“Cap, as nice as your club members are. I don’t think I can stay here. It brings back bad memories—memories that have nothing to do with you and your club members, but everything to do with me.”
He nodded. “What about one night? I may be able to talk Zodiac into letting me go back to your place if I can promise I’ll be back during the day. We do have a contract that I’m supposed to abide by until the end of the month. Zodiac is an honorable man; he should allow me to do it. Although, I do have some responsibilities around here. Next week, Grief’s Conviction will be here, and our club is running security for them.”
“I love that band. Their song, In Grief’s Shadow, has kept me going the last few months.”
“It’s a great song. I can see why it appeals to you. Do you think we can stay here tonight? Just until Zodiac cools off a bit.”
“Are you going to tell me why you’re going on lockdown?”
He thought about it for a second before nodding. “Hell’s Artillery.”
“Say no more. I guess one night won’t hurt.”
His smile brightened up the whole room. “Thanks, Ruby. I know this is hard for you, but I promise that once it’s all over, we can go back to your place where you feel more comfortable.”
My teeth gnawed on my bottom lip, anxiety building inside of me.
It’s just one night… what harm could it do?
So far, staying at the club with Cap wasn’t too bad. I mainly kept to myself, giving a wide berth to any man that looked my way. A lot of them looked at me with curiosity, but not a single one of them looked at me the way the Hell’s Artillery did—like they wanted a piece of me. It was kind of refreshing in a way.
“You good?” Cap asked, noticing my nervousness.
“Yeah, just adjusting.”
We were sitting in a big room with a bar. Everywhere I looked there were men milling about, and a few girls strutting around. They were nothing like the sweet butts of the Hell’s Artillery, and I heard one of the men call a girl a Fallen Star.
“Why do you call the girls that hang around here Fallen Stars?”
Cap chuckled. “Well, every girl here is named after the city they came from. They all found us after losing their way, kindof like a star falling out of the sky. Once they found us—they all found a place to call home here.”
“So, are all the girls with a member?”
Cap shook his head. “Just Tess and Juliette. I think Bangs and Pincher have something going, too, but he’s a Prospect and kind of off limits for them.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“Just a rule most motorcycle clubs have. They have to finish prospecting the club and get patched in as a member before they get any of the perks of being one.”
Frowning, I chewed on my lip. “Does that mean you’ve been with a lot of girls here?”
He smirked. “I’ve been with a few, but nothing serious. I tend to stay away from the club girls.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I like girls that challenge me. When girls make it too easy, it takes all the fun away.”
Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, I peeked up at him. “And what do you consider me?”
His hand instinctively reached out, helping my hair find its way behind my ear. “The biggest challenge I’ve ever had.”
A part of me wanted to lean in and test the waters, feel those lips that taunt my every breath, begging for just the slightest taste of the heavily tatted man sitting before me. But then my senses kicked in, forcing me to pull away before I did something I would regret.
Cap frowned, but if he was bothered by the action, he didn’t show it too much.
He watched me let out a big yawn, then smiled when I squeaked after.
“That was the most adorable sound I’ve ever heard.”
