Checking in on Cooper, I was glad to see that he was sound asleep. Coop has always been a great sleeper; not much could wake the boy up. That was good considering God knows what happened at his mom’s place.

After locking the door and stripping, I climbed into bed, pulling this beautiful woman into my body. As she melted into me, I knew I’d made the right decision to hang on to this one.

* * *

Bang… bang… bang “What the fuck?” Princess groaned from underneath me. Somehow during the night she laid on her back, with my body draped across hers. Having this little interruption when I could have my dick inside her again was not making me happy.

“Hang on, Baby.” Scooting out of bed, I threw my jeans on, not bothering to button them.

Pulling the door open, I was confronted immediately with a very angry G.T. “What the fuck is going on here?” he said, as he barged in the room, his eyes landing on the woman clutching the sheet around her naked body in my bed.

“G.T., calm down, you’re gonna wake up my boy.”

Princess sat up in bed, her eyes growing wide as a strangled gasp came from her lips, but remaining quiet. She was a grown fucking adult and had no reason to feel embarrassed.

“Princess, what the hell is going on here?” G.T. moved to her side of the bed kneeling down to the floor, his eyes turning soft for his sister.

Princess stared at her brother attempting to open her mouth, but nothing came out. As her eyes found mine, they flickered, not telling me much of anything, but as she looked back at her brother the words fell from her lips. “Get me out of here.”

Moving away from the door; I’d be damned if she was pushing me away. “Princess, you’re not going anywhere.” I stood at the end of the bed staring down at her. Her head bowed low to her chest.

“Yes. I am.” Her voice was a quiet whisper. This was not the Princess that I met yesterday. This one was timid, lost, and I didn’t fucking like it one bit. This was not the fierce bombshell I knew.

“Baby…” my words were cut off abruptly when G.T. stood toe-to-toe with me, so close I could smell the stale beer on his breath from the night before.

“Don’t!” G.T.’s voice boomed as Princess jumped. “I’m getting her out of here and so help me fucking God, I will pound your ass if you try to stop me.”

“Stop,” Princess’s voice croaked out over the testosterone thickening the air. Both our eyes snapped to hers. “Cruz. It was a mistake. I have to go.” Princess scooted off the edge of the bed as G.T. stood in front of her, his back to her and fierce eyes on me.

“It wasn’t a fucking mistake. You’re damn head’s overthinking again,” I growled, my anger coming through me full bore.

As Princess began grabbing her clothes, she quickly put them on, not once showing her brother or me any skin. Her movements were methodical and fast. It was like Princess took a bit of a vacation and this other woman decided to visit. What the fuck? What got me the most was she didn’t respond to my comment about her head. Nothing, no smart ass comment. No snarky comeback… nothing… dead… cold…

G.T.’s eyes were focused on me, but I could give two shits. He wasn’t my priority.

“Princess, stop this shit.” I knew I was talking to her like when I scolded Cooper, but I didn’t care. She was not walking out on me like this. Not happening.

Princess stepped around G.T., who tried to put his arm up to block her from me, but she pushed it out of the way. Her eyes met mine, and inside them I saw a swirl of emotions that I couldn’t place. Normally she wore her heart on her sleeve, but this, this wasn’t getting me anywhere.

Her hand reached up as she cupped the left side of my face, her fingers moving through my scruff. I loved her soft fucking hands on me, just that one touch, and I was hers. “Cruz. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I know you don’t understand, but I can’t.”

“The fuck you can’t,” I snarled as she shut her eyes only to open them right back.

“You don’t know me. This isn’t me. I don’t just fuck one of you and go on my merry way.”

“Damn right. You only fuck me, Babe.” Her shoulders sagged almost in defeat. This couldn’t be. Couldn’t.

“I’d appreciate you keeping this just between us.” Her words shocked me to my core. She didn’t fucking want anyone to know. Fuck that.

“Honey, I’ll tell every fucking guy in this place. No one is touching you.”

It was as if my words flipped a light switch inside her. Her sagging body instantly snapped straight as if her spine got its hardness back. Her face came eye to eye with mine and the fire that was inside before began to burn bright. “You do what you gotta do. But this,” her finger motioned pointing to her and then me, “is done. Won’t happen again. I fucked up last night. It won’t happen again.”

Princess’s legs began moving, but I wasn’t letting her fucking go. Grabbing her arm, she pulled as hard as she could, but I kept my grasp.

“I guaran-fucking-tee this will happen again. I’ll let you leave for now, but this shit is far from over.” She whipped her arm quickly, this time breaking free and she walked out of the door.

“I fucking told you not to do this shit. It’s the one thing she always said she’d never fucking do. You don’t think she knows what it looks like to be a whore around this club? And now… you open your fucking mouth… all these guys will know.”

“Dagger and Rhys saw us. I’m sure everyone already knows, and even if they didn’t, it will be known that Princess is mine.”

“Great, just fucking great.” G.T. began shaking his head in disbelief as he walked to the door.

“You know I’m not done with her.”

“I didn’t think you were,” was all he said as he continued out the door slamming it shut.

“Fuck,” I uttered to myself as I laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. This was not how I wanted to spend my fucking morning… I was supposed to be balls deep in Princess. Fuck!

* * *

Watching Princess sit at the bar joking with Buzz and Breaker has been getting under my skin the past hour, but I was supposed to be listening to Dagger and Rhys talk with the other chapter members, so I tried not letting it show. Too bad I was having a fuck of a time focusing on shit.

“I wanna see my boy!” Mel stomped her foot like a fucking little kid not getting her way as she approached me. It was fucking noon, and she was just rolling out of whoever’s bed she was in last night. I was tired of this fucking bitch. Growing up with just a mom, I knew how important she was in Cooper’s life. That’s why I let some shit slide. I knew I shouldn’t, but my mom’s words always rang in my head: a boy always needs his momma. I couldn’t forget that, even if she was a junkie.

“Cooper!” I called from the main room. Ma had him back in the kitchen helping her make sandwiches for everyone. He loved helping.

Cooper ran out of the kitchen, but instead of running to Mel or me, he veered towards Princess sitting at the bar laughing. “Pin… ess!” he screamed, holding his hands up in the air for her to pick him up, which she did without hesitation.

“Hey, Bud. How’s it going?” Her beautiful smile illuminated the entire fucking room, and it looked like Cooper was entranced with her.

“Good. I cookin’!”

“You are? Whatcha makin’?” she asked, just as their conversation was rudely interrupted by a very pissed off Mel. Personally, I had forgotten she was even in the fucking room.

Mel stormed over to where Princess was holding Cooper. “Give me my boy!”

Cooper clung to Princess, holding on as if she was his lifeline, and it was scaring the shit out of me. I’d known things weren’t perfect with Mel by any means, but seeing this really made me think.

Approaching them, I demanded, “What the fuck is going on?” Holding out my arms, I expected Cooper to jump into them, but he seemed to like where he was. I couldn’t blame him a damn bit.

“This woman won’t give me my boy.” Mel huffed, but honestly I thought she was more pissed off about the scene in front of everyone than Coop not wanting her.

“He doesn’t want you, if you can’t tell,” Princess clipped as she clutched Cooper tightly, this setting Mel off even more.

“You bitch. Give me my fucking kid, now!” Mel grabbed Cooper’s arm and began pulling him as he screamed. Wrapping my hand around Mel’s throat, I pulled her away from my boy and Princess. Her gasps for air didn’t register through the anger radiating through me.

“You never fucking touch him like that,” I barked out, my hands wanting to teach this fucking woman a lesson. But one thing I didn’t do, what most of us guys here at the club didn’t do, was hit women, but this needed to be hands on. “You leave here, now. Don’t fucking think of coming back.”

“I will not leave my boy here,” she had the audacity to argue.

I involuntarily began gripping her throat harder, pulling her against the wall. Her eyes widened; my voice turned menacing with the anger dripping off of me. “You will stay the fuck away from him, and if you don’t I’ll fucking kill you myself.” I needed her to understand that I wouldn’t tolerate her hands on my boy another minute.

Her words were lost. She couldn’t speak and when she did, all thoughts of not beating the shit out of her intensified. “What about the money you send me?” What the fuck? Money?

“Are you fucking kidding me right now, you stupid bitch? You’re worried about the fucking money!” My other fist made contact with the wall, crushing the drywall next to Mel’s head, causing her to gasp. “Get the fuck out of here! Now!”

Letting go of her throat, she began rubbing it over and over again, but didn’t say a word as she walked out the door. I never wanted to take Cooper away from his momma, and I sure as shit knew he’d never know the pain of not having a daddy around. But fuck it, she was toxic, and I’d be damned if I ever saw her lay a hand on my boy again.