“The look of a man who wants something he's certain he can't have.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Axel said, hoping Ripper would drop it.No such luck.
“Bullshit.You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know that look because it's the same one I had for months before Ivy and I got together," Ripper countered.
“She wasn't the prez's daughter,” he said, admitting his interest.“Sinner would kill me.”
“She must not be worth it.”Ripper shrugged and Axel glared at him.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Just what I said.If you're not willing to risk Sinner getting pissed, she must not be worth it.I had to learn that the hard way, myself.I thought that, because Ivy was so much younger than me and she was my buddie's daughter, I couldn't have her.But that kind of thinking?It implied she wasn't worth the effort, and she definitely was.Just think about it, brother.”Ripper clapped him on the shoulder and walked away.
Watching Sophia, he knew shewasworth the risk, but he still wasn't ready to take that leap.For all he knew, she wasn't interested in being a biker's old lady.
Chapter Three
Sophia
Sophia walked into Club Elysium in a pair of black leggings and a tank top beneath her sweater and coat.Once inside, she removed both outer layers and made her way to where several other women were mingling.As each one took the stage, she studied their dancing with a critical eye.She knew she was going to have an edge over the other women.Her mother hadinsistedshe take dance classes when she was younger, and she did a lot of hip hop dancing.
When the last woman left the stage, Sophia made her move.She held her head high as she made her way onto the stage where she whispered to the guy handling the music, and then she took center stage.
“What the hell?”she heard Indi say, but ignored her asFeverby Peggy Lee started.It was the perfect sultry song to showcase what she could do.
Throughout the performance, she threw in some salsa moves that would no doubt get the crowd applauding at the end if this were an actual show.
When the last notes of the song ended, she tipped her head back, face up to the light, and felt the adrenaline coursing through her.
The sudden sound of applause startled her and she lowered her head to look out at the small audience she had.Indi was clapping and grinning at her.
“Damn, girl.Where in the hell did you learn to move like that?Get on down here so I don't get a kink in my neck looking up at you.”
Sophia scurried off the stage so she could answer the question.“Dance class.My mother had insisted I take dance right up to the end of my senior year.She'dintendedon me being in ballet but… I chose hip hop and Latin dance as soon as I was able.”
“You were really good up there, Sophia—”
“But,” Sophia said, cutting her off.“I know there’s a ‘but’ coming.”
Indi sighed.“I don’t know about you dancing here.Sinner—”
“Forget my father!I'm not a child, and I'm sick and tired of everyone treating me like I am just because of him.”
“Shit.”Indi paced a bit before she turned to look at Sophia.“You know what?You're right.It's not fair to you, or your talent, to turn you away just because Sinner isn't going to like it.Go see Sienna over there for a list of things you're going to need and your rehearsal times, and then come back and we'll go over the new hire paperwork.After all, I still have two more spots to fill.”
“Really?”Sophia squealed.“Thank you!You won’t regret this!”
“Yeah, right,” she heard Indi grumble as she walked away and tried not to giggle.
Sienna went over the list and rehearsal times with her before she returned to where Indi had three packets of paperwork waiting.Two other women quickly joined them and they went over everything.
“I have to give a two-week notice at my job, but knowing them, they won't bother to put me on the schedule after this week.That's what they did to someone else who quit,” Sophia told Indi.
“Okay.Just keep me posted.”
“I will.And thank you again, Indi.”
“You're welcome.Now get out of here.You three have shopping to do.”
