That didn’t sit right with him. He glared at those closest. “We’ll have a fucking talk about the way we take care of the women who are under our protection.”
But for now, he was going to go after that dick who’d tried to touch Jewel.
“Ink!” Duke called out.
“I’ll take care of it!” He stormed outside to where he saw the guy was standing in the middle of the road, taunting Danny. The big biker just stood there, arms crossed over his barrel-like chest, watching on calmly.
“Hey, asshole, what the hell did you think you were doing?” Ink yelled, striding towards the idiot. He shoved him. “If a woman doesn’t want your attention then you don’t fucking touch her.”
The drunk guy stumbled forward, falling against Ink. Before he could shove him back, he grabbed hold of his cut.
“Tell Jewel that Maxwell said hi.”
Then he turned and raced off before Ink could ask him what the hell he meant. And who was Maxwell? He frowned. Why would this Maxwell want to say hi to Jewel?
“Ink,” Duke called out.
He turned to see his Duke walking towards him. “Yeah?”
“Danny had it under control, man.”
“Just making sure the message got through. He got close to Sunny and Jewel.”
“Yeah, and Jewel can gut a man without breaking into a sweat. You know that, you fucking trained her.”
He eased out a breath, forcing the tension in his shoulders to fade away. “Just got mad.”
“You’re getting mad a lot lately.” There was no judgment in Duke’s voice, instead a very careful neutrality. Christ. When had he become a ticking time bomb people were waiting to explode?
“I know,” he said gruffly. “I’m working on it. I’m gonna head to the club.”
“Sure you should do that when you’re in this kind of mood? Maybe you should wait until you’re calmer.”
“I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Look, I love you, man, but I’ve got places to be. I can stand here, talking about my feelings with you or I can go spank a sweet sub and find my happy place. Can you guess which option I’m going to choose?”
Duke sighed. It was a sound filled with disappointment and it hit Ink in the gut.
“Yeah. I get which one you’re gonna choose. I’m just here for you if you need me, yeah?”
“Got it. Hey, you know anyone called Maxwell?”
“No, why?”
“That drunk asshole said to tell Jewel that Maxwell says hi.”
“I’ll let her know.” Duke looked behind him.
“Go. Find Sunny. You’ll be breaking out in hives soon from being apart from her for this long.”
“You’re a dick,” Duke told him, but he whacked him on the back of the shoulder.
4
Ink strode into Fringe.
Tonight he wasn’t getting side-tracked by a pair of sad brown eyes. Something caught the corner of his eye as he moved into the dungeon.
White-blonde hair. A lot of skin. Unable to help himself, he walked closer. A big motherfucker was looming over her, saying something. He had on tight leather pants and his chest was bare. Her head was down. Her shoulders hunched.
Something about it felt off. They could be just talking about a scene. But Ink knew body language. And hers screamed discomfort. Maybe even fear.
He grew closer, his gut tightening as he recognized the Dom. Dean Jeffries. Dom asshole extraordinaire. He insisted everyone call him Major because he’d done a brief stint in the armed forces. Ink had run a background check on him and he’d definitely never achieved the rank of Major.
Asshole had a habit of browbeating subs, especially new and naïve ones.
Like Betsy.
“Help you with something, Callahan?” Jeffries sneered, looking him over. He was several inches taller than Ink and broader. But his muscle was starting to go to fat.
“Nope,” Ink told him.
Jeffries eyes narrowed. “You’re interrupting my scene negotiation.”
“Hello, Betsy,” Ink said, ignoring the asshole.
“Hello, Sir,” she said quietly.
“Nobody said you could talk, sub,” Jeffries growled.
Betsy flinched. Ink’s temper stirred.
This is not the place to lose it.
“She’s agreed to a scene with you?” Ink asked, knowing Jeffries often skirted the line of consent. Why he was still allowed in the club, Ink had no idea.
“Yes, she has. And you’re interfering.”
“Betsy, is that right?” Ink asked.
“Sub, you weren’t given permission to speak.”
“You’re not her fucking Dom, man,” Ink said, moving closer. “And she’s not allowed to negotiate scenes on her own without her mentor.”
“Who the hell is that?”
“Me.”
He nearly smiled as Jeffries’ face grew red.
“She never said anything.”
“All new subs have someone assigned to help them negotiate scenes. You’ve been here how long now? How do