Page 76 of Enforcing the Rules

“I think she may finally be the one, boss,” Darko added.

Rock looked at him. “That so? Well, then, she and I better have a chat.”

I swallowed, not sure what he meant or what was coming.

He studied me. “Utah’s got an alpha personality. You up for that?”

“Don’t go scaring her off,” Darko said.

“Just makin’ sure she knows what she’s in for.” Rock turned back to me. “Utah likes to impose his will on his environment. He likes to be in control of situations.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I bet you have. He also avoids emotions like the plague, so he’s not going to tell you how he feels about you. That’s like pulling teeth with him. Better to look to how he treats you to understand how he feels about you.”

“I see.”

“Not sure you do. The man has no patience for weakness, probably because he had to grow up fast. I’m not gonna get into that. Just know that under that hard, tough outside is a soft soul buried deep under all of it. He usually pushes others away. But he can have a truly heroic sense of self-sacrifice.”

“I think I’ve seen that.”

“He’s the strong silent type, and he likes to get his way. He’s extremely choosy about who he lets in his inner circle. He can be quietly stubborn and sometimes there will be explosions of anger, but he gets over it quickly. The man is hard to overwhelm, so don’t be afraid to lay your problems at his feet.”

“Okay.”

“He can be suspicious, and he holds his cards close to his vest. Like most of us here, he values loyalty above all.”

“I get that. He has a quiet intensity about him.”

Rock nodded. “He’s passionate about those he loves, but he can struggle to be nice because he sees that as vulnerability. When he’s in a good place, he can provide stability and unshakeable commitment. At his best, he’ll be your biggest cheerleader, and the biggest defender of your relationship.”

“At his worst?”

“His anger can be explosive, and he can be vindictive and controlling. The boy just has to learn to turn the other cheek once in a while and let people off the hook. Tapping into his softer side is hard for him. He avoids it for fear of looking weak.

“I’ve been a mentor to him. He’s needed that to correct some of his most toxic behavior. It’s been good for him to have someone or something, namely the club, to be accountable to.”

“You sound like a therapist.”

He huffed a laugh. “Comes with the territory of being president to a bunch of men, most of whom share the same traits.”

Utah walked out, scratching his chest and yawning. “Figured I’d find you at the coffee.”

“It is my lifeblood,” I replied, taking him in.

Rock straightened. “Morning. ‘Bout time you got your ass up.”

“Bite me.”

Rock chuckled and poured him a mug.

My phone vibrated, and I picked it up off the bar top. I read the text and set it down.

“What is it?” Utah asked, coming to stand next to me and kiss my temple.

“My boss is back in the office today. He wants to see me.”

“Okay. Let me finish my coffee, and we’ll head over there.”

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