I almost choke. When I chew the mouthful of slider and swallow, she passes a glass of water over to me. “Sorry.”
I wave her off. “It’s fine.” Then I remember I have to keep up the pretence because nothing spreads around faster at an MC clubhouse than gossip. Plus, I don’t know her or how good she is at keeping secrets. “Well, it’s pretty new, actually.”
“Ooh, he’s one of the Nomad Brothers, right?”
I nod. “Uh, huh. He owns and operates a bar in New Orleans and they’re renovating a restaurant next door.”
“The hot, sexy bartender? I like the sound of it. You’re cute together.”
Cute. I can’t wait to tell Logan that one.
“I don’t know about that, but he’s a good guy.”
“Ugh, why can’t I find a good guy? All the guys I’ve dated are such dickwads. Plus, if I do try and go on a date, Bane finds out and treats me like a child. As if I don’t know to take pepper spray and tell someone where I’m going, I’m not stupid.”
“He’s looking out for you,” I say. “Speaking of which, Dec is my brother if you hadn’t heard already.”
“I did, and he’s a sweetheart, always polite and respectful, unlike some of the other morons around here,” she sighs.
“I’m glad to hear it.” I finish another bite, then say, “He never told me about joining the MC and we’re close. Dec has always been an open book with me, so I was surprised that he kept it a secret.”
“He’s a hard worker. Bane’s really happy with him, but he’s fought hard to prove his worth. He works harder than most of the guys put together, like he has something to prove.”
“Our parents aren’t exactly supportive of his lifestyle,” I sigh. Poor Declan. I hate hearing that part about something to prove. Like he isn’t good enough as he is. “They don’t like me hanging with the club, that is until all of this mess because they can’t pin it on the MC. If anything, they are the ones keeping me protected.”
“Shit, I’m so sorry about what happened. I heard, then saw it on the news.”
I look down at my half-eaten lunch. “It was rough. I’m still coming to terms with it.”
“Well, if you wanna talk to anyone, there’s an awesome counselor in town called Natalia, I highly recommend her. She can be trusted because her old man was a Hellion.”
“Oh?” I say. “Really?”
“Yeah, but he retired and went to live in Florida. He has some condition where he has to be in a warmer climate all year round.” She rolls her eyes. “Like Mississippi isn’t a fucking hellhole heat swamp most of the time, but it’s to do with his asthma or some shit. Anyway, she’s really good.”
“Okay, thanks,” I say. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
“While we’re on the subject of telling you all my dirty secrets, the Skeletons MC are our biggest rivals. Every now and then, some crazy shit goes down then it lays low for a while. I’m sure you’re used to stuff like that in New Orleans, but Bane won’t be happy until they’re all dead,” she says. “They are really bad news, not that you’ll come into contact with any of those scumbags.”
Nope, not if Logan has anything to do with it.
I’ve heard the guys talk about this rival club from time to time, and where there’s smoke there’s usually fire.
“So, I should show you around.” She beams. “Assume you’re staying here?”
I nod. “Yeah, for the foreseeable future.”
“Well, we’re all one big happy family,” she says. “Most of the guys have cabins alongside the clubhouse, like our own little community.”
I hadn’t even seen any when we were let through the gate, but then again, I wasn’t looking for them either. “That’s so cool. So do you live on the property, too?”
She nods. “Yep, got my own cabin, and I love it. The space is good when I need a breather from here, and I have my own little garden. You shouldn’t get too much noise from the other rooms, though, sometimes the guys take chicks up there instead of back to their cabin, so there’s that. Just bang on the wall and tell them to shut the fuck up.”
“I’ll do that,” I laugh.
“I made sure everything was clean and tidy, by the way. Bernie usually does all of that, but she refuses to do any of the boys’ washing so they just leave it for the sweet butts to do.”
“You’re kidding me?”
