And I really liked Cherry. She was friendly and sweet, and took the time to fill me in on the club members as they slowly spilled into the clubhouse.
“See them there? Those three honeys with the killer baby blues and all those muscles, they’re the Calley brothers. Cade, Chance, and Caleb.” I recognized Caleb from the day I ran into the back of the van. “They’re Bull’s nephews. And the lady talking to them, that’s Ronnie, their mom. She’s Bull’s older sister. She’s fierce, too. A word of advice, don’t get on the wrong side of her. She’s an amazing woman, but man, she’s terrifying when she’s pissed about something.”
Ronnie looked like Cher in the movie Mask.
Cherry nodded toward the corner of the room where four bikers were playing pool.
“That’s Cool Hand, Tully, Davey, and Hawke. Davey can be a bit of an old perv, but he’s harmless. Just let him know straight up that he can’t get away with anything around you, and you’ll be fine.”
Two girls in very tight jeans and tops that revealed a lot of skin, lingered at the table.
“Are they their girlfriends?” I asked Cherry.
“No, they’re club girls.” An amused grin spread across her lips. “You’ll get used to them. They’re here for the guys. Some of them are hoping to become old ladies, but most of them just want to suck club cock.”
My eyes darted from the girls to Cherry, a little surprised.
I thought about Bull and wondered if he indulged in any of the club girls.
Before I could say anything, she added, “But a lot of the Kings ignore them, like the Calley brothers, and my Isaac. He wasn’t into club pussy. And Bull never goes there. He tolerates them, but he’s not into them.” She smiled to herself. “Listen to me, I’m probably saying more than I should.”
“No, I really appreciate the insight.”
She walked over to a case of beer sitting on the bar and started refilling the refrigerator. “A few of the guys aren’t here because they’ve gone to pick up Nitro. He’s been doing a stint inside for arson, but he gets out today. They’ll all be in later, I’m sure. Although, Nitro’s probably going to spend most of the night at The Den.”
“The Den?”
“Yeah, it’s the brothel the Kings own. Really classy joint.”
“They own a brothel?”
“Among other things.”
“Like?”
“They own Spank Daddy’s on the other side of town. It’s a strip joint. I’ve been there once, it’s a little dark and dirty, but it’s a lot better than the Slip N Slide, and a trillion times better than Slingers.” She straightened. “Sorry, Bull mentioned you worked there.”
“I did and you’re right. Anything would be a trillion times better than that dump.”
She gave me a nod and started refilling the shelves again.
“They also own Head Quarters, it’s a production company that specializes in movies for people with particular tastes, if you get my drift.” She shrugged as she said it. “Nothing too over the top. Just your typical, everyday porn.”
I smiled. “So they like porn and prostitution, huh?”
Cherry grinned. “Oh, honey. This is the MC world. It’s all about money and pussy.”
Cherry said she was going to hang around until she was sure I had the hang of it, but by the end of my first shift she came over to me and started to laugh.
“What?” I asked.
She leaned a hip against the bar and folded her arms. “Honey, I could leave today and you’d be fine. I’ve never seen anyone handle those boys like you do.”
“Are you kidding me? They’re nothing but big teddy bears.”
The Kings were loud and brash, and Bull was right, they used language that would make your mama cry. They also looked mean, some of them murderous, but there was something about them, something simmering beneath the surface of the brotherhood that made me feel like I was at the safest place on Earth. They were a family built on bond not blood, and somehow it seemed stronger because it was all about choice.
And I couldn’t complain about how they treated me.
At first, I was like a shiny new toy appearing underneath the Christmas tree. But by the end of the week, I was firmly rooted in the friend zone. They were bikers and they were full of testosterone and bravado, but they treated me with the respect they would show their little sisters.
On Thursday, I met Randy, the bar manager and we hit it off like we had known each other our whole lives. Randy looked like a surfer with sun-kissed skin, bright white teeth, and a mop of unruly blond curls. He’d lost his arm in a motorcycle accident years earlier, but was one of the fastest liquor slingers I’d ever met. He was also a lot of fun, and I had a feeling we were going to be close friends.