Page 50 of Down & Dirty: Reaper

Hunter put his palms up in surrender. “Can we change the fucking subject?”

“Why?” Vi asked sharply. “This is the subject you came here to stick your noses into. You came here trying to intimidate one of my team. To pressure him into conforming to your wishes. To tell him I’m ‘off-limits’ when that isn’t true. Because none of you get to decide that.”

“We’re simply looking out for you,” Walker mentioned quietly.

“While I appreciate that, unless I ask, don’t assume I need it.”

“See that.” One side of Walker’s mouth pulled up. “You’re making us proud, Violet.”

That took the hurricane-force wind out of Vi’s angry sails.

After taking a deep breath, her shoulders dropped and her spine softened.

It was easy to see she loved and respected the men in that room. But because she was also raised not to be pushed around that came back to bite them all in the ass.

“Now, are we done with this shit?” Vi shot her father a pointed look.

Diesel’s jaw shifted and he lifted his gaze to Reaper. He did not miss the curl of her father’s lip and the deadly threat behind those dark eyes.

“Does Mom know you’re here pulling this bullshit?”

Suddenly the man’s expression turned neutral and he dropped his gaze to his daughter. His nostrils flared only enough for observant people to catch. Which in this particular case, was everyone in that damn room.

Obviously, Diesel did not enjoy eating shit sandwiches, either. And Reaper was damn sure Jewel knew how to serve them.

“Dad?” Vi prodded.

Reaper had something to say but he wasn’t sure if calling the fellow DAMC member brother would be smart about now. Nor would calling him Mr. Dougherty or even by his first name. Instead, he just skipped the formality and got to the point. “Look, if you think Vi is just some random pussy to me, you’re wrong.”

“Right. Could be tryin’ to get your fuckin’ mitts on her empire.”

In the Shadows Security was an empire?

“I promise I’m not. Any fool who’d try to do that would be facing y’all.”

Ryder’s head popped up on that last word. Most likely because Reaper picked up on the former Shadow’s own slight southern accent. Like Reaper’s, it only popped up on occasion.

“Where?”

Reaper answered Ryder with, “Georgia.”

Ryder answered with a slight tip of his head.

A deep grunt had everyone returning their attention back to Diesel. “Gonna claim her?”

In his mind, he heard the racking of a shotgun. “This is still so n⁠—”

Vi elbowed his gut.

Reaper changed course and backed her earlier claim, despite it being a lie. “It’s only been a few months. We’re not ready to go there yet.” And maybe not ever.

Claiming an ol’ lady at the table was as good as a marriage. It might not be legally binding, but it was a serious step in the biker world.

And two people having sex didn’t make a serious relationship. Even great sex.

But he’d prefer not to explain that to the father of the daughter Reaper was banging.

“Do any of you seriously think I made it to thirty-one still a virgin?”