Heart Recaptured

Cowboy and Hush would do anything for Styx. He let them both go nomad after life dealt Cowboy some seriously bad shit when at their previous chapter. They’d always drop in to see us here as much as possible. In fact, I was thinking it wouldn’t be long until they both patched in to our mother chapter right here in Austin. These Louisiana rednecks seemed to have found their place amongst us original sinners here in the Lone Star State. And they’d fit right in next to Viking and Flame. Cowboy, with his blond hair, full leathers, colorful body tattoos, black steel-toe cowboy boots, and leather Stetson that seemed glued to his head, and Hush, our mixed-race brother with bright blue eyes, with his no-shit attitude and fucking perfect aim. These brothers were full on Hangmen, legit, and it’d be good to have them at our table. With more enemies at our door than we had guns, we would need as many trustworthy brothers as we could recruit.

When Viking caught sight of Lilah and me cutting across the yard, he whistled to get my attention. I held up my hand in dismissal.

“Not the fuck now, Vike. I gotta take care of some shit for Styx, and I don’t need to hear fuck all from your stupid mouth,” I snapped.

Vike tapped AK’s shoulder, then smirked at me. “What shit you gotta do? Or is it who you gotta do? You rushing to bust a nut into the blond Amish bitch?”

Catching the shocked stutter of Lilah’s breath, I swung to face her and saw tears of hurt and confusion filling her eyes. I took a deep breath. I was gonna kill that redheaded dick hole.

Shaking loose Lilah’s hand, I turned to storm at Viking, when Lilah suddenly gripped my arm, holding me back. “Please, do not leave me. I am afraid out here… with them. I do not know them… I…”

Exhaling and working on calming down, I nodded my head and retook her hand. I caught her almost silent sigh of relief. My stomach tightened and something strange seemed to burn in my chest. I liked that she seemed to feel safe with me.

Hell. I liked it a lot.

But when we brushed past Vike, I heard him mutter to AK, Cowboy, and Hush, “Fuck, she’s hot. What I wouldn’t give to skull-fuck that mouth.”

I lost it.

Yanking my hand out of Lilah’s, ignoring her terrified cry, I charged at Viking, knocking his stupid ass to the asphalt and giving him two hard jabs in his fuckin’ filterless mouth.

Viking spat blood in my face and jerked his legs, knocking me to the side. Just before the asswipe could strike back, I kicked him in his balls with my left boot, enjoying hearing him squeal and turn blue, squirming in pain as he fell to the ground.

“Skull-fuck that, fire crotch,” I spat and jumped to my feet, immediately searching for Lilah. She was between Cowboy, Hush, and AK. AK was holding her arm. I stormed over to my brothers to see AK smile wide at her and Cowboy tip his Stetson. Hush kinda grunted, and Lilah swallowed hard. She looked as scared as all hell, her eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

AK caught my approach and my hard stare at his arm on Lilah’s. He immediately let go, and Lilah’s eyes fluttered up to meet mine, softening in relief.

“You kill him yet?” AK asked, nodding his head in Vike’s direction.

Wiping my bloodied knuckles on my wet jeans, I glanced back at Vike, still fetal on the ground, cupping his balls. “Nah, not that goddamn lucky. That bastard could survive a fuckin’ nuclear holocaust, Vike and the goddamn cockroaches… and he’d probably attempt to skull-fuck all’a them too. Asshole.”

Hearing Lilah sniff and wrap her arms across her chest, I tipped my head at her. “Let’s go, sweet cheeks.”

“You been catching a midnight swim, brother?” Cowboy asked as we headed away, spitting his chewing tobacco onto the small patch of grass beside his Chopper.

Hush’s top lip lifted in amusement, his leather-clad arms wrapped over his chest.

Groaning, I replied, “Don’t fuckin’ ask.”

I could see AK, Hush, and Cowboy looking at a soaked Lilah, her dripping long blond hair haphazardly stuffed into that god-awful white headdress thing she never took off, and then Cowboy looked over at me. My jaw clenched when he raised his eyebrow in question. I shook my head and they all smirked.

Nosy fucking cunts!

Reaching out my hand, I grabbed Lilah’s arm, pulled her forward, and headed for the back door to the apartment over the garage. As we entered the hallway, I caught Flame sitting at the top of the stairs. He looked down, his crazy black eyes boring holes into me.

Turning Lilah by her shoulder, I pointed up the stairs to her room. “Get up there and lock the door.”

She silently nodded her head and climbed the stairs, only to glance back when I called her name.