Glancing down at him, I froze. I hadn’t meant to stand up. I had no idea where I was going. With a sigh, I fell back into the chair.
“Fuck.”
Monster had caught me out. The son of a bitch was too clever for his own good.
I liked Gypsy. More than I should.
The guilt came on fast, flooding my veins. Liking her was like setting fire to the memory of Corinne. Sure, I’d had women in my bed since my wife had died, I was a man with needs. But I'd never actually chased a woman. And I sure as hell had never fallen for any other woman apart from my wife.
And the two of them couldn't have been further apart. Corinne had been soft, loving. She had idolised me. Gypsy, on the other hand, seemed to loathe every single thing about me.
How could I want that?
How…?
“It's ok, Prez.”
I turned to him with a scowl. “Stay the fuck out of my business, Monster. I mean it. You or any of the others want to take a stab at Gypsy, then you go right ahead. She's a partner of the club, nothing more.”
“Whatever you say, Prez, whatever you say.” Standing, Monster paused. “You do know that Corinne would…”
I didn’t let him finish, and bolting from my seat, I stepped into his space. Stabbing my finger into his chest, I hissed. “Do not mention my wife again, Monster. She is the only woman in my life. Like I would sully her memory by looking at some out of towner who is stuck in the sixties and probably doesn’t know how to fucking shower.”
My words were harsh and louder than I meant them to be. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Gypsy's startled expression and the hurt that flickered across her face for a second. It made something clench inside of me.
I couldn't stand the thought that I had humiliated her in front of everyone. But I couldn't stay either. Corinne had been my entire world. I wouldn’t betray her by wanting another woman.
“Party’s over, this place is draining the life out of me. We can pick this up back at the clubhouse where…” I paused. I had been about to say something about women, but Gypsy’s thunderous face stopped me. “We can party back at the clubhouse now. All welcome of course.” I met her eyes.
I wanted her to give me some indication that she was thinking about coming back with us. My outburst had been aimed at Monster and not her. I needed to find a way to tell her that. Alone. So I could explain to her why I had said the things I had.
For a second Gypsy stood there, pint glasses in each hand. She stared at me and I stared right back. Then her face changed, and she broke into a wide, almost toothy smile
“It’s been great having you guys here, so I hope we will see more of you in the Drunken Otten soon.” Tipping her chin up, she lifted the glass in her hand. “And welcome home, Fang, enjoy the rest of your party.”
9
Gypsy
Puttingon a brave face was what I did best. But I had to admit to myself that Fang's words had hurt. He was entitled to think those things if he wanted, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about that, but to say them out loud? That was below the belt. He had been lucky that I hadn’t tipped the half-drunk pints over his head as a thank you.
Not that I cared what he thought about me, he was the biggest asshole I had ever had the misfortune to meet. And I had met quite a few.
Yet, there was something about the way he looked at me...a softness I hadn’t expected from him. Not that it mattered, he ruined it every time he opened his damn mouth.
Asshole.
“Gypsy, I think we have a problem.”
I glanced up from my place on my knees. Restocking the fridges was one of the jobs I actually enjoyed after a busy shift. It gave me time to think. “What’s up?”
“I think Kelly is skimming from the till.”
Her words shocked me. “Do you have any proof?”
We had been open for a week. One week and one of my employees was already stealing from me? I was a fair boss, and I paid a fair wage. The bar staff were all welcome to keep their own tips instead of putting them in the pot to be shared equally, the thought that someone had intentionally taken money from the register was mind-boggling.
“The money has been short every time she’s worked.”
