“What exactly was he implying?”
“That we keep you.” I bring her hand to my mouth, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. Her hands are so small, I love holding them in mine.
“Oh.” Her wide eyes shine with something...maybe hope or excitement? Whatever it is, I hope she holds on, ‘cause she’s in for a wild ride. When Saint gets his mind made up on something, it’s hard to break him away.
“Give me another.” The request comes out in a grumble, and Blaze pours me some more Crown Royal, nearly filling the entire glass. I don’t fuck around; I like my liquor. Not to the point where I drink until I drown every single feeling in my body regularly, but I enjoy relaxing with a few here and there.
He sets my glass down on the bar top, “You wanna tell me about earlier, brother?”
Not really, but I did stab another brother and then smash another’s nose. Guess I sort of need to offer them more than just a quick, ‘I’m calmed down.’ Blaze’s been around for a few years now, but I still don’t look at him like I would Nightmare or Exterminator. I’ve been through some shit with those brothers, not so much with the old Widow Makers-patched Oath Keepers.
Not sure if I’ll ever look at the hybrids as full members. I shouldn’t think that way, but I do. I’ve ridden with the others for far too long to look at the hybrids all in the same sense.
“I didn’t know he was married,” I admit after a tense moment, not wanting to admit the truth. The words sting my tongue, a poison to my ears as I hear them aloud. They’re bitter to the taste, knowing exactly what they imply.
Honestly, it was the last thing to cross my mind, and when he admitted it, I’d thought the world had come crashing down on me. You don’t love someone as much as I love Sinner and just let shit like that fly by without some sort of repercussion. His admission cut my insides like a knife when the words fell from his lips. My actions in response were straight autopilot; my mind was gone in that moment. My soul had gone black, I didn’t know how else to react.
“But you thought that was reason enough to slice him up?” He takes a hefty drink from his longneck of Corona, setting it down next to my glass.
“I was fucking pissed.” My brow begins to sweat in irritation of having to think about it more. “So much so, that I didn’t realize my blade was even in my hand until it’d already happened.” My eyelids slam closed as I wince, remembering how stunned Sinner’s face had become at that moment. I hate myself for hurting him.
“Viking was fucking livid. You got blood all over the rug and the wall.”
I shrug and take a swig of the liquid gold. As if I give a fuck if they were briefly inconvenienced. My fucking life stopped, and they’re worried about a scarlet stain. It’ll add a new touch to the room and serve as a reminder to the others as to what happens when you betray me. As for the wall, well it’ll add character. Last I checked we’re a goddamn outlaw MC.
“You might wanna apologize to the Prez,” he offers, and I roll my eyes, his suggestion going in one ear and out the other. I don’t need his recommendations on how to run my club life or what to say to my brothers. He might be so far up Viking and Princess’s asses that he can’t find the light, but I don’t roll that way. I’ve always been a dick. They know that, and I won’t be changing it anytime soon—if ever.
“Nah, Viking knows me. I’ve been through some shit with the brother.” As for Princess, all she has to do is point, and I’ll slice a motherfucker’s throat for her.
“I get that, but...”
Cutting him off, I slam the glass down on the counter. “The fuck you do.”
The muscles in my body grow taut, laying it out. “You’re his cousin, Blaze, his other family. You have his back and good for you. But never forget that I have his back too. What happened with Sinner has nothing to do with you, brother. Nothing.”
“Fine.” Letting it go, he backs down with an exhale. “I’ll drop it. You need to talk to someone, well then, I’m here,” he finishes, finally permitting me to have a bit of peace from his inquisition. He may be acting VP for the time being, but he needs to remember I didn’t vote him there.
“Appreciate it, but I won’t need to.”
I don’t want to speak to anyone about shit. I never needed it and never will. The only person I give two fucks as to what they think is that man laying down the hall with a slice in his side. A wound that I was warped enough to put there.
Torch saddles up on the stool next to me, and I roll my eyes again, preparing for shit from him next. “Saint.”
This is not my idea of a relaxing time at the bar. It reminds me of what a loveless marriage would be like with a hateful chick who bitches constantly. A prime example of why I’m a biker, so I don’t have to listen to it.
“Torch.” The bored response rolls off my tongue, not in the mood to hear his input either.
These two, both Viking’s boys from his old crew, and neither are my favorites of the brothers around here. Guess they think their past gives them the right to come and try to speak to me about my business. If they only had a fucking clue, it takes a lot to get to that level with me. Hell, it was six years before I agreed with Sinner to hang up my patch for Viking. Before that, it was Ex, and fuck anyone else trying to come around.
He signals for a beer and Blaze sets his usual in front of him. “You feelin’ all right?”
“Fine. Not that it’s anyone business.”
Taking a swig, he side-eyes me, “Look, man, I was just asking because I decked you pretty hard, and then you hit the ground. Just making sure there aren’t hard feelings and shit. I’m not trying to have a beef with anyone in the club. I moved out here to get away from club drama.”
Finally, someone not nosing into my life. “I deserved it, I know that. There’s no negative shit coming from my way. I appreciate you stopping me before I fucked anybody else up. Sometimes my mind gets fuzzy, and I hurt people. Your nose busted?”
“Yeah, but no worries, it’s my job.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug, letting it go and just like that, the subject’s dropped. He is one of the club’s death dealers, essentially a club enforcer—just a step up. He’ll kill you if he comes after you. “Shots then?”