It was warm the whole night, but I stayed awake watching the constantly twitching Seamus. I wonder what he did to get beaten so bad, he looked to much like an angel to do something truly horrible- although life often teaches people very quickly to not judge a book by its cover. The morning came quickly and I was yawning with the lack of sleep. There was too much to think about and too much I was angry about.

It wasn't my father's fault, this was his way of life. Bianca's words came back to me; just because they are our own values doesn't make them the best for others.

She was always right.

I sighed, standing to go and cook breakfast. It was the least I could do for my behaviour yesterday. But since Ripper had stayed the night, an unintelligible expression on his face as he watched me, I knew it was going to be hard to reign in my temper.

The eggs and bacon were sizzling in the pan when Hugh was out of bed, his five o'clock shadow darker than ever and bordering on a beard. I turned to him, keeping my head bowed.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. This is your lifestyle and I tried to force my own values on you" Shaking my head, I stared at my feet.

Hugh exhaled, bringing his log like arms around my body. His chin rested upon my head, and he held me close despite my inability to hug him back.

"It's okay, there is nothing to forgive. You're as bold as your mother and as headstrong as I was when I was your age. And since you've been through a lot, I should have known it went to something deeper" He kissed my hair, pulling back slightly- the twinkle back in his green eyes.

He had forgiven me so easily. "Today, I want you to meet my main men, the men I trust with my life"

I nodded once, looking back to the pan now that everything was okay. "Sure, when?"

Hugh checked the clock in the corner of the room, thinking it over in his head. "About 30 minutes or so"

Eyes widening, I gave him the side eye, shaking my head again. "You could have told me that before I started cooking. Now get out some more bacon and eggs. We're gonna have to cook a feast judging by the size of the men you keep"

Hugh laughed, padding over to the fridge. "Yes ma'am"

The men came over earlier than expected and I yelled at dad for lying. One of the men was Slater, and he laughed as he watched me yell at the beast that was my father. Beast, the VP of the club, had a hard look about him. Tattooed up to his neck, pierced on his nose and ears, with the mean glint of a man who wouldn't hesitate to stomp on your balls - this was the man at the bar on my first night here. He was half greek and half irish, and to be honest, the feeling he gave off was bull like. Beast didn't like me, and he told me so the first time he talked to me.

Ah well.

The next was a man with one eye, the other had a scar across his socket. His name was Deadeye and he handled all the arms for the club. Ex military, stocky and brawny, the kind of man that had a lot of experience and was a hardened warrior because of it.

He didn't comment or acknowledge me much. I didn't mind, when someone's seen that much shit, then he had his own problems to deal with. But I immediately told him I liked him, as he kept to himself and just observed. Deadeye gave me a calculating gaze before turning back to his food.

Slater was there of course, dressed immaculately this time in a dress shirt and slacks. When I asked him about it, he said he had a business meeting later- since he owned both the bar and the tattoo studio.

Ripper was there too, smoking like always, but this time, he kept his amber eyes on me.

All the men dug into the food, chucking it back like they had been starving for days. I went over to Seamus, feeling self conscious in my sweat shorts and singlet, wishing I had worn something else.

But it got so fucking hot, how would I sleep in a tracksuit? Seamus had a layer of sweat over his whole body, cerulean eyes glazed over in pain. Cursing, I ran to the med box in the kitchen and grabbed some high intensity pain killers and a cup of water.

I knelt next to his head, the heat coming off him unnatural. " Open your mouth, come on" I coaxed, easing his bruised jaw open. He moaned and I quickly put the pills on his tongue, closing his mouth gently. I sat him up slowly, arms firm bands around him. Putting the glass of water to his lips, I made sure he drank it all before his head lolled to the side and he fell asleep again.

"You're good for that boy Corin" Hugh said, mouth full as he and the rest watched me lay Seamus down. I smiled down at Seamus, brushing his platinum hair back from his head and placing a cold pack there. I shrugged up at Hugh, brushing my hands off on my bare legs. Ripper and Slater's eyes both followed the movement until Hugh stabbed his knife into the bacon.

Message received, loud and clear.

I bent down near Hugh, pecking him on the cheek before walking to my room and getting changed. "That boy needs someone to be good to him"

The men had started talking when I came back out, fully dressed in a pair of black, ripped jeans, a grey turtleneck and my favourite doc martens. Slater whistled lowly and I blushed, slapping him as I walked past, making the hot piece of hell laugh.

Hugh raised an eyebrow, struggling to keep the smile off his face as we fought lightly. "You going to work sweetheart?"

I nodded, giving Slater a hard pinch on the shoulder when he wouldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, I'm a bit rusty so I gotta go and sketch up some stuff."

Ripper stood up, towering over my 5.9 frame. Good lord was this man beautiful, even if he was an assuming prick. "I can drop you off, I'm heading out that way anyway"

The whole table seemed to stop then, watching Ripper as he waited for my answer. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach- what was I, twelve? And I decided to let his words from yesterday go. "Yeah, sure, thanks"

Hugh smiled, telling me to be safe, and I went around the table to kiss Hugh on the cheek. "Seeya dad" I stopped for a beat, then dropped a kiss on Deadeye's cheek, making him freeze completely. Laughing, I walked out and told Slater I'd see him later, following the Apollo clothed in black.

He led me out to his car, a sleek black porsche that made my honda civic seem like a classic. I whistled lowly, sliding my fingers along the hood before opening the door. "It's beautiful"

Ripper stared at me for a moment before starting the motor, a smooth hum that calmed the noise in my brain.

My butterflies had seized for the moment, instead a heat warmed my blood, spreading like tendrils from my core. It wasn't just the way that Ripper looked, but the intensity of his personality. He had the effortless ways of a born dangerous man, the type that originated from birth. I stared at his arms, tried to pry my eyes away from the veins pulsing against his lightly tanned skin.

Woman + manly veins in forearms/hands= mind orgasm. I let my wander up to his face, basking in his cut-like-marble jawline. "You're really bold aren't you?" He murmured, cigarette dangling out of his full, delicious lips.

I scoffed, running a hand through my free hair. "That's one way of putting it" Ripper flicked his light eyes over to me, pausing before turning back to the road. "You always been...."

"What, loud, obnoxious?"

Ripper's mouth curved up, a slight movement that sent a new wave of heat, right down to my core. "I was going to say direct"

Blushing lightly, I chuckled. "Right"

He made me feel too young, too vulnerable and angry, god damn the amount of anger he had already put me in. He cleared his throat, interrupting my own thoughts and glanced back and forth between the road and I.

"I'm sorry about the assumptions I made about you"

Well, fuck me sideways and call me Charlie. I almost thought I had imagined it. Leaning my head back against the seat, I turned my face to him. "I'm sorry for constantly raging at you"

Then we sat back, and let the ride be consumed with comfortable silence.

My day passed quickly, random people popping in and out, some scoping out the work, some actually getting inked by none other than- me. It was fun, but had my hand cramping by the end of the day.

I had a degree in art, how had I fallen this low?

Ripper came to pick me up, when he saw my surprised face he scowled. "You think I drop you off and let you walk home?"

A gentleman in the form of a bloody biker. Literally, there was blood on his knuckles. I rushed him inside, pushing him towards the door (not really to hurry him, but to feel his back muscles) Sitting him down on the chair next to Seamus-who was still out- I told him to take off his shirt. And this time, it really was because I could see blood darkening his black tee.

Ripper raised a brow but complied, and I had to spend extra time looking in the fridge to calm myself down.

There really was a God, and on the seventh day, he had made Ripper. It was like his chest and abdomen had been sculpted, carefully defined until they were so toned you cried. But like the carnal woman I am, I just drooled.

His masterpiece of a body was marred by slashes across his lower abdomen, constantly bleeding. For all his hotness, he wasn't that smart. I knelt in front of him, feeling his gaze intent on my face. Strapping and taping, I covered his wounds, wondering why he always contracted at my touch. My eyes spotted a faint scar, leading from his left peck to his side, and I traced it with my fingers.

"What happened?"

Ripper was looking at the ceiling, seeming to be in the middle of a prayer of some sort. He whipped his head back down, eyes a dark amber that sent thrills through me. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and slightly raspier than usual.

"18. Got into it with a few men who were bigger than me. One pulled out a knife and I wasn't fast enough."

I nodded, finishing his bandaging and standing up quickly. My heart was beating erratically in my chest and I avoided his eyes. I swear, I was twelve again. "I need to wake Seamus and feed him. Since it looks like no one else will"

Ripper nodded, then his head snapped to the door as a knock sounded. Walking warily toward it, I opened the door, a smile wide on my face.

"BIANCA!" I screamed, throwing my arms around my little asian. She rocked back, laughing lightly. Her arms came around me, leather bracelets to her elbows, hair short black and brushed behind her ears/

"How are you fam?" Then she looked behind me to Ripper, who still hadn't put his shirt on, then to Seamus who was still asleep on the sofa. Her brown eyes widened, as she flicked her eyes between us.

"You been hittin eh?"

I was mortified. Bianca slapped me on the back, then stepping back- the epitome of chill. "Good to see you're finally growing up from those pansies you used to date."

I laughed and drew her back into a hug, insanely happy that Bianca was here.

Life was getting better. But that usually meant more storms were up ahead.