Page 89 of Knot Without My Permission
“Can I help you?” a man who’s wider than Ransom and built like a brick shithouse in a double breasted suit asks.
“We’re here for Mr. Sullivan,” I reply politely. May as well play the game, right?
“Are you Pack Thunder?” he asks.
“We are.”
“Right this way, please.”
My non-dominant hand slips into Marie’s hand as we follow him, and I’m surprised no one asked for our weapons. As we walk through the club, I see people smoking cigars, drinking in peace, while others chat. One thing that is universal, is that everyone is strapped.
There’s the peek of a chest or an ankle holster here and there, and no one bats an eye at it.
“He’ll see you right through this door,” the man says.
I walk through first, intent to protect Lore and Marie if it comes down to it. Lore growls under his breath, but Cian is the only one at the table.
“Watch the door,” I say under my breath before he can follow me.
Cian isn’t an idiot, and he’ll know Lore for who he is if he sees him.
“Yes, Prez,” Lore rumbles in a deeper cadence than usual, staying behind to hold up the wall outside the room.
“Hello, Marie. Wilder,” Cian drawls as an afterthought.
Lore closes the door behind us, and Cian doesn’t pay him any mind. Marie’s body stiffens slightly, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to trigger the bond sickness.
“Hello to you too, old man,” I sigh. I help Marie into her seat and then sit beside her. “Can you run me through what the set up will be for us?”
“Of course. In a hurry?” he asks.
“I have an errand to run with Marie,” I say honestly.
Cian glances at Marie for an answer, while I grumble inside my head about how fucking nosy he is.
“They want to get me a couple of custom gun holsters,” she explains. “The one I have now snags just a little when I’m drawing my gun. It’s not the best fit.”
“Ah,” he says with a nod. “In that case, let’s move this along. The club itself will be closed for your use. There’s a large room in the middle of the club that’ll hold the amount of people that you’ll have, and then there are two other breakout rooms for meetings, should you need them. Do you need food catered in?”
“We shouldn’t,” I say. “I may just order a ton of bbq though if that’s alright with you, and we’ll bring our own alcohol. I’ll find a more long term solution soon.”
“Have you considered buying a clubhouse type of building?” Cian asks.
“I am now. The issue is that there’d never be many people there, until there’s a reason to call everyone in,” I explain. “I need it to have bedrooms for people to crash, and for it to be away from the main road.”
“What about a ranch style house?” he suggests. “It doesn’t need to be the typical version of a clubhouse in order to suit your needs, right?”
“Correct. Huh. You’re right,” I agree. “I’ll call my realtor to start looking, and discuss a home base with the guys. Thank you, Cian.”
“Let me show you the space, and then I can send you on your way,” he says.
He gets up and walks around, surprising Marie by helping her up. He holds her hand for a beat, searching her face for something before glancing at me with a mild glare.
Fuck. Lore and Marie are bonded. Can he fucking tell? Why didn’t I think about that?
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” he asks.
“Would you like to be a little more clear?” I ask as a reply, standing. “You’re also too close to my girl.”
