Page 20 of The Price of Love

“That’s good. Great.” Ugh. Could I sound any stiffer?

“Permission to speak freely?” she says.

The request takes me off guard, so I answer sure without thinking it through.

“The meeting tonight stressed you out.” She nods at my leg that’s still bobbing up and down and then puts her large hand over mine.

I stare at our hands resting on my thigh. Her dark hand makes my skin appear pale.

She’s a prospect, so I should pull away, but I don’t.

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” I say.

Jazmin flashes a smile. “In other words, I’m right.”

I laugh. “Okay. You got me.” Though warning bells sound in my head, the laughter feels good.

“I’m not sure I understand what’s going on.” She doesn’t take her hand off mine.

“What don’t you understand?”

“I get Frost broke protocol at the meeting, and I get the Nomad patch means the Thorns don’t claim territory. But after listening to the patches after church, I feel like I’m missing something. Why is Nomad such a big deal?”

“It’s not that Nomad is special, but it lets us wear a third patch without claiming territory. Some clubs only wear two patches, like the Graces. Only their club name and logo. But the Thorns wanted a third patch. It came down to Nomad, Free Rider, and No Masters, and we chose Nomad.”

Jazmin’s brow furrows. “But when I lived in Chicago, the Leather Ladies wore a Chicago, Illinois, patch. Why can’t the Thorns wear one like Frost made?”

“Because it’s a territory thing. The Leather Ladies must’ve had permission from the local one-percenters. Outlaw clubs claim territory, and if we wear a city or region patch without their blessing, bad things can happen.”

“Why don’t the Thorns just get permission?”

“Because we don’t want the attention. Most of the outlaw action is downstate, and we like flying under the radar. With the businesses we run, we don’t need to pick a fight with someone who’ll outgun us or decide they want a cut.”

“So the Thorns don’t want to draw unnecessary attention?”

“Exactly. This is our home base, but by saying we’re Nomads, we aren’t infringing on anyone’s territory—not challenging anyone.”

Jazmin’s eyes twinkle. “Getting by on a technicality?”

“You’ve got it.” I lean back and hold up my hands. “Nothing to see here, boys. Move along.”

“Smart. Why not just wear two patches like the Graces?”

“Do you know the club’s history?”

“Absolutely. It’s the first thing you guys drilled into my head when I started prospecting. And I know the bylaws and code of ethics word for word.”

“Are you saying that to impress me or because it’s true?”

“Both,” she says with a crooked grin.

My heart skips a beat. I’ve been solo for so long, I almost don’t recognize my feelings—attraction. Fuck me. She’s a prospect.

I ignore her grin and stick to teaching. “Then you know Aces was adamant about having a three-patch rocker. She always said, what’s a rocking chair with only one rocker? For her, it was about prestige.”

“Did she want the Thorns to be one-percenters?”

I study Jazmin. “Shrewd.”