Griffin Chapter 10

I was kicking myself for coming here with Hadley. For one thing, this would put me in close proximity with her most of the day. At least back at their estate, I could distance myself with the training sessions, the perimeter checks, and such. Here, there wasn’t nearly as much I had to do. Unless I hid out, we’d be seeing a whole lot more of each other.

Hiding wasn’t an option because if I did, I had no doubt the Marauders would jump all over the chance to spend time with her. The way they’d flirted and teased her had put my teeth on edge. I wanted to plant my fist in more than a couple of faces, which wasn’t my place. She didn’t belong to me and had every right to flirt or do more with anyone she pleased.

Yeah, that’s what a logical person would say, but I wasn’t feeling logical. I was feeling possessive and becoming more so by the hour. That was a revelation to me. I wanted to tell all of them she was mine, and if they dared to touch her, I’d remove their hands with a dull, rusty hacksaw. Not something you wanted to do to men you considered your friends. You tended to have no friends or, in their case, you got yourself killed.

We settled into Jinx’s house yesterday—or, I should say, she did. I spent my time walking their perimeter and becoming familiar with their layout, security, and more. I then called and had a long chat with Sean and Gabe. They assured me Mark and Travis had made it to their hideaway without issue.

Later, we went back to the clubhouse so we could get the tour and hang out. It was the last thing I wanted, but somehow, I made it through it and then spent the night tossing and turning. I got up at least a half-dozen times to check everything was secure. Every time I walked past her bedroom door, I had to resist opening it and going in.

That was yesterday. Today was a new day, and it wasn’t any easier than the last one. I couldn’t fault Jinx or his crew. They were on alert and taking this seriously, even if I accused them of not doing so yesterday. They had cameras that monitored the fence line. Beast had done his magic and somehow hid where we landed as well as where the helo was being stored.

Sean and Gabe were having some of our people back at headquarters working to see if they could figure out who was behind the threats and the attempt on Hadley’s room. They told me Jae was taking it personally that whoever it was had slipped by his cameras. I even went as far as to call him myself to reassure him it wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t letting it go. It had become his mission to find whoever it was himself.

For the bulk of today, I spent my time holed up in my room going over the reports and information we had, even though none of it was new, hoping something would jump out at me. When I wasn’t doing that or the perimeter walks or talking to Jinx or one of his guys, mainly Beast, I kept myself wherever I knew she wasn’t.

Which turned out not to be necessary since she’d been shut up all day in her bedroom. I did check a couple of times to make sure she was alright, but all I got was her calling out that she was busy with work and she was fine. I could hear the murmur of her voice whenever I passed her door, but not what she was saying.

Jinx had been around on and off. He made sure to show us where everything was and let us know if we couldn’t find it in his house, to let Tony or Micah know, and they’d either tell us where we could get it or go get it for us. However, it was now evening, and everyone was back from work and gathering at the clubhouse, which meant we were expected to join them. In fact, Jinx beat on our doors and said to be ready to head over to the clubhouse in ten minutes. They were bringing in dinner.

Coming downstairs, I found Hadley had beaten me there. She was talking to Jinx in the kitchen. They were laughing. My gut tightened seeing them. She seemed so relaxed with him yet tense with me. I knew the way I’d been acting probably didn’t help her feel more at ease with me. When she saw me, her smile faded, and she moved away from him.

Shit, I had to get myself under control. I gave them what I hoped was a believable smile. “Sorry if I kept you waiting. Ready to go?”

“No worries, I just got down here a minute or two before you. I’m ready if you guys are,” she said.

“Then let’s go before the food gets here and those damn animals eat it all. I warned them if they did, I’d let you use them for target practice tomorrow,” Jinx said with a grin as we headed for the door.

This was the first I’d heard about target practice. Outside, our ride was waiting for us in the driveway. He opened the front passenger door for her. I walked around to the driver’s side and got in. I was surprised when he opened the rear door and climbed in.

“Hey, you can drive if you want. I thought you’d take your bike,” I offered.

He waved off my offer. “Nah, you can drive. I haven’t been chauffeured for a while.”

I started it, and we were off. As we made the short drive to the clubhouse, I asked about what he said. “What’s this about target practice tomorrow?”

“Hadley told me she needed to practice her shooting, so I told her we could do it tomorrow. We have an area set up on the other side of the compound from the clubhouse. Some of the guys heard me talking to her about it, and they wanted to come, too. You’re welcome if you can spare the time.”

She wasn’t going without me, by God. No way. “Sure, I wouldn’t mind going. Should I assume you already know how to shoot, Hadley? As much other self-defense stuff that you know, I assume your dad had taught you this too since you had a gun the other night.”

“He did. Believe it or not, Dad was my shooting instructor. He’s an avid gunman and hunter. He started teaching me when I was probably six or so. The biggest mistake someone can make is to assume that because he’s wealthy, he can’t and won’t defend himself or others.”

“I think that’s the case for both of you,” I said with a grin. She laughed.

“Are we going to get a chance to see you in action only with guns, or maybe we’ll get to see your fighting skills, too?” Jinx asked.

“If you’re good, then yeah, I might show both. Griffin hasn’t seen what I can do yet. I didn’t get a chance to work out with the guys before we had to come here.”

“Then we’ll have to make it happen. Just promise to be gentle with us,” he said. We’d made it to the clubhouse, and I’d parked. Again, he got to her door before I could after he hopped out.

When I rounded the car, she was smiling at him. I walked up and subtly put myself between them as she responded, “I make no promises. Every man or woman for themselves. So, you didn’t say what we were having for dinner tonight.”

He gave me an amused glance before going ahead to open and hold the door to the clubhouse for us. I pretended not to see it. Inside, the roar of voices wasn’t terrible, but there was a lot of chatter. Checking my watch, I saw it was already six, which meant everyone should be off work. When we were spotted, they all shouted out greetings. I saw their eager faces as they watched us approach, or I should say as they watched her.

“Make room for the lady. She gets first dibs on the food. Make sure to get enough because if you don’t, there’s no guarantee there’ll be any left for a second round,” Jinx hollered over the chatter.

“If I want a second plate, I can take it off one of them. I’ll fight them for it,” she responded back with a chuckle.

“Babe, you don’t need to fight me for it. A kiss will do,” Styx said.

I clenched my hands and took a deep breath. Having all these men around her and vying for her attention was pushing my buttons which wasn’t something I was used to. I couldn’t ever recall being truly possessive toward a woman.

“Enough flirting. It’s chow time,” Jinx told them. He motioned toward the kitchen we’d been shown yesterday. I gently directed her that way with my hand on her back. I felt her stiffness for a moment or two then she seemed to relax and she didn’t move away. I let the jolts of awareness run up my arm. They went from my hand to my chest and then straight to my groin. It was hard to hold back my groan as blood filled my cock.

I dropped my hand and moved to stand so the counter blocked the view of my crotch. I pretended to be interested in the food laid out before me, but I was no longer hungry. Or at least not for food. Stop it. You’ve gotta stop thinking shit like that, I chastised myself.

Hadley moved to stand next to me. Her brushing against me and the smell of her that filled my nose didn’t help me to regain control. I desperately checked over the selection. I was chuffed to see it wasn’t the typical pizza, wings, or pasta. There was an array of burritos and soft-shell tacos made with chicken, carne asada and carnitas, along with a bunch of different toppings plus chips, salsa, guacamole, Mexican rice, and refried beans. Smelling the aroma and seeing the variety made my mouth water.

Hadley moaned. I glanced over at her. She met my eyes. “Why Mexican food? Why?”

“Don’t you like Mexican?”

“I love it, which means I’ll eat too much. You’ll have to roll me out to the car and then into Jinx’s house. You know what, never mind. Just leave me here. If I can’t get out of my chair, just let me sleep there. I’ll be in a food coma, so I won’t hear a thing they do.”

“You can have my bed,” Sinner told her.

“And let me guess, you’ll be in it, too. Sorry, but I’m not that crazy, Sinner.”

“Come on, you might just love it,” was his comeback.

“Dirt naps suck,” Jinx said.

I saw all the guys get surprised looks then they gave him a chin lift. I watched as they stayed friendly but didn’t make any more suggestive remarks to her. As we ate, I waited for them to start up again, but they didn’t. I was puzzled. What was that dirt naps suck remark code for? They all seemed to know what Jinx meant.

It was a while before I got him alone where I could ask him. “Hey, I have a question.”

“Sure, shoot.”

“What did your dirt naps suck remark mean? The guys all seemed to react to it like they knew.”

“It meant to lay off the flirting and suggestive remarks unless they’d like to find themselves dead and buried. What did you think it meant?”

“That’s what my mind went to, but I didn’t know why you’d say that unless you’re staking a claim.”

“I won’t lie. Hadley is an intriguing woman and she’s gorgeous. If she wasn’t already claimed, I might just have to see if there would be a chance with her.”

“Claimed? She’s not claimed.”

“Really? So you weren’t getting pissed at us all for coming on to her? If we’d like to see if she’s in for some fun or something more, you won’t mind?” he asked with an innocent expression on his face.

Instantly, my hackles went up, and I didn’t cut off my reaction fast enough. The bastard laughed at me and then slapped my shoulder. “That right there is why I warned them. We’ve been around enough possessive friends, they should’ve picked up on it. I think they weren’t thinking you’d be like us bikers. We weren’t around when Undertaker and Gabe got with their women, and Cassidy and Sean were already obviously into each other when we met them.”

“We’re not together. She’s a free agent.”

“Bullshit. You want her so damn badly you can barely see straight. Why’re you fighting it?”

“Can you see a woman like her with someone like me? Come on. She’s rich beyond belief. She can have anyone she wants. She’s the kind to be with a successful businessman who can help her run her daddy’s company one day. She’s a freakin’ genius on top of it. I know when I’m out of my league.”

“Did you ask her what she wants? Is that the kind of man she sees herself with?”

“No I didn’t, but it’s a given. She might go slumming, but in the end, she’ll stick to her own kind.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm, what the hell does that mean?”

“It means if you got this all figured out and there’s no way you two will ever work, then you need to step back and let someone else give it a try. I don’t see her being stuck to a certain type. I don’t know her, of course, but she strikes me as the kind who’s more interested in who she can have the life she wants with and who’ll love and support her. Money has nothing to do with it. If you want her, then don’t waste time on doubts. Ask her what or who she wants. If she doesn’t say a rich man, then I’d go for it. The worst thing is to look back and regret that you let someone perfect walk away because you were a fool.”

“Have you done that?”

“I’ve seen it and it’s fucking miserable.”

We didn’t stay away from the others long after that. When we returned, it was hard not to focus on what he said. When we finally called it a night and went back to his house, I went to bed not long after we returned but I didn’t go to sleep. I had too much to think about.

???

It was afternoon before the guys were able to get free and back to the compound. Last night as we talked about the plan to go shooting today, the rest of them got excited and wanted to come with us. I thought having a bunch of people there might make her nervous, but she said the more the better.

We all planned to meet at the range. I was on a call with Gabe, Mark, and Sean, so she went ahead with Animal. Jinx hung back to bring me. I hurried to get through my call. It was frustrating.

“We’re no closer to figuring out who made the threat and then got into the house. It’s someone with inside knowledge we know, but everyone has been questioned again and still nothing. The only thing of interest is how Rockwell is reacting according to Ben and Beau,” Sean said.

“Oh yeah, and how’s that?” I asked.

“He’s losing his shit, demanding to know where they went. They told him it was none of his business. He’s making threats to call the police and report them as kidnapped by us. Beau told him to do it and see what happens. He insists Hadley wouldn’t leave without telling him. The fucker is too attached to her. If nothing else, this threat has broken her away from him. I hope she’ll stay away and not have him back as her main guard after we solve this issue,” Mark uttered.

“If that little prick calls the law on us, I’ll beat his ass. Did you tell Travis what he’s saying?” I asked.

“I did, and he called him on a secure line. He informed him that they didn’t have to tell him or anyone else shit. They left for their safety. He was threatened with his job being kaput if he called the cops. Rockwell tried to get Travis to tell him where they were, but he shot him down. He wasn’t happy when they hung up.” I could hear the happiness in Mark’s tone.

“Good. How’s it going with Travis?”

“Other than wanting this over with and missing his daughter, he’s doing great. We went out yesterday and had target practice. That man can shoot.” The admiration in his voice told me a lot. It took a lot to get that out of him.

“Yeah, well I’ll be finding out here after I get done with you guys if he’s passed that skill onto his daughter. We’re going shooting with the guys. She told me he’s an avid shooter and hunter and he taught her since she was little. Not what you think of when it comes to a billionaire.”

“No, it’s not, but he’s been telling me how he grew up. His father inherited the startup money, but not until Travis was older. He’s not as pampered as we thought.”

“How’s it going with Hadley?” Sean asked.

“It’s been fine. We’ve stayed in the compound. She’s been working a lot in her room. I’ve been making sure we have the bases covered here, which it seems like they do. Jinx and the crew have been good so far.”

“If that’s the case, then what’s up with the tone? You said it’s good, but your voice doesn’t sound like it is,” Gabe pointed out.

I didn’t want to get into what Jinx and I talked about last night or the hours of thinking I’d done, not just the past couple of days but since I had met her. “No, it’s good. I’m just tired. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep.” I played it off.

“Wanna try again?” Sean asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Cut the crap. You know damn well she’s got you tied in knots and you don’t know what to do. Talk to us. What’s the problem? You like her. I know that. I swear she likes you too,” Mark added as he exchanged smirks with our brothers.

“It’s not that simple, goddamn it. Yeah, she intrigues me but there’s nothing about me to intrigue her. She’s not what I expected. However, a woman like her is meant for a man like her dad. Could you see Travis being thrilled that his daughter was hooked up with a guy like me, even if she was interested?”

“If you love her and take care of her, making her happiness a priority and don’t try to change her, he’s all for it,” Mark said.

“And you know this how? You suddenly got ESP or something?” I mocked him.

“No, fucker, I asked him. He doesn’t have a problem with you or your background, man. I made sure.”

I stared at him stunned. My mouth was hanging open and all I could do was blink at him. He had a self-satisfied twist to his mouth. Sometimes I hated being on video. The other two just sat there laughing. This was one of those times I wish at least one of them was in my shoes and still single.

Finally, I got my voice back. “Motherfucker, I can’t believe you asked him that! We’re here to protect him and her, not for one of us to try and steal his daughter,” I snapped.

“Cool your jets. He knows we’re professionals who’ll do the job. We can’t help when we meet the one meant for us. He said he knew his wife was the one for him the moment he saw her. They met and were married a couple of months later. She’s still the love of his life. All he’s ever wanted was for Hadley to find someone like that. He said to tell you to treat her right, love her, be there for her no matter what, and to let her be herself. He’ll be happy to give you his blessing, assuming she feels the same toward you.”

I couldn’t respond to that. They took pity on me, which was a surprise, and we wrapped up the call soon afterward. They left me with parting food for thought. All three insisted I needed to talk to her and find out where her head and heart was. I hung up thinking about it. That was four people in less than a day who told me essentially the same thing. Maybe I should listen. If I wasn’t scared she’d tell me it wasn’t happening, I might’ve told her this morning. Damn. When I joined Jinx in the kitchen, I didn’t say much.

The drive to the shooting area wasn’t long, and he kept the talk to idle chatter, nothing serious. I couldn’t have done it otherwise. When we pulled up to the shooting range, I saw they’d done more than just make it a spot with places to hang targets. They put thought and effort into it.

They used a natural hill and built a berm behind it to create a safe shooting location. The berm was U-shaped, so it had sides. I knew they did that so they could shoot at targets without worrying about the splatter that can occur when projectiles break apart when they hit steel or the debris that could travel.

They had both paper and steel targets. They had them in front of a backstop of dense wooden logs in front of the berm, creating a two-layer backstop. The steel ones let us see and hear when the bullets hit, and we didn’t need to walk down to change out the targets, although they did have some of those to one side. I had no doubt the steel targets used were AR-500 or rifle-rated so as not to ruin the targets.

Some might think it was fun to shoot glass bottles and stuff, but those can shave fragments that become projectiles, and you didn’t want any of them coming at you. The steel ones were at least the required ten yards away, whereas the paper ones were set from point blank to as far out as you could hit them. The steel ones were staggered at different distances so the flash of one wouldn’t hit and damage the others.

They had constructed a long, covered pavilion-like building with a concrete floor. It had benches so you could sit and shoot or stand, and there was a waist-height counter so you could load and even help stabilize the guns if you chose.

The others were gathered, and I saw a huge number of gun cases and ammo boxes laid out on the counter. Hadley was intently talking to Cujo and Crow, who were holding guns in their hands. I got my weapon bag out of the back of the car and walked over to them. I planned to stick close to her, even if she was capable on the range.

She smiled at me, which made my heart skip. “Do you see this? I love it. Dad and I need to rethink going to a range and just have one built at home. He’d love this. I wish he were here.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, he went shooting yesterday with Mark, and they had fun. You can take pictures of this one and send them to him. Your phone is secure, just like your laptop is. Jae made sure of it before we left.”

“I know. He told me. I’ll do that. Are you ready to be beaten, Wraith?”

“Sweetheart, I was a SEAL. You might not wanna challenge me. I have no doubt you can shoot, but I’m not sure you can outshoot me. A few of these guys were in the military, too. Just sayin’.”

“Who?” she asked curiously.

“Sarge, Mad Dog, and Styx were,” Cujo supplied.

“Hmm, is it usual for men who’ve been in the military to join groups like yours and motorcycle clubs, or is this just a coincidence?” she asked me.

“I don’t know for sure what it’s like in all clubs. All the ones we’re close to, yes. Quite a few were. I think the freedom from certain rules and the desire to make your own decisions without having to adhere to ones you disagree with might have something to do with it. Also, the desire to help others never goes away. Despite what most people think, lots of clubs help those who need it. As for the Dark Patriots, we wanted to continue to serve, just not where we have no control. Now, when the government wants us to do something, we have a say in whether we do it and how.”

“So helping my dad was something you wanted to do and not something you were forced to do?”

“We were never forced, Hadley. Your dad, and now that we know about you are national treasures we must protect. Even if not, we would’ve still taken the job once we were told that kidnapping and shit was threatened.”

“Shit is right. Any luck on finding out who’s doing this?”

“Not yet. Listen, why don’t we just relax and have fun? Besides, you need to concentrate if you have any hope in hell of beating me,” I teased to lighten her mood. The mention of protecting them had taken the smile from her face.

She grinned. “Challenge accepted. Hope you take defeat well, Wraith.”

“Wraith?” Jinx said as he came up to us.

“Yeah, it’s his military nickname. You didn’t know that? The guys he brought with him to our house used it,” she told him. Soon, everyone knew, and they started calling me Wraith. I didn’t mind, but it seemed I’d have to get used to hearing it a lot more.

The Marauders were unpacking their guns, so I got to it. I’d brought a bag with several of mine. What stunned me was apparently she did, too. She unzipped a bag that I thought was just a regular piece of luggage. It was cleverly disguised. I could see where it would come in handy. I’d have to find out where she got it.

When she unloaded it, she got the attention of the whole club. Not only was there ammo and several handguns, but she also had a takedown AR-15 packed in there. That was just a fancy way to say her AR-15 could be broken down into smaller pieces for easy storage. We watched as she expertly put it back together, checked the slide and everything before loading it, and then proceeded to check and load her other guns.

She looked up when it got silent to find us all watching her. “What? Never seen a woman load guns?”

“Oh, we’ve seen it, and we know a lot who know what the hell they’re doing, too. The old ladies in the clubs are no slackers. It’s just not what we’d expect to see out of someone…” Animal petered off.

“Out of a rich spoiled brat like me? Don’t worry, you can say it. Hell, Wraith still thinks I’m one,” she said with a shake of her head.

“I do not.”

“Well, you did.”

“If I did, I don’t anymore, and they’re right. The old ladies can all shoot, now that I think about it. If they didn’t know when they got with their men, they soon learned. Now, are we done jabberin’ and ready to do this?”

“I think we should have a contest and a prize for the best shooter. Everyone does better when there’s one. Bragging rights are one thing, but let’s make it more interesting,” she suggested with a gleam in her eyes. That made me wonder just how good she was.

“What do you have in mind? I don’t mind competing,” Thrasher said.

“There’s always money, but I find it boring. But if you want, we can do that. Or, we could do something better.” The gleam got brighter.

“I know I’m gonna regret asking, but what do you have in mind?” I asked slowly as I glanced at the guys.

“The losers have to get up and sing and dance for the top three winners. It has to be for a whole song and the song is picked by the winners. And there’s none of this half-assed standing there and swaying from side to side. I mean full-out dancing with ass shaking, the whole nine yards,” she told us gleefully.

There were plenty of protests. She stood there with a smirk on her face. After some arguing, I watched as they gave in. I knew it was because they were confident they could outshoot her along with a few others, so they’d be safe. Of course, based on the numbers, they were wrong. As they agreed one by one, I knew I couldn’t say no, so I agreed, too. This would be the most interesting shooting contest I’d ever done, and I’d done several over the years.

When you were out in the field and bored, or even here at home, it wasn’t unusual to decide to have one, and unique bets went with them. I wondered if she’d done this particular bet before. It had easily come to mind. This should be fun.