Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

ARIES

No matter how much I wanted to spank Rory for the stunt she pulled in leaving the clubhouse, I have to keep reminding myself that she is injured. That she needed to get better first and foremost.That doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to chew her ass out when I got her there.

My brothers and I spent a better part of the goddamn day looking for her. She’d been holed up in a rundown, seedy motel. The guy at the front gave her away to damn easily. He also ended up with my fist to his face for the crude comments he made about her. Hell, he’s lucky I didn’t kill him.

I’d already been pissed with her and, in general, because I had to be out there searching for her. Different scenarios had played in my head, thinking about what could’ve happened to her. It’d been by luck alone that as we passed the motel Black pointed toward it, suggesting we check it out.

Leaving the seeding motel, I made sure to take it easy so as not to jar her too much. I didn’t want to hurt her any further.

I found it hard to focus with her arms wrapped around my waist, her one good hand clutching to me tightly while the casted one lay relaxed in my lap. I hated the damn thing. Hell, I wanted to hate her, but throughout the day, looking for her, I kept thinking of the girl she used to be to me. The woman she’s become. The pain she’s gone through, including the miscarriage. I keep doing the math in my head, and depending on when she had it, it means it could’ve been mine.

Granted, I keep shoving that thought away. If she’d been pregnant with my kid, she would have told me instead of sending me a damn Dear John letter.

The trip back to the clubhouse seems to take longer than I’d like, but rolling through the gates, a sense of ease washes over me. No one would be able to come here and get to her. I pull to where I typically park my bike and lower the kickstand. I climb off first, and instead of helping her do the same, I scoop her in my arms and carry her into the clubhouse.

“Put me down, Aries,” she shouts, trying to wiggle out of my arms.

“Settle down, Scamp,” I tell her. The last thing she needs is to hurt herself more.

“I will not. Damnit, Aries, I said to put me down.”

“Not happening, woman.”

“I’m going to bite you,” she threatens, and I nearly smirk. It’s all I can do not to laugh.

“Try it and see what happens,” I manage to tell her without hinting to my amusement.

No one speaks as we pass them, though I sense Cordelia coming up behind me along with Mace.

“Give us a minute,” I call over my shoulder and carry Rory into my room, closing the door behind us.

With only a handful of steps, I cross the room to my bed. I lower her to the middle of the bed. I come over her, caging her in.

“Let’s get a few things straight before Cordy and Mace burst in here.”

“Screw you,” she snaps and shoves against my chest.

“Settle down, Rory,” I tell her firmly. “You need to lose the attitude and quit with the shouting.”

“I don’t have to do a damn thing you say.”

The way she narrows her eyes on me and curls her lip, yeah, I remember when she used to do that years ago. She knew back then it didn’t work on me in any other way than to get me hard.

“Unless you wanna end up with your good hand cuffed to my bed, I suggest you do as I tell you.” I might be pissed at her. I might not want her there, yet still, images of her cuffed to my bed filter in and turn me on.

“You know you can be a complete and utter bastard.”

Grinning, I dip my head down close enough our noses touch. “I know.”

Rory huffs and relaxes into the pillows beneath her.

“Good girl. Now, we’re gonna get some things straight,” I tell her and reposition myself so I’m more firmly in place, holding her still. “You try and run again, I’ll catch you and won’t be so tolerant of it. I’ll not only tie your ass to the bed, but I’ll punish you for it. You don’t go anywhere without me knowing it. You attempt it, and again, I’ll punish you.”

“There’s nothing you can do to punish me that I haven’t already had done to me.” Rory scoffs, curling her lip in disgust.

“Trust me, Scamp, there is, and when I punish you, you won’t hate it. Hell, you’ll probably be begging me to punish you daily.”

“That won’t happen.”

“We’ll see.”

Shifting off her, I climb out of the bed. “You need to let Mace check you out to make sure you’re good and didn’t do any damage to yourself. Then you’re gonna apologize to Cordy for being a bitch and taking off. After that, you’re going to answer my damn questions whether you like it or not. We’re not playing games here, Rory. You brought my sister into this bullshit, which brought me and my brothers into it. I’m not going in blind. You’re going to tell me what the fuck Roger has on you and why you’ve been fuckin’ him for the past nine years.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lies.

Nostrils flaring, I move to her once again, bending at the waist to get in her face. “Don’t bullshit me, Rory. You suck at lying. Always have. You’ve got no poker face, so you might as well tell the damn truth.”

Rory huffs and twists so I’m no longer in her face.

Grinning, I know I’ve won. Straightening, I head to the door and open it, only for Cordelia to rush through, shoving past me to get to Rory.

Mace moves a bit slower, brow cocked.“You good, brother?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just wanted to get something straight with your patient first.” I shrug and jerk my chin in her direction. “She’s yours to look after now. I’ll be here to make sure she doesn’t give you a hard time.”

Mace chuckles lowly and shakes his head. He knows me and knows the type of man I am. I’m not playing around anymore. Not where she’s concerned. I’ll find out what the fuck she’s hiding from me, and when I do, that’s when I’ll decide what needs to happen with her.

Regardless, she’s my property, and no matter the internal battle going on in my head where she’s concerned, she’ll always belong to me, no matter if either of us likes it or not.