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Jameson looked down at Crystal, and she could see the concern etched on his face. But it was way too late to lock up. The MC was already coming through the door. Their broad, leather covered shoulders filling the small shop. They were dripping wet, rivulets of water running off them to puddle on the floor.
Crystal’s eyes ran over the men. Three of them she’d never seen before, but the other two she recognized well enough. Crash, with his gorgeous smile aimed right at her. She couldn’t help but smile back at him.
Then her eyes moved past him to Wolf, the last man through the door. He looked at her with a serious expression, and then the corner of his mouth pulled up, and he winked.
“Got a customer for you, Superstar,” Shades announced, pushing JJ forward.
Jameson looked from Shades to Crystal, almost as if he was questioning whether she wanted him to get rid of these men. Not that that would be an easy task, but if she knew Jameson, he’d make the attempt if that was what she wanted. He’d go up against five of them. For her.
Shit, she couldn’t let him do that. The last thing she wanted was a fight to break out. And to be honest, she wasn’t sure how she felt about them showing up. A part of her wanted to see Wolf again, but like this? She couldn’t think about that now. She had to diffuse this situation, because Jameson was just standing there, and the biker was starting to narrow his eyes at him, not liking his hesitation one bit.
“There a problem?” he asked with a growl.
“No, not at all. I’ll get the paperwork,” she murmured and moved toward the counter. “Please, gentlemen, this way.”
The biker eyed Jameson, and then turned toward the counter, shoving the younger member ahead of him.
As Crystal shuffled through the papers at her station, searching for a consent form, the stern biker with the VP patch on his right chest was making her nervous as hell. And then Crash leaned his elbows on the counter and grinned down at her.
“How’s it going, Crystal?”
The man with the VP patch looked over at him. “You know her?”
“Crystal used to run the bar at our clubhouse.”
“That so?”
“Crystal, this is Shades, VP of the Birmingham Chapter. Shades, Crystal.”
The man smiled then, and what a smile it was. “Ma’am. Pleased to meet you.”
“You, too,” she replied, giving him a nervous smile.
“Think you can relax now, darlin’?” he asked as he turned up the charm.
“Of course.” She handed the paperwork to the other man. “Sign here and here, please.”
Shades grinned at Crash, and then stepped away from the counter.
Ten minutes later, Jameson was at work on a full back tattoo, working off the design on the club’s cut. Jameson was a fast worker, but even so, she knew that it would take several hours to complete a tattoo that size.
They had a couple more customers that Max and Liam took care of, but in comparison to a normal day, they were pretty dead. The rain was keeping most people away. It varied off and on from a downpour to a drizzle and back again. Classic Sturgis, she was told.
****
As the afternoon wore on, Jameson was getting close to finishing JJ’s club tattoo. Wolf had to admit, the man had talent. His lining was perfect, and his shading was flawless. Wolf stood with his back against the wall, one booted foot raised and propped against it. His gaze moved to the right. Crystal sat at her station, trying to look busy, while he and his brothers loitered around waiting for JJ’s ink to be finished. Trying, being the key word. It was like she was trying to ignore him, and Wolf had had enough.
Dropping his booted foot with a thud, he pushed off the wall and strolled toward her. Her big eyes widen when she saw him coming. His hands landed on the counter. “Can you take a break?”
One of Jameson’s brothers, who’d been sitting at his station nearby, walked over. Wolf had been introduced to the man, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember his name.
“Go on, Crystal. I’ll cover the phones. We’re dead. Take a break.”
“You sure, Max?”
Max. That was his name. Wolf looked over at him. “Thanks, man.”
Max nodded, and Wolf watched as Crystal rose and moved toward the front door. They stepped out onto the boardwalk with its overhanging roof. Crystal took a few steps away, her eyes on the distant mountains visible at the end of the street.
