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I picked up the clean white rag that Josh had tossed down on the bar and started wiping along the shiny wood, buffing away fingerprints.
“Hey, I wondered what you would be doing,” Ethan said.
I glanced up toward the front hallway. He swaggered through with a big smile on his face, and I couldn’t see anything else. God, he looked good. A black T-shirt clung to his muscles and his jacket was slung over his shoulder. Excitement vibrated through me as I went around the end of the bar to meet him, and he dragged me close for a kiss that had me sighing against his lips. He smelled good, like outside, and his tongue was a delicious fire swiping across my mouth. Electric waves of excitement zipped through my body. Touching in public was new, and I loved everything about it, including feeling safe in Ethan’s arms.
“Damn it,” King snapped, and Ethan spun toward him.
Hound, the guy who had been out with Ethan, sat on a stool near King.
King slapped a hand to the bar and glared toward Ethan. “You couldn’t find that piece of shit traitor, Dutch?”
“No. We checked everywhere,” Ethan called over, and he started toward King. I didn’t have much choice except to follow Ethan because he didn’t let go of my hand.
“Well, fuck.” King grunted and shook his head, then smirked at Hound. “How did Sheep do?”
Hound shrugged and took the drink that Josh passed across to him. “Not bad. Better than my first time out. He’s fine.”
King snorted. “Good. Fucking great to have some good news,” he said, smiling at Ethan, and I loved the way he stood taller. “Tomorrow my bike needs some love.”
Ethan pursed his lips and nodded, but King only grinned in a way that was a little bit jerky. “Yours does, too. I don’t want to see any man in this club driving around on a dirty fucking bike. They all need to gleam. Who wants their bike detailed tomorrow?” King called to the room in general. There were a few guys over on the couches and playing pool, and most of them laughed.
“I’ll have mine here!” Bishop said. He ran a hand along his chinstrap beard and grinned. He’d only arrived a few minutes ago, and Josh had slid him a beer without ever exchanging a word with him.
“It’s okay. I’ll help,” I said to Ethan, then patted his chest. “We’ll get it done fast.”
“Like hell you will,” King said, then snapped his fingers at Josh, who let out a sigh and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from behind the bar. He tossed the box to King, who tapped a cigarette out and popped it between his lips. Hound pulled out a lighter and lit the end for King, and he sat back, sucking hard on the cigarette and making the end glow.
“Why not?” I asked, frowning.
Ethan gave me a squeeze, and I thought maybe he didn’t want me to ask too many questions, but that was stupid.
“If you want something to do—” King exhaled smoke like a dragon. “—you come back down here tomorrow. I’ll pay you for helping Josh. Sheep has to do his own shit work. That’s just the way it is. There are rules around here. One of them is that all prospects, even good ones, have to work their way up.”
Ethan scowled at King, but my heart soared. I’d been so worried about how we were going to get by, but we had a room here, and I’d sort of just been offered a job, at least for tomorrow.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Ha! Colton won’t believe it. I finally get my own prospect.” Josh beamed at everyone.
King barked out a laugh that made me want to smile, too. “He isn’t a prospect. Maybe an apprentice? Is that a thing for bartenders?”
“It is now,” Josh said with a wide grin.
King glanced between me and Ethan, and then his eyebrows flew up and he grunted before he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a roll of cash. Ethan frowned at him until King peeled off some bills and flung them at him. Then he did the same thing for me. I stared at the three twenties he slid toward me on the bar, then picked them up.
King sighed. “You’re going to work your ass off for any cash you get around here,” he said, staring directly into my eyes.
“Yes, sir,” I murmured.
He winced. “Fuck, kid. Call me King.”
“Okay, King.”
He was still frowning but shrugged. “That’s better. Get out of here. You’re young. You want to fuck. You got better things to do today.” He winked at Ethan, who flushed pink, which was unusual enough that it had me chuckling, even though my face was hot, too.
Ethan didn’t hesitate to drag me outside, and he stood to the right of the door, counting the cash he’d stuffed into his pocket. He gasped when he was done and quickly did it again.
“He’s being nice to me,” Ethan said, sounding suspicious.
