“Eagle, you greedy son-of-a-bitch,” Wasp said, eyeing me as he approached. “You’ve got the most beautiful girl here stuck in a corner.” He stopped inches in front of me, reached around and plucked a pool cue from behind my back. Then he flashed me an adorable smirk. “Nobody puts Naomi in a corner.”
Wasp was clearly trouble. Matching his smirk, I asked, “Did you just make a low-keyDirty Dancingreference?”
He bobbed his head up and down, grinning like a fool. “Mom’s favorite movie. She used to make me watch it with her until I got in trouble for trying the moves out on girls at school.”
Yep. Wasp was trouble with a capital T.
He leaned against me. “So, tell me, are you worth gettingmyballs racked over?”
“Is that what my brother threatened to do to you?”
He nodded and spun away, settling in front of the table.
“I believe Link’s exact words were, ‘I’ll rip off your balls and shove them up your asshole, Wasp,’” Havoc said, selecting a pool cue from the other rack. “Wasp here likes to see how far he can push Link. The prez is probably going to have to kill him at some point. I’ll have to help dispose of his body.”
“You would all be bored without me, and you know it,” Wasp replied, chalking his pool cue as he bumped hips with me. “And I call Naomi’s team.”
Eagle’s pinched expression told me he didn’t like that pairing one little bit, but he didn’t object as he gestured for us to go first. The game was a nail-biter, but Wasp and I won when Havoc scratched on the eight ball. I was having a blast and could have kept playing all night, but Eagle begged off, giving me one last scorching once-over—that looked a hell of a lot like an invitation—before heading upstairs.
“He’s a quiet one,” Wasp said, following my gaze as I watched Eagle disappear in the crowd.
Quiet? We’d been talking non-stop before Havoc and Wasp had joined us, but now that Wasp mentioned it, I realized Eagle had closed down since their arrival. “What’s his story?” I asked. Most of the men in the club were dealing with shit from their time in the service, and it was clear Eagle had picked up a few demons. Wasp seemed like a guy who’d know, also like a guy who’d talk.
“Served with his woman. Planned to marry her, too. Then he watched her AAV run over an IED. She didn’t make it.”
“Shit,” I breathed. Doing combat rescues meant I’d seen some pretty grizzly scenes. Amphibious assault vehicles were usually open on land for the gunners. I’d seen firsthand what an IED could do to a crew in an open AAV. “How long ago?”
“About four years.”
“You shouldn’t be sharing Eagle’s business,” Havoc said, his expression dark.
Wasp shrugged and changed the subject. “Should we pick up a fourth? Maybe someone who can teach you not to scratch on the fuckin’ eight ball?”
Havoc flipped him off, then apologized to me like I’d find his middle finger offensive. His concern was sweet but unnecessary. I was no proper lady who couldn’t handle swearing. Nope, I was horny and half drunk, trying to figure out an inconspicuous way to slip upstairs unnoticed and find Eagle’s room so I could bang him. Hearing about the loss he’d suffered only made me want him more. He probably needed to get laid, too.
“Actually, I think I’m going to head up to bed,” I said, faking a yawn. “I’m still on mountain time and it’s getting late.”
Wasp leaned closer to me, his expression mischievous. “Go get ’em, Slugger.”
“Who?” I asked, feigning innocence. “What are you talking about, Wasp?”
“Right.” Grinning, he turned back to Havoc. “Guess it’s just me and your ugly ass. Maybe we should go next door and see if we can find some action.”
Excusing myself, I drifted into the crowd, mingling with old and new club members until I was surprised by a familiar-looking brunette who was making out with another prospect.
“Kim?” I asked.
She pulled away and gave me a sheepish smile. “Hey Naomi. I heard you were here.”
Yet she hadn’t tried to find me. Kim and I had been friends in high school. She’d come to the club with me a few times, but we’d been underage and mostly hung out in my room talking about boys and teachers. We’d tried to stay connected after graduation, but she moved away and we lost contact.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Her gaze cut to the biker she’d just been locking lips with and her cheeks reddened. “Uh…”
While she was fumbling for an answer, another biker smacked her on the ass and said, “Hey babe. If you’re not busy later, I could use a little more of what you gave me last night.”
Ah. My friend was a club whore. It wasn’t all that surprising since she’d always been a little too interested in what the bikers were doing downstairs to fully focus on our conversations. I don’t know if she expected me to judge her for it or what, but the club whores had always been good to me. Growing up without a mom, ol’ ladies and club whores had purchased tampons for me and taught me how to use them. They were the women I went to when I needed advice or had questions that Dad and Link couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.
