Hammer’s chest felt heavy as he squeezed both armrests. “What are you trying to say?”
Lion met his gaze. “Are you fucking him, Hammer? Simple question.”
Hammer’s feet grew into the never-vacuumed carpet, which was now gray despite being a nice cream shade years ago. “Areyoufucking him?” he asked without missing a beat. “Is this what we’re doing now, just because the prospect’s gay?”
Lion massaged the sides of his head with a deep inhale. “Okay. You’re protective. I get it. Case closed. Let’s get to the more important matters of the day, and this, you’ll be excited to hear about.”
Hammer relaxed now that the magnifying glass of Lion’s attention was off his case, though his mind remained on the fucking snitch, who walked somewhere out there, with a nose that remained straight and unbroken. “Go on.”
“Ryker’s been spotted back in town. He’s dyed his hair and drives a steel-gray Chevrolet Malibu, but my informant swore it’s him. I don’t know what he’s doing back in the state, let alone backhere, but my brother’s never been all that smart. Do you want to try again, or would you rather I take over the job?”
Hammer’s focus became razor-sharp, and he leaned forward, ready to punish Ryker for every single thing he’d done, and some that he had not. “Any idea where I could find him?”
“Yes, apparently he’s slept in the new car behind the hot tub store, you know, Tubz-R-Us, so he might be there tonight again. Worth checking out, asking around.”
“Fuck yes,” Hammer said, rising from the chair. Focused on his desire for revenge, he almost missed the way Lion swallowed, averting his gaze. Right. For their prez the issue of Ryker’s continuous existence wasn’t just a score to settle. “Sorry. Yeah, I’ll take the job.”
“Just end it,” Lion said and got himself a cigarette. “No more fuckups. Covering up the shit fest at the cabin cost us enough time and effort.”
“Yessir,” Hammer mumbled and left the office, facing the unfinished bar counter, just in time to see Dex toss a rag Finn’s way.
“This will help when your old lady’s away, visiting her mom.”
Several of the other bikers chuckled, and Wasp took the opportunity to smack Finn’s ass. “The sad life of the married man.”
Torcher stood behind the bar, pouring beer into several glasses. “You say that, but his old lady’s a ten. An ugly troll like Finn should make sure he gets to keepher.”
Hammer frowned. Objectively speaking, Finn was on the average side of handsome, so this was yet more inflammatory bullshit from Torcher.
Fucker. Snitch. Man-poacher.
Dex laughed and grabbed one of the beers. “Don’t worry, Finn. I can set you up with a friend if she divorces you.” He left the gender of said friend vague, but a barrage of laughter indicated that everyone got the joke.
“If the worst happens, I’ll make sure you can go to have your rebound at an orgy,” Hammer said and patted Finn’s shoulder, but his expression suggested he wasn’t particularly worried.
Wasp took a swig of beer. “Just remember to take me with you when you go. Would your wife go swinging, Finn?”
Finn must have had enough of this mockery, because he shook his head. “I don’t share.”
Dex waved his hand dismissively. “Just argue with her before you go to the orgy, and then you can use the good old, ‘but we were on a break!’ excuse.”
He didn’t even spare Hammer a glance, but the dig was obvious.
“Doesn’t count, since he’s known her forovera month,” Hammer said, and this time Dex’s brown gaze flashed Hammer’s way, full of anger.
Ignorant of the tension in the room, Finn cocked his head, staring at Hammer. “What does time matter? We're married.”
Dex rolled his eyes. “He's just jealous 'cause he's got no ring finger, so he's stuck forever just fucking around.”
Torcher wordlessly passed Hammer a glass of beer that felt like an olive branch.
“Come on now, no need to get agitated just because the prospect has a big mouth,” he said and offered Hammer a smile, as if he hadn’t run to Lion, like they were still in first grade.
Dex shrugged. “It needs to be, for the kind of dick I get.”
Hammer’s fingers curled on the glass, but as hot air pumped into his lungs, all he wanted was to break it and stick the shards into Torcher’s eye sockets. “Did you just spit in my beer?”
Everyone went silent, and blood drained from Torcher’s face.