“You need to back off.” She eyed me up and down looking at the leather on my body, but not deterred. She even glanced at the women standing behind me, and it didn’t faze her. Stupid bitch.

“Fuck off,” she said as she turned back around, her hand going directly to Cruz’s arm. Looking up in his eyes, I tried to make him see the fiery rage that was burning inside of me. With a lift of his chin, I grabbed the bitch by the back of her hair, pulling her far away from Cruz. My sisters formed a circle around me, but stood back letting me have the control.

“Fuck off, huh, bitch?” I threw her down on the floor as she fell with a crash in those stupid heels. “Stand up!” I yelled. She got to her feet with a wobble.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she barked.

“You wanna know what my problem is? You’re touching my ol’ man. He told you to get the fuck off… and your dumbass didn’t listen. Then I asked you the same thing, and you didn’t listen. So now this…” I swung, my fist connecting with her pretty little face, sending blood flying.

“You bitch.” God, this woman, clearly fell off the stupid wagon.

Picking up my leg, I kicked her directly in the stomach, then took my right hand and pummeled her face twice, being sure the cut was nice and big. “Bitch, huh? No, I’m his ol’ lady, and this shit don’t fly with me.” After two more punches, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I could feel Cruz’s body become flush against mine. I stood there watching the idiot crawl over to her friends, chicken shits that never helped her once. At least I knew my sisters had my back.

“Let me see your hands,” Cruz said as I turned to face him, not knowing if he’d be pissed I caused a huge scene. His smile made my knees week. The pride in his eyes was so bright for me. I held up my hands as he touched them gently. Without them being taped up, they took a good hit. I had several scrapes and blood, and of course, the bruising, but nothing that wouldn’t heal.

Cruz let my hands go after inspecting them as his lips came down hard on mine. My arms instantly wrapped around his neck, pulling him tightly to me. As he pulled away, he whispered, “Thanks, Babe.” Then he smiled in his sexy way. “Let’s get you a drink, Slugger.”

Rolling my eyes, I followed him back to the table as he ordered me a shot of Jack.

“Damn, girl,” Legs said, sitting down. “Your Ma always said you could fight, but I’ve never seen you in action. Damn, you kicked ass.”

Smiling, I felt the burn of the liquor slide down my throat.

* * *

The night turned out to be a huge hit. And even though I was a bit tipsy, Cruz proved he could handle my ass just fine on the back of his bike. Another one of my worries smashed to smithereens.

Pulling up to the clubhouse, people were floating all around, which surprised me considering we were out with four of the brothers. Guess the others decided to have a party. Women were in abundance throughout the club, most of whom were eyeing Cruz like he was their next target. I felt the daggers darting out of my eyes at each one, making them turn away from my man.

Cruz never once let go of my hand, except when he hugged the brothers from the Davis chapter as he walked by them. I felt completely out of place here, for some reason.

As Cruz moved us to his room, he locked the door behind him. “You stay in here with the door locked. I’m gonna go get Cooper and bring him in.” I nodded my head as he left the room.

Stripping out of my clothes and putting my tight yoga pants and an ‘I Support the Ravage MC’ t-shirt on, I grabbed a bottle of water out of Cruz’s small fridge. Downing the bottle quickly, I went in search of some medicine to kick the headache forming in my head.

When the door opened, Cooper came flying in the room right into my arms. “I thought you’d be asleep, Buddy.”

“Ma watched movies.”

“Ahh… and she let you stay up, huh?” Coop nodded his head.

“I gotta go, Babe. Stay in here with the door locked. Be back in a bit.” With a peck on the lips and a ruffle of Coop’s hair, he left us.

“Wanna snuggle up with me, Buddy?” My eyes were beginning to droop. It’d been a long day, and if I couldn’t cuddle up with Cruz, I had the other man in my life.

“Mommy. I hungry,” Coop said, rubbing his tummy.

“We’ll sleep, and then we’ll have breakfast in the morning.”

“No… Mommy… my tummy’s making noise.” I smiled at the way he explained his feelings.

“Grumbling, Buddy. Your tummy is grumbling.” Walking over to the small shelf where we kept a few snack foods, I began naming things off to him, but he wanted none of them. “Then what do you want?”

“Peanut bubber and dwelly.” He smiled excitedly.

“I don’t have any, Buddy. Let’s pick something else.”

Cooper began crying, hard. Panic flooded me as I tried to figure out what to do. We haven’t really had moments yet where I told him no, or he couldn’t have something. We’ve been just learning together as we go. I’m guessing this was the first taste.

“Come here, Buddy.”

“No… me want peanut bubber!” he yelled in my face.

“All right… all right. I’ll go to the kitchen and get you one. Sit here and watch that rabbit show you like. I’ll be right back.”

Exiting the room and locking it, I instantly felt that I was doing something wrong, and I should turn around, but looking back at the door, I knew there was a little boy on the other side of it that I needed to take care of.

Pulling myself together, I threw my shoulders back walking past the main room and into the kitchen. I quickly made Cooper’s sandwich, grabbing some chips and a soda for myself. Picking everything up from the counter, I screamed when a hand came and rested around my waist.

“Stop,” I said after the shock wore off.

“Why would I do that?” a deep voice I didn’t recognize said.

“Because I’m Cruz’s ol’ lady,” I said with force as I turned to face a man I’d never met before. He must have been a new patch member since going in the joint.

“Ol’ ladies aren’t here tonight, and you don’t have his patch,” he said, moving his hand up my body to my tits groping them. I moved out of his grasp flying to the other side of the room.

“I am his ol’ lady. I’m on lockdown here. I had to get my boy something to eat,” I said, quickly seeing the patches on the man’s rag. He was a full-out member. Shit.

“Bitch. You need to stop spreading lies about my brother.” His voice became angry as he stepped close to me. “You know what we do with dirty whores who lie around here.”

“I’m not lying. Go get him. He’ll tell you,” I pleaded, not knowing what was going to happen, and knowing that since he was a fully patched member, I’d needed to keep myself together.

“Bitch. Don’t fucking tell me what to do. Who the hell do you think you are?” The back of his hand came across my cheek hard, but I didn’t move. I stood there looking him straight in the eye.

“I’m Cruz’s ol’ lady,” I said, deadpanned.

“Yeah, we’ll see. I’ll call him in here, and when he tells me youre full of fucking shit, we’re gonna take turns fucking every single hole of your body.”

It took every bit of my strength not to rip his balls off and feed them to him. I wanted to punch, kick, and kill this fucker in front of me. But at the sound of hearing he was going to get Cruz, I was relieved.

“Don’t fucking move,” he barked at me, and I didn’t move a muscle.

“Princess!” Cruz’s voice boomed in the room. I turned to the voice, feeling relieved. “What the fuck are you doing out here? And without your fucking rag?” he growled at me angrily.

I stood there, stunned, my stomach sinking to the floor. I didn’t even think of putting the rag on. I just thought of getting my boy some food.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Sorry? I told you to stay in my fucking room!” he bellowed as the other man came in, crossing his arms over his chest.

“This one yours?” he asked Cruz.

“Yeah. My ol’ lady.”

“Shit brother. That’s Princess? I didn’t know. She didn’t have your patch on.”

“No, she doesn’t. Can you leave us, bro?” Suddenly I felt like I wanted the psycho in the same room with us, so Cruz didn’t kill me where I stood.

I’d never once felt scared with Cruz, but I was feeling it now. I thought I should explain. “Cooper wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I just came to get him one.”

“I told you to keep your ass in that room. And then you come out without your rag on. That means your fair game to all the brothers. You want that? You want them all to take turns fucking you?”

“No.”

“Damn straight, no. I told you that pussy is mine. You are mine. Go back to the room. Now.”

Grabbing the sandwich only, I raced to the room, locking it behind me.

“Yea… Mommy. Tank you!” Cooper began gobbling it up as he watched his rabbits’ cartoon.

“Coop, I’m gonna go take a shower. Be out in a minute. Stay right there.” He nodded his head, his mouth too full to respond.

Sitting on the toilet, I buried my head in my hands, letting the tears free fall from my eyes. My first day as an ol’ lady and I’ve already fucked up. I embarrassed Cruz and myself in front of a brother, the one thing I didn’t want to do. I should have had the rag on, I should have known better.

Stripping out of my clothes, I washed away the tears, wanting to get them all out before going out to Cooper.

Coop was lying on the floor, his mostly eaten sandwich lying on the plate in front of him. His eyes were drooping almost to closing.

“Come on, Buddy.” Instead of putting him in his bed, I brought him in with me. Wrapping my arms around him, I listened to his slow breathing. I wanted more than anything to fall asleep. Call me a chicken or a pussy… I didn’t give a shit. I didn’t want to face Cruz. Not after this debacle.