“Two whiskeys, Hazel,” she hollers across the bar. Hazel slides us each a whiskey as we take a seat on the plush stools. It continues to amaze me how well this woman understands my world.
“So,” Rochelle starts, handing me my drink, “that bad of a day?”
I smile warmly. She always pushes for information she knows I won’t share with her. There’s a glint of mischief in her eyes, and she holds her hands up in submission. “I’m just asking to see how my man’s holding up, nothing more,” she says innocently.
I take a sip of my whiskey, eyeing her over the rim of the glass. “Yeah, yeah, you’re forgetting I’ve known you our entire lives. Nothing changes.”
She laughs, and it’s like music to my ears. There’s something about her laugh that completes me, knowing that she’s happy. Because just lately, all I’ve seen staring back at me is worry.
“Do you remember the time I made you sneak a recording device into church?” She chuckles.
“How could I forget? My dad was not impressed, and I didn’t sit down for a week after that. That’s what I get for letting you lead me astray.”
“You didn’t have to take the wrap for me.”
“As if I would have it any other way,” I say, pulling her stool closer to mine. “I could hardly let my dad know you’d talked me into it. He never would’ve let me hang out with you.”
She runs her hand up my thigh. “Always my saviour.”
“Always,” I whisper, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
I watch tentatively from the bar as the woman I love dances with Red and Bella. It’s nice to see her relax a little after the stress of everything. To me, no matter if we can have children or not, she will always be my ol’ lady.
Rock sits down beside me. We haven’t had a chance to catch up since I got back as he was busy settling Meli for the night. He takes his responsibility as her dad seriously, and I wouldn’t haveit any other way. My men might be outlaws in the eyes of the law, but we aren’t feral.
“So, what’s the latest?” I ask, curious to know if there’s been any talk at the strip club.
“The dancers are scared. None of them want to talk for fear of repercussions. I think we need to keep a presence there so they feel protected.”
“I agree. Maybe we’ll learn more by having our ears constantly on the ground. Take one of the prospects tonight for the night shift. It’s better to have two of you there during working hours. I’ll send Brute to take over in the morning.”
He sighs but doesn’t argue, instead getting to his feet. He knows the drill. I know he wants to spend time with Red, but all the others have been picking up the slack whilst he’s been away, so it’s only fair he takes some of the extra workload now he’s back.
I watch as he breaks the news to Red, who promptly gives me daggers from across the room. I offer her a smile and a little wave, which only pisses her off further. Rock grabs hold of her, preventing her from speaking her mind. That girl’s got spunk, I’ll give her that. Hell storms over, and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t even start,” I warn before she has a chance to open her mouth. “Club business.”
Her eyes narrow, but she turns her back to me, leaning across the bar to grab a bottle of water.
All of a sudden, I hear tyres screeching outside, followed by a gunshot. The window shatters, and all hell breaks loose. I grab the nearest person to me, Siren, and push her to the floor as another popping sound echoes through the room.
“Everyone down!” I shout, which is followed by panic as everyone hits the deck. I scan the room frantically until my eyes land on Hell. She’s under the bar, glaring back at me with fire in her eyes. Relief floods me, then I look around, assessing thedamage. My blood pumps in my ears, drowning out any other sound as adrenaline races through me.
“All clear,” Clay shouts from across the room.
I pull myself off Siren, helping her to her feet before reaching for Hell and pulling her close. Her body tenses at my touch, so I hold her at arm’s length, running my eyes over her body to check for damage.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“No,” she snaps, pulling out of my grip. “Is that how it is?”
I frown, completely confused by the cold tone in her voice. And then she gives an unamused laugh, the kind that lets me know she’s really pissed.
“You save a club whore over your ol’ lady?” she demands, her hands on her hips. “Really, Drifter? Do I mean so fucking little to you after all these years?” Her jaw clenches in anger, and her eyes darken in that way they do right before she loses her mind.
I hesitate, trying to find the right words. “She was the closest person to the window.” When she scoffs, I sigh heavily. “I have a duty to this club to make sure everyone’s safe,” I snap, frustrated with her jealousy.
“Fuck you, Drifter,” she yells, stomping off towards the stairs with Red hot on her tail.
