I don’t know the guy well, but he seems nice enough. I agreed to pass along a message to Smoke that we should get the clubs together so everyone can meet. It’s been a while since we’ve done anything like that, so I think Smoke will be up for it.
Hell, the women will be up for it. The girls love meeting other clubs’ old ladies. Last I heard, they even have a little group chat going.
As I shut off my bike, I sense movement. I turn my head and watch as Jane walks across her yard, barefoot, toward me. She’s got on shorts that have seen better days, but make her legs look a mile long, and a tank top that shows off her pretty collarbones. Goddamn, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her show off that much skin. Not only that, but she looks happy. Her eyes are vibrant, and she’s smiling widely. For the first time ever, or since I’ve known her, she looks happy.
Beautiful. She’s fucking beautiful.
Shaking my head, I push away my attraction to her. The last thing she needs is me perving on her.
“Hey!”
“Everything okay?” I ask, cutting to the chase.
“Everything is fine. In fact, it’s better than fine. Do you know why?” she asks giddily.
“Why?”
“Because today is payday.” She reaches into her back pocket, pulls out a wad of cash, and tries to hand it to me. “Here.”
“No, you keep it,” I say, shaking my head.
Jane frowns. “What? Why?”
“Because I don’t need it, and you do.” I shrug as I get off my bike.
“Mac, please take it. This was part of our deal, and honestly, it would make me feel better if you took it,” she pleads.
“Jane…”
“I’m serious. I hate leeching off you. It makes my skin crawl, not because it’s you, but because I hate owing anybody. It just feels wrong, but now I have the money to pay you. So let me, please.”
Sighing, I run my hand over my face.
I get it, I really do, but I hate it. Pride is a fickle bitch.
“Fine, but if there is ever a month you can’t pay, don’t worry about it. I won’t kick you out. You’ll always have a place here, okay?” I tell her as I reluctantly take the money.
“Thank you, but that won’t happen.”
“But if it does.”
Jane rolls her eyes. “Come on, Mac. You can’t pay the bills for both of our places. That would be a waste of your money.”
I want to tell her that’s exactly what I was doing before she showed up, but I bite my tongue. She doesn’t need to know that I’ve been sitting on her house for almost a year, doing small renovations on it when I’ve had free time. Sure, I planned on renting it out at some point, but I wasn’t in any rush.
Before either of us can say anything, I hear a car start and look over my shoulder, down the street. I watch as a car slowly creeps by us and frown. I’ve never seen that car before. I’ve known all my neighbors for years. I know what their cars look like, their kids’, their friends’, everyone’s. That car is out of place.
“What’s wrong?” Jane asks, picking up on my worry.
“I’ve never seen that car before,” I admit.
Jane shrugs. “I saw it earlier when I looked out the window.”
“How long?” I press.
“I don’t know. That was before your sister called. She said hi, by the way.”
“How long?”
