“Had a run-in with a friend of yours.”
When she steps away from the door, I move past her and head straight for the bar. Thankfully, the Blanton’s is still where we left it with the same amount of booze. I guess she doesn’t like to drink alone.
I pop the cork, flip over a glass and splash in a healthy amount of the smoky liquid. I cautiously bring it to my bruised lips, gulp it down, then refill it.
“You and I don’t have any mutual friends.” She follows me to the bar.
“Sure we do—Viper.” I spit his name out exactly how I feel.
“He’s no friend of mine.” She retrieves her own glass and fills it.
“Not what he said. His exact words were that you belong to him and the Dogs.”
“Ha, that’s a laugh. I don’t belong to anybody.”
“Yeah, well, he also threatened me and then you.”
“So, this is you—what?” She waves her hand between us. “Putting me in more danger.”
“If you’re connected to the Dogs, you’re already in danger.”
She rounds the bar and reaches up to my face. “Viper did this?”
“Viper, his enforcer and his lame-ass VP.”
She slowly nods. “Bullet.”
“You do know all the players.” I swig back more bourbon. “Which tells me you are part of the Dogs.”
“Not anymore.”
“Nah, once you’re in, you’re in.”
“Women aren’t members.”
“No shit, but the same rules apply. In some cases, they’re harder on the women ‘cause a lot of secrets are shared when aguy is shooting his load.” I oughta know. Exactly how I lost my clubhouse five years ago.
“None of that applies to me anymore.”
“As long as Viper’s alive and breathing, he’ll think you still belong to him and the Dogs.”
“I wasn’t with Viper and am not with him now.”
That throws me off. It was Viper who was pressuring her the other day about selling to him, and why else would he use her as leverage in a threat earlier?
“Does he know that? ‘Cause he ain’t the type to give up easy.”
“I was never with Viper.” She lowers her gaze and shakes her head. “Geez, give me some credit.”
“So why was he here the other day? Why would he warn me against you if you ain’t his property?”
“Shit, how I hate that term. Property! Just like your Harley and your clubhouse. Only your motorcycle gets more respect.”
“I didn’t make the rules, babe.”
“No, but I’m sure you follow them to the letter just like Viper and the rest of them. Women are only a step above a prospect, and that’s only ‘cause we can take your dick.”
“Don’t put the Kings with the Dogs, and don’t fuckin’ put my name in the same sentence as Viper.”
