Chapter Twenty
Raven turned tothe brothers. “After this game, I’ll play a couple more with whoever wants to.”
Brutus clucked his tongue. “You’re pretty cocky.”
“I’d characterize it as confident.” Turning to Army, she said, “Take your shot.” Army broke up the balls, a solid one landing in the far left corner of the table. “Solids are yours, stripes mine. Stripes are lucky for me.”
“Be prepared for me to change that.” Army leaned over, studied his shot, then hit the cue ball again. Another ball landed in the pocket. Cheers rose up from the brothers. Raven watched, a cool smile gracing her lips.
Ball. Pocket. Ball. Pocket. Army kept hitting and pocketing the solids. “This is too fuckin’ easy,” he said as he aimed once more. He missed. The brothers groaned; they’d thought it was going to be a sweep.
Raven picked up the chalk cube and brushed it over the tip of the cue stick. To Muerto, it looked like she was using a paintbrush, the strokes that light and airy. She went to the table, assumed her stance, and studied the positions of the ball. Then in one beautiful, fluid stroke, her precise aim scattered the balls, pocketing three stripes at once. She didn’t bat an eye, just went for the chalk cube and repeated her motions.
Muerto saw a light sheen around Army’s hairline, and he knew his brother was beginning to worry. Since a brother was playing against a citizen, and a woman to boot, Muerto was expected to watch the game stoically, but inside he was rooting for Raven. He loved watching her play. And every once in a while she’d glance up at him before making her shot, tossing him the smile that woke up his dick before her face would grow stern in concentration.Clack.She made the shot again.
Army scrubbed his face and Muerto knew that meant he was getting pissed. When she missed a shot, he practically pushed her out of the way in his eagerness to show her up. But emotions and pool didn’t mix, and Muerto knew Army wasn’t concentrating. He missed the shot. Instead of gloating, Raven picked up the chalk cube, ran it over the tip of her stick, and studied the balls.
Her concentration was spot-on, and even when some of the brothers tried to throw her off by knocking down stools, coughing loudly, and yelling out, she bagged all the balls.She’s a real pro.Pride spread through him, lighting him up, and when she hit the winning shot of the final game with Army, he couldn’t help but jump off his stool and go to her.
A dead silence descended on the room for a few seconds as the reality that a woman with impossibly high heels had just taken down Army. He was the brother who usually cleared up the pool tables at club parties. Army, who was the Night Rebels’ best player, won most games at the Insurgents’ and Fallen Slayers’ MC parties, had lost to a citizen woman. It was incomprehensible.
Consoling him, the club girls handed him his favorite drinks, hung onto him, kissed him, and tried to wipe away the humiliation Muerto knew he was feeling as he handed over his money to Raven. She nodded and said, “Good game. You’re a great player,” as she shoved the bills into her tight-as-sin jeans.
“I fuckin’ challenge you,” Cue Ball said, his voice laced with anger.
“Okay. What’s your name?”
“Cue Ball.” He grinned.
Raven’s eyes widened, and Muerto knew she thought his brother got the road name from being a pool pro. He didn’t. Ten years before, he’d been at a pool hall in Durango when a guy came over and started some shit with him. He’d accused Cue Ball of giving his woman the eye. Cue Ball didn’t deny it, and he’d pointed out that “his woman” had been flirting with him since the biker had first come in. That had pissed the man way off, and he got into Cue Ball’s face. Cue Ball told him to back off, and the guy had asked, “What are you gonna do about it? Hit me with a cue ball?” And he did, after he’d sucker punched him. Then he beat the guy senseless until he heard sirens wailing in the distance. He’d done seven years in the pen and earned the road name Cue Ball.
“You scared?” Cue Ball smirked and the brothers guffawed.
“No. How much do you want to bet?”
“Everything you just got from Army.”
Again her eyes widened and she glanced at Muerto. He wanted to go over and hold her tight, tell her she didn’t need to prove shit to him, but he just locked eyes with her. In his world, the men ruled and women knew their place. Brother showed loyalty to brother first, then to the women in their lives. Raven was definitely upsetting their outlaw world, and Muerto fucking admired her for that. It was her toughness, her sass, and her independence from caring what others thought that attracted her to him. And the way she was commanding the room and pissing off his brothers was turning him on way more than he wanted his brothers to see. He draped his cut over his crotch.
Once again, Raven commanded the table, and he heard Ruby say in a low voice to Angel, “It’s not natural for a woman to play pool.”
Muerto turned to her. “Shut the fuck up.”
Hurt crossed Ruby’s face, but he didn’t want the girls dissing his woman. And as she played the game with coolness and grace, he realized that she was his woman. He’d never claimed a woman, had never wanted to, and he didn’t pretend to understand what the fuck was going on with her. Being with her was like he’d stepped on a high-tension wire and his dick was always magnetized.
Raven made another shot, and another, and another. As the brothers drank more, their grumbling got louder and angrier, and he knew he had to put a stop to it. After she collected Cue Ball’s money, Brutus challenged her. She looked at him calmly; she hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Muerto came over, taking the cue stick out of her hands. “She’s done. That’s it.”
“I’m good,” she whispered in his ear.
“You look tired. I want you full of energy, baby.” He kissed her jaw.
“You’re shutting down the game just when a brother who can win steps forward. Where the fuck does your loyalty lie, asshole?”
Brutus’s words ran through Muerto like a hot poker, and without answering, he pulled away from Raven and punched him in the face. Brutus recovered quickly, and soon the two men were punching and swearing until Paco came over. “What the fuck is going on?”
Wiping his mouth, Brutus pointed at Muerto, “This sonofabitch is way fucked-up.”
Muerto lunged, but Crow and Goldie held him back. “Don’t you tell me about loyalty, asshole!”
“Enough!” Paco boomed. “I knew this was going to happen.” He turned and glared at the brothers. “I’ve been watching the games. Raven played a fair game and she won the money fair and square.” He fixed his gaze on her. “You’re a good player, but you’re done for the night.”
Grumbling, the brothers dispersed and someone turned on the music. Hard rock beats reverberated around the room. Muerto wiped the blood from his nose and gripped her hand, pulling her along with him, going to the bar and grabbing a bottle of Jack and two glasses. Holding onto her, he led her upstairs, leaving the cacophony behind them.
