“You shouldn’t be here.” Lash folded his arms over his chest and glared.
“I don’t give a f**k what you think, Nigel. Get out of my way.”
No one ever called Lash by his real name. Silence met her answer.
“What is all the chaos about?” Tiny asked, coming up behind Angel. He looked at his daughter, and any buzz he was getting from the shots, clearly disappeared. “What the f**k are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?”
“What did you do to Eva? She’s locked herself in her room, and I can hear her crying. She won’t let me near her.” Tate’s hands went to her hips. She glared at her father and looked ready to commit murder.
“She’s not your concern.” Tiny forced his way through. Lash’s arms went around Angel as they watched father and daughter argue.
“Hello! She’s my f**king nanny. Yeah, I get the joke, a grown woman with a nanny. Stop being a bastard and go to her.” Tate looked hurt and angry.
Angel wondered who Eva was and what she meant to Tate’s family.
“This is a party, Tate. You shouldn’t be here and not dressed like that. Steven, take her home and make sure she stays there.”
“If you so much as touch me I’ll castrate you with my heels.” The heels did look pretty dangerous. “If you send me home I’ll make sure Eva comes back here to see you. Do you want her here?”
Tiny paled at Tate’s words.
Lash cursed. “They’re both as bad as each other. Neither of them can back away from a fight.”
“You wouldn’t f**king dare.”
“Try me, Dad. I’m this close to losing it with you. I hate it when Eva cries, and so do you.” Tate flipped out her cell phone. “One call will get her here.”
They stared at each other, and even Angel tensed waiting for her answer.
“Steven, she stays, and if anyone hurts her it’s your ass I’m taking it out of.” Tiny stormed away. “I need a f**king drink and a woman.”
Angel noticed none of the women went to him.
****
Lash watched his leader and mentor storm around to the back of the building. Angel stayed by his side, but he needed to go and make sure Tiny was okay. Tate moved closer to them.
“I hate it when he gets like this,” Tate said, hand on hip. She was gaining attention from some of the men. Tate glared in their direction. Lash never felt the need to protect her as she always knew how to take care of herself. “What the f**k are you looking at?”
She shook her head in disgust then grabbed Angel’s arm. “I know you’re going to want to talk to him. I’m taking her away from you for a while.”
He kept a firm grip on his woman. Shooting a glare to Tate he waited until she left to go sit at the bar. Steven followed her.
“Okay, I guess you’re about to leave me to go and deal with Tiny,” Angel said.
“I’ve got to make sure he’s doing good.” He cupped her cheek and pulled her in close. “Until then, you’ll stay at the bar. Steven will take care of you, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.” He fingered the jacket and knew in his heart she’d be safe. No one would try anything unless they wanted to start a war with all of The Skulls.
“Go be with Tate. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He waited until she was sat next to Tate before heading off in the direction of Tiny.
He found him with Nash behind the back of the bar. The back faced a mass of forests and clear space. There were many times when he’d come here to think when he was growing up.
Tiny and his brother were smoking a cigarette.
“She shouldn’t be here dressed like that. Why does she try to test me?” Tiny asked, staring up at the sky.
“Tate’s hurting.” Lash lit a smoke and stared out at the distance. He was surprised to see Nash without a woman on his arm.
“I yelled at Eva when she asked if she should be looking for another job. I told her to keep her ass where I told her to and if she wanted to do something useful she should start doing as she’s told.” Tiny sighed. “I was a f**king pig to her. I called her fat and useless. I hurt her.”
Lash shook his head. Eva wasn’t fat. She was rounded in all the right places but a little bigger than Angel. When he looked at Eva he was always reminded of a woman who’d be a loving mother. He’d seen her with kids and knew she was gentle at heart. Tiny saying stuff like that would hurt her feelings.
“Tate’s a little old to be having a nanny. You’ve got to figure out what to do about Eva. She’s got a life to live, too.” Lash took a deep draw on his smoke and thought about Angel. He was taking her tonight. Staring at Hardy and Rose, he knew he wanted something similar to what they had. The commitment and the trust shone brightly between them.
“She’s been part of my life since Patricia died. Eva cooks, cleans, and takes care of everything.” Tiny shook his head laughing. “I can run this f**king town and keep my bikers happy, but the thought of running my home alone terrifies me. Patricia loved that house, and I want it to stay that way.”
Lash knew there was more to Tiny’s anger, and he was keeping it to himself.
Tiny finished off his cigarette.
“Tate doesn’t know about Murphy, does she? That’s why she’s at the party and trying to give me a heart attack,” Tiny said.
“She’s hurting because he left. I think she was in love with him, and he betrayed her,” Nash said, surprising Lash.
“I need to get a woman under me or seriously drunk. I’m going back inside. I suggest you two do the same. We’ve got a lot of work to do in the next week.” Tiny left them alone.
“Where’s Kate?” Lash asked.
“Probably giving some other guy a f**k. I don’t know. Tiny needed someone, and you were dealing with Angel. Shit is going to hit the fan soon. Do you realise this could be our last real party together?” Nash said, looking out at the scenery.
“Don’t talk like that,” Lash said. “We’ve been through worse.”
“I don’t know. It just don’t feel right to me.” Nash was silent for a few seconds. “Do you think Mom and Dad would approve of how we are?”
“I really don’t know.” Lash tried not to think of what his mother and father would think.
“We can’t change it now. I suggest you get back to your woman. She looks hot.”
Lash chuckled and hit out at his brother. “Keep your dirty hands off my woman.”