Outlaw MC Bear (16 page)

Silas let out a long, heavy baritone roar, keeping his gun trained on the wolf shifter as he backed up toward the way they’d come with the truck. He whistled to his men, who also started their retreat. “This isn’t over, Adder.”

“It is for now, bear. A twenty-four-hour cease-fire is in effect. As of right now.”

“Yeah, well. You wolves got on the wrong side, and there’ll be consequences, you shady fucks.”

As soon as he saw the rest of his crew on their bikes, Silas made Axe drive the unknown passenger in the truck, and the rest of them hightailed it out of there without another word until they were back in the safety of the Brotherhood compound.

“Fucking goddamn dogs,” Axe shouted, climbing out of the driver seat. “And who the fuck is this guy?”

“Feed him and clean him up a bit. We’ll find out soon enough. Don’t let him inside the club. No more outsiders.”

“
H
ey
, Si! Looks like both your women can hold their own. Congrats, man. I’d love to be tapping either one of those prissy bitches.” A random Texas charter member gave Silas a fist bump, sloshing his beer all over his boots.

“Say what?” Silas pinwheeled away from the boozehound and kept going a little bit faster into the boarded up side of the Beartooth Brotherhood headquarters.

“What the fuck is he talking about, Pres?” Axe called over his shoulder, but Silas didn’t look back as he pushed into the common room.

“…maybe if you didn’t live so far away he wouldn’t have to look for comfort elsewhere, crazy bitch! I’m not the first and I sure as hell won’t be the last to make him whip his cock out. Take that up with your future husband, not with me.” Sabrina stood in the middle of the clubhouse with a gun trained on Sophie, his Texas charter fiancée who must have just half-shifted into her bear form.

There was a ring of members and twisted claws keeping the two women in the middle, cheering, and throwing bottles. Couldn’t he leave the place for an hour without everything going to shit? Fuck. That was a stupid question.

“You might want to take care of that before it gets out of hand, buddy,” Axe supplied helpfully as he clapped Silas on the back and grabbed a beer from behind the bar. “Chick fight!”

“You don’t have to be so excited about it, dick,” Silas shouted, but he doubted his best friend heard him over the chaos crowd and the two women duking it out because of him.

Sophie snarled and swiped at Sabrina’s hands. Her hair fell wildly into her face whenever she swung around her weapon. “I know the bitches he usually fucks with are a passing thing. The way I hear it, you’re mixing business with pleasure. Why is that? Trying to solidify your place in his bed to further your father’s alliance? He sees right through you. You’re nothing to him, twat.”

Sabrina was holding her ground. “I never said I wanted to be anything! Why do you women keep attacking me? He’s the one who can’t keep his dick in his pants. Go after him, for Christ’s sake!” Her fingers trembled, and Silas had to hold his breath, watching the gun waving in her shaky grip. When it didn’t go off, he exhaled and flicked his gaze back to Sophie, who was eyeing Sabrina’s jugular with her huge ass bear maw open wide in a silent roar.

Silas had to admit Sabrina had a valid point. And how did Sophie find out in the first place, was the question. Either way, it was more than time to break up this show. He thrust himself into the circle of people and threw himself in front of Sophie—mainly because she wasn’t the one holding the gun, and he was sure she would attack first. He had no idea how skilled his latest bed partner was with a firearm. If anyone were going to win, he’d put his money on the bear chick. Still, he mentally commended Sabrina for holding her own. The woman had balls for damn sure.

“Get the hell out of my way, Silas!”

Both women’s voices echoed in his ears. He had to rub them for a second. “No can do, ladies. This isn’t going down tonight, or any other night.” He looked into Sophie’s chestnut brown gaze and nodded in an effort to calm her down, hoping Sabrina had the common sense to put away the gun now that it was pointed at him. “Can you please retract the claws, put the safety on that gun and talk with me like we’re civilized adults? She’s right, Sophie. Give me hell and let me talk it out with you. No need to rip up my business partner’s prized possession with your teeth.”

Sophie growled in warning and Silas took a step forward into the heat that was coating his skin from her shifter energy. “No!”

“As long as you’re in my territory, you’re under my rules. I say back the fuck off. Now, Sophie.” He let the thinnest edge of a growl leak past his lips.

Something in his tone must have clicked because her claws retracted and her face morphed from half-bear, half-human into its insanely gorgeous human form again. It had been so long, he forgot what a sight for sore eyes she was—even with the drama. Except that as pretty as she was, and as good as she could fuck, Silas never felt a thing in his chest for her. Their engagement was a business transaction to keep the bear MCs together and afloat.

“You ready to talk now?”

“Lead the way, asshole,” Sophie agreed, giving him her most charming smile.

“Watch that mouth, woman.” Even if he deserved it, no one got away with disrespecting him in his home, not even Sophie.

“Damn straight you’re an ass!” Sabrina chimed in.

Silas looked back at her and groaned. She was all badass-meets-classy-chick with the gun now held to her side. All he could think about was throwing her over his shoulder, taking her somewhere private and getting her legs around his waist again.

“Stop staring at me like I don’t know how to use it. I was raised by a mob boss, you prick.”

“Geez, from girl fight to fucking chummy and ready to tag team Silas in two seconds flat, huh? That’s a new record.” He turned to Axe. “Get Sabrina upstairs and don’t let her leave that room until I get up there.”

Axe nodded and looped his hand under Sabrina’s upper arm, leading her away. Silas nodded at Sabrina and allowed himself to be led firmly by the hand out of the circle of onlookers by his future wife. Yeah, he made life complicated, because he was an idiot, but no one around the MC expected him to be monogamous. In fact, the opposite was highly encouraged and was probably listed as a by-law in the MC regulations somewhere.

Not something Sophie wants to hear right now.

“Hey, focus!” Sophie was snapping her fingers in front of his face, then she pointed at two shots lined up for them at the bar.

“That stunt ain’t gonna happen again. Understood? You’ve known who I am and what I do for a long time now.”

“Shut it, Si. I’m not here for that.”

Silas closed his mouth, downed the shot, and let himself get verbally castrated by the only woman he considered a friend. That was why she got permission to talk to him that way. He pasted on a smile and waited for her to say her peace.

“No, it’s not your first time at the indiscretion rodeo. I’m not an idiot. But it is your first time with a woman who’s my caliber. Not simply a throwaway who’s trying to get into your pants to look good for an officer or someone else in the club who might be looking to fill an old lady slot. See that girl over there? She gave me a run for my money. I appreciated the challenge. That’s why it escalated. I wouldn’t have hurt her…much.” Sophie threw her head back, tossing her blonde locks over her shoulder when she took her shot. She tapped the bar for two more. “It’s a matter of pride, buddy. I wasn’t ready to let little Ms. Mafia make me look bad in front of my crew for taking what’s mine.”

“I guess I should be honored you're claiming me in the first place?” Silas leaned against the bar, fiddling with the empty shot glass.

“Good call.” She knocked back the next two shots and walked her fingers up his t-shirt until she was gripping the neck and bundling the fabric in her fist. “You and I go way back. What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t put down a woman trying to be my better?”

“I don’t think she has that in mind…”

“You. Are. So. Wrong.” Sophie followed up each word with a bop to his nose and then she giggled. She’d always been an easy drunk.

“So, what aren’t you telling me, Soph? Spill.”

“Really? You need me to tell you?” She playfully pushed him, taking a shaky seat on one of the bar stools and crossing her legs. “She’s in love with you, you big dumbass. The little human wants to have your bear babies.”

Silas blinked, his mind a yawning void as his expression went slack. “Even if that were true, which it’s not, how does that impact us at all? I’m not looking to get wifed up with anyone else if it isn’t you, babe. I know what I’m getting with this package deal for our charters, you get me?”

“I don’t want to be wifed up.” Sophie sighed. She toyed with a ring on her wedding finger, spinning the damn thing over and over again. “Well, just not to you.”

“Uh, what the fuck, sweetheart? Is this the whisky talking or what?”

“First of all, let’s face it. We love each other, but not the way that matters.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means. We’ve been best friends forever, but you know there’s no fire between us. We’re a business deal and the way I see it, the two of us are smart enough to keep that business end intact without getting hitched.”

“Try telling that to Cindy.”

“She’s not my mom. You’ve got to convince her.”

“Where is all this coming from all of a sudden? I asked your charter here to help me with a situation. Can this wait a few weeks until I get this padrino situation in check?”

“No, it can’t.” Sophie glanced at him through her long lashes and bit her lip, putting her head in her hand. “I’m in love with someone else, baby. I have been for over three years. We’ve kept it under wraps for as long as possible, but dammit, with this little minx in the mix? I can finally see my out.”

“Whoa, wait, hold on, you’re babbling, Soph. Your out? What do you mean?”

“She loves you. She’s more powerful than I am. Her alliances can strengthen what we have. And I noticed the way you looked at her when you walked into the clubhouse and saw her in trouble. You looked like you were about to shit your fucking heart out. Add all that up, and whatever could it possibly mean?”

“You’re insane. Absolutely insane, woman.”

“Get your head out of your ass and realize that you and me, well, we’re not going to work, Silas. We can still be best friends, and I will always ensure our charters remain devoted allies, but we don’t have to be slaves to our families anymore. Your dad and my dad were old school. They could only see a marriage tying their clubs together under your leadership, but they gave us what the two of us needed to stay loyal where it counts. Friendship, honesty and trust. You and I are great friends…and I trust you. I’d do almost anything for you, but not this. We’re all grown up, and you’re the leader of the MC. Kick around your own rules for a change. You can start by calling off our engagement. Maybe things will start looking up for you.”

No amount of new rules was going to make it okay to sleep with a human who was affiliated with the largest mob in this part of the country. He didn’t need a magnifying glass to see that. It was all well and good that Sophie got her happy ending. If she wanted to scrap their engagement, he’d do it for her, but that didn’t give him an automatic pass to replace her with Sabrina.

“Thanks for the pep talk, dollface.”

“How do you feel about everything?”

Silas furrowed his brows as he thought about it. “Surprisingly okay.”

“Like I said, we weren’t meant to be.”

He nodded, realizing Sophie was right. He should have been mad as hell, ready to rain fire on whoever took her away from him. He didn’t even care who the guy was. “You’re free, blondie. Congratulations on finding a nice local guy.”

“I do what I can. Now go upstairs and talk to her.” Sophie smirked and shoved the leftover bottle of whisky in his face. “Take this with you. She’s gonna need some before she lets you off the hook.”

Silas grunted and picked up the bottle, downing a good bit of the liquid as he looked at the clock on the wall. “As president of the Beartooth Brotherhood, I say let’s make good use of the next little while. Are your men ready for the meeting with Giovanni?”

“They are.”

He turned to the amped up crowd. “Let’s get this fucking party started!” he shouted out to cheers, whistles, and pats on the back as he worked his way toward the stairs, curious about what Sabrina would have to say after her blowout with Sophie. She was probably still processing the idea of a world where shapeshifters existed. It was a lot for anyone to take in. How the hell they’d found out about each other within minutes of Sophie showing up was another mystery. It was either Cindy or some other twisted claw trying to stir up drama.

Silas knocked on Sabrina’s closed door, knowing full well he could barge in if he wanted to. Part of him had been listening to her, even if his caveman side won out.

“Yes?” she called out.

“We need to talk.” Silas leaned against the wood trying to pretend he wasn’t looking forward to doing more than talking.

“Do I get to say no or will you kick the door down?”

Well, he didn’t want to lie. He kept his mouth shut and took another burning drag off the bottle in his hand. By now he’d had a sea of liquid courage. “So you know me. Just open it. Now. I’ve got good booze if it’s too much to handle me sober.”

The slab of wood did pull back, and he had to do a double-take. Sabrina was already well on her way to piss-drunk, and carrying her own bottle of tequila. By the looks of it, she’d been nursing the thing long before her confrontation with Sophie. She stumbled back a bit and sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at him as if looks could maim and kill.

“Where’d you get that?”

“Axe. I figured I needed a buzz for our meeting with Lorenzo, then thought it would also make for a decent victory buzz after my rumble with your fiancée.”

Silas nodded, taking a seat a little bit away from her on the edge of the bed. He considered telling her Sophie wasn’t his fiancée anymore, but it seemed like a moot point. He lifted his booze and clinked their bottles together. “I wouldn’t say it’s a victory when you’re both fighting over an asshole like me.”

She scoffed and clutched the bottle to her chest. “You said it, not me.”

“I can set my ego aside every now and then.”

When she frowned and looked away, Silas did the first thing that popped into his head. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. Her skin was so soft. Sabrina gasped a little before she pulled back. Her expression flickered from defiance to something else he couldn’t pick up on while he studied her in a way he’d never done for another woman.

“You’re a piece of work, you know that?”

“I don’t make things easy. For myself or anyone else.” Silas let his hand hover in the air between them and wondered why all the honesty bullshit was pouring out of him as if his soul was on tap. Better to blame the booze.