Teddy nodded enthusiastically, sprawling in a nearby chair.
“Come on. Admit it. You knew some mild hazing from me would be part of this deal when you agreed to it. I can’t make thingseasyfor you.”
“You could throw me a bone once in a while though.”
I lifted my chin, indicating a table in the corner where Pretty Boy was cozied up with a club bunny. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they had slept here, in one of the back rooms. From what I’d gathered so far, Hillbilly had mentored Pretty Boy, and they were close. He was roughly Teddy’s age—too young to take over the President’s position right now—but it certainly seemed like he was being groomed for it eventually.
“Have you heard anything in my favor regarding membership?” I prompted.
Teddy clucked his tongue with a faux stern look.
“Tsk, tsk, big brother. Are you fishing for compliments?”
I rolled my eyes. Clearly I wasn’t going to get a serious conversation out of him today.
“Besides,” Teddy continued, relentless and smug. “If you’re looking for sweet talk, you should take that up with your lady friend. The one you hustled out the back door this morning when I wasn’t looking.”
I froze.
Shit.How did heknow?
I flicked a glance at Teddy.
“Lipstick on your collar betrayed you,” he said. “Is this Cherry Pie Keely who gave you her phone number?”
I didn’t mind letting Teddy in on my love life, but everything with Keely was still so fresh and fragile. I wanted the two of us to settle into it more before I started talking about it to anyone else, even my brother.
Before I could respond, the front door opened and Ironside stepped in, followed by Hillbilly and Bruiser.
“Prospect,” Hillbilly said. “Get some coffee started, will you? The rest of the club will be here within the hour so we can talk about that juicy piece of news you picked up for us last night. We’re not getting caught with our pants around our ankles and our bare asses in the wind when the Filthy Rebels come calling.”
So I pushed Keely to the back of my mind for now.
We didn’t have much to go on, aside from Bobbie’s warning. Viper and I were tasked with keeping our eyes and ears open in town for any signs of Filthy Rebels who might wander through our territory, scoping it out.
Members who had family in the area would need light protection until further notice. That included Hillbilly’s headstrong daughter, Lila, with her fiery temper, who wouldn’t appreciate being coddled. And Hades, with his ex-wife and kids, which would be complicated, juggling so many variables around school schedules.
And what about Keely?
Her proximity to me could put her in danger. But she didn’t know about the Reckless Order, let alone the lifestyle I had committed myself to. I needed time to ease her into this, to break the news gently. Not bombard her with it all at once, which would probably scare the shit out of her.
At the thought of Keely, I shifted in my seat, restless. We hadn’t been apart for even a whole day yet and I was already itching to see her again.
When the opportunity to grab a moment of privacy came up, I seized it and slipped into the back alley. I still carried Keely’s napkin in my pocket, but I didn’t need to consult it, dialing her number from memory.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I replied.
“You called!” Keely declared with delight, a smile in her voice. “And it’s only been about two hours since we saw each other. You just couldn’t get enough of me, huh?”
You have no idea.
“I wanted to ask you a question,” I said.
“Interesting. I’m all ears. Fire away.”
Leaning back against the alley’s brick wall, I took a moment to compose myself. My previous relationships were usually short-lived. I didn’t blame the women who took one look at my lifestyle and bolted in the other direction.
