Page 29 of Tico

For a moment, I see the same terrified panic in her eyes that I saw when Dad and Scooter were holding her down on our bed, but then it’s gone. I nod, not commenting on it. I lift my gaze to Liam in question. He dips his chin in acknowledgement, closes the door to the room we were just looking at, and walks a few doors down before opening another door.

“This one is right next to Daemon’s room,” he says as he points to the next door down. Then he steps into the room and reaches up, taking a set of keys off a hook that was hanging up by the corner of the door and hands them to Pyper. “Here’s the keys to this room. The only other people that have keys are Tico,Taco, and Tico’s mom, Sofia. She’s here at the club frequently, but once a week, she oversees the bunnies cleaning each of the rooms unless a brother specifically requests otherwise. Honestly, with the Prez claiming you, Ember, and having both of you under his protection, I’m betting Sofia will be coming to the club pretty soon to meet you both.”

I stare up at him in shock.

Shit.

It was only a few hours ago that I agreed to see where this goes with Tico and now I’m being told I might meet his family soon?

Double shit.

What if she doesn’t like me? How would that go if Tico and I kept seeing each other? I don’t want to create a rift between Tico and his family. My thoughts start to spiral but a chuckle has me blinking out of them

“I can tell where your mind just went but I doubt you’ll have a problem with Sofia,” Liam says, still chuckling as he shakes his head. “When she finds out about you, she’ll probably mother hen you to death as she cooks up a storm. She’s been waiting for Tico to settle down but knew it’d take a special woman to snag his attention.”

I give him a hesitant smile and Pyper steps into the room, dropping her bags on the bed. She takes one of the keys off the key ring and gives it to me. As I pocket it, I catch the time on the clock on the nightstand and wince.

“Any chance I can cook something? I need to eat soon and then prepare for the fight tonight.”

Liam looks at me in question.

“I’m filing in for Ice since she can’t fight.”

“Well, fuck,” he says as his gaze roams over my body. Not in a leering or sexual way, more like he’s really looking at me for the first time. “That would explain why you look so fit. Come on, I’lltake you down to the kitchen. If any of the bunnies give you shit, just holler,” Liam says.

I nod even though I won’t take him up on that.

If they give me shit, I’ll handle it myself.

I’m almost finished with my dinner when I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I have a pretty good idea of who’s standing behind me right now.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two little leeches that have somehow lied their way into getting the club’s protection,” a woman says as she saunters into the kitchen, swaying her hips.

I suppress an eyeroll at the typical bunny behavior. Looking up, I notice it’s the bleach-blonde woman that had been glaring at me while Tico was introducing me to everyone earlier. She’s dressed in a tank top that barely keeps her breasts from spilling out and a skirt so short I’m surprised her ass isn’t showing. Oh, and let’s not forget the stripper heels. I share a look with Pyper who’s trying very hard not to giggle at the woman’s antics.

“We didn’t lie about anything,” I tell her blandly as I take another bite of my dinner.

She scoffs and pops out her hip as she points at us. “Everyone knows Daemon doesn’t have any siblings.”

“Not biologically, no,” I reply, “but family comes in all shapes and sizes. Not that it’s really any of your business but we do consider each other as siblings and his family considers us partof theirs. Or have you never heard of the concept of ‘found family’?”

She narrows her eyes at me. “You need to pack your shit up and crawl back under the hole you came from.”

I huff. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, lady, so you might as well get used to us because we aren’t going anywhere.”

Her face screws up in anger. “It’s Sunny, not lady and stay the fuck away from Tico! He’s mine so get your shit out of his room! If anyone’s warming his bed, it will be me, not some carved up, yuppy trailer park trash.”

I cock my eyebrow at her as I lean back in my chair, letting her insults roll off me. Through the pass-through window, I see Liam giving me a questioning look and I minutely shake my head, letting him know I have this.

“Huh,” I drawl out. “Funny because I know for a fact that he isn’t with anyone. If you were really with him, you wouldn’t be a club bunny, but you are. As for Tico, I’ll be the one warming his bed for the foreseeable future. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

“You aren’t cut out for the biker lifestyle. You’d run as soon as you saw a gun.”

I shake my head at her and this time Pyper doesn’t even try to hide her laughter.

Sunny’s face turns red with anger as she turns towards her. “What’s so funny, pipsqueak?”

“You,” Pyper says between giggles. “Did you miss the part where we said we’re Daemon’s sisters? We grew up in a club—the same club he grew up in.”