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For fuck’s sake, spill it already. “You drunk-dialed me?”
He let out a soft chuckle, “It’s only my third beer, so no, I didn’t drunk- dial you. When are you coming back to Seward?”
“I just got home a couple of hours ago.” I moaned, pretending like I was stretching. “What are you doing?”
“About to go home. We had a get together at Austin’s. Are you busy tomorrow?”
I paused, on purpose, to make it seem like I was silently shocked by this question. The thought occurred to me, I couldn’t go out with him, not with the short hair? He’d know I was deceiving him and everyone else. Oh, wait for a tick. I had a black wig I spent an arm and a leg on for Halloween I could wear. If he had the courage to ask me out, I’d have to make do with what I had in my bedroom.
“Char?”
“Oh sorry, I was looking for something to eat. No, I have no plans for tomorrow. What’s up?”
“Would you want to go out with me?”
“Like, on a date?”
Just when this was going splendidly, someone pounded on the door. SHIT! DAMMIT! SHIT!
“Is someone at your door?”
I muted my phone. “I’ll be right out.”
“Hurry in there! I need to go.”My eyes widened to hear Dallas on surround sound. I disconnected the call and quickly slipped my phone in my back pocket before I opened the door.
“How did it go?”
Dallas stretched out his arms across the door frame, drumming his fingers. The irritated expression rattled my already frazzled nerves, and I knew I was caught. “I will tell you when I come out. Austin and his cooking do not agree with my gut.”
That was nasty, and I didn’t need to hear that. I rushed past him and didn’t stop walking until I got to my bike. This night was clearly over, and I needed to make an escape before anyone noticed I was gone; booking it home doing a solid eighty miles per hour.
SIXTEEN
DALLAS
Did I do something wrong? Johnny hadn’t spoken to me since we arrived together at the club. He inquired if I asked Char out on a date, and I was honest with him when I told him I was sick all day Sunday.
No one informed me there were onions in the potato salad and the allergic reaction I got was fierce. I was sicker than a dog all weekend; paying homage to the porcelain gods at both ends. When I wasn’t holed in the bathroom all day, I was sleeping until it was out of my system. Why was this punk mad at me? I didn’t have to justify my whereabouts or gastro-intestinal problems to him.
I pounded the gavel, clutching my bubble gut. “Guys! Austin is going to run the meeting today. I have been sick since yesterday, and standing up here is a challenge.”
After rushing to the bathroom, I moaned with the hopes I got the last of the toxins out of my system. It was also an excuse to get away from Johnny, giving me the stink eye. Why was I letting him affect me? Normally no guy would bother me this much, but there was something oddly familiar about him and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Not just oddly familiar, but odd. Yeah, he was a strange little guy who seemed a bit on the feminine side and always smelled like a girl, but I felt drawn to him. Shaking my head to get these thoughts out of my head didn’t work. He reminded me of—Char with brown eyes. No, no, no—that’s ridiculous. Maybe it’s the sickness causing some type of delirium.
When I arrived back at the meeting room, it was catastrophic and the men were bickering with one another. Except Johnny, who sat in the middle of the arguing with his arms crossed.
“Guys!” Austin waited until the shouting amongst the men stopped, but I could tell by the way he was biting the inside of his cheek that he was about to snap.
Today was not a day of tolerance, not after what we received via email this morning, and if the club didn’t come down to a dull roar, Austin was sure as hell going to make sure it did. “ENOUGH WITH THE PETTY COMPLAINTS.” It became so quiet in the clubhouse you could hear a mouse fart. “I’m not sure what’s going with you fuckers outside the club, but this bullshit needs to stop. Dallas received a threat from someone with an email address of:[email protected] reads:We bring you this email to express our deep condolences after your leader was shot. A couple of your men were snooping around our headquarters, armed to the hilt a few days ago. We sat on it, thinking nothing of it. However, we’ve been asked to send this email from the veep saying if you continue to cause trouble-the chief’s daughter is next and it will be far worse for her. Sincerely, The Aklark MC.
The moment Austin made that announcement, Johnny jumped from the seat, knocking the chair down. I moved to stand until Austin placed his hand on my shoulder. “Sit down, little brother. Johnny told me he is Charlene’s cousin, so he’s going to be bothered by this news.”
No wonder he had so much invested interest in my fondness for Char. He was looking out for her. But this time, I feared that this hot-head was going to cause more trouble for all of us.
SEVENTEEN CHAR
How in the hell did I become a target for our rival club? These men, except for Kennedy Townsend, didn’t know me from a hole in the wall. Oh, but the Aklark dickheads were such big men they had to go after a tiny, petite woman? I rolled out of the parking lot until I glanced to the side, seeing Mushu and Dallas rushing out the door. They yelled for me to stop, but I was way past furious and needed to settle this once and for all. After the interaction Kennedy Townsend and I had the other day, I don’t think he had anything to do with the email and I doubt he knew anything about it.
It was a long ride to the bar where the Akdicks held their playtime, but I raced on my bike to ensure I beat the rest of the Nanuq guys there. After making it to the bar in record time, fifteen minutes, I barely stopped my bike before killing the engine and jumping off. I was not about to go in there with my pants down around my ankles and stashed every weapon known to man in places these idiots wouldn’t think to look; without a proper beating.
