“We gonna shower?”I murmured at her ear.
“Yeah,” she breathed.
I pulled back.“Then you better grab your clothes, Trouble.”
After we dressed, I checked my phone and saw that Tic had gone up to Memphis and wouldn’t be back until the weekend.Ivy and I went down to the common room.
“What are you doing here?”I asked when I saw Mickayla sitting at the bar.
She tossed her hands out to the side.“Is that really how you greet your sister?”
“When you’re sittin’ in here alone, yes,” I said.
“She isn’t alone.I had to hit the supply closet to switch out the box of syrup on the Sprite because the prospects didn’t do it,” Tundra said, trudging into the room.
I shot my sister a look.“So you came here just to talk to Tundra?”
That got me her sly grin.“No, not that it’s your business.Dad had to hit the road and my shift doesn’t start until later.I thought I’d see what was going on here today.I’d hoped to find Alexandra here, but she responded to my text just as I pulled into the forecourt.”
That reeked of bullshit, but at the same time, my sister hated being at loose ends.
Tundra filled a pint glass with ice, filled it with what appeared to be Sprite and set it in front of Mickayla.“There’s your soda.I’ve gotta go.I’m working noon to nine tonight, and Turk’s posted about it being Thirsty Thursday, which brings out all the cheap bastards.Later.”
I had to be imagining it, but my sister looked put out that Tundra had left.Before I could question her about it, Ivy spoke.
“Where does he work?”
“Platinum’s,” I said.
“Okay,” Ivy drawled.
Mickayla’s eyes widened with an expectant look.
I turned to Ivy.“It’s a gentlemen’s club that the Riot owns.”
Ivy did a slow nod, then turned her face to me.“And you didn’t want to work there?”
I felt my face get warm and my mouth dropped open.
Mickayla laughed.
Ivy put her hand on my bicep.“Don’t worry about it.You don’t have to answer that.”
“Oh no!You hold his feet to the fire, Ivy,” Mickayla said, her humor fading fast.
I narrowed my eyes on Mick for a beat, then turned to Ivy.“My sister had the bright idea about opening a bar and grill, and trying to get two or three up and running in this area because of how spread out it is.”
“That’s not the only reason,” Mickayla said.
I shook my head.“No, it isn’t.Getting bankrolled by the chapter has something more to do with it, but you have a great business plan, and Killian and I liked her idea, we both wanted in on the ground floor.”
Ivy nodded.“I see.”Her gaze shifted to my sister and back to me.“Maybe I know the answer to this already, but why not do this out in Biloxi?You have tourists practically all year, and I’d think the chapter your dad is part of would be interested too.”
I twisted my hands up and looked at Mick.“You want to address that?”
She shrugged.“You’re right about the tourists, but that’s also what makes it more difficult to get a solid footing.Finding a good location is critical, and there’s no way we’d have the money for a space inside the tourist district.These days casinos are only interested in restaurants with celebrity chefs or some other celebrity tie-in.The number of restaurants that come and go is outrageous, on average.It’d be even more difficult in Biloxi.Plus, I didn’t want to do this with Dad’s help.It’s probably splitting hairs because so many of the men here see me as a daughter they never had, too, but I don’t feel like such a nepo baby.”
Ivy nodded.“No, that makes a lot of sense.”
