“Alright, assholes,” Jester, our VP, nods at us, his arms crossed over his chest. “You’ll get your party in just a second. First, I need to remind you all that tomorrow is the annualEaster picnic in town. So be fucking sober by one, so you don’t scare the children. Lastly, Dodger, don’t forget to get inked up, that's Prez’s order.”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
Jester scoffs before banging the gavel on the table. We all adjourn out of Church and headed toward the main living room, silently collecting our cell phones on the way out. I power mine up and feel a twinge of disappointment in my gut when there are no new messages from Winnie. She had a final today in one of her classes, but I thought she’d at least text me to let me know how it went or let me know if she’d be by tonight. Win knows I was getting my patch today, and I want nothing more than to celebrate with her.
“Lookin good, Dodger.” Scarlet smirks at me, twirling her dark hair around her finger in a gesture I’m sure is supposed to be seductive but looks almost childish.
“Thanks, doll.” I give her a small smile and head to the bar. Lottie glances up at me the second I sit down.
“Your drinks are on the house tonight, Dodger.”
“I’ll have a whiskey then, Lottie. Please,” I tack on, knowing if any of us are less than polite to his wife, we answer to Snake. Bullet slides up next to me, keeping his front to the room.
“The sharks are circling, Cuz.”
I glance at him, my brow raised. “Is that some cryptic message or something? Last I heard, things were fine here even while Prez is taking care of his family business.”
Bullet shakes his head, his eyes studying me intently. “Not who I’m referring to. Take a look around the room. You are the newest, youngest unattached brother here, and none of the girls have ever sampled your cock. You’re a fucking commodity, and now that you’re patched in every club whore in here is going to be vying for your patch. And some of them won’t play nice.”
“You’re crazy,” I scoff and take a drink from the glass that Lottie set down in front of me. The whiskey burns my throat and warms my chest at the same time.
“Some of these girls have been here for years, hoping to be someone’s old lady,” he reminds me.
I shrug. “Well, I have Winnie. The club whores don’t even compare to my girl.”
I can feel my cousin’s eyes drilling into the side of my forehead. “Prez said once you patched in, you could make her your old lady. When do you plan to put her in a property cut?”
My drink hits my gut harder than his question. “I will. It's just not the right time. She’s busy with school, and I’m working to get an apartment for us so she doesn’t have to clean and cook here anymore, in between that and her part-time hours at the pharmacy.”
Even as I say it, I know the excuse sounds exactly what it is, an excuse. I knew this day was coming. I’ve been preparing for it, and as it got closer, part of me kept pulling away from making the commitment to Winnie. We are still young. She is busy with school, mostly taking night classes for her nursing degree. Between her schedule and the club business that's kept me busy, we hardly see each other more than a few times a week. And usually when I see her, I can’t keep my hands off of her, so we spend the day fucking before we’re off in our own worlds again. I keep thinking that when things slow down, when she’s out of school, when I’m a full member with some merit, then I’ll ask her to be my old lady. I want to be able to give her more than just a property patch when I ask her. I’m saving for a house, and I know having a career is important to her too. This past year, her parents finally reached out through text. They’re slowly rebuilding their relationship, even though they still won’t talk to me or even address the fact that we’re still dating. When I do make Winnie my wife, I want them to know I can provide for her.
“All I’m saying, Cuz, is that your girl looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars and built her the whole damn galaxy with your bare hands. So be very careful with the other girls around here. If at any point there is a hint of a crack in your relationship, they will jump on it and blow it to smithereens. Just look at what happened with Viper.”
“Viper ruined things on his own. He let one of the Devils have his girl. Can’t be surprised she went with him after he practically sold her to the guy.” I shake my head and take another drink.
Bullet hums under his breath in agreement. “Even so. One of the whores saw his devastation when Ruby walked away and played on it. Now he has a baby on the way with a woman he didn’t want, is being forced to give her his patch, and his girl ran away.”
Reluctantly, I turn to face my cousin. “Winnie is it for me. Right now is a crazy time in our lives, and I refuse to take more from her than I already have. None of the patch chasers matter to me.”
His hazel eyes take me in, and whatever he sees on my face must convince him because he finally drops it. I glance at my phone again, and there’s still nothing from Winnie. My chest tightens. The school isn’t far from the clubhouse, and she should have been back by now. My mind wanders over the different roads she could have taken to get here, while anxiety creeps up my spine. What if she had an accident? What if someone came after her as a message to the club? Prez being temporarily gone in the aftermath of dealing with his daughter’s mental health and saving his family has made us more cautious. The club can’t look weak without its president, and the reasons for his need to step back cannot be found out and used as ammunition against him. Fear spikes in my chest, and I take out my phone, going right to our message thread.
FINN: Are you still coming tonight?
I wait, and no bubbles jump to show she’s writing back. A couple of minutes pass by, and I start to lose my patience. Pushing back from the bar, I stand right as Bullet whistles next to me.
“Happy patch day to you, brother.” He nods over my shoulder.
I turn, and the wind is knocked right out of me. Winnie walks in, wearing a short, blood red dress that hugs every curve she has, molding around her perfect tits and showing off her killer legs. My heart skips, and my blood feels like it's on fire. Her hair is down and straightened until the ends look like sharp little points at her waist. She’s wearing more makeup than I’ve ever seen her in. Her chocolate eyes look even darker, full of seduction and love, when she looks at me. Her lips are painted the same color as her dress and are begging to be kissed. Fuck me. She looks drop-dead gorgeous. With a whoop, I head toward her and pull her into my arms, finally feeling calm again now that I’m touching her. She smiles, my favorite smile that lights up her whole face and makes me feel like a king when she looks at me. Once I set her down on her heels, my hands clutch the sides of her face.
“I didn’t hear from you. I was getting worried.”
Her hand comes up and brushes my hair out of my eyes. “I wouldn’t miss this, Dodger. It’s a night to celebrate.” She smiles even bigger at my new road name. I growl at hearing it on her lips.
“You look good enough to eat. Like little red and I’m the big bad wolf.”
“That was the whole point. I’m hoping you’ll want to eat me later.” She winks, and my mouth slams down on hers.Winnie wraps her arms around my neck while my lips attack hers, kissing her hungrily, devouring every breathy little moan, tasting deep inside her mouth.
When I finally let her up for air, her cheeks are pink, and her eyes are almost black. My fingers brush her hair behind her ear gently, even when my thoughts about her are anything but gentle. It made me angry when Bullet was talking about the club whores, as if I’d give up any chance of a future with Winnie. I made her a promise that I’d take care of her, and I intend to keep it for as long as she’ll have me.
