“Thanks, baby doll.” I knock it back and accept another. “Need a favor, man.”
“You’re family. What’s mine is yours.”
“Need a loaner to get me back to Hell.”
Jackal runs a couple fingers over his beard. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Right now, we party,” he bellows.
I’d like to argue, but he’s opened his doors to me. Would be disrespectful to turn down his hospitality.
The busty blonde pours me a double.
Fuck it. Its New Year’s Eve. One more day isn’t going to kill me. Not yet. I’ll see my girl tomorrow. We’ll start fresh. New year, new me and all that other bullshit.
Two of Jackal’s bitches saunter up to me.
Neither of them got a damn thing on Freya but they are a helluva lot better than that gas station bitch. One blonde and one brunette.
“Sugar and Spice will show you a good time,” Jackal tells me, wearing a shit eating grin.
I knock back another shot and Shake passes me a joint.
Fuck me it’s good to be on the outside.
Now
Brush. Rinse. Spit. Repeat.
I stare at the man in the mirror and hate what I see. If I were Freya, I’d want my sorry ass to sleep on the couch too. Spent last night passed out on the floor of Jackal’s Clubhouse. Drank and smoked too fuckin’ much. Saved me from having to refuse his whores. Saved me from doing something stupid that’d fuck up my getting back with Freya.
Once Shake woke his ass up he drove me back to Hell. Dropped me at Freya’s to wait for her to show up.
Can’t fuckin’ believe it. I’m home. Here with my girl. Freya acts all tough, though deep down I know she missed me. She’ll see. She’s always been mine and always will be. I’m thanking my lucky stars someone didn’t slide into my place. I’m no idiot. A woman like Freya…any fuckin’ man had a chance to get in with her, he’d do it. No hesitation.
She’s smart. Sexy. A bad ass biker babe in her own right.
I listen and hear absolutely nothing. Going to take some getting used to. Not sharing tight quarters with another hairy ass. I forgot what it was like to have some privacy. Having doors I can open and close as I please. Not having to worry if someone will stab my ass when I’m not paying attention. Getting to wear my own clothes.
No more orange jumpsuits and shoes without laces.
Fuck. It’s good to be home. I exit the bathroom and look in one more time at Freya. She’s laid back on the bed. A vision. Pure heaven after I’ve spent three years burning in purgatory.
“Bathroom is all yours.”
She goes up on her elbows. “Welcome home, Fisher.”
This isn’t exactly the reunion I anticipated but I’ll take it. I’ll accept whatever she gives me. “Yeah. Home sweet home.” I grin at her and swallow my pride. “I’m gonna turn in. You got an extra blanket?”
“You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”
My heart swells in my chest. “You sure? I don’t want to assume…”
“It’s your first night out. It should be in a warm bed.”
I don’t correct her. I don’t tell her I spent my first night passed out on a filthy floor. No. I get undressed and slip under the covers, breathing in the clean smell of the detergent Freya uses. She does her business getting ready for bed.
I close my eyes and all I hear is the flushing of the toilet followed by the faucet running. No assholes being loud. Banging on the bars. No fighting. Nothing but the gentle noises of Freya coming to bed.
She flicks off the light and puts a knee to the foot of the bed. There’s a slight hesitation before she crawls up the center and claims her spot next to me.