I want him to be happy.“Just water, thanks.”
He walks toward the kitchen while I walk into the living room, where all four sweet butts are seated with Twitch. All of them focus their attention on me. Grace huffs, then rolls her eyes. She peers around me—I assume she’s looking for Axle—and then stands and gestures toward the couch. “Here you go, your highness.”
Heaviness cloaks me. I hate conflict.
She storms away. “Grace,” Vera calls out and then runs after her. Mercedez sighs, while Candy smiles up at me.
“Take a seat,” Twitch says, gesturing to the seats the girls just vacated.
Axle comes up behind me and sits down, so I cautiously take a seat next to him. He puts a bottle of water next to me and I pass him his burger and fries.
“Are you going to the fight tonight?” Twitch asks, looking from me to Axle.
Axle takes a big bite of his burger and shakes his head.
“Are you going?” Mercedez asks Twitch. She’s lying next to him, rubbing his leg.
“If they want me to, I will, but I’d rather stay here.”
Mercedez smiles up at him.
I wonder if Twitch and Mercedez are a couple. They act like they are. It makes me wonder about me and Axle. Are all bikers who are in relationships with women doing what they want—having their cake and eating it too? I hope not.
“What are the fights?” I ask.
All eyes go to Axle, like they’re waiting for him to answer.
“The MC runs illegal fights.”
My shoulders tense at the wordillegal. I wince. “Why?”
“It earns us money,” Axle answers bluntly.
I eat a few chips while I think about that. “Doyoufight?”
“None of us do.”
I’m left wondering whether I’ve said something wrong. I relax on the couch, happy to know it’s not Axle fighting. I briefly wonder about the MC’s additional earnings, but I push the thought aside. I don’t think I want to know.
“Well, the prospect will be,” Twitch says.
“He isn’t wearing our patch yet,” Axle replies.
“What’s a prospect?” I ask.
“A guy who wants to be a full patched member of the club but he has to prove himself first. Later on, we vote on if we want to patch him in,” Axle answers.
“I’ve heard he’s handsome,” Candy says.
“Ooh... I can’t wait to meet him,” says Mercedez excitedly.
Twitch doesn’t bat an eye at Mercedez’s interest. I can’t grasp how they can do that. They really must be with whoever they want at any time. I don’t know how they don’t get jealous... but then I think back to Grace. That could be why she’s so upset with me. She was with Axle and envies me spending time with him. It all makes sense.
I watch a movie with them about a huge killer shark and a male hero that saves the day. After the credits roll, I hear the deep voices of the MC men. They’re all heading for the front door. “Are they going to the fights now?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Axle replies.
“I need to go to the bathroom. Can you point me in the right direction?” I ask him. I don’t really need to go—I just need some space. Tension’s rolling off Axle in waves.
