The woman wore a look Taffy knew well. Keeping the chain on, she opened the door. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Taffy? I’m Chase.”
The name clicked in her memory. “Of course.” She removed the chain and stepped back. “Come on in.”
Chase complied and shoved her hands into her black skinny jeans. “You settling in okay?”
“Yeah, the place is great.”
Chase nodded. “It is. We’re lucky to stay here. Not every place here is so nice or protected. I run a tight ship here. Someone gets out of line or comes at you wrong, I want to know about it, so they can be taken care of.”
Her voice sounded low and serious. It commanded respect and planted a seed of belief. She looked like a woman who stood by her word.
“I will.”
“Good. Mostly, we don’t have too many problems. Not with the regulars. Sometimes, a Nomad or a brother from another chapter comes in and we have to set him straight.” Chase shrugged her shoulders. “It’s part of the life.”
“Life in the fast lane.”
“You get wise or get run the fuck over.”
Taffy snickered. Chase reminded her of the girls back home. The older ones who’d been around long enough to see how things flowed down the pipeline. They had a sisterhood. No one could understand what they’d been through like each other. Sometimes, your sister having your back could be the difference between life and death. The thought pushed her to leave her comfort zone. “I get the feeling we learned that lesson a long ass time ago.”
Chase tilted her head back and studied her. “Yeah, I think we did. Are you going to be around awhile?”
“No other place to be,” Taffy admitted.
“You got a gig yet?”
Taffy shook her head. “I wish. I plan on looking later this week.”
“What can you do?”
“Whatever’s necessary,” Taffy said.
They exchanged a look. A kinship sprang up between them.
“You know, Demon called the other day looking for someone to work in the office at the garage. The girl at the shop got into it with a guy she was dating and split. Can you do office work?”
“I can work a computer and learn the rest.”
“It’s easy shit. Keeping track of appointments, running the cash register. If you have sticky fingers, I’d advise against it. Demon doesn’t play about his money or give second chances.”
“I’m not a thief,” Taffy snapped.
Chase held up her hands. “Don’t kill the messenger. I’m covering my ass. If I vouch for you without asking this shit, I’d be putting my ass on the line with no backup.”
Taffy nodded. “I can do this.”
“Let me talk to him and I’ll get back to you. I work there. It’d be nice to have another girl who’s not a spaz with me.”
“You work in the office?” Taffy said, shocked. The girl had a wild streak a mile long. Picturing her in a buttoned-up suit with perfectly coifed hair did not fly.
Chase tilted back her head and laughed. “Hell no. Nine to five, answering phones and dealing with people ain’t my style. I work on the bikes.”
Impressed, Taffy studied her closer. Her average height, lanky build along with the cool and collected manner must be a mirage. To survive in this world, doing what the other men did, she must have a core of steel.
“My old man taught me. He used to ride and I grew up in a place very similar to this one. I came across them one day, and then just never left.”