Mayhem (Deathstalkers MC #5)(40)

"Jasmine!" I look and see Lucy walking toward us. She wears her property patch, only this time it covers a bright pink T-shirt. "Welcome to the mad house." She waves her hand around with a laugh.

"Luce, I'm gonna go show her where our room is. You gonna be out here for a while?"

"Yep, I'll be over at the bar with Izzy." She nods her head and I look over to see Izzy, popping the tops off beer bottles by the bar. She smiles at me and I lift my hand in a greeting. Do they wave "hello" here? Or do I just lift my chin like I've seen Cutter do?

Cutter starts to walk and I move with him, his hand urging me forward. I follow him up an industrial looking staircase and then down a long hallway that leads to four rooms, all of them with large locks on the doors. We stop at the farthest room and he unlocks the door with a key. "The officers' rooms are up here. Brothers have their rooms downstairs. It keeps it quieter."

We walk in and, for the first time, it's just like I expected. The layout is simple: a large bed sits in the middle of the room, with a long wooden dresser lining the wall. There's a door to my right that I'm assuming is the bathroom.

He tosses the bags onto the bed and then turns to me, his hands resting on my hips.

"You're gonna be okay here. I need you to be strong, though. You have it in you-I see it every time I look at you."

His head dips and his lips catch mine. I grip onto his shirt, holding tight, a part of me scared to be without him in this foreign place. Knowing that Dylan is out there, and what he is capable of, makes me so scared that everything inside of me freezes. I knew he wouldn't accept me leaving him, but at the same time, I feel safe with Cutter. Every part of me hopes he's right: that I'm a strong person. Strong isn't an adjective I would have used to describe myself, but I'll be damned if I let anyone out there think I'm weak. 

He pulls back and walks me over to the bed, sitting down.

"Okay, rules." His free hand scrubs his face as he sighs. "Lucy will have a menu planned. Help her cook. If you're hungry, go to the kitchen and get a snack out of the pantry. Towels are in the closet right there. They're even all the same color." He winks at me and a smile plays at the edges of my lips. "You have clothes, so that's taken care of. Stay with Lucy or in the room, unless she tells you that another girl is okay to be around. Some of the girls here are not good people." His thumb strokes my cheek. "Last one: you better miss me."

"No problem there," I say, my voice quiet.

He wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me into him and I rest my cheek against his collarbone, feeling his heart thumping against his chest. "I know things are rough right now. You're safe here, though." His lips find my forehead and I relax against him.

"I need to get downstairs and meet up with the guys before we leave. You wanna stay up here or come down?"

"I can come down for a little bit."

Deep breaths fill my lungs, bringing with them a sense of reassurance. I can do this. I think the club would intimidate anyone at first; for me, it's even worse. Not knowing anyone and really not knowing yourself isn't ideal when you're in a place where confidence seems to be a necessity. I pause in the doorway. "Do you want me to keep the door locked?"

He places the key in the back pocket of my jeans. "Only when you're in it. Otherwise, you can just close the door."

"Okay." If Cutter is comfortable enough to leave the door open when he's not there, it can't be too bad.

Right?

Cutter takes my hand and leads me back to the main room. Lucy waves me over, taking a swig of beer Izzy hands her. The thought of drinking makes my stomach roll. "You're not leaving yet?"

Cutter may be holding my hand, but his mind is definitely elsewhere. I give him a nudge with my elbow and he looks down. "Not yet. I'll come find you before I go." He pulls me to his side before letting my hand go.

And just like that, I'm on my own.

I walk over and take the stool next to Lucy. I've come in mid conversation and she's laughing with Izzy. My hands fidget in my lap, my fingers turning bright red as they twist around each other.

Just take a breath.

No one knows what's happened to you.

"Hey, Jaz." Lucy smiles at me. "You remember Izzy, right?"

Jaz? Where did that come from?

"Izzy is Lady's old lady." Lucy starts to laugh. "It still sounds so weird."

"His name is Lady?"

Izzy looks at me and rolls her eyes. "Unfortunately," she says. "He got stuck with that one after a poorly-timed joke. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Oh no. Thanks, though." I offer her a smile. I haven't had a drink in the longest time and being as uneasy as I am, I don't think now's a good time to start.