Duke stopped short when a deep voice shouted, “Carbon! Come quick!”
Chase was on his feet and down the hall in a nanosecond. “Reese!” he bellowed, sounding frantic.
Duke was on the move, right on Chase’s heels, and I was close behind Duke.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” Chase yelled.
Ember, Dash, and Phoenix came down the hall and walked right into the room with everyone else while I waited outside the door. I didn’t want to be trapped in the small room with everyone screaming and yelling the way they were.
I was quietly tiptoeing away from the door, trying to work my way down the hall without being noticed when Phoenix’s voice boomed through the entire clubhouse. “ENOUGH! Everybody out of this room. Right the fuck now!”
And that was it for me. My back hit the wall, and I inched down it until I found a corner to curl into. My hands came up to cover my ears, and I started going through the multiplication tables in my head in a vain attempt to block out everything going on around me.
Familiar hands landed on my shoulders and pulled me against him, cocooning me in the safety of his muscular body. I inhaled deeply, his scent helping to calm me. Chase.
“You’re okay, baby,” he whispered against my ear. “No one here will ever hurt you. I promise. Just breathe.”
I knew no one at the clubhouse would hurt me, especially Phoenix, but all it took was a stressful situation, a man yelling, and the threat of violence to send me into a tailspin. I didn’t know how much, if any, Chase knew about my past, but it wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with him, though I probably needed to.
“Come on; I’ll take you to my room.”
He scooped me into his arms and carried me to his room at the clubhouse. As soon as the door closed, he placed me on my feet, and I started babbling. “I didn’t know we were coming here tonight. I mean, I did, but not until I got to the farm. I’m not stalking you or anything. I just found out about the baby, James, and wanted to see him. I was so pissed. I got in my car and drove straight to Croftridge without telling anyone. Me showing up here has nothing to do with you. I swear it.”
Chase was leaning against the door, smirking at me. “You done?”
“No!” I shouted, my anger returning. “Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?”
His smirk vanished, and he pinned me with his intense green eyes. “Probably the same reason you didn’t tell me your brother was married.”
“Why would I tell you my brother was married? As far as I knew, it had nothing to do with you. I didn’t know he was screwing your sister. You, however, knew your sister had a child with my brother! A child she kept from him. And that does have something to do with me.”
“I found out about the baby when Duke did.”
“So? You still didn’t tell me.”
“I’m not trying to be an asshole here, but it isn’t exactly like we did a lot of talking,” he said carefully.
“You’re right. We just fuck. Silly me. Well, now that we have that cleared up and you know I’m not here for you, I’ll be on my way,” I said and reached for the doorknob.
His hand landed on the door, and his big body caged me in. “Now, are you done?”
I nodded but didn’t turn to face him. “Good. Didn’t think you were here for me, but let’s get one thing straight right now. I’m damn glad you are here.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Really?”
“Yeah, baby, really. Now get your ass on that bed so I can show you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Harper
Chase and I had just finished redressing when someone started banging on the door. “Carbon! We gotta ride, brother. Now!”
“Stay in here until you hear the bikes pull out, then go to your brother’s room and wait there until we get back,” he said and took in my wide, panicked eyes. “At least two brothers will be here with you, Ember, and Reese. You’ll be okay. I gotta go, baby.” With that, he gave me a hard kiss and left me standing in his room with no clue as to what was happening.
When I heard the roar of the bikes fade into the distance, I peeked into the hallway to see if the coast was clear. The moment I stepped out of Chase’s room, I heard Phoenix call out my name seconds before rounding the corner with Ember trailing behind him.
“Hi,” I said dumbly. “Uh, I was trying to find Duke’s room.”