I had to admit, though, I liked West's nickname a lot better.
As I got home and got into bed, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hear it again. Lips pressed to my ear. His cock buried deep inside me. Hissing it out as he came.
I didn't plan to keep wondering, though.
I was going to find out firsthand.SIXWestThere was a party at Auggie's house.
This wasn't a rare occurrence, judging by some of the careful asking around I had done. She was a decent hostess, according to her brother's friends. Meaning she stocked a full bar and made sure there was food.
I couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was having this one, though, as an excuse to get me nearby again. Since I'd been careful to avoid her.
I'd known a lot of women.
Been interested in many of those.
But I never found it so hard to keep my hands to myself around one before. It didn't help that she wanted my hands on her, and made that fact infinitely clear.
So the best bet seemed to be avoidance.
It was easier said than done.
She was a big part of Huck's world, which meant she was frequently around. And there were only so many times I could excuse myself without it starting to seem suspicious. As it was, I was pretty sure McCoy suspected something, but as far as I could tell, hadn't said anything to Huck about what he was thinking.
Not that it mattered if he did.
Nothing had happened.
Fuck.
Fine.
Not nothing.
But nothing much.
And nothing else.
It was there in the afternoon on the Saturday of the party when Huck came into where I was hanging at his desk, finishing up an email I was writing to Daddy Reign.
He'd been on my ass about a full report even though he had the force of nature known as Chris on the case as well, likely stacking up files on each of them five-inches thick.
But I was in the trenches. And the whole reason I was here was to tell him if I thought they could handle what was bound to be a rough patch as they got the club running.
After being on a few jobs with them, one where the cops had shown up unexpectedly, and they had all managed to scatter and not get caught, then go back and get the fucking car after all, yeah, I thought they could do it. All the while, no one even thought about losing their cool.
I suggested he have Chris dig a little deeper on Remy's past because there was maybe some concern about him not being able to control himself when he got too pissed. And into Teddy because I hadn't been able to get much on him, aside from a penchant for giving as good as he got. If not more.
But where Huck was concerned, I thought he'd make a good leader. Calm, collected, the kind to think things through, not act impulsively. He received respect without having to demand it. His men would die for him. He was a good fit.
McCoy was as loyal as they came.
Che was smart.
And aside from some worries about Remy's aggression and Teddy's unknown reasons for, as Auggie had put it, 'slumming it,' I felt confident that they would represent The Henchmen well in a new chapter.
"What's up?"
"I hate having to ask a favor," Huck started, wiping his hands on a rag he kept tucked into his back pocket when he was working. Legitimately working.
"I've got nothing going on. What do you need?"
"Gus got a keg for later. She needs help getting it back to her place. She fucking knew Saturdays are swamped here. Why she didn't wait until later is beyond me. She doesn't think shit through sometimes."
Oh, I had a feeling she had thought it through quite a bit actually. And then went ahead and picked the busiest time of day to suddenly need assistance.
She knew I would be the only person available.
And I couldn't say no.
"Alright. I can help her out."
"I appreciate it. Knowing her, if one of us didn't show up, she'd ask some random shithead. And I don't want strangers in her apartment with her."
That was fair enough.
"Just give me the address. I will meet her there."
Fifteen minutes later, I found Auggie standing out front of a glass-fronted liquor store, next to a keg.
She could snap her fingers and have one of the kids who was gawking at her through the window help her get the thing into her car.
She didn't need me.
At least not on this end.
"You're good, sweetheart," I said as I walked up. "I'll give you that."
"Oh, West, you have no idea," she said, smile pulling at her lips. Not even trying to deny it. "Are you going to help me with this thing?" she asked, waving toward the keg that was still on the dolly from the store. "Apparently, they are a little heavy."