by Hart, Rebel
I chuckled. “Oh, you’re definitely going to stick out, Daddy’s girl. But that’s all right. I don’t date women who blend in anyway.”
She tucked her helmet under her arm. “Date, huh? And here I thought you were scared of the word.”
I smiled. “Guess even I can surprise.”
I held my arm out for her to get in front of me, and together, we started into the place. The club had bought this ratty, rundown pub years ago. Closed it to the public, mostly. Except for a few occasions where the squirrliest of individuals came out and filled our registers with their blood money. But for the most part, this place was privately owned by the Red Thorns. Specifically, by whoever the president was at the time.
My father had owned it when he ran this crew. It was then passed to my brother when he took over. And once I stepped up to the plate, it was transferred to me.
I owned this cigarette-smoke filled dump now.
With my hand on Dani’s lower back, I escorted her through the fully-tinted glass door. When I walked through the entrance, a chorus of voices rang out my name.
“Max!”
“Maxy-boy! The hell have you been!?”
“Max! What’s shakin’? The fuck you got going on lately?”
“Long time no see, asshole. How ya doin’, Max?”
And when I looked down at Dani, I saw her lips curled up into a full-blown smile.
“Looks like you’re popular,” she yelled up at me.
I winked. “Comes with the territory.”
Dani tucked herself close to my side, so I took the liberty of wrapping my arm around her shoulders. Signaling to all the men staring at her that she was already spoken for. I didn’t mind, either. She fit nicely at my side. The perfect height for me to rest my arm around as we fell in step with one another. Left foot. Right foot. Left, then right. All the way up to the bar, with all eyes on us.
“Whatcha havin’?” the bartender asked.
I looked down at Dani. “Well?”
She licked her lips. “Um, do you have something that isn’t beer?”
The bartender quirked an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
I glared at him. “Answer her question.”
The man sighed. “We got cider and Coke. Some vodka, too.”
Dani nodded. “Got any rum?”
The bartender looked at me and I nodded my head.
“Got a personal stash in the back, yeah.”
Dani smiled. “I’ll have a rum and Coke, then.”
I nodded. “And I’ll have myself a couple of beers.”
The bartender shooed us away and I led Dani over to a table to sit with me. She seemed nervous. Her eyes kept darting around everywhere, as if she were on her guard, wondering who might walk in and cause trouble at any second. It was a very unnatural look on her. And it was a look I wanted to wash away. She was safe with me, wherever we went. No matter where we were, or who surrounded us.
I put her back to the door and sat across from her, just in case someone decided to come through those front doors and kick up a stink.
“Am I doing okay?”
Her hushed voice was almost swallowed up by the massive men behind her roaring with laughter. But it didn’t stop me from registering her question. Nor did it stop me from taking her hand to try and soothe away her fears.
“There’s nothing to worry about in a place like this. You’re safe. None of these men will hurt you. You have my word on that.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “I’m sorry. It’s just--my father’s told me about places exactly like this. And he always says there are many things to worry about.”
“Like what?”
She sighed. “Promise you won’t get upset?”
I shook my head. “Not if you’re honest with me.”
She nodded. “He says these are the kinds of places where drugs are dealt. Where unsavory people come to dump money they shouldn't have on them, or hook up with others to commit crimes. He always told me to stay away from places like these, for my safety.”
Smart man. “Anything else?”
She paused. “Is he right?”
“About?”
“About there being drugs and all kinds of criminals that come in and out of these places?”
“Do you want a logical answer? Or an honest one?”
“There’s a difference?”
I nodded. “There is.”
She licked her lips. “An honest one. Seriously, Max. Do I have something like that to worry about?”
A devilish smile crossed my cheeks. “Not when you’re on my arm, you don’t.”
35
Dani
“Welcome back, Max. We’ve missed you. Who’s your friend?”
I looked up at the woman who had approached our table and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The painted-on leather pants. The biker boots she wore, laced all the way up her shins. The red tank top she spilled out of and the matching red lipstick she had on her oversized lips. She looked like a punk Barbie doll. Her hair was curled and teased, and there was a choker around her neck. Multiple rings sparkled on her fingers as she poised the pen she held over her pad, ready to take our orders.
I’d never seen anyone like her before.
“Now, you know you don’t miss a crotchety man like me,” Max said.
The woman giggled. “You’re the head of this place, you know.”
I furrowed my brow. “The head?”
Max winked at me. “Hungry?”
“What does she mean?”
“Do you want food, Dani?”
He said my name, but it was a bit sharp. Curt. And the look behind his eyes told me to stop what I was doing. I wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t answer my question, but I had a feeling it had something to do with this bar. How everyone treated him. How he seemed like the big man on campus.
What aren’t you telling me? “Uh, I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
He grinned. “Sure about that?”
I shrugged. “What else is there?”
The woman clicked her tongue. “We got burgers, spicy wings, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs. Anything trip your trigger?”
“Oh, a hot dog sounds nice.”
“Great. Anything on it?”
A man walked up to us. “You should get one with what you want, then get one with everything. Trust me, it won’t disappoint.”
My eyes panned over to the gruff-looking man that had come to stand beside the waitress. He slapped her butt and she squealed, then swatted at his chest playfully, as if it hadn’t offended her at all. My eyes widened as Max chuckled. The man wore a faded leather jacket with patches on every joint I could see. He had tattoos creeping up the side of his neck, trying to intrude upon his jawline. He had a scar clear across his left eye, almost slicing it in half. And the dastardly grin he had on his face made my toes curl.
Not in a good way, either.
“Oh-okay, then. One hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and chili, and one with everything.”
The waitress scribbled it down. “Fries? Onion rings?”
The man put his hand on my shoulder. “Always do the onion rings here.”
Max growled. “Off. Now.”
The man jerked his hand away as if he’d touched a hot stove, and my eyes widened even further. I had no idea what in the world I had just stepped into, and I didn’t know how to feel about it. I mean, I was used to house parties my mother threw and holiday parties in banquet halls my father hosted for our families. Decorated cakes and champagne flutes and impeccably bright colors on the walls. This place was so far from my reality. So far from what I had been raised in.
I couldn’t stop myself from staring at it all.
“Oh! And just to let you two know, we got dessert now. A nice slice of chocolate cake with ice cream. Let me know if you want some.”
The waitress’s voice ripped me from my trance. “I will, thank you.”
Max nodded. “That’ll be all. You too, Granger.”
The gruff man harrumphed
to himself before walking away, but not before slapping the waitress on her tuckus again. I shook my head slowly as men came and went in my view. Tall men. Short men. Fat men and muscular men. Men with tattoos running up and down their arms. Men with tattoos on their faces. Men with chains dangling from their jeans and leather jackets of all shapes, colors, and shines.
And the women.
The women were mesmerizing.
There was another waitress walking around, but she was dressed completely differently. She had on baggy black jeans with a chain slid through the belt loops, barely holding them up on her hips while her tight top fell off her shoulder. Almost as if she had cut the neck open herself. Her exposed shoulder was covered in a brightly colored geometric tattoo that disappeared underneath her shirt. And when she turned to look at me, the scar on her chin caught my eye.
“Her ex,” Max said.
I whipped my head around to face him. “What?”
“The scar. On her chin. Her ex gave her that scar.”
My jaw dropped open. “Wait, seriously?”
He snickered. “Don’t feel sorry for her. Man’s eating through a tube for the rest of his life for it.”
I paused. “How do you know that?”
He shrugged. “She likes bragging about it.”
“Wait, she did that to him?”
“Trust me, the girls in here can hold their own. Even the ones who walk around in heels. Don’t let them fool you for a second.”
I didn’t know whether to feel horrified or proud.
“It’s pretty chaotic in here.”
Max slid his foot against mine under the table. “Yep. Gets pretty wild some nights.”
“But it’s fun.”
“You think so?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, that guy kept slapping her on the butt and she didn’t think anything of it. Is it always like that? So… carefree like that?”
He chuckled. “Pretty much. The girls draw their own lines with the guys, and they have permission to rectify a situation any way they see fit if it’s crossed.”
“Permission from who?”
He shrugged. “The crew.”
I paused. “I don’t get it.”
“My crew owns this bar. When I said this was our clubhouse, I wasn’t kidding. The crew, as a collective, owns this place. We keep it running with the money we make, and it works for us.”
“Is it ever open to the public?”
“Eh, when we want to open it. Sometimes, we throw parties. Invite people we know. Rake in some money that way. But mostly it’s a safe haven for us. A place to come and enjoy drinks, some food, and good company without expectations and shit.”
I smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty nice set up.”
“Hey! Max! Got a second?”
The foreign voice pulled my attention upward and I saw a gangly man approach the table. He looked like a pipe cleaner with eyes. And he had the most gorgeous woman at his side. She kept sucking on his neck and leaving brown lipstick marks everywhere. Her hands kept traveling over his torso while she whispered in his ear. And each time she did, a goofy grin crossed his face.
It made me wonder what she was saying to him.
“Ralph. Nice to see you. And who’s this girl hanging off you?” Max asked.
Pipe Cleaner smiled. “This here’s Marcie. Marcie, say hi.”
“Hi.”
She wasted no time in going back to covering him with kisses after the momentary break to socialize.
Max chuckled. “Well, nice to meet you, Marcie. What can I do for you, Ralph?”
“Just wanted to come by and shake your hand! Been a little while since you’ve dropped in. We were all beginnin’ to think we had to send out a search party or some shit like that.”
I snickered. “That might be my fault. Sorry.”
Max took my hand over the table. “Never apologize for something like that.”
My gaze found his stare and he winked at me. He really liked doing that in here. And I enjoyed how it felt. A flush trickled down my neck as Marcie giggled. I loved how this all felt. How kind and open everyone was. How things didn’t seem so taboo here.
So different from how I was raised.
“Hey, maybe the four of us could get together for a date or somethin’ sometime.”
Pipe Cleaner’s voice pulled me from my trance. “I wouldn't mind. Max?”
He shrugged. “We’ll think about it. You know how it is with our schedules.”
Marcie giggled. “Boy, do I ever.”
She gripped the man’s chin and pulled his lips down to hers. The two of them started making out right at our booth, and my eyebrows slowly rose on my forehead. I peeked over at Max and he just watched them with a curious grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Was this normal? Did people just make out while others watched?
“All right, you two. Get a room. Can’t get your nasty fluids on our food now.” Max laughed. “Ah, I can smell the onion rings now.”
I pulled my hand back. “Was that our waitress?”
I watched her shove through the two lovebirds with two massive plates of food. The pipe cleaner and his lipstick-riddled girlfriend finally stepped off to the side, seemingly oblivious to everything that was happening. The two hot dogs with onion rings dropped down in front of me, making my mouth water before I reached for my drink.
And when I looked over at Max’s plate, I was glad I hadn’t ordered what he had.
“I can smell how hot that is,” I said.
He rubbed his hands together. “And it’s about to be in my stomach. Honey?”
The waitress smiled. “Keep the drinks coming, I got it. You two enjoy, and let me know if you want some of that dessert later to soak up all this fat and alcohol.”
“You two got room over here?”
Max held his arms out. “Rupert!”
“And this must be the girl who’s got your attention so bad.”
Max laughed with joy. “John. Nice to see you out and about. Here. We’ll scoot. You two have a seat with us.”
The one named Rupert had such bright red hair I could have never missed him. But the one called John walked with a cane. He had kind of a crooked stature to him, and as he sat down, I heard him grumbling and groaning beneath his breath. While Max and the redhead hugged, I studied the man who sat down beside me, taking in his green eyes, the slope of his nose, and the strength of his jawline.
“Yeah, we look too much alike, don’t we?” he asked.
I blinked. “Are you and Max related somehow?”
Max interrupted. “That’s my older brother, John.”
John stuck out his hand. “And you are…?”
I shook his hand. “Dani. Hey. It’s really nice to meet you. I wasn't sure you actually existed.”
The redhead snickered. “Doesn’t shock me. Hey! Sweetheart!”
The waitress yelled back, “You hold your horses! I’ll be there in a second, Fire-dick!”
Everyone in the place roared with laughter. Even Rupert. I wasn’t sure why. Didn’t she just insult him?
John leaned over to my ear. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”
I nodded. “Thanks for the update.”
“So what’s got you out and about today, John? Picking up pain meds? Or you tired of all those spaghetti dinners you choke down every night?” Max asked.
John shrugged. “I don’t know. Figured I’d come out after picking up my vitamins and maybe try to steal your girl in the process.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
Rupert roared with laughter. “Good luck. Max has been after this one for a while.”
John grinned. “You don’t have to tell me twice. He’s practically stopped bringing girls home since this one came into his life.”
Max took a pull of his beer. “Not my fault I found the cream of the crop and you’re stuck with my sloppy seconds.”
John pointed at him. “That only happened twice.”
Max chuckled. “And the first time was because the girl was still so drunk that she wandered into your room instead of back to mine.”
I held up my hand. “Uh, hi. I’m right here.”
Rupert snickered. “Yeah, Max. She’s right here.”
John bent back down to my ear. “It was three years ago. Don’t worry about it.”
A guy piped up from behind me. “Oh! Tell her about the one who tracked you down at the club meeting!”
The entire room groaned as I quirked an eyebrow at Max.
“What happened now?” I asked.
He picked up a chicken wing. “I’m gonna need some more booze for that story.”
“Because you fucked her anyway? Or because you’re sitting with a girl you want to fuck but haven’t yet and you’re trying to save your chances?” I asked.
Max’s eyes connected with mine as the pub exploded in roaring laughter. People banged their fists on tables and stomped their feet on the floor. Even the bartender--as unfriendly as he was--cracked a smile at my words. Max held the chicken wing in front of his face, seemingly startled at my words. And I couldn't blame him, because I was, too.
Where in the world had those words come from?
“Oh, shit. That was good. Holy fuck,” Rupert said through his laughter.
“I have to admit, that was good. Hoo-wee, I’ve never heard a girl go in on my brother like that.”
I kept holding Max’s gaze, hoping and praying I hadn’t insulted him in any way. As my heart stopped in my chest, I watched him take a massive bite of his chicken wing. He practically stuffed the entire thing into his mouth and slowly pulled it out, removing all the meat with his tongue. An action that made me shiver and my toes curl.
Then he leveled me with another wink, one that settled my nervous gut and helped me relax into the atmosphere of the pub.
36
Max
I placed money onto the table before I stood. As I reached my hand out for hers, I heard the guys whooping and whistling around me. I grinned as Dani blushed, slipping her soft hand against mine. And as my fingers wrapped against her skin, I led her to the front door.
“Have a nice night, you two!”