Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
I stayed back behind the wall, listening to their conversation. I wanted to know what he was up to and what she’d share with him.
“Your performance last night was quite a show,” he professed, leaning against the liquor cabinet while staring only at her ass.
Her back was to him as she continued to organize the canned goods on the racks by the fridge.
“Thanks.”
“Where did you learn how to dance like that?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I see.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You work here too?”
“I work for Billy but not at the bar.”
She looked at the patch on his cut. “What does prospect mean?”
“I guess it’s like recruiting. I gotta prove myself to get in The Outlaw.”
“Ah. So is Hayes a one percenter too?”
He smiled. “Someone’s been doing their homework.”
“I don’t really know what it means.”
“It means I’m a bad boy, Haven. Do you like bad boys?”
“I don’t think my older brothers would.”
“They matter why?”
This motherfucker.
“Are you allowed to be back here with me?”
I respected the fact she could carry her own with him, displaying she wasn’t so naive after all.
“I like breaking the rules.”
Not as much as I’ll enjoy breaking your face.
“I don’t think Hayes would appreciate that.”
I zeroed in on her, shocked she was batting for me.
“Why are you so concerned about Hayes? You his?”
“No.”
“You want to be?”
“No.”
I arched an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Today’s my first day and I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot, you know?”
Too late for that.
“Billy likes you and he’s all that matters. It’s his bar.”
“I thought it was both of theirs?”
“Tell that to Billy.”
“What’s up with them? I noticed some tension between them last night.”
“You have no idea.”
“So tell me.”
“Let’s just say, they maybe father and son, but they hate each other like enemies.”
“Why?”
“Hayes doesn’t want in the club. Pres won’t stop until he is.”
No shit.
“Oh…”
“That doesn’t mean his hands are clean, Haven. Come to think of it, they’re probably dirtier than ours.”
“Clean from what?”
He pushed off the cabinet. “Curiosity killed the cat. I’d stop asking so many questions if I were you.”
In a cautious tone, she asked, “Is it safe to work here?”
No.
Taz countered, “What do you think?”
“I haven’t seen anything that proves otherwise.”
“Like you said, it’s only your first day. Give it time, it won’t take long.”
“What about Billy’s wife? Hayes’s mom? She work here too?”
“Naw, baby. She’s—”
“What the fuck are you doing back here?” I interrupted, making my presence known.
He held his arms up in the air. “My bad.”
She looked back and forth between us before he backed away and left.
“Wow,” she whispered. “Here I thought my brothers were the only ones who were good at making guys disappear. Do people usually run away from you when you walk into a room?”
“If their lucky enough to. What did I tell you about staying away from the men wearing cuts?”
Unable to hold back, she provoked, “You sound jealous, Hayes.”
“I’ve put men to ground for less, Peach.”
Eyeing me up and down, she instantly questioned, “How dirty are your hands?”
“Right now.” I showed them to her. “They’re fairly clean. We’ll see how they look when I get back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To pay the piper, Peach.”
Her eyes shifted to the pockets of my jeans.
“What you’re looking for isn’t in there.”
“How do you know what I’m looking for?”
I stepped toward her with my arms out at my sides. “You want to pat me down, sweetheart?”
Her eyes widened.
“You won’t like what you find.”
She sucked in her bottom lip.
“He’s right, you know…”
She jerked back, understanding what I implied. “You always eavesdrop on private conversations?”
I didn’t hesitate in confirming…
“Curiosity did kill the cat.”
Seven
Haven
“There you are!” Cove shouted as I walked toward her in the bar. She was playing pool with some of the bikers.
“Hey.” I smiled.
“How your first day going?”
“Not how I thought it would.”
“Why? This place is packed. You must be making a killing in tips.”
“I would if I was waiting tables.”
She frowned. “What are you doing then?”
“Cleaning and organizing.”
“Wait? What?”
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”
“We meet again,” Taz announced, suddenly standing beside me. “Why don’t you take a break, and we play a game of pool?”
“I don’t know how to play pool.”
“You’re in luck. I’m a master teacher.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure you are.”
“Baby, step into my office and let me show you the way.”
“How noble of you.”
He extended out his arm and I wrapped mine around his. Once he was finished setting the table, he handed me a pool stick.
“There.” Grabbing my shoulders, he placed me at the edge of the long, narrow table. “Stand here.”
“Okay.”
“Now take the pool stick and aim it toward the balls.”
“Which do I hit?”
“All of them. Whichever go in the holes, the solid or stripes is the one that’ll be your balls. Don’t aim for the black eight ball until you have all the others in holes or else you lose. It’s the last ball you need to hit to win. Make sense?”