Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Time to make himself known. Otherwise, if LZ was successful in luring Maddie upstairs to his room in the Angels’ church—conveniently attached to the back of The Iron Horse—Romeo might lose his shit.
If he even saw the two of them heading that way, he’d step in. Of course, that could cause an issue between the two clubs. So, to keep the peace, he needed to be on the offensive, not defensive.
“Coop!” he called down the bar, still keeping his eyes glued to Maddie’s ass as she bent over and lined up her next shot. He wasn’t the only one staring at it. Only LZ could get a much better look from where he leaned nearby on his cue stick.
For fuck’s sake.
Do not fuckin’ introduce your fist to the DAMC president’s kid’s face.
“Don’t gotta fuckin’ shout. Only two fuckin’ feet away. Guess you’re distracted.”
Romeo ignored the amusement in the Angel’s tone. “Get me whatever she’s drinkin’. Get me a fresh one, too.”
Coop’s lips twitched. “You payin’?”
Romeo sighed, jerked his chain wallet back out and pulled out a twenty. When he tossed it at the other biker, it fluttered to the bar.
Coop snatched it up, “That should cover both beers and my tip,” and headed down the bar.
Romeo turned back around to make sure Maddie hadn’t left with LZ when he hadn’t been paying attention.
Not even two minutes later, Coop dropped off two fresh beers.
“Change?”
Coop laughed and walked away.
“Asshole.”
“I’m in good company,” Coop threw over his shoulder.
After grabbing the two bottles, Romeo hauled his ass off the stool and across the bar toward the pool tables.
He couldn’t believe Maddie hadn’t noticed him yet. The bar wasn’t that damn busy. He had no fucking clue how she didn’t notice a six-foot-one, handsome-as-fuck Black man wearing a Knights cut in a sea of white folk.
Maybe LZ’s flirting was working, and she didn’t have eyes for anyone else.
Romeo was about to change that.
“I’m up next,” he announced as he reached the table, then greeted his competition, ignoring Maddie for the moment. He’d get to her in a minute. “LZ.”
“Rome.”
They clasped hands and bumped shoulders.
“What are you doin’ here?” LZ asked. “Dad know you’re here?”
Romeo pulled his chin into his neck. “I need to clear it with him first?”
LZ took a long drag on his cigarette. “No, just figured you two mighta had a meetin’ or somethin’.” He tipped his head back and blew the smoke up toward the ceiling.
“Nope. Here for pure pleasure.” Romeo made sure to look at Maddie when he said that.
LZ’s eyes narrowed on him, as did Maddie’s. “What kinda pleasure you findin’ at The Iron Horse that you can’t find at Dick’s?”
“Ain’t I allowed to enjoy a beer?”
“Sure. Dick’s got beer, too.”
What the fuck. Between Zeke and Coop, he wasn’t feeling very welcomed.
“You’re double-fistin’ beers, brother. Must be really fuckin’ thirsty.” LZ once again tucked his cigarette between his lips, moved down the table and took his next shot, cleanly sinking the pool ball into a side pocket.
“Both ain’t for me.” Romeo placed the second bottle on the table’s rail in front of Maddie and tipped his head toward it. “That’s for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that—”
“Wanted to.”
“Since I don’t pay for my drinks here,” she finished.
What the fuck?
LZ chuckled around his cigarette and moved to take his next shot.
Romeo shook his head when he glanced over to the bar to catch Coop wearing a cocky grin.
Asshole.
Maddie rolled her lips inward and the corners of her eyes crinkled. “But thank you for bringing it over to me. That’s very kind of you, Rome.”
“He ain’t bein’ kind, Maddie. Don’t fall for his bullshit.” LZ completed his next shot successfully and when he straightened, he gave Romeo a cheesy grin. “You know he sniffs after anyone with tits.”
The fucker was trying to be a cock-block. He would make sure LZ failed.
Romeo tipped his beer to his lips and downed about a third of it before setting it on a nearby high-top table. “How ‘bout you finish your fuckin’ game so I can rack next?”
“You wanna play the winner, put your quarter up on the rail,” Zeke instructed him like Romeo never played a game of fucking pool in his life.
He managed to bite back his typical clap-back and instead said, “Ain’t playin’ the winner. Playin’ her.”
“Hear that, Maddie? Told you. He wants to play you.” LZ wiggled his dark eyebrows.
Romeo’s fingers automatically curled into fists. Dig deep and find that fuckin’ patience, brother, before you do somethin’ stupid. “You no longer a prospect, LZ?”
Zeke took another long drag on his cigarette. “My man, you see ‘prospect’ anywhere on my fuckin’ cut?” He blew a stream of smoke out of the side of his mouth.
“Wasn’t lookin’ that closely at you.”
He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing it at the back of his cut. “Got my full set of patches a year ago.” He dropped another ball into the corner pocket with ease.