But fuck relationships and fuck family.
McKelle’s laughter caught my attention. She snatched the twenty-dollar bill from the pool table and headed my way just as Steele’s whistle pierced the air. I glanced at the bar, and he waved me over.
He’d been literal when he’d said a minute. “Time to work.”
“You’re going to need this,” McKelle said and slid the money into the front pocket of my jeans. “I have a feeling about tonight.”
I did, too. A familiar feeling of not being good enough. I jogged down the three steps to the main floor, crossed the room, and made my way behind the bar.
Steele tossed his dishtowel over the sink and left me alone to cover the bar. Blade and Dozer came out of the room smiling. “It’s official,” Blade said. “We just had a conference call with Willy. Tank is coming home.”
Dozer blinked, but his eyes still glistened with unshed tears. “About fucking time.”
Rogue wrapped an arm around Dozer’s neck, pulling him into an aggressive hug. “Our enforcer can lay down the new club rules with his old man. The student becomes the teacher, young grasshopper.”
Dozer playfully shoved him. “Fuck off.”
“Another one of your famous F-words.” Blade sat at the table and tipped his beer to his lips.
“One of many. Freedom sounds pretty fucking good.” Dozer headed for Pippa, slammed his lips onto hers, and kissed her dirty.
A minute later, the old ladies unveiled the tables of food. I guess that was it. No vote for my patch.
For the next couple of hours, I was their bitch, working the bar and doing dishes. Once the food was put away, the MC cleared out. This was my favorite timeof night. Guys played cards in the corner. The sun was down, and cool night air drifted in from the open doors.
Hang-arounds had gone home. Fire still popped and crackled in the oil drum. Blue sat with Rogue and Bullet. Kiss and McKelle must have gone to either my room or Blue’s.
We both rented bedrooms in the back of the church. They were small and hot in the summer. We shared a bathroom with the entire clubhouse. But I’d lived in a backyard shed for two years. Nowhere had ever felt like home. This did.
I finished the last of the bar glasses, wiped down the counter, grabbed a beer, and sat with them.
“Good night?” Rogue asked with a cigarette bouncing between his lips.
I nodded. “Tip jar is full.” I angled the bottle to my lips and let the ice-cold beer slide down my throat.
“Listen, kid,” Bullet said. “We see you earning your colors. Your day is coming.”
I leaned my head back and guzzled half the beer. “As long as Dozer sees me putting in the work.”
Dozer only saw what happened in the MC. He didn’t know what I’d done for Blue and Kiss. But Bullet and Rogue did. My hands were stained with the blood of two dead bodies—Blue’s perpetrator and Kiss’s dealer. That had to count for something.
“I think Dozer has seen enough of you.” Rogue laughed, referencing the dick pic in Dozer’s phone.
“Not my fault,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my lips. “I pay my debts.” A game of truth or dare with McKelle had me sending a shot of my dick to Dozer.
“Speaking of dick pics,” Bullet said, leaning back in his chair. “Jinx has this idea.” He smiled as he sipped his whiskey. “Filthy fairytales. First one is Snow White andSeven Bikers.” He chuckled. “She needs seven dicks on camera. Sort of a princess tied down to a bed getting fucked kind of thing.”
Blue choked mid sip and began to cough. Rogue slapped him on the back. “Fuck, Blue, he knows you aren’t up for the task.”
Tears from choking leaked from Blue’s eyes. “Is Jinx?”
Bullet smirked. “You’ve seen her work. She can handle seven.”
Blue used to provide security for Bullet’s girls while they serviced their clients. He called it therapy. But being around pussy all the time hadn’t fixed him. Still, Blue was in a good place with Kiss, the club, and working with the guys at the motorcycle shop.
“Kodiak is always down to fuck,” Bullet said and glanced at the open oak doors. Kodiak and Steele were standing around the oil drum with Murph, Sully, and a couple of others. “But Steele’s got Lili and a soon-to-be ex-wife riding his ass about the club. He doesn’t need anything more to deal with. And Vega’s out. Something about waiting to be the big, bad wolf.”
“Time to end this conversation before it gets me in trouble with Jazzy.” Rogue’s chair scraped the floor as he pushed away from the table. He grabbed Bullet’s whiskey glass and went behind the bar.
