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“Hey, do you guys mind if Sukie joins us?” Sage asks, which stops me in my tracks.
“Yes,” I grumble. I know what today’s festivities will involve: strippers, drinking, smoking, and loud-mouthed bikers. That type of party environment is no place for Sukie.
“Why?” Sage gives me a challenging look; then her eyes go to her man. “Please,” she begs.
Salem cuts his eyes at me, then back to his woman. “Harlem makes the call,” he says.
Sage throws up her hand before the wordnocan leave my mouth. “Before you say no, hear me out. Sukie needs to let her hair down. She needs to break away from the bubble she keeps herself in.” Sage sighs. “She needs a night to forget about her worries.”
I feel the weight of everyone’s stares while contemplating if changing my mind is a good idea. A small part of me wants to see how Sukie will handle it all.
I grind my teeth and say, “Fine.”
Sage’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Great. I’ll pick her up after taking Ashlyn to stay with the babysitter.”
I shove the biscuit sandwich into my mouth, walk out of the kitchen, and head outside to my truck before I can change my mind. Throwing the truck in gear, I drive away.
No matter how hard I try to keep my distance, destiny keeps finding ways to push me and Sukie together.
The sun is going down, and the party with Grim Knights is in full swing. The place is packed, and the music is so loud that the bass reverberates in my chest.
The atmosphere is electric, with everyone in high spirits and enjoying themselves. Several men watch the dancers from The Fallen up on the stage work the pole while others are gathered around the pool tables. On the other side of the room, the bar is lined with liquor bottles, and Grim Knights’s newly patched member, Squirrel, is the bartender for the night, busy pouring drinks for the thirsty crowd.
I keep my eyes on the entrance, waiting for Sukie to arrive. A cool breeze blows in through the open clubhouse doors, and the smell of the burgers and hot dogs Laredo and Baja are cooking floats on it. The aroma mixes with the smell of gasoline and leather still lingering on us men gathered around the table, where we are drinking beer and chatting.
“We appreciate the accommodations, brother,” Wolf, the Grim Knights’s President, says. He downs his beer and signals one of the club women they brought with them to bring him another. “It’s creepy as shit knowing there are the bones of the dead buried in your backyard, but your clubhouse beats some of the shitty motels we’ve stayed in between here and Miami. Hate that you missed the rally. Hell of a fuckin’ party down there.”
“Maybe next time,” Salem says, then looks at the bar. “Squirrel, bring some glasses and a whiskey bottle. We need something that hits a little harder than the beer.”
“Where’s this woman of yours?” Wolf leans in his seat, blowing smoke over his head, then looks around the room. “I’m beginning to think this siren of yours doesn’t exist.”
Before Salem can answer, Sage walks into the clubhouse, Juniper on her left and Sukie on her right. Like a horse with blinders on, I only see Sukie. She’s wearing flared jeans, boots, a white crop top, and one of those long duster Kimono things. Her hair hangs in a loose braid over her shoulder. Her makeup is minimal. The look on her face indicates she’s uneasy about her surroundings. I curse myself for giving in to Sage and letting her bring Sukie.
“Babe.” Salem ushers his woman over to the table.
Sage saunters over, with Juniper and Sukie trailing behind her. When she is within arm’s reach, Salem slips his arm around her waist, tugging her closer.
“Babe, I’d like you to meet my friends: Wolf, Bear, Moose, Badger, and Hawk.”
“We were just askin’ if you really existed or if Salem here was bullshittin’ us,” Wolf quips, giving Sage a little grin. “Nice to meet you, Sage, and congratulations on the little bambina.”
Sage smiles at the mention of their daughter. “Thank you.” Then she shifts her attention to Salem. “Baja and Laredo said food is done, so us women are going to get all the side dishes from the kitchen and get the spread set up outside, since the weather is so nice.”
Sage closes the distance between them and kisses Salem, which earns a round of whistles from their audience at the table. Sage pulls away and gestures for her friends to follow her, but Sukie stays rooted in place, her attention fixed across the room.
I follow her line of sight to see one of Wolf’s brothers, Bull, getting a very attentive lap dance from one of their topless club girls, and from the looks of it, his private party is about to move into high gear as the woman sinks to her knees and works to undo the buckle of Bull’s belt.
Sukie’s breathing increases, and her pupils dilate. Her reaction to the scene unfolding before her surprises me and turns me on. The selfish part of me wants to do nothing and let her get the whole experience of our world. But another part of me doesn’t like the idea of her getting an eye full of another man’s dick.
I push from the table, stand, and come up behind her, whispering in her ear, “Move along, sweetheart.”
She startles and spins, her eyes connecting with mine. “Oh.” She glances around to see that Juniper and Sage have gone, and she’s the center of attention for the bikers sitting at the table. “I…um…”
“The kitchen,” I rumble.
Not saying a word, Sukie hurries across the room, disappearing down the hallway toward the back of the church where the kitchen is.
A long, low whistle comes from behind me.
