I'm barely keeping it together. I know I should let it rest, but I can't drop it.

I need to know her name.

I don't know why, but my gut is riding me hard on this.

My instincts are telling me it's important. Storm stood up to me in the garage giving me no other option but to drop it.

When Falon and I walked away from them, she gave me shit about not frightening the girl off too. But whether they agree or not I'm going to get my answer.

We park outside the Inn, 6 hours out of DC. We are well past ready to go down for the night.

Falon is huddled on a bench, talking with Jade, Chadley and Venus. Storm is talking to his new bff, and I don't like it.

I'm the Enforcer. If there's even a thread that she's a danger to my club I need to know.

How the fuck am I supposed to do that if my VP keeps giving me fucking warning glares?

Wisp marches over to them, her short form making up the distance fast. She's changed into a jean but still has that bust contraption she calls a t-shirt on.

Texas moves in slow, keeping a few steps behind her with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.

I move closer to them.

Maintaining a wide gap, as not to alert Wisp to my presence. There's no way I'm staying hidden from Storm when he keeps shooting me warning glances from across the lot.

Wisp goes to stand forcefully between Storm and the homeless girl, screaming,

“Is it not enough that she gets your helmet and rides on your back. You also gotta ignore me now.” She shoves his chest when he keeps quiet.

He doesn't move, just crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his head down.

Texas moves naturally to stop her, but I signal him to stay put with a shake of my head.

This is long overdue.

“Planning on spending the night with her while you at it, ha? Well let's forget about Wisp for a second. Oh wait, let's forget about her for the night ‘cause she is just a bed warmer. I am so done with your shit Storm. I know about your trips to Liston Hills and I'm done.”

Everyone is quiet, waiting for the other shoe to drop. The homeless girl drops it, when she pulls down the hood, and my cock beats to come out behind my zipper.

And ain't I just the motherfucker of good timing.

I walk towards them, mindful of my hard-on happening behind my denims as her face becomes clearer.

Still watching the scene play out but not comfortable standing so far, I stop only 3 feet away.

The others are also staring, but forming a circle to surround them. We might want to watch things play out but it doesn't mean we want extra eyes and ears on our people.

The girl is pale, her eyes are black, pitch fucking black and so big under thick eyebrows.

She has a dirt mark staining her cheek and It takes every bit of self-control not to walk up to her and wipe it off.

I swallow, hard, and as if she hears it, she turns to face me. Everything fades away, all my brothers, all the girls besides her.

Her eyes tell me so much. They are the eyes of a person haunted, a girl who has seen things that no girl her age should see.

A protectiveness I've felt only for certain people shrouds me as I watch this girl, who is a puzzle I am yet to perfectly fit in place.

She breaks our connection and looks at Wisp’s short form. I take time to profile her. She’s around Falon’s age, but life on the streets could've aged her, especially going from her voice. She's been there a while so she could be younger, much younger. She’s thin and very tall, like 5ft 9in.

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The same raspy sound I think of, says,

“You his girl?”

Wisp and Storm are too busy staring daggers at each other to pay the girl any heed.

“Lady, you Storm’s woman?” she says louder, making me harder and I'm sure some of my other brothers too. Fuck, who talks like that. Her voice is hypnotic.

Wisp spins around, all her attention now focused on the homeless girl, shit, I hate calling her that. I wish she’ll give us a name.

“I was, now he’s free,” Wisp practically spits in the girl's face.

Then Wisp does something bad, she sticks her nose higher and takes a step closer to the homeless girl, sniffing her,

“And have a fucking bath, you reek like dogs' shit.” Wisp pushes past Storm who doesn't seem to care about her. antics. He has been done with her for some time, she just wasn't getting the memo.

I expect Wisp to go straight for the girls but she surprises me by going back to Texas who instantly starts walking her away.

I follow behind them so I can get Falon, who is huddled up between Venus and Chadley, all the while ignoring my traitorous dick.

“I do stink. It's not safe on the streets if I’m clean.”

Those words pause me in my track, she says it loud so we all hear her. I've never heard a female's voice so raspy before.

Soon after she speaks, Knight and Storm are laughing at her confession, no doubt trying to lighten the mood and hopefully save the poor girl some embarrassment.

I don't look back even though I want to. I head straight for Falon, her blue eyes lost when she sees me and I know I've fucked up.

I've been worried about another mysterious woman without a fucking name. Getting my dick hard for a pretty face, when the woman I plan to claim as my own and have a future with was almost raped.

Shit, I fucked up big time and I know I got to fix it.

I touch Falon's face with my fingers, her gaze softening under my touch. Venus and Chadley move out of the way, and I swoop Falon up, ignoring the gasp of the two girls seated down, and the eyes of my brothers.

She cuddles her face in the crook of my neck, and I don't let her go for twenty minutes.

It's how long it takes us to get our room sorted out.

Falon is out by the time we get to the room.

I lay her on the bed, and start stripping off her boots. She stirs when I get to the jeans but doesn't wake.

I pull up her t-shirt, revealing the purple and blue bruises forming on her stomach and ribs. Her small pouch of flesh on her abdomen she always complains about is now red with finger marks.

I graze the pads of my fingers gently across the bruises, all the while watching her features under the dim glow of the side lamp.

She's relaxed, and sleeping, but I'm anything but.

That homeless girl saved my woman. I want to hate her for stirring up things in me, for making me want to protect her when I have no business feeling that way about a woman I just met, especially when I got sweet Falon with me. I can’t.

Falon is my future, she's real. I know who she is. I've known her most of her life. Falon's perfect.

What I'm feeling for that homeless girl is totally normal, I'm the Enforcer, and technically unofficially she's already one of us.

I'm supposed to feel protective around her.

Who wouldn't? A young girl living on the streets.

And my dick getting hard, well that's understandable, I haven't had sex in three days.

With Falon denying me the right to claim her and keeping stuff away from me I just wasn't feeling it.

I shake Falon’s shoulder.

“Baby, you need to get up.” She stirs but doesn't wake.

“Falon, come on,” I try again, “We need to talk.”

She mumbles something but after a few minutes opens those blue depths I have come to know so intimately.

Her face is all puffy and shit, her red hair sticking up all over the place. I swipe my index finger across her lips.

She gives me a small smile,

“Are you going to tell me you told me so?”

My gaze softens, “No baby, I'm just fucking relieved that you alive, but I need to know what happened.”

She sits still watching my hand rub her thigh. Falon once told me it calms her when I do it.

“Ah,” she sighs.

“We were talking on the phone. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was, and I walked further away. I ended up on the other side, but by then the two guys leaning against the wall saw me. I told you someone’s coming and cut the call, then walked to the club doors. I wasn't sure if they were following me.”

Her voice hitches, “I..I started going faster and I would've made it.”

She sniffs, still not meeting my eyes.

“but my heel got stuck and I lost balance for a second, and then they grabbed me.”

Her tortured eyes finally lift up, “The girl came.”

I watch the half-truth come before it leaves her lips in a rush,

“She grabbed the guys gun and shot them. You know the rest.”

“Did they rape you?”

“No.” She turns away from my comforting hand and sobs into the pillow. I'm at a complete loss.

I lift my woman up, and she instantly nestles in my arms.

“I'm so sorry baby.”

She cries harder.

She practically crawls onto me until her body is wrapped tightly around mine.

I've always liked Falon’s shortness.

People always stare when we’re together in public. She’s barely 5 ft 3in like her mama and tiny, apart for her rack.

The sex is great.

She's mostly on top because I fear crushing her, and we never take it slow which I like.

All in all, the woman is a good woman.

She's a great cook, good in the bedroom, knows how to act and dress.

Plus, she's faithful.

And I'm sure she put up a fight with those assholes who tried to rape her. I rub her back in circles, hushing words in her hair.

I never told Falon I love her, I know she needs the words. I should say it. She's told me many times, but I can't.

I feel deep emotions for her, care about her, but even now that I got her in my lap, vulnerable and bruised after such a fucked-up night, I can't say the words.

I feel sorry for her, angry that those motherfuckers hurt my woman, but I don't feel that undying need for vengeance, that increase in emotion that my woman could've got hurt.

I tell myself it's because the men are dead, because there's no revenge to be dealt. Truth is I think I'm just incapable of love. I'm incapable of that emotion.

A half ‘n hour passes before she's asleep in my lap. I put her into the bed and leave the room to give her space and go to the one place I know I'm going to get the answers I seek.