Turning in his arms and taking in his hard features, I noticed a softness to his eyes that wasn’t there just days ago. Before I could even answer, my stomach growled. Chuckling, I said, “There you go. I need food.”
He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over it lightly before his fingers traced over my brow, down my nose, then over my lips. His eyes followed it as he traced the lines of my face.
My chest rose and fell with deep breaths. Something about the delicate motion was tender and arousing at the same time.
“You’re even more beautiful than before,” he said before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
My eyes fluttered closed and I melted against him. But the deep kiss was short-lived after my stomach growled again.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “To be continued. I need to feed you and see Hawk. C’mon. I’ll walk you down to the firing squad.”
He grinned, but I couldn’t help but wonder what I was about to encounter. Lacy seemed sweet but also appeared to be trying really hard. Was she being polite or putting it on for Rooster?
As we walked back into the bar, Rooster led me to a table. “I’ll get you some food before I go see Hawk.”
“Rooster? Did you say something to this lovely lady?” a woman with a touch of a Southern accent asked as she hustled to the table. She was older than me by fifteen or twenty years with dirty blonde hair not quite in a pixie cut but very short, blue eyes, and a full, curvy figure. Her smile was warm, but she also looked like someone you’d like on your side if you were caught in a fight in a dark alley. He didn’t answer her so she said, “I’m Mama Hen, or you can call me Cindy. Whatever suits ya. You hungry, hon? We haven’t fired up the grills yet, but Ihave a few things I can throw together for you. Any allergies? Shiv don’t eat pork, you got anything you can’t eat?”
Once she stopped shooting off questions I said, “I’ll eat pretty much anything. Except snails or frog legs. Not my thing.” I knew that because I’d taken a cruise with my parents as a teen and those were both on the menu as delicacies. The memory of it choked me up a little.
Mama Hen let out a belly laugh and gripped my shoulder gently. “Oh, you’ll fit right in. You want a beer?”
“Would you consider me less of a woman if I said I was more of a mixed drink gal?”
“Honey, I can fix whatever you like. Between here and the club for nearly thirty years, I could be one of those fancy mixologists. Pick your poison.”
Rooster leaned down and kissed my head. “Be back soon.”
“I’ll take care of her, you go on,” Mama Hen said.
Even though he was leaving me alone, Mama Hen’s presence put me at ease. “Vodka and cran is always a fav.”
“Coming up.”
Mama Hen hustled away, and sunlight streamed in as the front door opened. Lacy was accompanied by two women. Lacy smiled and waved, then dragged her friends by the hand to the table.
“Guys, this is Kristie,” Lacy said with a wide smile. “She came with Rooster.”
One woman with dark hair, pale skin, and light blue eyesnodded, then held her hand out. “I’m Daisy, Falcon’s Old Lady. He said you’d probably be coming.”
Taking her hand, I said, “Oh, I used your helmet I think. Falcon was a man of few words but was nice enough. I think I’d met him a long time ago but never reallymethim. Long story.”
She grinned slowly. “You’re here with Rooster…and think Falcon is a man of few words?”
The other woman, with brown skin, rich brown eyes, and dark hair in loose curls down her back rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table. “So, Rooster. What’s that like?”
“Shiv! That’s rude!” Lacy said as her hand flew to her chest. “I’m so sorry, you’ll have to excuse her. That’s Shivana, she’s Jackal’s Old Lady. I’m Eagle’s, and we’re getting officially married soon,” she said with a cheesy grin.
“Congratulations. When’s the wedding?” I asked.
“Soon. We were supposed to not too long ago, but we had a little situation–”
“And it’s all fine now, the bad guys are gone. So anyway,” Shiv interrupted. “Tell us about Rooster. How did you meet?”
“Girls, give her some room to breathe,” Mama Hen said as she came over with a plate of assorted meats, cheese, and fruits along with a vodka and cran.
“Thank you,” I said, reaching for the drink.
When I extended my arm, Mama Hen grabbed it.
