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“Don’t lose sight of him,” I warn Garrett. I slap Alvin’s chest. “Stay here. I’m gonna grab Robbie.”
Some skinny guy’s prowling around our tour bus, testing the door. Just what we need—to get jacked in the middle of cracktown.
“Get the fuck out of here!” I shout and the guy skitters away. I pound my fist on the door and Robbie opens it. “You need to go get Jacob. I don’t care if you have to knock him out and sling him over your fucking shoulder.”
“Chaser, I don’t want to leave the bus here.”
“All set!” Jacob hollers across the parking lot. He holds up a handful of clear plastic baggies. Great. Our very own pied piper about to lure all the crackheads to our bus.
Completely stupefied about the wrong turn our night took, I just watch Jacob trip up the stairs onto the bus like it’s no big deal.
I promised my dad and Mallory I’d be back tomorrow but now I’m afraid to leave.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Mallory
Cool air hits my back. The bed dips. “I’m home, little dove.”
“Chaser?” Groggy and somewhere between asleep and awake, I turn over, praying I’m not dreaming.
“Oh!” I sit up and glance at the clock. “Wow. I only meant to take a quick nap.”
“You need the rest.” He sits with his back against the headboard and holds out his arms. “Come here.”
I snuggle up to him, resting my head on his chest. “When did you get here?”
“Dad just dropped me off. Told him I’ll be by the clubhouse in a little while. Needed to see you first.”
“How was the show?”
“The show itself was fine.” He groans and runs his hand over his face. “Afterward was a bad mash-up of a horror flick and an after school special.”
“Good grief.” I bite my fist after Chaser finishes his story. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” He cuddles me closer. “We still have a couple of months left. I don’t see how we finish the tour with him dragging us off to every trap house some random crackhead tells him about.”
I squeeze his arm and run my hand up and down, hoping he won’t be offended. “Were you okay?”
“Fuck,” he groans. “Last night was so…seedy and bizarre, partaking in any of it was the last thing on my mind.”
“Well, I guess one good thing came out of your adventure.”
“The only good thing. I was really torn leaving this morning. Two days off? I don’t even want to know what kind of trouble Jacob will drag them into.”
“I wish Alvin had come home with you.”
“I offered.” He blows out a breath. “Fuck, we have the Elimination Date premiere coming up. He’s gotta get himself in check before then.”
“Everything’s going so good for you guys. Finally. I don’t understand—”
“Put it out of your head.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “You have enough to worry about right now. Are you sure you’re up for this party tonight?”
“I’ve actually been looking forward to it. I went over and helped Doe last night.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.” I glance over at the closet. “I’m not wearing anything fancy though.”
“It’s just a mixer. Nothing fancy required.”
“That creep Tyler isn’t coming, is he?”
He chuckles and presses a finger to my lips. “No, and don’t say that to anyone besides me.”
I flick my gaze up. “I’m not stupid. You said another club was coming too.”
“The Lost Kings MC. We’re on better terms with them. Probably because their territory’s about four hours away.”
“Good buffer.”
“Still, be careful. I’ll be with you most of the night. But just in case, watch who you talk to and how much information you divulge. Even innocuous conversation with their old ladies—if they bring any.”
While things might get rowdy tonight, the clubhouse is fairly quiet when we arrive a few hours later. The visiting club only showed up with a few members. Chaser makes a few introductions before his father calls him away to help with something.
I wander over to the bar, observing the clubhouse in its pre-party state.
The youngest member of the visiting club ambles my way.
“You’re the chick from the ‘Candy Jar’ video, right?” He looks me up and down in a salacious manner. The kid can’t be more than sixteen, but he already seems to be quite the sweet talker.
“How old are you?” I ask, placing a hand on my hip.
His mouth curls into a way-too-sure-of-himself smirk. “However old you need me to be, sweetness.”
“You barely look old enough to drive.” It’s fun to humor him, and it certainly lifts some of the dark cloud I’ve been living under recently. But I probably shouldn’t encourage his behavior. Chaser won’t care about the kid’s age. If he finds him flirting with me, he’ll probably knock his teeth down his throat. “Either way, kid. I’m not available.”
He runs his hand over his chin and looks me up and down again. “That’s a shame—”
“Rock,” an older biker snaps. “What the fuck you doing, hittin’ on the future VP’s ol’ lady?” He glances down at me. “Sorry, sweetheart. I need to put a leash on this one.”
I smile, recognizing him as the enforcer for the Lost Kings. “Hey, Grinder, right?” I jerk my chin toward the kid. “So, how old is little Romeo here?” I tease.
“Rock,” the kid reminds me, as if I could forget. He gets cuffed on the side of the head by Grinder and a warning to be respectful.
“What’s up?” Chaser asks, slipping an arm around me.
I force a bright smile and pat his chest, making sure to flash my engagement ring. “Grinder was just introducing me to his…son?”
“My club sponsor,” Rock corrects. Behind him, Grinder shakes his head and glances at the ceiling.
“When you patching in, kid?” Chaser asks.
“Few years,” Grinder says. “Boy’s still got a lot to learn.”
I duck my head and chuckle. Chaser seems to pick up what was going down. He rumbles with laughter and reaches out to rough his hand over Rock’s head, drawing a scowl from the kid. Chaser leans in closer. “Seems you got lots of stuff to learn. Like, at least be old enough to shave before you hit on another man’s fiancée. Don’t you think?”
Rock holds up his hands. “Don’
t have a cow, man.”
Grinder smacks the kid on the back of the head and Rock has the decency to blush. “Didn’t notice the ring,” he mutters. “No disrespect intended.”
Chaser
This kid probably deserves an ass-kicking. I’m too amused with his brashness to dish it out, though. Grown ass men hitting on her or being disrespectful absolutely require a beating. But Mallory seemed more amused than uncomfortable by the kid’s attention. Besides, what kind of pussy does it make me if I’m intimidated by some kid flirting with my ol’ lady?
Mallory reaches up and kisses my cheek. “I’m going to say hi to Alicia.” She smiles at Grinder and Rock. “I’ll catch you two later.”
“Sweet girl you got there, Chaser. Where’d you two meet?” Grinder asks. The words have the flavor of fatherly curiosity more than lechery, so I don’t take offense.
“In L.A.” I doubt Grinder knows or cares about my band, so I don’t bother explaining how we met.
Rock glances up at his mentor. “She’s the chick from the video where they turn the fire hose on—”
I bust out laughing. “That’s her. We met on the set of that video. No one warned her we’d be hosing her down with freezing cold water. Thought she was gonna cry.” I shrug and try to act casual about the day that changed my life for the better. “Tried to make it up to her by taking her for a ride.”
Grinder rocks back on his heels. “Back of the bike will do it every time.”
“Aren’t you on a tour right now?” Rock asks.
The question stops me cold. What a shit week. “Yeah. We had a little time off. Mallory wanted to visit. My dad needed some help around here.” I shrug.
“That’s cool.” Rock squints at me. “How you gonna be traveling with your band and be VP here?”
Grinder elbows the kid. “Mind your business.”
It’s a good question. One I can’t answer right now, even if I wanted to. The band’s had fun. Achieved some of what we set out to do.
I glance around the clubhouse. This will always be home. But I’m not sure if it’s where we’re meant to be right now.
My father opens the doors and motions for us to come inside the chapel. Grinder grips Rock’s shoulders and steers him toward the bar. “Don’t move,” he orders.
