She turned, a grin on her face, which was quickly lost when her light blue eyes went wide.
Really, really wide. So did Chelle’s.
Oh shit. “What is going on?” Chelle whispered, now thinking the moment she stepped into the MC’s clubhouse she actually stepped into another dimension instead.
Maybe going on this run with Shade wasn’t such a great idea.
Beside her, Shade asked, “Know Dutch?” sounding a bit amused.
Unfortunately, she did. “Uh... yes.”
Chelle wasn’t finding any of this amusing, especially since Dutch owned the garage where she took her Subaru. And while she wasn’t expecting to see him here, especially with his jeans open and his saliva-covered cock out, she really wasn’t expecting to see him getting a blowjob by another one of her former students.
Chelle remembered Crystal sitting cross-legged on a carpet square in a half-circle as she read to the children during story-time. At the time, the girl had light brown hair, not platinum blonde, and had always been quiet, polite and pleasant.
Now Chelle just watched her give head to a man who was old enough to be her grandfather.
“Holy shit!” Crystal yelled as she recognized Chelle. But instead of running up and giving her a squeeze, happy to see her like Angel had been at first, the girl’s face went pale when she repeated, “Holy shit.” This time in a pained whisper.
Chelle seconded that feeling.
“Well, this is awkward,” Crystal announced with a grimace, wiping her mouth again, probably to make sure no evidence of the happy ending was left behind. A very different ending than ones she experienced during Chelle’s story-time. “What are you doing here, Mrs. Goodson?”
“I’m... Uh...” She lifted a hand toward Shade, then let it flop back to her side, at a loss on what to say after that unexpected performance.
“Showin’ her around before the run,” Shade answered, then muttered, “Seein’ more shit than she expected.”
“She’s with you?” Crystal asked him, her eyes wide again.
Chelle thought they were about to have a repeat of what happened with Angel until Dutch asked, “How’s that Subaru runnin’?” while casually tucking his cock back into his jeans and zipping them shut.
Yes, Chelle was seeing much more today than she expected.
She would also have to find a new garage because she doubted she’d ever be able to look Dutch in the eye again while he explained a needed repair on her Subaru. Or while he played Santa in the town’s Christmas parade.
Ugh! Her girls had sat on Santa’s lap and had told him they were a good girl when he asked.
Chelle might have to call a real estate agent, put her house up for sale and move.
She turned to Shade, whispering, “Am I awake?”
“Bet you wished you weren’t,” he answered, now not so amused. He tugged her hand to continue down the corridor.
As they walked past Dutch and Crystal, Chelle managed to ask, “How are you, Crystal?” in a lame attempt to be polite.
“A fuckin’ pro,” Dutch answered for her with a crooked grin. “Bet you’re due for an oil change soon.”
Yep, she was putting her house up for sale and never coming back to Manning Grove, not even to visit her brother.
Shade shook his head and kept her moving, but not even after another dozen feet, slammed to a halt again. This time Chelle managed not to run into him. And the sight that made him stop wasn’t anything like the previous one. Thank goodness. She wasn’t sure she could take much more.
What made him stop this time was another blonde coming through the back door at the end of the long hallway.
Of course, Chelle recognized her, too, because that was just the way the day was going.
The newcomer, Reilly, also worked at Dutch’s garage, but in the office.
Did everyone in town have a connection to this club? Had she been living under a rock?
Shade’s terse, “Where were you at?” got not only Reilly’s attention, but Chelle’s, too.
The young woman shot Shade a frown. “Out back.”
“No shit. Doin’ what?”
“Since when do I answer to you?” Reilly asked just as sharply.
“Doin’ what, Reilly?” he repeated, his tone leaving no room for anything but an answer.
Just then, the back door opened again and a man, somewhere in his early thirties, with dark hair, a just as dark beard and wearing a Fury cut came through it.
The man spotted them, jerked up his chin at Shade and kept walking right past them, not even registering the uncomfortable stand-off between Reilly and Shade.
“Doin’ what, Reilly?” Shade asked again, but much slower than normal. And his normal was normally slow. “Doin’ somethin’ stupid?”
Reilly’s green eyes narrowed. “No. And it’s none of your business.”
“Wanna be a part of this club, it’s our business.”
Chelle wasn’t sure what the hell was going on.
Reilly shot daggers at Shade, who didn’t even flinch. After a few moments, the blonde rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “I was out sharing a bowl with Dodge.”