“Um, sure,” I agreed as I sat down across from Cal.
“Cal, the usual for you?”
Cal nodded and Gus rushed off to get our drinks.
“He’s eager to please you,” I noted, opening my menu.
Cal shrugged, his large hands clasped on the table. “He’s a smart man.”
I looked up at him. “Do you want people to be afraid of you?” I asked curiously.
He sat back, regarding me thoughtfully. “Fear can be a powerful motivator.” He shrugged again. “It’s served me well when I need it to.”
“That’s not really an answer,” I pointed out.
He grinned, sitting forward in his seat. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me, how’s that?”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I answered him honestly.
“What about yesterday?” he asked, and I knew he was referring to my flinch.
“Reflex,” I murmured, looking down at my hands.
He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. We broke apart as Gustavo placed our drinks in front of us, along with some chips and salsa.
“I’m so excited to have good Mexican food, it’s been forever.” I sighed blissfully, changing the subject. “Wow, that’s good,” I added after I took a sip of my drink.
He took a drink of his beer. “Glad you like it.”
“Are you back from Vegas for good?” I asked after we’d ordered our food.
“I’ll have to head down there now and then,” he replied. “The Sinners needed help establishing a new chapter after we wiped out the Riders.”
I knew the Sinners were the club that Scarlet had been raised with. Her dad had been their president before being killed several years back.
“You didn’t want to expand?” I asked.
Cal chuckled. “You’re just full of questions tonight, aren’t you? No, I like to keep our territory small and run right.” He stared at me intently. “Plus, there’s too much here in Hawthorne for me. Or at least I hope to hell there is.”
I swallowed hard and nodded, taking a much-needed sip of my drink.
“But it serves my purposes to have friendly clubs close by. Don’t want another Riders situation.” He glowered.
I shivered at the very thought. When things had come to a violent head with the Black Riders, they’d tried to take Hawthorne over. It had ended in bloodshed, including one of the Knights’ prospects being killed.
“No, definitely not,” I agreed emphatically.
“So, how about you?” he asked as Gustavo put steaming plates of delicious-smelling food in front of us.
I cocked my head to the side. “How about me, what?”
“Are you staying in Hawthorne?”
No one had asked me outright and I was surprised by how easy the answer was. “That’s the plan. It feels like home.”
“I’m really fucking glad to hear that, babe. How’re you doing since your gran passed?”
“As good as I can be, I guess.” I sighed. “She wouldn’t have wanted me to mourn her. I can’t help that, but I can try my best to honor the way she lived.”
