“You’ve just had your ass handed to you, Edward,” Zero said.
“Touch her again and I’ll cut your balls off. She’s mine.”
Zero smirked. “You’re in no position to question me. I’ll go and see if she’s getting settled.”
He had to watch Zero walk toward Sophia. Yanking at the chains, Nash let out a growl. He couldn’t handle watching one of his brothers taking on Sophia.
Fuck, the look in her eyes would stay with him forever. In all the time he’d known her, he’d never once seen her look sexy. She’d always been beautiful to him but too innocent to ever explore.
Had she ever really been innocent?
Crap, his thoughts were all over the place, and he couldn’t think clearly at all.
“What are you thinking?” Lash asked.
His brother was stood with his arms folded over his chest.
“These restraints are f**king unnecessary.” He pulled on them hoping they’d pull away easily. Nothing happened. Until Lash opened them up this was where he was staying.
“Do you really think I’m going to believe that?” Lash stared at him, smirking.
“You’re being an ass**le. It’s my least favorite quality about you.” Nash stopped pressing on the restraints and sat down on the makeshift bed. “Is this what you’re going to do to save me?” He laughed. “This is the worst f**king idea in the world.” Nash wiped his brow free of sweat.
“We’ll see who is laughing in a couple of weeks. When did you start using?” Lash sat down opposite him.
The desire to lie filled every part of him. “Why do you want to know?”
“I want to know when my brother started going off the rails. I need to know what I’m fighting against.”
Letting out a breath, he rested his arms on his knees. “Fine. The day I moved Sophia into her apartment we kissed, and she told me she couldn’t. She kicked me out with a box of Kate’s possessions. I found a little white bag of powder and figured I’d give oblivion ago.”
“Then you f**ked over your life. Beating up drug dealers and making sure everyone knew The Skulls had a patched in member who couldn’t keep his shit together. Thanks a lot.” Lash stood up, going toward the fridge in the room.
“You’re welcome.”
The beer Lash was holding was thrown across the room where it smashed on the opposite wall, the ale spilling down the wall as the glass lay broken to pieces. “It’s not f**king funny, Edward. Alex is already having to deal with the f**king backlash from your incompetence.”
Nash didn’t say a word. He kept his gaze on Lash’s without looking away.
“You don’t give a shit about the club, fine.” His brother stopped glancing toward the open door where Sophia had disappeared. “Every day you spend here fighting me and what I’m about to do, she’s going to be here. Sophia is going to be here with Zero, Butch, even Whizz and Time. All of the brothers are going to be here on babysitting duty.”
“What’s your f**king point?” Gritting his teeth, Nash spat the words out.
“She’s a hot piece of ass. I’m sure many of our men would love a piece of her.” Lash licked his lips, giving the door a pointed look.
“You’ve got Angel.”
“And Murphy has Tate. The other men, they’ve got a sweet-butt. I think one of them if not all would love a chance to take Sophia out for a little spin. She’ll be a f**king wild woman.” Lash got up. “Think about that.”
Nash felt sick to his stomach. There was no way he could survive if one of his brothers started to worm their way into Sophia’s life. She was his woman. The reason he’d not already put a gun to his temple. Sophia was a fuller woman, rounded in all the right places. The guys would love her. He knew it in his heart and soul. It hadn’t taken him long to fall in love with her from that first meeting.
They wouldn’t do that to me.
Biting his lip, he stared at the door waiting for them to come back. He couldn’t hear a thing, and his body was starting to shake. Shit, how long had it been since he’d had a hit?
Don’t think about it.
Rolling up in a ball, he stared at the door, hoping and wishing they’d all come out and put him out of his misery.
Nothing happened, not one thing.
****
Lash walked into the other room to see Sophia putting away some of her clothes and Zero watching her. The hunger on the biker’s face surprised him. He’d only been testing his brother, but seeing the lust plainly on Zero’s face started a plan rolling. Sophia was completely oblivious to the attention she was getting.
“How is he?” Sophia asked, putting the last item of clothing in the wardrobe he’d purchased.
He’d always intended to intervene in his brother’s mess. Angel had picked out the furniture for the room.
“Cursing, ranting, being a bastard because he knows what annoys me.” Lash picked up the stuffed teddy from the floor.
She grabbed it out of his hands and placed the teddy on the bed. He wasn’t going to say a word at all. Angel still owned a teddy from her childhood days. The stuffed gorilla sat on a shelf along with some books in their bedroom. Women were freaky creatures.
“He’s your brother. Nash is going to know everything about you.”
“Yeah, I’ve got an idea though. When you go out there I don’t want you to call him Nash.”
Zero stood up.
“Why not?” Sophia asked.
“Nash is his biker name. By his actions, he’s not a Skull. It’s time for him to know the true extent of what he’s done.”
“So he’s Edward or f**ker,” Zero said.
“That’s pretty colorful.” Sophia smiled anyway.
“We’ll give him everything he’s earned.” Lash stared at Sophia knowing jealousy could help them bring his brother back. This woman had given his brother a reason to be better. He’d seen the love in Edward’s eyes when she came into their world all those months ago. If it was up to his brother, the men who put the marks on her face would be dead.
“You’ve got a plan?” Zero asked.
“Yeah. He’s not going to like it, but I think it could help.”
“Why do I feel I’m not going to like it?” Sophia asked.
“Because you’re not. I’m going to need you to be strong through this.” Lash waited for her confirmation.
“I will. I can do this. Nash, I mean, Edward, has always been there for me when he didn’t have to be. I owe him this.”