Chapter 79 He saved me.
Beast
“I had already let Owen know I’d pick him and Lia up at five. I’ll bring them straight back here,” Hex said to me.
“Good. Butcher still wants to thank her. Didn’t get the chance last night.”
“You told him you’re officially claiming her yet?”
“You tell him you’re claiming Owen?”
Hex looked at me, laughed, and shook his head.
“Alright. Let’s go talk to him.”
We walked to Butcher’s office and knocked. Felt a little like asking my dad for permission. I almost laughed out loud at the thought.
He yelled for us to come in. He glanced up from his computer, leaned back, and crossed his arms.
“What brings you two in?”
“We need to talk about Lia and Owen,” I said.
Butcher raised an eyebrow, then fixed his eyes on Hex. “I’m guessing you’re claiming the boy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm. This is new for the club. Some of the brothers might grumble if you two get handsy in the common areas, like some of us do.”
“What happens behind my door stays there. I don’t share that kind of thing. But I will kiss him. I will hold him. I won’t hide that he’s mine just because it makes someone squirm. This is my club, too.”
“You are fucking right it is. I won’t stand for anyone treating you different. You’re our brother. If there’s a problem, you have my backing to handle it how you see fit. Just don’t kill anybody.”
“Thanks, Prez. Means a lot,” Hex said, grinning wide.
Butcher turned to me. “What about you? Made up your mind? I know a few brothers who wouldn’t think twice about claiming that sweet girl. Not after last night. She say anything more about what she told you?”
“No. But her roommate said she got away from her ex five months ago. Guy was obsessed. I’m putting pieces together… last night, she panicked when I tried to see her without clothes. Wanted the lights off. So my guess? He broke her down. Tore her confidence apart. And if she said she was ‘recovering’ from punishments… he probably hurt her.”
“Okay. If she escaped, she’s running. I want her here. I liked her. She helped Catalina without knowing a thing about her, that takes heart and guts. Bear and Doc spent time with her. She got those hardasses to smile, beat them at pool. She’s good for this place. Brings a little light. Best part? Catalina and Jenna like her. And you know how much their opinion means to me. Those girls are like my own.”
“Well, Catalina could be. Jenna is only fifteen years younger than you. Start young enough, I could see it,” I said, smiling.
“You’re a real smartass,” he scowled. “You sure about this? Both of you? It’s for life.”
Hex and I both nodded.
“Alright. I want to talk to her. I’ll have Catalina and Jenna there, too. Maybe she’ll talk more with them around. When are you telling her?”
“Tonight. They’re coming to the club. Hex will talk to Owen. He wants him here now, same as I want Lia. But if she says no… I still want her here. I’ll convince her she’s mine.”
“She’ll stay here whether she accepts your claim or not. There’s something about her. She’s special.”
“I feel the same,” I said.
“Alright. Get out of here.”
Hex and I left.
“I need to clean my room. Make space for Owen.”
“Yeah, me too. Doubt Lia would want to sleep in my bed right now. Haven’t used it in a few nights, but last time I did, Kiki was there. So… yeah. Need fresh sheets.”
Hex laughed and clapped my shoulder. I went to my room and started cleaning. Good thing I did. Condom wrappers everywhere. Old beer bottles. Some girl’s underwear. I tore the sheets off and put on clean ones. Dusted, picked up trash, ran the vacuum. Then I scrubbed the bathroom. Made sure there were no little bottles or hair ties left behind from old hookups. You never knew where they’d leave their stuff, like some quiet way of marking territory. Only woman who’ll ever mark my room is my Old Lady. And that’s going to be Lia.
When I finished, I took a fast shower and changed into light jeans, a white tee, and my boots. Went commando, like usual. Let my hair dry on its own. It falls to the sides now, parted in the middle, down to my chin. I like it like this. Don’t need to glue it up in spikes anymore. I swapped my regular tongue ring for the vibrating one. If tonight goes right, Lia will be in my bed, and I want to use it on her.
As innocent as she is, I know my pierced cock is going to blow her mind. I smiled thinking about how she might react. I can’t wait.
I sat on my bed and leaned against the headboard. I know I should take it slow with her. But I just can’t. I want her small, tight body so badly. I sat there thinking about what she’s been through. Some bastard hurt her. I think to help her open up, I’ll tell her my story. I’ll do it when we’re with Butcher, Catalina, and Jenna. Butcher already knows. He’s the one who brought me into the club.
When I was seventeen, I was running the streets of New York with my friend Vaughn. Both of us had left homes that were nothing but hurt. Vaughn’s dad was a drunk who beat him regular. We went to school together, became close the day I found him in the locker room trying to clean up wounds he couldn’t reach. I helped him. After that, we were always together.
One night he came to my place and climbed through my window. I’d forgotten to lock it the night before, after sneaking back in. I lived with my uncle, my mom’s sister’s husband. My mom died, my dad disappeared. They took me in when I was thirteen. For years, my uncle would come into my room and do things. Most times I fought. Sometimes I couldn’t. That night, I did. I didn’t want to be touched. I didn’t want to be forced.
He’d started getting creative. I was older, not that weak kid anymore. When I turned sixteen, I started lifting weights at school. A year later, I had muscle. I couldn’t be pushed around so easy at home anymore. So he started drugging me. I didn’t figure it out until later. My food, my drinks. I’d eat dinner and get so tired. He could do what he wanted when I was out of it. He’d wait until my aunt was asleep, then sneak in.
But that night, Vaughn climbed in after I was already asleep. He got into my bed and passed out next to me. He didn’t know I’d been drugged. My uncle came in and thought Vaughn was me. Vaughn jumped up. Scared the hell out of my uncle. They fought, and Vaughn grabbed a trophy off my shelf and hit him with it. He realized I wasn’t waking up and put it together. He pulled a bag from my closet, stuffed in some clothes and shoes, then got my dizzy self up and out the front door. We walked for miles, him mostly holding me up. By morning we were in Central Park. I was awake by then. He told me everything. We knew we could never go back to school.
For two months we lived on the streets. Slept in empty buildings. Did little jobs for food money. Then I literally ran into Butcher. Vaughn got the idea to rob a convenience store. Didn’t tell me. We walked in, I had a little cash. I was buying snacks when Vaughn pulled a gun from nowhere and started yelling at the clerk. I just stood there, stuck. Vaughn turned to check behind him, the clerk ducked down, came up with a shotgun, and shot him. Then he turned the gun on me. I ran.
Tears were pouring down my face when I sprinted into an alley and around a corner. I wasn’t looking and slammed into what felt like a wall. Except it was Butcher, walking out of a bar. I fell. He didn’t. He yanked me up and asked what the hell I thought I was doing.
I was a mess, crying so hard I couldn’t talk. He had another guy throw me in a car, and we ended up at the clubhouse. I told him everything. He thought about it for an hour, then told me I’d prospect for the club. I had nowhere to go. No one left. I worked so much I never really got to grieve Vaughn. I thank God for Butcher every day. He was the father I needed. I’ve been loyal to him since. He saved me.