My fists clench at my sides before I reach for my beer and drain the rest of it. The smirk on his face tells me he didn’t miss the movement. Thankfully, he doesn’t call me out on it.
“Don’t know how well she’ll fit in around here,” Ryker muses.
I narrow my eyes at him and my voice goes tight, “I’m not even sure why Opal brought her here.”
What I don’t say is she’s too damn good to be hanging out with a bunch of bikers. I bet some preppy guy with a degree and a 401K is just waiting in the wings for any sign she notices him. The thought makes rage swirl in my gut along with jealousy, but I push those feelings aside.
“You better not be talking about Graycie,” Opal’s sharp voice comes from behind us and the three of us spin around quickly.
My sister is standing there with both of her hands on her hips while her face looks like a thunderclap. The way she’s glaring at us is terrifying. And it’s not just me. She’s looking at the three of us like we’re scum and she had the unfortunate luck of coming in contact with us.
I swallow hard and notice how Sidewinder’s eyes go big and round before his shoulders slump. But I can’t think about his reaction, not while my sister is looking at me like she’s thinking about the best way to skin me alive. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her. It’s a damn good thing I don’t live with her anymore, or else I’d be sleeping with one eye open.
“We were just shooting the shit,” Ryker tries to explain away whatever it is Opal overheard.
“Oh,” her voice is sickly sweet, “I heard you shooting the shit. At the expense of my best friend.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I try to tell her, but my voice comes out weak.
“Really?” She turns toward me fully, ignoring the two other men. I know I’m in trouble now; the look in her eye is one I’ve seen before.
Opal has a thing about protecting people who need it. I’m not at all surprised she befriended Graycie. It’s not some complex either, Opal just has a very strong sense of right and wrong while also being raised in the club which has always preached loyalty. And Opal is very fucking loyal.
I’m glad she has Graycie’s back. It’s obvious my woman needed someone to be there for her since she arrived in Dogwood Ridge.
I could kick my own ass for not finding out about the newest arrival in town sooner. Considering how skittish she was at the party, maybe it’s better she had a chance to settle in first. But, fuck, knowing I lost any time with her has been fucking with me.
“So, I didn’t just hear you wonder why I brought her around?” Her eyes are full of accusations when she looks at me. “Or how about calling her a scared little mouse?” The look she gives Sidewinder has my balls considering crawling back up into my body. “How about assuming that she won’t fit in around here?” Her lips are pursed and she’s practically shooting a fireball in our Prez’s direction.
Not that he gives a fuck. Opal is like a little sister to him, always has been. But he also respects the fuck out of her. He knows how much she does around here and that everything would fall apart without her.
Ryker holds his hands up in surrender, but there’s no apology in his voice, “What? I was only saying what we were all thinking.She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. You don’t think we get enough judgement as it is? Why should we face it on our own turf?”
Opal rolls her eyes and huffs out an annoyed breath. “Graycie wasn’t judging you,” she says the words slowly, as if he’s too stupid to understand her. We all know he’s not. “She doesn’t have a judgmental bone in her body. She was scared, but I asked her to come.”
I tilt my head as I look at my sister and prod her, “You asked her?”
Her mouth twists to the side. “Well, yes. I did ask her. Kind of.” When none of us say anything, she throws her hands up and lets them fall back down to her thighs with a loud clap. “Fine, I went to her place and hounded her until she put on the outfit I picked out for her. Then I brought her to the party. I wanted her to come and meet everyone since she’s been here for months. I was afraid that she’s been keeping to herself too much. The only way to get her to come was with a blitz attack. If I asked beforehand, she would have turned me down.”
“Maybe because she didn’t want to come,” Sidewinder mumbles.
The look Opal shoots him is sharp and he looks away from her far too fucking quickly. “Maybe she didn’t,” she snarks back, “but she needed to. I’m not going to sit back while she isolates herself. Not when I can do something about it.”
“If she’s so afraid, maybe spending time with a bunch of bikers wasn’t the best idea,” Ryker points out.
“I told her there isn’t any place in the world safer than right here.” She waves her hand as if to encompass the entire compound. “I made sure she knew, even without knowing youall, that you would respect her, and while you might look intimidating, you’re all really teddy bears.”
The disappointment written all over my sister’s face makes me feel like complete shit. And all because I didn’t want to come out and say how much meeting Graycie made me feel. Because then I would have to admit what is really going on.
I should have shut down Sidewinder and Ryker because their taunting was about me, not her. Then I should have made it very clear what she means to me.
Fuck, I messed up.
Ryker snorts out a laugh. “You told her we’re teddy bears?”
Opal shrugs one shoulder. “When it comes to family? To the people you care about? To the women you love? Yeah, you’re teddy bears.”
Ryker grins and shakes his head, but he doesn’t say anything else. He can’t. Because Opal isn’t wrong. When it comes to the Old Ladies of the club, they’re protected and cherished.