Page 39 of Riding Bare

It doesn’t take me long to make my way back toward the clubhouse. I cross the parking area and jog toward the door of the bar. Reaching for the handle, I wait just a moment before I open it.

There is music playing. It’s not very loud, but the hum seeps out through the cracks in the door. Tugging it open, I blink a couple of times, stepping into the dark space and allowing my gaze to adjust to the darkness.

Immediately, my focus shifts around the room as I look for her. It doesn’t take me long to find her—just a few passing glances—until I see two tables pushed together and five people sitting at said table.

Elodie, Alex, Juliette, Gauge, and Chassis.

My woman.

I don’t move forward, standing just enough inside the bar that the door can close behind me. I watch her. She’s smiling, but she’s not looking at me. She’s talking to Juliette, who is smiling and nodding with everything she says. I can confidently say that I’ve never seen her like this before, and I want to let it all soak in.

“Everything good?” a voice asks beside me.

I don’t have to look over to see who is talking to me. He wouldn’t even have to speak, and I would know exactly who was standing beside me. “It will be,” I say.

“Yeah?” Wrath asks.

Tearing my gaze away from my woman, I look over to him. “Gauge is going to stay here as her personal security. It will relieve the manpower needed to protect her. There’s no way I can put her on lockdown with no fucking clue if there is even a threat.”

Wrath dips his chin in a single nod but doesn’t break our eye contact. His lips twitch into a smirk. “And your meeting with the Russian?”

“Went well. He said if Samuil steps out of line, he’s ours to deal with.”

“Probably the best he could do. Issue him warnings and hope he doesn’t fuck up.”

It’s my turn to smile, and when I do, I hold nothing back. I show Wrath everything I’m feeling without actually saying a word. But I say the words anyway, because I want him to be completely aware of my thoughts on this shit.

“I hope he does. Sooner rather than later. I’m ready to end the fuck.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

CHASSIS

The music cranks up around the time the clubwhores make an appearance. As much as I want to go back and hide in the bedroom, I can’t do that tonight. My brothers and dad are leaving first thing in the morning.

I know they won’t be far away in Prescott, but I haven’t seen them in months, and I have a feeling it will be months before I see them again, maybe not until I have the baby. I’m not ready to go to bed yet.

“Wanna play cards, the way we used to?” a voice calls out from behind me.

Turning my head, I look over my shoulder to see Clutch standing a few feet away. He sways, and I know he’s completely trashed. I watch him for a moment, wondering if he can tell just how grossed out I am that he fucked that woman all damn day.

It doesn’t matter, though, not really. He’s my brother, and she’s not the first gross clubwhore he’s spent time with.

“You know I’ll kick your ass. I do every time,” I state.

He chuckles, then walks over to the table, dragging a chair behind him then placing it down, straddling it as he tosses a deck of cards at me. Reaching for them, I pause before I pick them up. This isn’t just a random deck of cards. This is my deck of cards. From home.

“Gauge?” I ask.

He shakes his head once. “Shuffle that shit,” he grunts.

And I do.

The others have stood, walked away here and there, moving around the room. The music is loud, the chatter louder. But none of it matters because I have my brother and my cards.

Right now, it’s just me and Gauge. Nothing else is in the room. Nothing else matters.