Sunlight poured in through the glass windows in the lobby of the club. Hailey sighed and walked by the desk with a cup of coffee in her hand. Clyde raised his head to greet her but she was staring off into another direction. Her eyes were focused on the frosted glass door of Meish’s office. She tensed, she had a white knuckle grip on the coffee mug that was in between her hands.
Clyde cleared his throat and said, “Are you alright, Hailey? Would you like for me to get Rocco?”
Hailey shook her head. “No.” He’s the last person I need to talk to right now. It had been a little over a week since Hailey and Rocco had ‘tied the knot’ for everyone to see. Rocco’s presence around the club had been sparse, she’d glimpsed him moving in and out of the club at the beginning and end of each day. Hailey tilted her head and gazed down the hall, where the additional set of rooms were. She turned around and forced a smile.
Hailey pointed at the hallway and said, “Do you think that Becca could go for a cup of coffee?”
Clyde raised one of his eyebrows and set his paperwork down. He moved it over to the edge of the desk and said, “A cup of coffee? I think that she’d appreciate something like a shower or a little free time. Why? Were you going to pay her a visit?”
The door at the end of the hallway taunted her. While Hailey was reasonably safe on the other side, she’d woken up drenched in sweat three times that week. The door had appeared in each nightmare. When Becca would finally emerge from behind the door, her hair always hung limply around her shoulders, her eyes were dark and her clothes hung off of her like a skeleton.
Hailey took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Okay, if I’m Rocco’s ‘Old Lady’ that must mean that I have a little bit of influence. At the very least, these people have to respect me. “I think that I will go and see her.”
Clyde nodded, “Okay. If Rocco asks where you are, I’ll let him know.”
A wave of irritation passed over Hailey. She paused and inhaled, and allowed the cool air to fill up her lungs. She turned her back to Clyde and headed down the hallway. The air in the hallway was at least ten degrees colder than the air in the lobby. Hailey pressed her hand against the doors as she moved throughout the hallway.
Her feet came to a stop just outside of Becca’s room. She smoothed her hair and swept it over her shoulders. Her hand hovered above the silver doorknob.
Oh, come on. This might be the worst thing that you do all day. Get it over with. Hailey pursed her lips and wrapped her fingers around the doorknob.
The abrupt sound of the door to her left swinging open made her back against the wall. Her hand flew to her pounding heart, and the six foot tall rider that stood in front of her grinned. He had a crooked smile, and a dark, grizzly beard that was decorated with flecks of food. His eyes lit up when they landed on Hailey’s face. “Hey there,” his voice reminded of her a low growl, “what are you doing out here without Rocco? Are you looking for some fun?”
Hailey stood up straight and said, “Fun? No, no, I was just stretching my legs.”
He grinned and jerked one of his meaty thumbs at the door to Becca’s room. “Were you hoping to get a glimpse of your friend?” He smirked and said, “I’m sure that she’s a little tired. Why don’t you check on her later?”
He stepped out of the doorway and into the hall. The smell of motor oil and tobacco dip emanated from his pores. He pointed at the room that he’d just left out of. “I’d love to help keep you busy. I know that Rocco wouldn’t want his Old Lady feeling like no one wants to talk to her. He probably wants us to welcome you, just like we welcomed his last Old Lady.”
His last Old Lady? Hailey cupped her hands around her coffee cup and took a long sip. She shook her head and said, “I’m fine, really. No one has made me feel unwelcome since I became Rocco’s Old Lady.”
He nodded and extended one of his massive hands towards her. “I’m Emmett. I’ve been with the club for three years now.”
Hailey’s eyes moved back and forth from Emmet’s greasy hand and his insistent gaze. She smiled politely and said, “Emmett, I think that I’ll check up on Becca now. It was nice chatting with you.”
She turned towards the door again but Emmet stuck one of his thick arms out in front of her. “Hey, I think that we should spend some time together,” he gestured towards the door behind him, “how about we watch a movie together?”
Hailey sighed and said, “I’m really not in the mood for a movie. A cup of coffee and a chat with Becca sounds great to me.”
Emmett opened the door behind him and said, “Oh, don’t be that way. Let’s get to know each other. We’ll be working alongside each other for a while.” He stepped inside of the red carpeted room and waved her inside. “Come on, now. Let’s chat.”
Hailey knitted her eyebrows together and looked to the left of her to see if could still make out the rounded edge of Clyde’s desk. She could faintly hear Clyde’s voice. Hailey frowned and said, “Can’t we chat out here?”
Emmett scowled and rushed into the hallway. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and yanked her towards the room. Hailey yelped as she fell against the floor, the sound of her coffee cup hitting the linoleum floor in the hall echoed in her ears.
Emmett placed one of his legs on either side of her, and said, “I’m just trying to get to know you. Why do you have to be such a priss about it?” He knelt down and his wide chest hovered above Hailey.
Hailey flattened her palms against Emmett's chest and said, “Get off of me!”
He snatched her arms and bent them back until they were flat against the floor, and over her head. Emmett smirked and said, “Just relax. I just want to see what Rocco thinks all the fuss is about.” He clapped one of his hands onto her mouth.
Tears stung at the back of Hailey’s eyes and she looked up towards the ceiling. The ceiling tiles were displaced in some parts, and parts of the white pattern had been turned brown from previous storms and winters. Her eyes ran over the black dots that lined each ceiling tile.
Emmett fumbled with the buttons on her jeans, and Hailey clawed at the exposed skin on his arms. Her legs flailed about underneath him, but her persistent movement did nothing to distract Emmett from pulling her shorts halfway down her legs.
Hailey gasped, the sickening crack of metal connecting with bone was sent throughout the room. Emmett fell to the right of her and pressed his hand against the bleeding wound on his temple.
Rocco stood above her, and tossed a detached door handle to the right of him. His features were twisted up in a dark, violent expression. He pointed at Emmett and said, “Get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to ever see your face around here again.”
Emmett blinked as a thick stream of blood seeped into his left eye. “I was just trying to see what was so great about your little whore. I can’t believe that you’d let a piece of ass come between you and your riders.”
Rocco ploughed one of his fists into the wall beside the door. The plaster caved under the pressure of his fist, and he said, “You are not one of my riders. Now, get out of my club before I let everyone else know about what you just tried to do. We’ll send you out of here with a whole lot more than a few stitches to worry about.”
“Puss,” Emmet spat, and hurried out the door. Clyde’s voice could be heard from the lobby as Emmett burst through the front door.
“What the hell?!”
“Don’t worry about it, Clyde!” Rocco hollered.
Rocco brushed small bits of debris off of his knuckles, and extended his hand towards Hailey. He pulled her to her feet, and Hailey snatched her shorts from around her ankles and pulled them up.
While she buttoned her shorts, Rocco watched as the trembling of her shoulders and hands slowed, and her breath began to return to its normal rhythm. Rocco sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry about that. These guys know better than to pull a stunt like that and-”
Hailey held up her hand and said, “It’s fine.” She wrapped her arms around herself and said, “I’m just glad that you were here before he...” she paused, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her cheeks were stained a dark red color, and she lowered her gaze to the floor.
“If I had gotten here any later, I would have ripped his tiny dick and balls off and thought about the consequences later.” He pushed his fist against her shoulder affectionately, and a small smile crept onto Hailey’s face.
She nodded and said, “I know.”
I never thought that I’d want to protect someone this badly again. I kind of thought that if I was the protecting type, that Mariah would have made it.
Hailey waved her hand in front of Rocco’s face, and said, “Rocco? Are you okay?”
Rocco blinked, and tore himself away from his thoughts. “Yeah.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Hailey’s shoulders. He pulled her close to his chest and said, “I’m here if you need anything.”
Hailey rested against Rocco’s chest, the sound of his measured heartbeat pounded in her ears. The musky, cedar smell of his cologne dominated her senses. The tightness in her muscles eased, and she sank into him. Rocco’s warmth reminded her of the way that the expensive comforter and sheets that covered her bed at home felt.
Hailey sighed, and pulled back. Her eyes found Rocco’s and she said, “I-I really appreciate what you did just now. I know that you want to keep me safe so that you can work things out with my Dad, but I didn’t think that you would go out of your way like that. I don’t know a lot of guys that would stand up to someone Emmett’s size, especially for a girl.”
Rocco chuckled and said, “You’ll come to find out that a lot of us aren’t like the guys that you’re used to.” He squeezed the underside of her arms and said, “Besides, it’s been a long time since a guy like me got to be a hero.”
They shared a laugh and Rocco pulled her close to him. His fingers danced along her back, and made small circles along her spine. Hailey inhaled, and craned her neck upwards to look at him.
She softly pressed her lips against his, and the feather soft feel of her lips was gone before Rocco could register that it happened. He slipped his hands underneath her curtain of hair, and brought his lips down onto hers. Their lips moved together, and their tongues glided against one another’s.
They separated, and Hailey’s fingers trailed down Rocco’s sinewy arm until they found his fingers. She slid her fingers in between his and said, “Well, I could use a hero more often than not these days.”
Rocco grinned before snagging her lips in another kiss.