“You said you wanted to try a few new things, but if you want to change, we can figure something out.” Lennon slipped out of her leggings and slid on a frayed pair of denim short shorts. She threaded a belt with a big brassy buckle into the loops on her shorts and looked over her shoulder. “I can lend you a dress if you want?”
“No,” I sighed, swishing my skirt one more time. I slipped my sock-clad feet into my ass-stomper boots, ignoring Lennon’s annoyed tongue click. My bestie was always trying to get me into new(and uncomfortable-looking)footwear, but I always gravitated back to my boots. I’d found them in a box someone left in a shelter’s donation bin about six months after I left the basement. They weren’t the most comfortable shoes to wear sometimes, but they were there for me when I needed them, and I couldn’t bear throwing them away or finding a new favorite pair.
By the time I was done lacing my boots and slouching my socks down, Lennon had finished getting dressed. She wore a rusty-red leather vest that made her boobs look amazing and emphasized the wide flare of her hips. I threw my hair up into an artfully sloppy bun on the top of my head, while Lennon French braided her long, curly mane into two pigtails. A few curls were left loose, giving her a wild, untamed charm. Retro-looking brown cowgirl boots completed her outfit, causing me to mockingly click my tongue at her lack of heels. She stuck her tongue out at me. “At least mine are cute.”
“I’m telling Sheila you said that!” I laughed, flipping my best friend the middle finger.
“No! I take it back.” Lennon giggled. “I don’t want to lose shotgun privileges. Riding in the back with Cricket is so annoying!”
“Nah, Sheila will forgive you,” I say with a smirk. “That’s why she’s my best bitch. You’re pretty awesome too, though.”
Music thumped through the speakers set up in the clubhouse, and the room was packed with Crows, ole ladies, a few club girls, family members, and select townie friends. Lennon pointed out Archer, a friend of the Crows who ran a tattoo parlor in Sagebrush. He had set up a folding table in a corner of the clubhouse and was currently tattooing the newest Crow to literally mark the occasion. Turner waved at me as we entered the room while Archer was busy inking his left bicep. I couldn’t wait to see what he ended up getting!
Earlier in the day, Turner had taken off his plain cut and had been presented with a new one. The LCMC colors, a crow in flight over the handlebars of a motorcycle with the words “Los Cuervos Motorcycle Club,” was embroidered on the back of the cut. On the front, a patch with “LCMC” had been sewn on the upper right-hand side, with the name “Rook” embroidered in stylized letters below it. Turner—I meanRook—wore his new cut with obvious pride and spent the beginning part of the night getting slapped on the back in congratulations.
Rook was now an official Crow, and the party was in full swing. Leather-clad bikers were taking shots—some in honor of their new brother, and others in memory of the one they’d recently lost. Someone had placed a picture of Ace on the far side of the bar, with a shot and a small candle placed next to it. It was nice to think of Ace being here to welcome a new brother, even if it was only in spirit. I took a shot of whiskey from Lennon’s offered hand, and we both raised our glasses in Ace’s direction and then in Rook’s before throwing them back.
Some of the older Crows had their ole ladies with them, and I waved to Lorna from across the clubhouse. She was talking with Blaze’s wife, Susanne, while Duke, Blaze, Bear, and Knuckles played a game of pool. She and Susanne waved back, and I continued my scan of the room. Erica and Winnie, the club girls, had just been allowed access to the clubhouse again. Mindy and Amber were MIA since the night Pyro turned on his club, and I couldn’t say they were particularly missed on my part. Rose and Knuckles’s kids couldn’t make the trip to visit so soon after the funeral, but some of the local Crow family members showed up to hang out and have a good time. There were a few men and women from town who must be friends with one Crow or another to be allowed in. Duke still had someone guarding the gate, and all guests had to be vetted in order to attend this particular party. The threat of the Iron Raiders wasn’t going to stop them from celebrating their new brother, come what may.
I wasn’t used to the thick press of people in the clubhouse. People danced over by the jukebox, while others played pool. A few couples were making out on the couches, and I really hoped they came up for air soon. I wanted to tell them that I watched nature documentaries and History Channel conspiracy theory shows on those couches, and I’d super appreciate it if they could keep their fluids to themselves… but I wasn’t sure if I had the right. They weren’t my couches, after all, and I wasn’t a Crow. Priest said the compound was my home now, but I wasn’t sure how long they’d let me freeload here.
I pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to spoil my own time. This was my first party! I wanted to enjoy it. Cricket was talking to Ratched animatedly not too far from the bar, so I pulled Lennon along to say hello. Cricket wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me into his side. I smiled and hugged my conscience.
“You’re looking lovely tonight, ladies,” Cricket said charmingly. Some guy from Sagebrush walked up and asked Lennon to dance, and she shocked the hell out of me by accepting. Usually, she brushed off any guy who tried to chat her up when we went out. I looked around for Sticks, but I didn’t see him.
I guess Lennon wanted to get in a few dances before her dad came in and scared away any guy who looked at her for too long. She alwaysseemed exasperated by Sticks’s and Bones’s protectiveness, but I think she secretly enjoyed it. Lennon always wore a small, self-satisfied smile whenever Bones puffed up and stepped between her and some rando. They began dancing along to “Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie while Bones pretended not to watch them from his seat on the couch. He had some girl from town in his lap, her lips plastered to his neck, but he couldn’t seem less interested in her if he tried.
I left Cricket and Ratched and took a lap around the clubhouse. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I spied Bard and Thor taking shots at the bar, which was manned by Shiloh, one of the bartenders I worked with at Crow’s Landing. I waved to her, and she sent a quick wave my way between serving beers and shots of whiskey. I’d made an almost complete circle around the clubhouse when I noticed the Crow I’d been subconsciously looking for. I spied Priest across the room, now standing next to where Bones sat on the couch. Bones was still ignoring the girl in his lap as he spoke to his friend, and Priest nodded his head as he sipped from his glass of scotch, eyes roaming over the room.
Our gazes collided, and an exhilarating shiver rushed through me at the heat in his expression. We both took a moment to admire each other from across the room, my eyes sliding from his lips, which I knew were pillow soft, and catching on his muscled forearms where his shirtsleeves were shoved up to his elbows. How did he manage to make faded Henleys and oil-stained blue jeans look so sexy? I felt like he should be made to pay reparations to woman-kind as a whole for the sheer audacity of looking effortlessly drool-worthy while the rest of us mere mortals struggled with attempting to look semi-attractive after an hour in the hair and makeup chair. It wasn’t fair!
I began to make my way over to Priest, the heat in his eyes calling to me, when someone stepped between us, breaking our connection and reminding me that a party was raging around us.
“Hey, Indi, wanna dance?” Thor asked hopefully. Priest was rooted to the spot, too far away to hear Thor’s words, though that didn’t stop him from glaring.
“Uhm,” I considered for a moment, “yeah. Sure, why not?” It was my first party after all, and we were all here to have fun. Placing my hand in his, I allowed Thor to lead me to the improvised dance floor, whereseveral other couples moved to a rough, wild beat. Priest’s eyes never left me as we danced. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his gaze slide over me like a caress.
Thor put a hand on my waist, guiding me into him until my hips bumped his. He moved well, but I didn’t feel a pull toward him like I did with Priest. Thor was good-looking enough, with his ocher-colored eyes and dark hair. His angular jaw was covered in a few days' worth of stubble, but it made him look attractive instead of sloppy. Apparently, there was an art to the scruff, kind of like there was an art to messy buns.
I may not be attracted to Thor, but hewasa pretty good dancer, so I found myself relaxing and just letting go. With my eyes closed, I turned in Thor’s arms, and he didn’t waste any time tucking himself in behind me as we both moved with the rhythm of the music. When my lids eventually parted, I was met by an intense, bright blue gaze inches away. A surprised gasp left my lips, causing Priest’s to curve in a wicked smirk. He flicked his gaze over my shoulder for a moment before his eyes locked with mine, and he joined the dance.
Priest
Possessive jealousy isn’t a good look, man. She’s having fun. Don’t be a dick and ruin it.I wanted to rush over to the dancers and rip Indigo out of Thor’s arms and break each one of his fingers I could see gripping her waist.Oh, I wanted that real bad.I wouldn’t do it, though. For one, even I could acknowledge that would be a bit of an overreaction. Second, Indigo was likely to bolt if I evenpretendedto act like I owned her. I might be beginning to think of her as mine, but that didn’t mean she actually was. She could dance… or do anything else… with whomever shewanted, and I didn’t have the right to stop her. I didn’t even want to stop her from doing what she wanted (within reason… an important caveat to have, knowing my angel). I just wanted her to only want to do those things withme. I had to convince her that I was the only man for her, so she’d choose me.
I couldn’t tell you what song was playing or who was doing whatever else in the clubhouse, I’d given in to temptation, and all I could focus on was the woman before me. Hips swaying, hands in her hair, Indigo moved hypnotically. I was drawn in, like a moth to a flame, until we were pressed together. I didn’t care if I burned.
Thor, seeing he’d lost her attention, shot me an irritated glare and eventually backed away to find someone else to entertain himself with.Sorry for the cockblock, brother, but this fallen angel is mine.Indigo didn’t even notice when he left, or if she did, she didn’t show it. Her eyes were too busy flicking from my eyes to my lips and back again, unable to hide the fact that Indigo wanted another taste of me. I’d kiss her,hell yeah, I would, but not yet.
Gently tugging on her waist, I pulled Indigo forward until her chest bumped mine. White teeth nibbled her plush bottom lip before Indigo resumed her dance, her hips swaying in a devastating rhythm. Her sweet, sunshine scent filled my nose and made my mouth water. Big green eyes, hooded and sultry, never left my face as we moved to the music, lost in our own tension-filled bubble.
Far too soon for my liking, the song ended, and Indi blushed when she realized how close we both were. My thigh was practically between her legs, and her arms were wrapped around my neck, pressing her tits into my chest. Face a glowing pink, Indigo rushed over to Lennon, who handed her a drink and introduced Indi to the townie guy she’d been dancing with. I allowed her retreat and circled the room until I found a position at the bar that gave me a direct line of sight to the sexy psycho I couldn’t stop thinking about. Her eyes met mine as I reached down to adjust myself in my jeans, not bothering to hide how dancing with Indigo affected me. She blushed an adorable shade of strawberry, making me want her even more.
I reached into the pocket in my cut that usually held my pack of smokes and a lighter. Instead of a cigarette, I withdrew a bright redlollipop. I’d won a handful from Indi when we played her made-up card game, and now every time I wanted to light up, I had a sucker instead. I hadn’t had a cigarette in almost two days, but I’d had countless lollipops. Their taste reminded me of how sweet Indigo’s lips had been that night in the garage, and I found myself addicted to something far more habit-forming than nicotine. The taste ofher.
Indi watched as I ripped the plastic off the lollipop and placed the candy in my mouth, gulping when my lips stretched into a mischievous smile. Quirking my eyebrow at Indi, I gestured toward the saloon doors leading deeper into the clubhouse. She narrowed her eyes a bit as I bit into my lollipop, the candy crunching between my teeth. I turned and walked toward the saloon doors, praying that she would follow. I walked down the hall and into my office, in the area of the clubhouse that was restricted to our guests. Everyone knew the business side of the clubhouse was off-limits during parties. The noise from the party prevented me from hearing her steps, so I was unsure if Indigo followed me away from the crowd. Flipping the light on as I went, I left the door open. I threw the lollipop stick into the trash and leaned back on my desk, waiting with my arms crossed across my chest to see if Indi wanted me the way I wanted her, or if I was alone in my obsession. She didn’t make me wait long, thank fuck.
Indigo, hair disheveled and eyes wild, stepped over the threshold of my office. She looked feral. I had a white-knuckle grip on the desk below me to keep myself from rushing her. She used her booted foot to kick the door closed behind her, her chest moving with her deep breaths as if she had been running. We both eye-fucked each other for about ten seconds before lunging forward and meeting in the middle of my office. Indigo stood on the tips of her toes and pulled down on my neck, searching for a kiss. Our lips brushed briefly, but I held myself back from giving her what she was seeking. I needed something from her first, her words.
