“I, unfortunately, chose that area to drop and roll. Not only did it take longer to put the fire out, but I also ended up with stitches in five places from the glass.”
“Did you get burned badly?” I asked at the same time that Maddie asked, “What brand of whisky was it?”
“No, I was wearing a Henley under it because it was cold, and I think it was Jack Daniels. There was a large group of kids who saw it, though, and ran off screaming because of the big monster who was on fire and swearing as he rolled over the glass.”
Signaling that the conversation was over, he turned around and got out of the vehicle, leaving the two of us watching him, still in our seats.
“Hate to say it, girl, but I think you’re screwed,” Maddie whispered as she turned to watch him walk around the back of the vehicle.
Keeping my voice barely above a whisper, I asked, “Why do you say that?”
Whatever she was going to say was cut off by her getting out of the back, meaning if I stayed in any longer, I’d have looked like I was pussying out of going into the bar. Maybe that’s why she’d done it, so I couldn’t dwell on it?
I couldn’t say for sure, but I took a deep breath, opened the door, and dropped out of the cab of the truck just as Jinx moved to help me.
“You ready?”
Tilting my head back, I smiled nervously up at him, only seeing how worried he looked when he moved his head and the streetlights lit up more of his face than they had been initially.
“Are you okay?” Was he rethinking having me here?
“I just don’t want for this to be a bad night for you, that’s all.” Stretching his neck like he was trying to crack it, he held a hand out for me. “On that thought, I’ll make sure it’s not, so I don’t have anything to worry about. Let’s pretend I said that inside my head.”
Tugging me away from the door, we started walking toward the entrance.
“You know,” Maddie mused as she fell into step beside me, “having conversations with yourself is a sign of insanity.”
“Hey,” I snapped, shooting her a glare. “I have conversations with myself all the time.”
“I know, that’s why I said it.” She sounded distracted. When I followed where she was looking, it was to see three men standing outside the door, right under the light, meaning we could see them clearly. “Holy hotness, who’s that?”
“Burbank, Triton, and Darwin. They’re all hoping to join the club.”
“They single?”
“We’re not here for you to hit on all of—”
“I’ll find out for you.”
It amazed me that he didn’t even sound slightly pissed that she was going to hit on his friends. Instead, he sounded like he was enjoying the situation.
“You don’t have to, you know. Maddie’s capable of introducing herself, instead of getting you to go fishing for information.”
“Ah, but then I’d look like a loose goose, and I don’t want that. If Jinx goes up and asks them casually if they’re single, then points over at me and asks if they want to meet me—which, by the way,” she added, leaning around me to see him better, “is the way to do it—then I won’t look like one.”
“Noted,” he snickered.
Seeing her looking pleased with his capitulation, I asked, “You want to look like an angel?”
She fluffed her hair with one hand as she shrugged. “Better to look like a snug hug than a loose goose, Sienna.”
Groaning, I apologized to a now full-on laughing Jinx before turning back to her. “Remind me why we’re friends?”
“Because you love me,” she smiled sweetly.
It had to be said, she wasn’t wrong there. No matter how much I joked around like I was now, Maddie was the best friend anyone could ask for. And I loved her to death.
When Jinx tugged on my hand for me to stop walking, I looked up and saw that the three men were in front of us now.
And that’s when I began to feel a whole new appreciation for the jinxed one. I felt safer with him holding my hand tightly while three large strangers looked down at me.
“Burbank, Triton, Darwin, this is Sienna, and the lady next to her is Maddie. Ladies, these are the men Maddie pointed out as we were walking over.” At her outraged gasp, he added, “She’s not a loose goose, by the way. Just so you know.”
Then, leaving all three men laughing their asses off, he moved behind us and gently nudged our backs to get us to walk through the door.
“Was that necessary?” Maddie hissed, glaring at him over her shoulder.
“Let me fill you in on what the men that make up The Broken Eagles are like. Now those guys know that information, they’ll look at you as someone other than a random chick they can pick up for tonight. Trust me, you being new to the group would have eyes on you from the start.