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“Who’s Kat?” Reed asks.
“A chick Fury had to give up back when we were both in the Chrome Skulls,” Mack says. “Her brother’s in the Talon. Quad Bergland.”
“Oh, shit,” Reed mutters.
Suddenly, I’m in the mood for something a lot stronger than beer. I motion for Mama to set me up with another shot, and toss it down. Then another.
Mack’s my best friend, and even though I’d like to hide it, I know he sees the change in my mood. “You got a raw damn deal back then for sure, brother,” Mack says, a note of sympathy in his voice. “You and Kat were good together.”
Maybe it’s the booze that’s loosening my damn tongue. “It never felt right,” I admit. “Letting her go.”
Then I grab the bottle of beer and take another long swig. Because I don’t want to say the rest of that thought.
Which is that even to this day, every woman I’m with turns into Kat when I close my eyes. I stopped trying to find a replacement for her years ago.
“Hey, either of you two know anything about a Talon named Hooch?” I ask instead.
Reed’s lip curls. “Yeah. He’s a rising star in the club, I think. I heard he’s getting patched over into the Bloody Scorpions. He’s a shady-ass motherfucker. The dude did some pretty sick shit to get the Scorpions to recruit him, I heard.”
The image of Hooch trying to strong-arm Kat onto his bike appears in my mind again, making my blood boil.
That motherfucker needs to stay the hell away from her. I’m gonna have to start keeping a closer eye on Kat. Which she ain’t gonna like.
So, I ain’t gonna tell her.
6
KAT
“What the fuck, Kat?” My brother’s voice shouts at me through the phone the next morning. He’s pissed, wanting to know the story about what happened with Hooch yesterday.
“He was being a fucking creep, is what happened,” I snap back. “Your asshole friend has trouble taking no for an answer. Maybe you should talk to him about that.”
Quad ignores that. “Hooch said some coward in a fuckin’ cut jumped him from behind and knocked him out,” he yells. “Tell me who the fuck it was, so I can lay him the fuck out!”
“The guy didn’t jump him.” I roll my eyes. “Besides, I think your boy Hooch is lying to protect his fragile male ego. If he had come at Hooch from behind, how would Hooch have seen that he was wearing a cut?”
“Who was he?” Quad repeats. “Tell me right the fuck now!”
“I don’t know,” I lie. “Just some guy. He knocked Hooch unconscious and then took off.”
It’s not like I think Connor can’t hold his own against my brother. They’re both about the same size, but Quad’s more bulk than anything. He’s used to getting his way by throwing it around. Connor, on the other hand, is all muscle. And not the kind that comes from doing endless reps at a gym.
But I don’t want to make any trouble for Connor. And truth be told, I don’t exactly want to make trouble for myself, either. After all, QuaddespisesConnor, dating from way back, because we used to go out. Quad has never liked anyone I’ve dated, but Connor has been the subject of his particular hatred. And of course, the rival MC thing doesn’t help anything. Oh, it’s not that he cares aboutmeso much. It’s just more of that fragile male ego thing. Like anyone who touches his sister would sully his honor, or some dumb crap like that.
So the last thing I need is Quad knowing that my ex-boyfriend is the one who punched out his best friend. Quad would lose his shit. And I am not in the mood to deal with his macho chest-beating right now.
“It wouldn’t kill you to be nice to Hooch, you know,” Quad grumbles at me. “He’s got a thing for you. Always has.”
“Oh, for the love of God, Quad. What is it with you, anyway? Any other guy who has ever shown any interest in me, you’ve threatened to beat him to death. Why is Hooch somehow different?” I pause a beat, and then something occurs to me. “Are you trying to pimp me out or something? To get ahead in the Eagle’s Talon?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m just, you know… watching out for you.”
I almost choke on my laughter. “Right. Like you’ve ever given a damn what happens to me.” Jerk. “And now, all of a sudden, a dude who is all of the stuff you’ve warned me about in a guy is someone I should just give a chance to. You’re so transparent, you’re practically Saran Wrap.”
