyes went wide, and she stared at Ronnie for a moment before apologizing and looking away.Ronnie waved one hand in dismissal, she didn’t blame her.She might have reacted the same if this were happening to anyone else.
“Your own dad?”Beth whispered.
Ronnie nodded.“So my brother and Demon have been working together to make sure no one has a chance to get to me.Demon said someone here has a connection to the guys my dad all but sold me to, but I’m not sure who.”She shrugged.“I know I’ve only known Demon a few days and it sounds crazy, but I trust him.Somehow, I know he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to me.”
Beth nodded.“I get it.These guys are a little rough around the edges and they might not follow the letter of the law all the time, but for the most part they follow the spirit of it.They do what they think is right, no matter what someone else might say.From what I’ve seen, once they give their word the only way they’ll break it is if they die trying.They hate seeing a woman being hurt and will step up to make sure it never happens again.Well, mostly.I don’t think they’d hesitate if whoever was at fault was a woman.If a woman was hurting someone they cared about or hurting a child, then they wouldn’t hesitate to step in and take care of that situation too.”
“Is he just keeping you safe, or is there more to it?”London asked, watching Ronnie.
Ronnie’s face heated.“I’m not sure.”
“You sleeping with him?”Dana asked.
Ronnie rolled her lips inward and bit them, her face growing even hotter.She looked away, trying to keep her thoughts off her face.She spotted the guy Demon had called Puck behind the bar.Apparently, he’d seen her glance his way and thought she was looking for him because he dropped the towel he’d been using to dry glasses and headed their way.
“Can I get you ladies anything?Something more to drink?Anyone want something to eat?”
“I could use another drink,” Ronnie said.“But I don’t think food would be a good idea right now.”
“No problem, you want water, a soda or something stronger?”he asked.
“Stronger?Like alcohol?”
“What can I get you?”
She stared at him for a moment, her mind having gone blank.“Can I get a margarita?”
“Of course.Salt?”
“Yes.”
“Frozen or on the rocks?”
“On the rocks.”
Puck nodded.“Anyone else?”
“I’ll take one of those margaritas,” London said.“Add a splash of grenadine to mine.”
“I’ll have a Coke,” Dana put in.
“I’m good with water,” Beth said.
“No problem.I’ll be right back with those.”He turned and went back to the bar, leaving Ronnie hoping that the interruption had distracted the others enough that they would forget what they’d forget what they’d been talking about.
“I’m not sure it matters if she’s sleeping with him.From what I know, I think Demon has decided you’re the one for him.”London met her gaze.“Whether you stay or not will be up to you.No one in this club will force you to stay with someone you don’t want to be with, but if one of them claims you, the others will do everything they can to protect you and none of them will make a move on someone else’s woman.”
