I bite the inside of my cheek to keep the rude words from forming on the tip of my tongue.
“Huh,” Stone says, rubbing his chin. “Guess we’ll see. Nice to see you here, darling, it’s been a while.”
“Good to be here. I let Bolt come tonight. He needs his family right now.”
“Hey, you’ve done an excellent job with him so far. You think he needs to be here, I’ll back you up. I meant to have a talk with him myself,” Stone says. He pats my shoulder. “Get yourself a drink and try to relax. You have been working yourself too hard.”
I roll my eyes. You can take the girl out of the club, but you can’t take the club out of the girl’s business. Exasperated, I shake my head as he walks away.
“What was that about?” Jamie asks.
“Overprotection,” I say.
“You think they’ve been watching you, us?”
I narrow my eyes. “Me, always. You, not so much. I mean, I’m glad you think so highly of yourself, but you’re not a point of interest for them.” I pat his cheek gently. “Come on, let’s grab a drink, and hunt down an empty pool table.” I glide through the crowd, pausing to chat with small pockets of people until we arrive at the bar.
“Hey, doll face, long time no see,” says a dark-haired girl with hazel eyes.
“Hey, Clover, been busy with work.”
“What can I get you and your fella here?”
Jamie clears his throat and looks everywhere but at the cleavage displayed by Clover’s low cut, skin tight, leather vest. “Whatever beer you have, works for me,” he says.
“Whiskey and cola for me.”
“Coming right up.” She turns and begins to make our drinks.
“I started to think maybe you were afraid of us, Jamie,” my father says, appearing out of thin air, as he’s prone to do. His gaze lands on my left hand. A shit eating grin appears.
I mentally groan.
“No, sir, just busy.”
“Hmm.” My father goes silent and stares down Jamie, who returns his gaze.
I feel like I’m watching an interrogation. There’s a wealth of words in the silence happening between them. I want to smack Jamie in the back of his head. If he understood how dangerous my father was, he wouldn’t be looking him like this. I clear my throat. “How about we go grab a drink and mingle?” I ask.
“Nevada’s here. She’s been asking for you.”
I perk up. The newest Old Lady is a sweetheart. She’d grown up fast once she got hitched to Wizard, another enforcer. “I’m shocked they left Vegas behind.”
My dad snickers. “They didn’t, brought her with a babysitter who’s hanging out in Wiz’s old dorm.”
I laugh. The two got by with compromise and caring. Their first year together had been tumultuous. Wiz had laid down his bike in a hit and run that had taken a portion of his memory. I sigh thinking of the way they’ve fallen back in love. They gave me hope. In the midst of darkness, there was always a bit of light. Just because Jamie wasn’t Mr. Right, didn’t mean it was the end of the world.
“Oh, I want to see my Vegas baby.” I grab Jamie’s hand. “Come on, let me introduce you.” I pull him away from my father and weave through the crowd. It feels good to be among my extended family. I’ve been barricaded in my apartment with my civilian friends much more than I realized. I spot Wizard leaning against the wall with his arm around Nevada.
He looks softer and more approachable somehow. Marriage and fatherhood have been good to the man rumored to have ice in his veins instead of blood. The life of an enforcer is bloodier than most patched members, and it takes its toll. I’ve seen that for myself in my father.
“Wiz,” I call.
He turns his head to look at me and cracks a smile. “Hey, little girl Blue, how you doing?”
“You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“No. You were the most intense kid I ever met in my life. It works.”