“No buts and I don’t wanna hear any more of this horseshit. The bottom line is, you were all involved in this illicit enterprise.” He pointed to me. “You know how fuckin’ problematic going to a club like Elixir is, especially underage. You should not have been there, period, but if you were smart, you wouldn’t have gone without one of us at your back.” He then pointed to Tillie. “You shouldn’t even know the kind of guys that make and sell fake IDs, let alone sending him business.” Then onto to Cambry. “And you, out of everyone here, should have sent Teagan’s ass packing the second you saw her in the club. You should have called one of us to come pick her up and make sure she got home safely. All three of you failed as members of this family and you failed each other as sisters. I want you all to think long and hard about what could have happened if this Hooks guy wanted more than just two-hundred-fifty dollars. Or, even worse, if he knew who you were affiliated with, and hand delivered Teagan to the Spiders.” He scowled. “I don’t even want to think about what those animals would have done.”
“I think you and my dad are being totally dramatic about this,” I said. “I was fine. Nothing happened. We were just trying to give Daisy the best twenty-first birthday possible.”
“Your rationale’s about as thin as your understanding of how much danger you put yourself in,” Hatch growled.
“You’re absolutely right, Uncle Hatch,” Cambry said. “I didn’t know how Teagan got in, but I should have called Dad or a rideshare and sent her home.”
“Really, Cambry?” I snapped. “I was fine.”
“It seems to me like you still don’t get it, baby girl,” Hatch continued. “I think you need some serious time to reflect on my words. So, tomorrow, the three of you are going to work in the shop.”
We all groaned.
“I’ve notified all brothers of a mandatory oil change and inspection of every bike in the club. From points and plugs to tanks and tires, every bike better be ready for a cross-country ride by the time you’re all done.”
“But it’s a holiday,” Tillie pointed out. “My first day off in months.”
“Don’t give a shit,” Hatch said. “You’ll be workin’ at the club for the day.”
“We don’t know anything about mechanical shit,” Tillie said.
“That’s why Flea and Cash are going to teach and supervise.”
I was suddenly all for this punishment but let out a dramatic sigh. “Really, Uncle Hatch. Do we have to?”
“Yeah, you fuckin’ have to.”
“Okay fine,” I said, trying not to sound excited.
“Now get out of my fuckin’ office. See you at the club shop at six a.m.”
Cambry and Tillie let out protests galore, but I didn’t care. If it meant spending an entire day with my man, I was in.
We filed out of his office and Hatch headed back upstairs.
“Well, this has been fun,” Cambry droned. “I’m going to head home. I need something stronger than wine.”
She hugged us and made her way upstairs and I moved to follow, but Tillie grabbed my arm. “You better spill, Mistress of the Dark.”
“Spill what?” I asked.
“Uncle Hatch might not know when you’re lying, but I do.”
I scoffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Cash.”
“What about him?”
“You were perched on your high horse, until Hatch mentioned him, then you were all, ‘oh, darn, oh drat, oh dearie me. Not that, anything but that,’” she said in a sing-song voice.
I scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes you do, and if you deny it one more time, you will have broken the sacred circle of trust.”
“Okay, fine, I like Cash, but you can’t tell anyone.”
“I’ll keep your secret, because I don’t want to see Cash’s arms broken, or you love your dad any less.”
