“You okay back here tonight? If shit gets too crazy, come find me, and I’ll have a prospect take you home.”
She stops mid dance move and laughs at me. “Axel, you do know I can handle myself in here, right?” Mia puts her hand onher hip, “And anyway, no one is going to mess with me with the likes of you to scare them off.”
She’s right about that. No one would dare fuck with her here.
“Just promise me you’ll come get one of us if you need us, okay?” I level her with a no-bullshit stare.
“Huh?” she leans a little closer.
“Just promise me you’ll come get one of us if you need us, okay?” I say louder this time.
“Huh?”
“For fuck’s sake, just pro--” Mia stands up straight and smiles at me like she just won a jackpot. The little shit can hear me just fine. Sliding me another beer, she pats my hand.
“Fine, I’ll—AHHHHH! Marley!” Her ear-piercing scream stabs my eardrums as she flies out from behind the bar.
Like he owns the place, my best friend and the number one pain in my ass, Blaze, walks into the party with his arm slung around his woman, Marley. He’s been bringing her around a lot more and the other women of the club have immediately accepted her as if she is a long-lost sister, separated at birth.
I’ve never been one to care about who people bring around, but everyone recognized their relationship for what it is immediately. They’re end game for each other, and that’s not a pun because Marley is some insane tech genius. Blaze tries to pull Marley back as she practically flies towards Mia, but she’s too quick.
“Getting slow there, old man.” I chide him as he makes his way over.
As my best friend, he punches me in the shoulder. As my Vice President, his annoyingly smug gaze cuts to me.
“What the fuck happened today?” he gruffs as he nods to Cal for a drink.
“Someone must’ve got a jump on our drops.” My fingers work aimlessly to get the wet label peeled from my beer bottle.The anger I felt earlier, seeping into my limbs again and leaving me aching to punch someone. “We’re going to have to hold off on next month’s run until we figure out what’s going on.”
It’s a necessary step, and postponing won’t set us back too much. The club has numerous other businesses around town that keep our coffers full and members financially set, but the runs are really big pay days. I can already feel the brothers breathing down my neck about finding who did this so we can get on with business.
“This isn’t ideal. Not with the Reapers showing up more and more around town. We don’t need another thing to worry about.” His voice is low as he scans the crowd. “Handle it, fast. Let me know what you learn.” Without looking at him, I nod in agreement.
I don’t need a reminder that the Reapers MC are making appearances in our territory. A few days ago, two Reapers were fucking with Jones, a local grocery store owner who was just trying to close up shop. Not only were they in our territory, but they were blatantly fucking with people they know are under our protection.
Luckily, I was in a good mood and allowed one of them to crawl back to their clubhouse. Crawling because I set his piece-of-shit bike on fire after breaking his jaw. The other one, well now that I think of it, I need to figure out what I’m going to do with him. He’s been tied up in the basement, and every day one of us works him over for information. Fucker’s loyal, I’ll give him that.
But I’m growing bored. I’ll give him one more day before I start removing appendages.
That growing feeling of dread has me shoving the empty beer bottle away from me. They had to have something to do with what happened tonight. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
“You find her yet? She flew off like she was on fire.” Looking around him, I no longer see the spunky brunette and pint size bar tender jumping up and down like drunk sorority sisters.
“She’s probably introducing Mia to Jenna.” He scrubs his hand down his face and chuckles. “Mar brought her best friend, Jenna, with her tonight. I’m going to let them have some time together.”
“How gentlemanly of you.” Barely paying attention to him droning on about Mar, I wave to Cal for another beer.
“Marley just so happened to forget to mention I’m the vice president of a motorcycle club and that they were coming to a biker party.”
“Oh shit.” That catches my attention as two ice cold beers are placed in front of us. “Well, she’s in for a wild night.”
Placing my back to the bar, I take in the insanity of the clubhouse. Strippers dance naked on tables while brothers are drunk and strewn across every corner of the space. The people who chose to party here worship us as if we are gods, and that just spurs everyone on to do whatever the hell they want.
The Lighthouse, a more upscale strip club in town, supplies the women. It’s club-owned and run by Fang, who, right about now, is probably upstairs enjoying a private show. That man is disturbingly good with numbers and can charm the pants off of any woman. He’s turned what was a funky, drowning peep show into a classy, go-to strip club within a year of taking over.
Club girls make their rounds, desperately shoving their naked assets into the eyeline of any member that will give them the time of day. Some aren’t even waiting to get upstairs as they give into their lust-filled obsession of sleeping with one of the brothers.
Unless you’re a part of this world, being here might be a shock.
