The room has gone silent, the only sound being the increasingly angry yowls from the cat carriers, all eyes moving between Todd, Kayla, and me, waiting for what happens next.
The moment is broken when Dragon strolls in, his presence immediately commanding attention. He takes in Kayla standing awkwardly between Todd and me, the overnight bags scattered on the floor, the cat carriers. His gaze finally settles on Todd, who’s trying and failing to look dignified with his rumpled clothes and developing shiner.
Dragon turns to Twister, who still has his meaty hand clamped on Todd’s collar, and raises an eyebrow. “And you brought him with you, why?”
Twister, a bear of a man with tattoos crawling up his neck and a perpetual scowl, rubs the back of his head with his free hand. “Bastard hit me over the head with a plant stand.”
Todd flinches at the accusation but straightens up, attempting to salvage some dignity. “I… I realize now that I made a mistake,” he says, his voice higher than usual. “And I can assure you that I very much regret my actions.” His eyes dart around the room, taking in the numerous leather-clad men with visible weapons, and he swallows hard. “Very, very much.”
Dragon just stares at Twister, not saying a word, until the big man starts to look uncomfortable. Twister touches the back of his head again and mumbles, “It hurt.”
Dragon sighs and shakes his head, the corner of his mouth twitching. I’ve known Dragon long enough now to recognize when he’s fighting back a smile.
“It was a big plant,” Sledge offers helpfully. “Pretty solid stand. Looked painful.”
Todd makes a small, distressed sound. “I’ll pay for any necessary medical treatment,” he promises quickly. “I’ll write a check right now.”
“Nobody wants your damn check,” Sledge snorts. A particularly indignant meow from the carrier on the floor near his feet indicated that at least one of Kayla’s cats agreed.
“Molly said we weren’t allowed to kill him,” Sledge continues with obvious disappointment. “But he thought we were robbing Kayla, and we didn’t want to risk him calling the cops, so…” He gestures vaguely at Todd’s presence, as if that explains everything.
Kayla steps forward, and I can see she’s trying to ease the tension. “I’m so sorry about this,” she says, looking between Dragon and me. “If I’d remembered what day of the week it was, I could have prevented this.”
Dragon and I exchange confused glances. What does the day of the week have to do with anything?
Kayla catches our expressions and continues, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Every Friday, Todd comes over after work. We make dinner together, and he… stays for the weekend.” Her voice gets quieter with each word, and she’s stealing little glances at both Todd and me, clearly uncomfortable.
Ah, now I remember. For a blissful moment, I had forgotten about her and Todd’s standing weekly sleepovers. I generally spend every Friday fighting the wave of possessive rage that threatens to consume me. Convincing myself I have no right to these feelings. None. Kayla isn’t mine anymore. She stopped being mine the day I failed to protect her, the day I chose the club over her. She has every right to move on, to build a new life with someone else. With Todd.
My brain knows this. My heart has never gotten the memo.
I take a deep breath, then another. Later, I’ll visit the gym and beat the hell out of a punching bag. For now, I need to keep it together.
Dragon watches me closely, probably seeing the struggle playing out on my face. Then he turns his attention back to Todd. “Well,” he says with a slight shrug, “looks like we have two guests.”
Kayla goes to Todd, reaching up to gently examine his eye, which is turning an impressive shade of purple. The tenderness in her touch sends another spike of jealousy through me.
“You should have Doc look at that,” Dragon says, nodding toward Todd’s injury. He doesn’t sound particularly concerned.
Todd keeps looking around, his expression growing more confused by the second. “Why are we here?” he asks Kayla, keeping his voice low, as if the rest of us can’t hear him in the silent room. “Why are you here? We need to get out of this place.”
Before Kayla can answer, Dragon steps right up to Todd, getting so close their noses are practically touching. “You’re not going anywhere until I say you can,” he says, his voice deceptively soft. There’s nothing soft about the steel in his eyes, though.
Todd jerks back, alarm flashing across his face. “Am I… am I being kidnapped?” His voice cracks on the last word, and he looks around wildly. “My mother can’t afford to pay a ransom. I’m just a car salesman. I have student loans. I’m not worth anything.”
I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost.
Kayla reaches up and places both hands on Todd’s cheeks, pulling his face down to hers. “Todd, look at me,” she says.
The effect is immediate. Todd’s panicked breathing slows, as he focuses on Kayla’s face. I hate how quickly she can soothe him, how easily they fall into sync. It should be me she’s calming, me she’s touching.
“Do you remember when I told you about my ex-husband?” she asks him. “How he was in a motorcycle club, and I was kidnapped by a rival club a few years ago? And that’s what led to our divorce?”
Todd’s eyes widen, but he nods.
“Well,” Kayla continues, “I’m being threatened again. Someone broke into my house last night, and I need to stay here for my safety for a while.” Her thumbs stroke his cheeks soothingly. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this, but you need to stay here for a while now, too. I promise you won’t be harmed. Do you understand?”
Todd nods again, his eyes never leaving Kayla’s face. She drops her hands from his cheeks, and everyone in the room seems to let out a collective breath.