Chapter 5
The gate was open but she hesitated before she pulled inside and parked off to the side where another Mustang was parked. It was red, flashy, but she stopped to admire it before she stepped out of her own stallion. Hers was an electric blue that almost matched Emily’s hair color at the moment- she changed it everyday- and the paint was gorgeous under the hot rays of the sun.
As she tucked her hair back behind her ears, she caught sight of a blonde man standing near the garage.
She knew she shouldn't have worn the heeled combat boots she was wearing the second his blue eyes met the expensive leather. His blonde eyebrows hit his hairline and he gave her a smile; the smile.
A ‘I want to fuck you with nothing but those heels on,’ kind of a smile.
Scarlett tried not to let on that she noticed the way he was ogling her when she asked if he knew Ox.
“Hi, I’m looking for Ox. Is he here?,” She asked politely.
The man was gorgeous, honestly. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, a jawline most male models would kill for…
He wasn't her type.
“Well, I don’t know, sugar. What are you gonna give me if I tell you? Maybe a taste of those sweet strawberry lips?”
She smiled as sweetly as she could, her gaze wandering all over his tattoos.
“I’ll tell you what I won’t give you if you tell me.”
He waited, his eyes trained on her.
“I won’t plant one of my heels in your ass if you tell me where my father is,” She said with a smile.
His blue eyes widened so big they almost engulfed his entire face before he swore.
“Shit! I’m sorry, I didn't know it was you. Come on, I’ll take you to him. And if we could keep this embarrassing encounter between us, that would be greatttt,” He said pleadingly.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and nodded before she tucked her keys into her front pocket.
“Fine, but no more hitting on me.”
He stuck his hand out.
“Name’s Slayer. I promise not to hit on you anymore. I value my life.”
Scarlett found herself chuckling as she took his hand.
“Scarlett. Nice to meet you, Slayer.”
He let her hand go and gestured towards the clubhouse behind him.
So far Scarlett could see the lot housed a garage, what was presumably the clubhouse, and from the distance, something she thought looked like a cage, but she didn't have the guts to ask about it.
There were a couple of other men floating around the garage as they passed, but no one bothered them.
As soon as they entered the clubhouse, Scarlett had to admit she was impressed; it was clean, well organized, and decorated far nicer than she’d imagined it would be.
There were two women at the bar, both laughing and shoving chips into their mouths. Scarlett had to admit that food sounded wonderful, but she was so nervous she hadn't been able to eat anything all day.
“Rayna, Esme, this is Scarlett.”
When they turned, Scarlett realized they were the women she’d been admiring from the bar that night- the night she'd let Limit take her virginity.
Oh…
My…
God…
If those women were there, that could only mean one thing…
“Hey! We recognize you! It’s nice to see you again,” The blonde said as she held a hand out.
Scarlett shook her hand gently as she nodded, her heart ready to beat out of her chest.
She couldn't stomach the idea of seeing Limit again, but she couldn't out herself on the off chance that he wasn't even around.
This is about Ox.
This is about meeting my father!
And yet, even telling herself that didn't make the tight ball of nerves in her stomach budge…
Slayer was smiling as he swiped some chips off of the brunette’s plate, who was glaring in his direction.
“You can’t steal food from a pregnant woman!,” The brunette complained.
He stuck his tongue out and Scarlett barely got out a, “Congratulations,” before she was ready to pass out.
Her moment of frustration with Slayer had diminished and she was back to feeling like an outsider.
“Baby, are you okay? You don't look too good,” Rayna said.
Scarlett tried to smile.
“Yeah. I’m just- where is Ox?”
Rayna’s pretty blue eyes widened, surprised.
“You’re her?”
“Please, just tell me where he is. I’m starting to think this was a terrible idea, and I just don't want to see-”
“Limit?,” Rayna whispered.
Scarlett sighed and buried her face in her hands before she nodded.
“Come on this way, I’ll make sure you get to him.”
Scarlett could have kissed Rayna she was so grateful to just get moving.
Rayna took her hands in hers and tugged her down a long hallway, stopping after only a couple of feet.
Without even knocking she threw the door open and revealed a very handsome man sitting behind a desk, his long dark hair loose around his broad shoulders. He had amber colored eyes and a straight nose, much like Scarlett’s- except his was pierced and hers was not. He had on a leather cut that matched the rest of the men’s, except his had a few more patches and looked a little more worn.
As she stepped into his office he slowly rose to stand, and she realized he was tall.
Not as tall as Limit, but taller than most, which probably explained her height.
Maddie wasn't very tall, and while Scarlett would never be a model, she was considered tall.
“Hi,” She said.
His lips quirked and she instantly saw why her mother had fallen in love with him.
That one smile transformed his whole face, and he looked every bit as dashing as her mother had described over the phone two nights prior.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Rayna said.
Scarlett caught her by the wrist before she could escape.
“Thank you.”
She had no idea how Rayna knew about her little tryst with Limit and in that moment, she didn't care. All that mattered was the man watching her from across the room.
“You’re welcome.”
Rayna patted her shoulder gently before she left them alone, closing the office door behind her.
Ox cleared his threat and gestured towards a chair across from his desk.
“Do you want to sit?”
Scarlett slowly shook her head.
“No thank you,” She said.
Ox smiled as he rubbed his beard.
“This is weird as fuck, isn’t it?”
Scarlett burst out laughing as she nodded, her shoulders relaxing.
“Yeah, I …I guess I’m old enough not to need a daddy, so this is a little weird for me. I always knew Carter was my step-father. I just didn't know my real father was still around,” She said honestly.
Ox chuckled and Scarlett found herself enjoying the sound.
Ox looked hesitant for a moment before he stepped around the desk.
“Am I allowed to hug you Scarlett, or no?”
Scarlett didn't hesitate to step into the circle of his arms; he smelled unfamiliar.
He smelled like sweet nicotine and gasoline and positively foreign, but the scent calmed her for some reason. His chest was hard and muscular and he was warm as he held her.
That was something that also differed from her old life.
Physical affection wasn't something that she was used to, and at home it had been hard to come by.
Ox didn't seem phased at all as he released her and tucked her hair back behind her ears.
“You’re the spittin’ image of your ma. She was so beautiful,” He murmured as he smiled at her.
Scarlett knew she was blushing, but she couldn't help it. Maddie was a renowned beauty back home, but here? It was strange to imagine someone like Ox knowing her.
Loving her.
Being my fucking father…
“You look terrified.”
Ox’s words had her grimacing, wondering if she was indeed that transparent.
“I’m sorry.”
Ox shrugged, but she could tell that he wanted things between them to go well. Scarlett felt a momentary blip of shame scatter across her radar as she stepped away from Ox.
“Show me around, won’t you? I’m curious about that cage I saw,” She joked.
Ox held an arm out for her, his tattooed skin meeting hers in a clash of silk and ink.
Scarlett studied his skin, ran her fingers along the edges of the pictures marking Ox’s arm.
“I don’t have any ink,” She admitted.
Ox laughed and she glanced up at him.
“You stick around here long enough, you’ll find yourself covered.”
Scarlett found that really hard to believe, mostly because she didn't see herself visiting the clubhouse very often, but for some reason she wanted to see it from his perspective. She wanted to see it from her father’s eyes.
Still, she couldn't stop herself from asking, “Do you have someone named Limit in your club?”
Ox nodded his dark head as he opened his office door with her in tow.
“Sure do. He's my enforcer. Why, he bother you?”
Scarlett hurried to shake her head no.
“My roommate mentioned him, I think. Something about thinking he was cute.”
The lie slipped from her mouth so easily it surprised her, but it tasted bitter.
It also sounded positively lame, but she had no idea what to say.
Scarlett hated lying to her…well, Ox, but she was still scurrying to make sense of everything.
She was still trying her hardest to wrap her head around everything she’d discovered in the past seventy-two hours.
“These hallways house the bedrooms. We'll have two empty rooms as soon as Fury and Rayna move into their house. She’s having a housewarming party soon, maybe you could come,” Ox said off-handedly.
Scarlett only nodded as he waved a hand towards the room she'd entered from.
“This is the great room. It’s where the bar is, obviously. We spend a lot of time hangin’ out here, usually. Follow me outside and I’ll show you the garage and the, uh, cage,” Ox said with a smirk.
Scarlett was two paces away from blurting out how uncomfortable she was, walking around and seeing the Seven Deadlies's clubhouse as if she somehow fit in there. Scarlett had never been around anything like the clubhouse in her entire life, and with every step she took, that only became more apparent.
“Alright, so back this way is the where the fighting happens. If members of the club wanna blow off some steam, or whatever, they do it in the cage.”
“Like…animals?,” She whispered.
Ox looked at her seriously for a moment.
“Only kind of men around here are animals, Scarlett. Didn’t your mother tell you anything about me or this club?,” He asked.
He sounded angry, and Scarlett had no idea why he was suddenly mad.
She slowly shook her head.
Ox swore and let go of her arm, his frustration palpable.
“Fuck, she sent you up here blind, didn’t she? Of course she did, because she couldn’t stand it here!”
Scarlett frowned at his words. Her spine stiffened at his implications, but she already knew her mother had left of her own accord. That was no secret.
“I moved here to be closer to my best friend. My mother told me that since I’d inadvertently moved so close to you, that I should know the truth: that my biological father is still alive and well. I gather that took precedence over the details of your club,” Scarlett spat.
Ox had the decency to look embarrassed before he sighed and ducked his head.
“I’m sorry, you’re right. I just- I don't know what I expected, but I’ll be honest with you. You’re not the kind of woman we usually see around here, okay?”
Scarlett bristled at his honesty.
How could she not be offended?
Her own father didn't believe she could handle the truth about his precious club.
Much like Maddie had done her entire life, Ox was writing her off.
“You mean because I have a college degree and I’m not a club whore?”
Ox’s gaze flew to hers.
“Rayna and Esme are not whores,” He argued.
She shrugged, even though his defense of these women she didn’t know cut her just the slightest bit.
What do they have that I don’t?
Why would he defend them, and basically scorn me?
“Look, if this isn't something you're interested in, if I’m not something you're interested in, then tell me now. I’ve lived without you for twenty-two years, Ox. I won’t pretend to need you now,” She said.
Ox blinked at her before he suddenly smiled.
“You get that mouth from your mama, you know that?”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Scarlett, what happens with this club is serious,” Ox said.
Scarlett held a hand up before she tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“I have a better idea, okay? I get that I may seem too clean for a place like this, but in my defense, you don't know a damn thing about me. So, why don’t you let me decide for myself what I can and can’t handle...deal?”
Scarlett held her hand out at the precise moment something across the garage caught her attention-and all of a sudden, the world came crashing down around her as reality gripped her in its clutches-
Limit.
He looked just as delicious as she remembered.
Maybe his hair was a little longer and maybe he was sporting what looked like some six o’clock shadow, but he looked divine.
And, Scarlett’s body remembered him immediately.
Just like she remembered that there was nothing divine about him, because a man like that definitely did more bad than good.
Flushed, she looked up at Ox when his hand clasped hers.
“You’re a smart woman, Scarlett Hunter. Smarter than I gave you credit for, and you’re right. I’m sorry.”
Scarlett managed to swallow her nervousness before she nodded.
“Good.”
Ox released her hand and gestured towards the clubhouse.
“What do you say you stay for dinner, if you don't already have plans? I’d really love to start over.”
Scarlett hated the idea of seeing Limit up close and personal again, but for Ox’s sake (and for her own) she agreed.
“I’d really like that.”