“Couldn’t stay away,” I admitted with a little shrug. “’S been two full days since I saw you, and that’s too fuckin’ long.”
Her entire face softened with awe, and fuck, it felt good to be on the receivin’ end’a somethin’ like that.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really very lovely?” she asked, steppin’ just a little closer as if she couldn’t help herself.
“Nah, but I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks’a me.”
“You really don’t, do you?”
“Care about my Prez, my club and their families, but outside that, hell no. You gotta earn my care.”
She tipped her head coquettishly. “And what did I do to earn yours?”
I took a risk and glided my hand nearest to the booth around her hip, needin’ to feel the soft heat’a her skin. “You were more brave and beautiful than anyone I’d ever seen.”
She swallowed thickly, somehow shocked. “I…I always try to be brave. It’s cool you saw that in me. Sometimes, I’m worried it’s a lost cause.”
“You’re here, aren’t you? Survivin’ and thrivin’ as much as you can even livin’ caged.” I bent closer. “I’ll find the key to getyou out, baby. Just like I got you outta that cage at Evergreen, yeah? I’m workin’ on it.”
And I was.
After the shit show in Vancouver yesterday, I’d spent the entire day at the clubhouse with Z and the brothers, figurin’ out a game plan.
We knew where most of the fuckers lived or spent their time. Out at that farmhouse near Furry Creek. The advantage to them choosin’ such a rural location meant we could take them out without havin’ to worry about drawin’ too much attention. Lion had shown up midday with a strange look on his face and offered some’a his own intel on the White Raiders, claimin’ they had a party every Thursday night where all twenty-three men in the club should be present.
So we’d hit them next week with the full weight’a The Fallen and crush them for good.
“You could still leave now,” I reminded her.
“No, I told you, they wouldn’t rest until I was found, especially if they knew I’d run toyou. And I can’t risk Grouch.”
Understandin’ clicked into place. “That’s why you went back to them.”
She bit her upper lip but nodded. “They took him, and when I made the exchange, I swore a blood oath that I wouldn’t run again.”
“Fine,” I said, spittin’ it like a curse. “You won’t run. We’ll make them do the runnin’ if they’re lucky enough to get away alive.”
“Blue,” one of the other servers called, indicatin’ some’a her tables. “Stop flirting with Boner and get to work.”
“Cindy,” I hollered back. “Don’t be jealous just ’cause Blue’s the prettiest girl here tonight. I know you’re used to ownin’ that title.”
Cindy rolled her eyes and waggled her finger at me. She was forty-five and gorgeous, but after a brutal divorce, she’d been feelin’ like shit for the past few months, so I’d made a point to flirt with her and shoot the shit after her shift to keep her company.
“He’s dangerous,” she told Blue as she passed by to the other side’a the bar where a country rock band was settin’ up on stage. “Silver-tongued devil.”
Blue laughed that pretty, chimin’ laugh and beamed up at me as she said, “Good thing I’m not easily charmed.”
“Ah, well, I brought somethin’ I’m hopin’ will change that,” I offered, pullin’ the ungainly brown-wrapped package out from under my arm.
“What is it?” she asked, a little suspicious but mostly excited, rockin’ forward on her toes as she touched her fingers to the paper.
I grinned. “Bought you flowers.”
“Uh, I hate to break it to you, but you shouldnotwrap flowers in brown paper. They should be in water in like…a vase.”
I laughed, pushin’ her forward by the hip. “Take your break now, and I’ll show you what kinda flowers remind me’a you.”
“My break’s not for another hour,” she argued, diggin’ in her heels as I ushered her toward the bar and the door leadin’ to the back rooms.
