Page 37 of Bully's Darkness
She turns in my arms, her hand sliding up to rest against my chest. Her fingers find the rhythm of my heart. “You smell like fire,” she murmurs. “You didn’t retaliate, did you?”
I close my eyes. “Sleep,” I whisper.
“You can change this place, Bully. It’s your chance to make it different. Safe.”
I don't answer. Deep down, part of the addiction to this life is the danger. But sitting back and letting Dagger touch my old lady, breathe the same air as her, is like inviting him in to take everything that’s mine. Personal or not, if I sit back and stay quiet, he’ll just keep coming until the only thing my club has left is the tattoo on our backs.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia
The smell of coffee and bacon grease hits me before I even reach the kitchen. Bria trails behind, yawning.
The kitchen’s already crowded. A couple club girls are perched on countertops, giggling over something on a phone. Poodle’s flipping pancakes like she’s mad at them. I spotherimmediately.Poison. Her bleach-blonde hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders, her lips dripping in gloss. She’s sitting away from the rest, tapping away on her mobile with a slight smirk on her face.
Bria gives me a shove forward, reminding me why I woke her to come down here with me. It’s not that I’m scared of the club whores, but I need to show them I’m in charge around here now. It’s club rules one-o-one.
As I step into the kitchen farther, she glances up, her smile fading. She’s probably trying to work out what my game is, because it’s pretty clear she thinks she’s in charge around here.“Morning, ladies,” I say, keeping my tone bright. “Sleep well?” I ask as I grab the coffee pot.
“Define sleep,” mutters Poodle, taking the pancake stack to the table, the plate thudding as she slams it down. “And this is my third day in a row of doing breakfast,” she adds, her tone exasperated.
“Quit whining,” snaps Poison.
“Who’s turn was it today?” I ask, filling Bria’s cup too.
Poodle glances in Poison’s direction but doesn’t answer. Her look tells me enough. “Maybe you need a rota,” I suggest. The scoff from where Poison remains seated gets my attention. “You don’t agree?”
“We work things out between ourselves,” she spits. “Besides, don’t you have enough to worry about with your man setting the city ablaze for you?” I narrow my eyes, and she smiles wide, realising I have no idea what she’s talking about. “I guess he didn’t tell you about his little midnight trip over to Mansfield?”
“It’s not our business what the men do,” I say through gritted teeth, pissed that she clearly knows something I don’t.
She shrugs. “I just think your time would be better taking care of our President than interfering in what we get up to.”
“I’m the President’s old lady,” I say firmly. “That means I’ve got a role here, keeping things in check. Starting with the club whores.”
She arches a brow, the smirk already spreading. “Oh? So, now, you think you’re in charge?” She laughs. “We don’t need a pimp.”
“Enough,” snaps Bria. “Show some fucking respect, unless you want this getting back to Bully.”
The smirk twists cruel. She pushes to her feet slowly, like she’s got all day to play this game. “You think the Pres has time for bitchy squabbles?” she asks. “Last night, the Scorpions’ strip joint went up like a matchbox, all in the name of his old lady.”
“Shut your mouth,” Bria hisses. We all know the bikers would lose their shit if they heard us talking club business.
“Imagine causing all this heat,” she says lightly, eyes gleaming as they lock on me. “How long will it be before you get him killed?”
“This wasn’t because of me,” I snap, my heart pounding.
She tilts her head. “Oh, baby, open your eyes. He torched that placefor you.He dragged the club into war, all because you needed his attention.”
“What?” My blood runs cold.
“We all know that’s why you started talking to Dagger. Pres wasn’t falling at your feet when he got out, so you just had to get his attention. What better way than to pick a guy he can’t back down from?”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. For a split second, the room feels too small, like the air’s been sucked out of it and left behind a vacuum full of judgment.
Bria’s already in motion, stepping between us. “Say one more thing,” she warns, her voice sharp enough to cut, “and I swear to god, you’ll be picking your teeth off the floor.”
I barely hear her. My mind races with protest, hating that the entire club might think I’ve been playing some kind of game.I haven’t. I didn’t even know who Dagger was when Bria dragged him over to cheer me up. And that’s all I wanted, a distraction. A reason to forget Bully. I never wanted any of this, least of all a war.
