Page 66 of Nightmare’s Playground

I didn’t give the first fuck.

I’d take them all on.

Nobody, and I meant no-fucking-body was going to talk about my woman like that.

Especially her brother.

“Atta boy,” Ruthless boomed, clapping his hands together. “If anyone deserves my baby sister, it’s a man who is willing to die for her honor.”

Denali swung his head to his brother. “Shut the fuck up.”

Ruthless chuckled. “What?” he asked, taking a long pull from the beer in his hand. “You disagree?”

Denali turned his head.

He didn’t. He was just too pissed that I’d crossed a line.

“Quit being a little bitch.” Ruthless laughed.

“Can’t believe you think this is funny, fucker. That’s our sister,” Denali growled, pointing at me accusingly.

“And she’s an adult, in case you missed it. Now shut up and give me my hundred bucks,” Ruthless tacked on.

Denali’s eyes narrowed to slits. “For fucking what?”

Ruthless pointed his beer at me. “Told you he’d protect her with his life. I think he just proved it, walking in here to the lion’s den.”

Denali flinched, then stated, “My sister doesn’t need protection from me.”

Ruthless just raised a brow.

Denali’s face went from fighting-mad red to ashen in about two seconds flat as he replayed what had just come out of his own mouth.

He dragged a hand down his face. “Fuck.”

Yeah. Fuck.

I wasn’t going to let him beat himself up about it though. I knew how much he loved Joy. I also knew he had a shitty way of showing it sometimes.

“I know you’re pissed,” I said. “But I love her.”

I felt like shit letting him have those words before I’d even said them to her, but he needed to know. Joy was it for me.

Denali scoffed. “Like a little sister?”

I sighed. “I think by now you know it’s more than that.”

“Let’s be real. You don’t even fucking know my sister,” he said, sounding slightly less hostile.

“I admit that it all happened fast.” I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. “But that doesn’t change the facts. She’s mine now, and that’s not going to change.”

It wasn’t. Nothing was coming between me and Joy. Not the club. Not her brothers. Not the ten years between us, or the ten years I spent in prison.

Nothing.

Denali stared at me for a long moment, jaw working, and I could see him struggling with what to do. According to the laws of the club, he could shoot me where I stood and be justified, but I could see that wasn’t what he wanted to do.

So I made it easy for him.