“Is that where she’s from?”
I nod.
“You gonna break your rule for her, boss?” Brandy shoots me a wink. “I saw you looking at her the second she walked in. She’s got that quality you like.”
“What quality?”
“Tits and ass.”
“Very funny.” I shake my head, hating that she’s right, because that’s where my standards end.
So long as a girl is warm, willing, and not looking for more than one night together, I’m down.
“She got your attention.” Brandy leans over the bar, smirking.
“Yeah, and that’s how she got the job. But I’m not touching her.”
It feels like a lie because why do I care anymore? I’ve learned how fast things can change. Any day, I could be back in a cage, facing a possible life sentence. Or worse, I could be six feet under.
Being the road captain for the Twisted Kings comes with its risks.
Why do I care if I fuck a stripper? I should live my life while I’ve still got one.
Instead, I hold this line like it’s the last ounce of control I’m clinging to when everything else is way too fragile lately.
I shake my head, breaking my stare on Tiffany. “You know my rules. Not going there.”
“Whatever you say.” Brandy winks, leaving me to serve a few customers at the other end of the bar.
I scroll through my emails, stopping on the one from my brother’s lawyer. Ever since Grandpa died last year without a will, Kincaid and I have been fighting over the fate of the family ranch. Kincaid’s attorney threatened to use my stint in prison against me with the judge, but Monroe quickly shut that down.
This legal battle is never-ending.
I’d let it go if my brother planned to use the land as Grandpa intended. But that’s not the case. My stepdad got it in Kincaid’s head that they could make more money selling mineral rights and mining the land for every last cent. Now Kincaid is too busy placating his father to fight for Grandpa’s wishes.
So now, it’s up to me.
The problem is, I’m here, and Kincaid is there. He has the advantage of battling this out in person. If I could take a trip to Texas, I might have a better chance at sorting this out. But leaving isn’t an option when the club is in hot water at the moment. The Twisted Kings need me.
A few months ago, we took down our rivals, the Iron Sinners. Ever since then, tensions have been high with Rick Zane, the asshole who owns half of Vegas. He’s been putting pressure on our businesses on the Strip, usinghis influence to slowly shove us out. The Iron Sinners were his puppets, doing his dirty work and running a sex-trafficking ring for him. So now that we eliminated them, he’s doing everything he can to hit us where it hurts. Starting with attacking our most lucrative businesses, like Sapphire Rise.
Between trouble from Rick Zane and the Feds still looking into the explosion that lit up the Iron Sinners compound, we’re walking on eggshells.
“I thought you were leaving town.” Aimee, Havoc’s old lady, slides onto a barstool next to mine.
I look over to see Havoc and Ghost walking through the club. Havoc stops to talk to Soul, while Ghost, the Twisted Kings resident hacker, breezes through, ignoring everyone, especially the strippers. He beelines for the back office to install an update to our security software.
Kansas and Tiffany are walking back out as he passes, and she looks up at Ghost like he’s everything she’s spent her life searching for. But he ignores her entirely, probably thinking about his old lady back at the clubhouse. Ghost only has eyes for Luna, and I respect it—I respect all my brothers’ loyalties to their women—even if I’m never going down that road myself.
Turning back to Aimee, I see she hasn’t taken her eyes off me. “Figured I’d put off my trip a little longer after—” I glance around, making sure no one is listening. “It’s not a good time for the club right now.”
“Right.” Her lips purse, and it’s written all over her face that she knows exactly what I’m talking about because Havoc can’t keep his mouth shut with his old lady.
“Havoc tells you way too much shit.” I smirk, not actually caring.
Aimee would never turn her back on the club. Not just because of her relationship with Havoc or the fact that she was the one who finally drove us to take down our rivals, making her as guilty as we are after what happened with the Iron Sinners. But because Aimee isn’t the kind of person who wavers. She’s loyal to those she cares about, and she’s tough as shit. The girl has been to hell and back, which is something I can relate to. It’s why we get along so well, when I don’t usually have friendships with the old ladies.
“Who said he tells me anything?” Aimee tries to play coy, but I know she’s full of shit.
