Duke (6 page)

Gen didn’t think she’d ever heard Tyler truly laugh, but he took a few seconds to do so now, and then said, with a chuckle still in his voice, “Like I said, he’s a good man. Glad he saw the light and kept you safe. I’ll get with you tomorrow to let you know the driver’s name, and get the addresses to pick everyone up and drop them off.”

Later in the evening, Gen realized she should’ve checked with Bethany to see what bars her friend had lined up.

The limo’s first stop took them to a cool spot downtown with a live band. Next, they went to a nightclub in a huge warehouse, with way too many people, and it was much too loud, but Gen was tipsy enough to enjoy it. She learned Cam was allowed to come on girls’ night out since he was gay, but there was a long discussion about whether he and Cassie had sex or not, and whether he could still call himself gay. The group didn’t resolve anything, but it was a fun debate and Cam didn’t seem bothered by it in the least. Gen worried at first, and tried to stop the conversation because she would’ve been mortified in his position. However, he hugged her and told her to chill, assuring her no one meant any harm and he was fine.

The final edict from the girls was that Cassie couldn’t let loose properly while dancing with one of her men, which meant the rest of the group needed to keep him occupied. Dancing with him was a blast — he was a hot guy and a better-than-awesome dancer, and they could dirty dance with him without worrying he might expect it to lead somewhere.

Cam ended up dancing suggestively with Bethany and Gen quite a bit at the second place, and by the time they left, Gen was three-sheets-to-the-wind but not quite shit-faced yet.

Kent, their driver, told them he was going to make a quick stop to pick up “reinforcements” before going to the last place. Gen didn’t know what he meant, but was having too much fun to think about it.

When they stopped, Kent got out, walked to another vehicle, stuck his head in the window a few minutes and came back alone.

“
Tell me you didn’t just have to do a face-to-face check-in with my husband,” Viv demanded, and she was clearly pissed.

Kent smiled at their reflection in the mirror. “I try not to lie to pretty women, so I can’t tell you that.”

Viv threw her arms up and mock growled, and the group commiserated and then laughed, because they were all clearly safe, just having a night out on the town.

Gen noted the vehicle followed them, but didn’t mention it to Viv. It wasn’t until Gen saw the glowing neon sign that she understood why Tyler was with them for the last stop.

Gen whispered to Bethany, “Why are we here?”

Bethany knew her friend had handled Rolling Thunder’s land deal, and she knew Gen had recognized one of the men from high school. She didn’t know anything else.

“
It’s one of the most happenin’ places right now,” Bethany answered. “Plus, you made a ton of money off these guys. Figured it was the perfect spot to end our night and land you completely and totally shit-faced.”

As the women streamed out of the limo, Gen could see through the bike shop parking lot, across the street, and into the compound. They’d situated the driveway so they could keep an eye on their other properties, apparently. Gen could also see a huge bonfire behind the parking lot, towards the still-wooded area, and a lot of people with drinks in their hands. Looked like the RTMC was having a party.

The inside of their bar wasn’t what Gen expected. She figured it’d be honky-tonk redneck, but the place had class. Rich, wooden paneling lined the walls, with gleaming motorcycle parts mounted to them as well as hanging from the ceiling. The bar along the side wall looked expensive, complete with a brass foot-bar and ornate carved pieces on the corners. The tables and chairs weren’t cheap and wobbly. No live band, but a nice sized dance floor and danceable music. Bethany had been right — it looked like the place to be.

Gen followed the group to the bar, got a drink, and the girls hit the dance floor.

Duke pulled his cellphone from his pocket with a silent groan. The guys wouldn’t be bothering him during the party unless there was another problem, and they’d had thirteen days without trouble. He was waiting until they made it fourteen days before he made his play for Gen.

Your little spitfire just got out of a limo with a bunch of other women. This isn’t their first stop. They’re wobbling and way too happy.

He read the text and his lips curled into a grin. She’d come to him.

He opened the picture, saw Gen with a bunch of women he didn’t recognize, and a few he did. He’d done his research on Tyler Hastings, so he recognized Hastings’ wife. He also recognized Sam Levi. Duke couldn’t be sure from the picture, but the limo driver looked like one of Aaron’s men, which made sense. A man like Tyler Hastings wouldn’t let his wife go out without someone to watch her back when she drank.

Two more pictures came through, showing the back and front of Gen’s very clingy dress. The damned thing went nearly to her knees. It had a high neck so there was no cleavage showing, but a circle of caramel flesh showed in the center of her back. The only skin he could see was from the knees down, plus her arms, face, and the spot on her back, and yet somehow, in her attempts at trying not to look sexy, she’d managed to look more interesting than her friends in skimpy outfits.

The slinky dress clung in all the right places, and he wanted to peel it off her. His wolf agreed. In fact, when she’d first called him Keith on this very lot, before they bought it, his wolf had already recognized her, it just took the man a few seconds longer to see the beautiful woman in front of him was the same girl he’d watched from a distance as a teen.

Duke told a few people he was going to head across the street for a walkthrough, thanked some he knew wouldn’t stay much longer for coming, and made his way towards the beautiful Genesis.

He considered his options on the way, and decided to sit back and watch her a while before making his move. With this in mind, he went in the back, up the catwalk, and sat on one of the lighting platforms near the ceiling.

He zeroed in on her right away, and a man had his arms around her, but Duke had spent some time on Frisco’s Facebook page, which led him to Cameron’s Facebook page and several thousand pictures. Gen was hanging out with her brother’s boyfriend, which was okay. He hoped.

The music changed, and Gen grabbed a very attractive redhead, and the two women danced provocatively with Cam. Duke’s cock grew hard watching his girl dance, but his temper was in danger of flaring and his wolf wanted to charge in and claim her right this second. Sure, she was drunk, but people were
watching
her. They didn’t know she was dancing with her brother’s gay boyfriend, they thought she was broadcasting how she’d be in bed.

Duke was standing up to go down and snatch her off the dance floor when a large man came from behind her and yanked her away from Cam and into his arms. She fought a few seconds, relaxed, waited for him to relax, and then took a step back. When the asshole tried to pull her back she leaned and twisted, and took him to the ground.

This happened in a matter of seconds, and Duke scanned the area, saw a prospect capable of handling the situation headed their way, so Duke stayed put so he wouldn’t miss anything. Sam Levi and Viv Hastings made it to Gen before the prospect. Viv put her foot on the guy’s balls, and Sam leaned down and wrapped her hand around his neck, saying something the asshole clearly didn’t appreciate.

Duke decided he needed to be down there,
now
, so he pushed through the air, grabbed one of the support beams, and slid down like a fireman, surprising some patrons when he seemed to come from nowhere. Ten steps and he was to them, and he lifted the man out of Sam Levi’s hands, used his other hand to grab Gen around the arm, and began pushing through the crowd.

Sam Levi decided to come to her friend’s rescue and stepped in front of him, saying, “He felt her up, she had
every
right to take him down. You can’t throw her out for that!”

“
She did,” Duke agreed, “but I didn’t appreciate the way she was dancing, and she and I are going to have a discussion about it.”

Sam looked flustered, shocked, and then pissed. “You can’t tell her how to dance in your club! Others were dancing worse! She was just having fun!”

“
She’s mine. She only dances that way for me.”

At this, Gen pulled her arm, realized he wasn’t going to let go, and stepped closer to yell, “Keith. I do
not
belong to you!”

Sam’s gaze went to Gen, then to Duke as she took in the patches on his vest, and back to Gen. “You know him?”

Gen nodded and Sam looked back to Duke. “I’m coming, too.”

While he’d been talking to Sam, the prospect had taken control of the man who’d mauled Gen, and Duke nodded his head towards the office.

When they entered, the limo driver came as well, and Duke growled, “You didn’t get an invite.”

“
Yeah, I just tagged Drake. He says for me to stick with Gen, and if you give me lip to tell you it’s me or him, and he won’t be pleased if you fuck up his Friday night.”

Duke looked at him a few minutes, debating. “How long you been with Drake?”

“
Long enough.” He nodded to the jerk, who by now had stopped trying to fight the prospect. “Do what you gotta do.”

Duke nodded once and turned to the asshole. “I was on the catwalk watching my woman dance. I saw you rip her out of her brother’s boyfriend’s arms and pull her into yours. I
know
she didn’t give consent, and her friend just informed me you felt her up. Tell me, where on my woman’s body did you put your hands?”

“
Ummm, Keith?” Gen said. “Everything’s okay now. I took care of him, and Viv and Sam backed me up. I’m sure he won’t bother me again.”

Duke didn’t look at her as he talked to her, but kept an angry glare focused on the tall, heavily muscled man who looked like he was scared shitless as Duke told Gen, “I
know
he won’t bother you again, because he’s gonna have a broken hand before he leaves Thunder property. First, I need him to tell me where the
fuck
he put his hands on you.”

“
And I need to know where the eff you got the idea I belong to you! We haven’t even
spoken
in months!”

 “
Told you why I was backing off, and I’d come for you when it was safe. Tomorrow was the day. You came to me, though. Made it easy.” He hoped he was managing to speak gently while glaring at the asshole.

“
I didn’t come to you!”

“
You’re here, aren’t you?” He finally turned to look at her, and noted in the light just how glazed over her eyes were, saw her hand on the edge of the desk for balance. Yeah, they’d been drinking and dancing a while.

“
Bethany planned where to go! I had no idea your place was on the list!”

Hmmm. Maybe he wasn’t getting into her sweet pussy tonight. Not as drunk as she was. He wanted her sober the first time. Or maybe just a little buzzed. Not drunk, though. Not for their first time.

He looked back to the asshole. “Right now it’ll be one broken hand. Tell me where you touched my woman and don’t make me work for it, or it’ll be much, much worse.”

“
Her tit, man. And I may have brushed against her ass. I’m
sorry
. Didn’t know she was yours. Won’t happen again, honest to
God
.”

“
Her bein’ mine has put you in a world of hurt, but shouldn’t matter who a woman belongs to. You don’t touch them,
anywhere
, without them wantin’ you to.”

Duke looked back to Gen, saw the fear in her face and decided he didn’t want her to see him break anyone’s hand. “Okay, Beautiful. Your driver and the prospect will stay here and keep you safe. I just claimed you to the entire bar, and that means you don’t walk out the door without me protecting you. I’d rather your friend waited, too, but that’s up to her. You stay here, let me walk this asshole out to his truck and watch him drive away, and I’ll be right back.”

Duke took mercy on the man and broke his left hand instead of his right. He had the man show him his truck, and Duke started it up for him and told him to drive away. “Hospital’s just a few blocks over. Don’t care what you tell them, but if my name or Rolling Thunder is anywhere in the explanation you’ll be hurtin’ a whole lot worse than you are now.”

He turned to see four of his men standing behind him, backing him up if he needed it, which he hadn’t. “Can one of you tell Brain to save an encrypted copy for my use, but scrub the rest, just in case he goes to the cops?”

“
He ain’t goin’ to the cops,” Gonzo said. “Taken to the ground by a tiny woman in heels, held there by two more women, walked through the bar by a prospect, walked out of the bar by you? He’s gonna go to the emergency room and tell them he hit himself with a hammer or some shit.”

“
Yeah, we need to scrub it anyway. I’m gonna go get Gen now, maybe take her across the street. Have to see how her mood is.”

The office was full of women when he returned. Not what he’d intended, but as he cracked the door he heard the tail end of a conversation where it sounded like Gen was explaining the situation to her posse, so he stood and listened.

“
Did you tell him not to bother coming for you once things were safe?” He had no idea who asked it, but it was a soft, female voice.

“
No! He didn’t give me a chance! He doesn’t let me talk! You heard how bossy he is!”

Duke pushed in and the room looked at him. Gen stood and said, “I’m going home, now. Thanks for coming to my rescue. Maybe we can talk tomorrow, once I’m sober.”

“
How about another plan?” he asked, his voice gentle. “We’re having a get-together across the street. Family friendly — lots of kids, wives, and girlfriends. No drugs, no rough stuff. It’s my family, and I’d like you to meet some of them.”