Chapter 14 Are you wet for me, Angel?
Viper
I could not find her anywhere. I checked our room, then the common areas, questioning every woman I saw if they had spotted Catalina. No one had. I called her phone, only to hear it ringing from a table near the clubhouse entrance. A cold dread began to coil in my gut. Had something happened to her? A kidnapping from our own territory was unthinkable. The only other option was that she had left me.
I dropped onto a couch in the common area, my mind racing. Amber chose that moment to slink over.
"What is the matter, Viper? You look like someone stole your favorite toy." She giggled, bending over directly in front of me, her low-cut top offering a deliberate view of her breasts. She placed her hands on my thighs, leaning her weight on them. I stared back at her, disgust rolling through me.
"Get the fuck off of me. Are you incapable of understanding? I do not want you. I have never shown a single ounce of interest in you."
"You do not have to lie, Viper. You let me hold your arm after dinner. You let me touch your chest while you played pool. If you give me a chance, I can make you feel incredible." She leaned in closer, her intent clear.
At that exact moment, the clubhouse door swung open and Catalina walked in, carrying two large storage totes. Her eyes found us, and they widened. I looked from her devastated expression to the smug smirk on Amber’s face. This bitch had planned this.
When my eyes returned to Catalina, I saw pure pain in her gaze, and something worse: utter defeat. Before I could move, she dropped the totes, flipped open a lid, and pulled something out.
There are moments in life you replay, thinking you should have moved faster. What happened next felt like a slow-motion nightmare. Catalina’s arms drew back, and two blades cut through the air, finding their mark with perfect precision in the center of Amber’s ass, one in each cheek. A scream, so high and piercing I am sure it scared dogs three blocks away, ripped from her throat.
Then Catalina was on her, grabbing a handful of hair and hurling her bodily across the room. The final act was a knife pressed against my throat, the sting of the blade as it broke the skin. But that physical sensation was nothing compared to the sight of the tears streaming down my girl’s face.
"All you had to do was not tell me you were in love with me," she said, her voice so low and dangerous only I could hear it. "That would have been simple. You could have just walked out of the hospital. It would have been less cruel than making me watch you with another woman. It would have been less cruel than lying awake wondering where you were sleeping, and who you were with. It would have been less cruel than knowing you were getting your needs met by someone else because you would not have me. I will be gone from this clubhouse in thirty minutes. Do not follow me, or I will open your throat and do the same to every single person in this room."
With Amber still shrieking, no one else heard the lethal promise she made.
As she turned to leave, my hand shot out and closed around her wrist, the one holding the knife. I did not see her other hand coming. It connected with my jaw with a force that made my vision blur. I released her, clutching my face, grateful she had not broken it. Then her foot drove into my stomach, forcing the air from my lungs. As I bent over, gasping, she swept my legs out from under me and I went down hard.
No one moved. The entire room was in a state of shock. I heard someone mutter, "Little Crazy? No, she is completely fucking insane." Then, clapping and whistling started, not from my brothers, but from all the girlfriends and Old Ladies. Jenna met her at the bar, handing her a bag of ice for her knuckles as she walked calmly toward our room. I staggered to my feet. Butcher came over to me, his eyes full of pure amusement.
"You have finally met your equal, Brother," Butcher's voice cut through the room. "Someone get that woman out of my sight. Ensure she understands the consequences of returning. You do not interfere with an Old Lady's claim without her consent. Let this be a new rule for the club. Any woman you claim as your Old Lady is your responsibility, but in making that commitment, you grant her the right to defend her position. Believe me, you do not want to make that mistake. Some of us learn the hard way that you might not get a second chance."
A chorus of approval rose from the women present, while some of the men with girlfriends looked chastened, and others thoughtful. "Now go find your woman, Brother. But be careful. I do not think she was making an empty threat. She might have said it for your ears only, but I heard every word."
I gave a grim nod and headed for our room. The sound of her crying from behind the door was a physical pain in my chest. I had caused this. I should have explained why I was keeping my distance. I should have made my loyalty clear from the start. She had every right to this anger. I should have stood before the entire club and declared she was mine.
I opened the door quietly, closing and locking it behind me. The room was dark, but I could see her curled on her side, clutching my pillow to her chest as her body shook.
I moved onto the bed, fitting myself against her back and wrapping her in my arms. "Please, do not cry, Angel. I am so fucking sorry for all of this. I love you. I went to Butcher and made you my Old Lady the day I brought you home from the hospital. I have only been waiting for you to heal completely. I was afraid of hurting you, of being too rough when your ribs were still mending. That woman, Amber, means less than nothing. You did not see me shove her onto the floor the second I could get my bearings. Jenna told me you ran. What you saw was me telling her to get her hands off me, and her refusing to listen. You walked in right before I was going to throw her across the room. Please, you have to believe me. I love you with everything I am. You have completely disarmed me. I am yours, completely. You could put a fucking leash on me and lead me through the clubhouse if it proved my devotion to you."
Her sobs had quieted as I spoke. I held her tighter, pouring every ounce of my feeling into that embrace. To my surprise, a soft giggle escaped her.
"You are picturing me on a leash, are you not?"
Her giggle turned into a full, beautiful laugh. I closed my eyes in sheer relief, kissing the back of her head. She turned in my arms to face me, her eyes glistening but fierce. "I love you too, Viper. With all of my heart. But you need to understand something. If you are ever unfaithful to me, I will end you."
She held my gaze, and I saw the absolute, deadly seriousness in her eyes. A jolt of pure, raw desire went through me. I rolled us over, so she was straddling my hips.
"You feel that, Catalina? This is what you do to me. Especially when you show me that terrifying side. It turns me the fuck on. Your capacity for violence is the most potent aphrodisiac I have ever known. You promise to kill me if I stray? Then know this: if you ever try to leave me, I will track you to the ends of the earth. I will make you mine again, and then I will end us both. I will not exist in a world without you in it." I gripped her hips, pressing myself against the heat I could feel even through her leggings. A low moan escaped her lips. "Are you wet for me, Angel? Let me see for myself."