“What?”
I stand up, taking the ruined bra with me as Lyric follows down the hall behind me. I don't need her to confirm; her face says everything.
“Royal, wait.”
I pause as Lyric's warm hands touch the tight muscles of my back, a sharp breath rushing into my lungs that I didn't know I needed. I turn suddenly, dropping the pink lace to the floor as I take her elbows in my hands and pull her against my chest.
“Don't,” she grinds out between clenched teeth. “Look, I might not be an expert on MC life, but what I am an expert on is politics. This was a strategic move on Mia's part. If I run to you, demanding punishment, then I show the entire club that you're more on my side than theirs.”
I stare back at Lyric, trying to puzzle through the swarm of thoughts in my addled brain.
“Mia isn't part of the club,” I respond, as calmly as I can. “She's a daft fucking cow that just made the biggest mistake of her life.”
“Don't say sexist things,” Lyric tells me, trying to smile. Doesn't work. She's upset about all this, for so many reasons. I knew trying to make things work with her was going to be devilishly hard, maybe even impossible, but I don't need this crap coming right out of the gate. “Mia might not wear a patch or sit on a motorcycle—although maybe she should because she's one tough bitch—but she is a part of the life. She's friends with that Glinda woman,” a frown fills Lyric's pretty face, “and she's somebody your friends know. Me, I'm just the mayor's daughter that you met last week, that's seen too much, that's sleeping with their president.”
“Pint-Size,” I start, but she's shaking her head at me again, looking up through those fourteen inches between our heights with a strong, steady gaze.
“This is politics, Royal. Mia wins either way. One way, the club starts to resent me … maybe even questions your judgment. The second way, she gets a free pass at beating me up. At least that way, I know I can work this to my advantage.” There's a long pause as I slide my fingers down her forearms. “Look, we have enough to worry about without having to deal with this, too. Let it go, okay?”
I grit my teeth, rage filling me when I think of Mia wielding a knife on Lyric. God. That incenses the hell out of me, but … Lyric is looking me straight in the face and asking me to trust her. I have to do that, especially when she says we, because that's what's most important to me right now, having a we, an us. Having Lyric.
“I'm still going to beat the shit out of Mug, that arsemonger.”
“He is a terrible guard, I'll give you that,” she admits, our gazes locked, our breathing evening into one, single beat. “Just … sit with me for a while first?”
I nod, letting Lyric pull me down the hall and into her bedroom.
Neither of us leaves that room until the sun comes up the next morning.
Mug rubs at his eye with the heel of his hand, sending a look my way that's part fear, part shame. Good. That motherfucker's just lucky I had all night with Lyric to calm myself down. If I'd gotten a hold of him the night before, well let's just say a black eye would be only the start of his troubles.
“Lyric's okay?” Glacier asks from his seat to my left and one spot over. Smoky sits in the space between us while Dober sits with his spine stiff on my right, tapping his fingertips against the tabletop. His eyes search my face as he waits for an explanation. I won't betray Lyric's wishes and dish out the punishment that Mia deserves, but I have to tell my brothers the truth about what happened.
“Mia and the girls,” I start, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long, deep drag. My lungs fill with silver smoke that I hold tight for several seconds before releasing it. “As far as I can tell,” I continue, casting a narrow eyed glance in Mug's direction, “it was Ruby, Lexa, and Marnie following Mia while Terra provided a distraction for Mug.” I gesture with my chin in the road captain's direction. For one of my officers to drop the ball so badly … Jesus fuck, that man is lucky we're at war right now. “They cut Lyric up real good.” I draw a line across my cheek and then take my fag between my fingers and extract it from my lips. “Across the face, the belly, chopped off her hair.”
Dober raises his bushy brows while Glacier sucks in a sharp inhale of breath.
“Jesus. They ganged your girlfriend in broad daylight?”
“Right outside the mayor's office,” I say through gritted teeth, flicking my ashes into the silver tray and staring right into Mug's green eyes as the others turn and glance in his direction. “In view of the security cameras, too, I'm told. If there was anything that could put us in hot water with the city, it'd be Pretty and Pint-Size getting her ass kicked in the parking lot. I hate to repeat myself, but we need the city on our side right now. With the FBI in town and Mile Wide on our asses, after our shipments, the last thing we need is bad publicity.”