“Are you fucking serious?” Locke gasped. “I’m in?”
“Yeah, brother. You’re in.” Viper leaned forward and grabbed Locke, giving him a huge bro-hug and slapping him on his back as he said, “You did good.”
Viper helped him slip on his new cut, and then the rest of us stepped up and congratulated him. Once we were done, we all headed over to the bar and did a round of shots. One round led to the next, and it wasn’t long before Locke was feeling pretty fucking good. He was staring out at all the decorations when he asked, “Is this why Delilah had me at the fucking mall for hours on end?”
“Yeah.” Hawk chuckled. “We had to find a way to get you out of here for a while.”
“I still can’t believe it. I’m actually a Sinner now.”
“That you are.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder and teased him. “Now, don’t fuck it up.”
“Not a chance.”
I was just about to do another shot when it hit me that I hadn’t seen Aubrey since she left my office. I took a quick look around, and when I didn’t see any sign of her, I turned to Lisa, our main bartender, and asked, “Have you seen Aubrey?”
“I saw her earlier, but now that you mention it, I haven’t since Locke got here.”
“Goddamn it.”
When I stood, she asked, “Why? Is everything okay?”
“No. No, it’s not.” I scanned the area one last time, but Aubrey was nowhere to be found. “I’ve gotta go. You mind closing tonight?”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks, Lisa.”
I headed straight over to Viper to let him know I was leaving. He was talking to Axel, and I could tell by his expression something was troubling him. As soon as I approached, he looked over to me and said, “Just the man I was looking for.”
“Something going on?”
“I just got a call, and apparently, some rumbling is going around about the manager over at the Pink Pony. He’s pissed that we stole some of his best girls.”
"I’m sure good ol’ Gary is pissed, but he brought that shit on himself by demanding sexual favors for a decent fucking schedule. Besides, we couldn’t steal what came to us freely.”
“Sounds like Gary got what Gary deserved.”
“That he did.” I didn’t have time to get into a long discussion about Gary and his bullshit, so I told Viper, “I’ve gotta get out of here for a bit, but I’ll be back when I can.”
“Everything okay?”
“Not sure, but I intend to find out.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“You know I will.”
I gave him a quick nod, then headed out to the parking lot. I hopped on my bike and headed over to Marlowe’s old apartment, the whole time cursing myself for letting her walk out of my office. I should’ve stopped her and forced her to talk to me, but she bolted before I got the chance. I would’ve gone after her then, but there was no way I could miss Locke’s induction into the club. It was a rite of passage for him—one that he’d spent a year of his life earning, and I owed it to him to be there. Besides, no matter what was going on, the club always came first. I’d done what I needed for my brothers, and now it was time to find out what the hell was going on with Aubrey.
When I pulled into the apartment complex, I was relieved to see Aubrey’s car still in the parking lot. I whipped into a spot and parked, then rushed up to her door. I knocked and tried my best to collect myself as I waited for her to answer. After several long, agonizing minutes, the door opened, and a surprised Aubrey gasped. “Menace! What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she argued. “I’ve already said too much.”
“You’re wrong. You haven’t said nearly enough.” I took a step closer to her, and that’s when I noticed her luggage on the kitchen floor. “What the hell is this?”
“I’m leaving.” She eased the door open, allowing me to step inside. “I’ve already stayed longer than I should.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’ve gotta go, Menace.” Anguish marked her face as she said, “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you or one of your brothers.”
“Why would you be worried about something happening to me?”
“It doesn’t matter now. I’m leaving, so—”
“You’re not leaving, Aubrey.”
I walked over to her, slipped my arm around her waist, and pulled her against my chest. I lowered my mouth to hers, silencing her rebuttal with a deep, demanding kiss. All the passion I’d been holding back instantly came pouring out in that kiss. I couldn’t resist the burning hunger for her a second longer. I’d imagined over and over what her soft, full lips would taste like, but it didn’t hold a flame to the real thing. She was divine, and I knew then there was no way I could ever get enough of her. Every touch of her tongue only made my need grow more intense. I wound my hand around the nape of her neck and tangled my fist in her hair, letting out a low growl as I gave it a firm tug. Aubrey’s lips opened in a small gasp, exactly like I wanted, giving me even better access to her sweet mouth.