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I’ve always been a fantasist, and I’ve learned the hard way. I thought I could date a guy from a rival club, and that got someone dead. The least I can do here is try, Skinner’s not a bad person, he’s just not a person I can see myself with.
* * *
I get to the club bar around six-thirty, figuring I’ll have a drink before mydatewith Skinner. It’s already busy and Darcy pours me a vodka, neat, and places it on the bar without me having to ask. I’m nervous. I figure that’s not because I’m looking to make a good impression. More than likely it’s because I don’t want tonight to be awkward. What if he moves in to kiss me? The thought of it makes me swallow fast and order another drink.
“Holy hot rod!” Darcy’s eyes widen when she looks towards the door, and I turn my head, almost expecting to see Skinner dressed up in some kind of suit. I almost fall off the bar stool when I see Jamie, instead.
“You!” I gasp, using all my strength to keep me from running at him. He looks every bit as handsome as I remember, and as he moves closer to me and rests his arms on the bar, I feel my insides melt.
“What brings you back into town?” I ask, trying my best to keep the huge smile off my lips.
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” His low, husky voice and the sexy smirk on his face sets that fizzle in my tummy off again. It also makes me want to scratch Darcy’s eyes out for staring at him. “And I wanted to check on your brother’s wound. See that it’s healing okay.”
“How efficient of you.” I raise my eyebrows over the top of my glass before I knock it back.
“You ready?” A hand that comes from nowhere weighs down my shoulder and when I turn my head I realize it belongs to Skinner.
“Ummm, sure. You remember Jamie, right?” I try my best to make this not awkward, but it is.
“Yeah, I remember him. Wondering what he’s doing back here, though.” Skinner’s eyes narrow and his grip on my shoulder tightens.
“I actually came to see your boss, got something I wanna discuss.” Jamie stands up a little taller, refusing to be intimidated.
“Prez is bus—” Skinner goes to answer but Jamie cuts him off.
“I’ll wait.” He smiles.
I stare between the two of them, feeling my cheeks heat.
“Well, you canwaitoutside.” Skinner starts stepping forward and when Jamie actually frames up to him I quickly place myself between them.
“Skinner, that ain’t no way to treat a guest,” I remind him with a stern look. When he eventually backs down I turn to face Darcy.
“Go upstairs and tell my brother there’s someone here to see him,” I instruct her before looking back at Jamie. He’s as tall as Skinner but nowhere near as bulky, the last thing he wants is a brawl because here, you mess with one, you get ‘em all.
“Come on darlin’ let’s get out of here.” Skinner takes my hand and starts leading me to the door and as I look over my shoulder I don’t know if it’s hurt or confusion that my handsome stranger is staring back at me with. Either way, it makes me want to go to him.
“What brings you back to my club, Doc?” Declan asks with an unimpressed look on his face.
“I ain’t no doc,” I remind him, thinking back to the look of disappointment on my parents’ faces when I finally faced up and told them. They offered to help me get back in, wanted to pull all the strings they had, but when I told them it wasn’t what I wanted, that's when the devastation really kicked in.
Growing up, money was never an issue> My parents have always had it, but they also raised me to have principles, and that's why I’m here. Well…it’s part of the reason why I’m here.
“What do I have to do to get in?” I ask, and despite the serious look on my face, Declan laughs at me.
I don’t react, just wait for him to finish, and when his mouth turns straight again and he stares hard at me, I make sure he knows I’m serious.
“I need money, I need a purpose and I want in.”
“And this has nothing to do with my little sister?” he questions, knitting his brows together.
“I got a debt to pay, I wasted a lot of my parents’ money. I wanna be useful somewhere. I could be useful to you.”
“And how d’ya figure that?” Declan lights up a smoke and throws his lighter at the table.
“I don’t just know how to fix up people. I can work with engines too. I want you to give me a job; and when you do some of that illegal shit, that brings in the big bucks, I want you to bring me in on that too.” I manage to keep the confidence in my tone.
“You realize what you're asking here?” He looks at me like he’s unsure what to think. “Prospects don’t get to flunk tests. You fail, you die. We ain’t motorcycle enthusiasts, we’re outlaws. We run drugs, we run guns, we get shot at, and some of us die for the cut we wear.” His eyes drop to the picture on his desk and I see a fraction of weakness in his eyes.
