Cherry rolled her eyes. “Can I go now? I have to find another job, and you guys just wasted my night.”
Demon nodded at her, and she flounced over to the door.
“Come back next week, maybe we can find a waitressing job for you,” Demon called.
“Really?” Cherry asked.
“If what you just told us pans out, and you don’t go running back to your cousin, then we’ll see what we can figure out, but just know, your attitude is going to have to do a one-eighty if you have any hopes of working here.”
Cherry nodded and disappeared out the door.
“Fucking really?” Troy asked. “You do know that Meg and the girls are going to flip their shit when they find out you offered her a job, right?”
Demon shrugged. “It’s not like the girls or any of us are going to be hanging out here. Besides, King has the final say.” Demon picked up his beer. “That’s not really the issue at hand right now. We need to figure out who this doctor is.”
“I doubt he even is a doctor. It’s gotta be code for something,” Gambler said.
“He must still have some of his men working for him. Hammer and Turtle said that no one was with him anymore, but I find that hard to believe,” I replied.
“Well, whatever, or whoever the doctor is, we need to figure it out.” Demon glanced at the clock and shook his head. “King said we need to head over to the tattoo parlor when we were done. He said the girls were up to their normal antics.”
“I bet ya it’s Meg,” Gambler mumbled.
“He didn’t really say who, but it sure was fucking loud when he called earlier,” Demon laughed.
“Gwen hasn’t texted me in a while, so I can only imagine what’s going on there.” Gambler grabbed his phone off of the table and shoved it in his pocket. “I’m heading over there. The rest of you fuckers coming too?”
“Rolly, lock up for us, would ya?” Demon called to the bartender.
Rolly walked out from the back and nodded. “Will do. You want me to call back any of those girls you saw tonight?” Rolly was going to be the general manager of the club, and also a bartender when need be.
Demon pointed to the list on the table. “Circled ones are the ones you can call. There ain’t many of them, though. We’re going to have to run another ad in the newspaper.”
Rolly nodded and chuckled. “I didn’t figure you would have too many. Falling off the stage really isn’t something we want.”
“True that. Brother,” Troy said, raising his fist in the air.
“What about the last one?” Rolly asked.
“We’ll have to get back to you on that one. King is going to have to decide,” Demon replied as he slid his leather jacket on.
“She had an attitude on her, but she had the look to her that would draw men into here,” Rolly replied.
Rolly was right. Cherry wasn’t bad to look at, it was just when she opened her mouth that she became ugly.
We all agreed but didn’t like to.
“It sure feels good to be on the bike,” Gambler said when we walked outside.
It was late April, and there was still a chill in the air, but we felt it was time to get back on our bikes. Winter was hell on a biker who couldn’t ride.
“I was surprised that you actually got yours out, Slider. You were moping around so much the past months that I thought you were hanging it up.” Demon swung his leg over his DynaGlide.
I shrugged. “Just didn’t feel like riding before.”
“But now you do?” Troy flipped his keys up in the air.
“Just finally felt like getting her ready,” I replied as I straddled my bike.
“I think he means he finally got Fayth straightened, so now everything else can go back to normal,” Gambler said, laughing.
I flipped him off and cranked up my bike. The motor roared beneath me, and it felt damn good. What would feel even better would be when I had Fayth on the back with me.
“Meet y’all at the tattoo place,” Troy called, walking over to his truck.
Demon and Gambler both started up their bikes, and Demon circled his hand in the air and we took off towards town.
The tattoo parlor was only ten minutes away, but it felt like ten minutes too long. I missed Fayth, and I needed to see her again. I had told her she was going to have to wait until the Big A situation was under control, but I wasn’t sure I could wait that long.
I needed to make her mine.
********
Chapter 29
Fayth
“Ow.”
“Good lord, she hasn’t even touched you yet.”
“Ouch.”
“Sweet Jesus. I need a drink, Axel,” Meg called from the table she was sprawled out over.
All of us had our tattoos done, Paige included, and we were just waiting for Marley to be done. Well, it was more like we were waiting for Marley to even start.
Darby turned on the tattoo gun, and Marley about jumped out of her skin.
“Oh hell. I can’t do this,” she gasped.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine off of the floor. This had been happening for the past hour, and we were all about to lose our minds.
Meg stood. “Good, we can go home.”
“But I really want it,” Marley whined.
“Oh, Mylanta. We’re never going to get out of here,” Cyn sighed.
“Look, either you’re going to get it, or you’re not. Decide, woman,” Axel barked. The quiet man we had first met was gone and was replaced by an impatient giant who just wanted to go home. Marley had played musical tattoo artists for a bit, going from one to the other trying to decide who she wanted to tattoo her.
“I’m sticking with Darby. I know that,” Marley said confidently.
Axel stood. “About fucking time. Good luck, Darby. Hopefully you aren’t here when I come back in the morning.” Axel headed out the backdoor with Imogen and Keegan following him.
“And then there was one,” Gwen mumbled.
“Okay,” Marley said before she took a deep breath. “Let’s do this. No turning back. She closed her eyes and put her wrist on the table in front of Darby.
“Girl, grab that wrist and tattoo something on it before she changes her mind again,” Paige said from the floor.
Cyn was sitting in the same chair she had started in, while I was sitting on the floor next to Paige, and Gwen and Meg were sprawled out on the tables. Three bottles of wine were being passed around, and the last of one was now firmly in my hand, and I didn’t want to give it up.
“I’m going to have to run to the liquor store if we don’t get this thing going soon.” Gwen held up her empty bottle of wine.
“I have some up front,” Darby replied, poising the tattoo gun over Marley’s arm. “Last time, chick. You chicken out, you’re going to have to come back, and I highly doubt you’ll get anyone to tattoo you.”
Marley shook her head. “I’m ready,” she whispered.
We all held our breath, praying this would be the time Marley did it.
Darby gently pricked Marley’s skin, and nobody moved.
Marley peeked open one eye and looked down at her wrist. “Is that it?” she asked Darby.
“For the most part, chica. Just about twenty more minutes of that, and you’ll have your first tattoo.” Darby dunked the needle back in the ink and looked up at Marley. “Ready for more?”
“Pfft, hell yes. You guys made it seem way worse than this.” Marley smirked.
We all groaned, and I tossed back the last of the wine.
“How bad did the one on your neck hurt?” Cyn asked me.
I shrugged and held up my pinky and thumb a little apart. It had hurt, but not more than any other tattoo I had gotten. I had angel wings on my back for my mother who had passed away when I was sixteen, a firefly on my thigh, and Marco’s initials on my ankle. I counted the angel wings as two because those suckers are huge.
“Can I see it again?” she asked.
I held back my hair, exposing the lips on my neck.
“Those are sexy as hell,” she mumbled. “Why did you decided on those?”
I shrugged.
“It’s about time the Cavalry got here,” I heard King call from the front of the shop.
“Yeah, yeah, you know how shit goes,” Gambler replied. “Where’s the women?”
“In the back getting ready to kill Marley,” King said, laughing.
“No shit, I would have figured it would have been Paige chickening out.”
I looked over my shoulder and watched Gambler heading down the short hallway with Demon, King, Troy, and Slider following behind him.
“Hey, I’ll have you know that I knew exactly what I wanted when I got here,” Paige replied, pointing her finger at Gambler.
Troy stood next to Marley and looked down at her wrist. “How the hell were you causing trouble?”
“Well, you know. I wanted to make sure I got just the right tattoo, and in the right place,” she said, beaming up at Troy.
“Your woman took almost two hours to get her ass in that chair with a needle in her skin,” Meg called from the table. “I was ready to pour a bottle of wine down her throat and strap her to the chair.”
“How’d you end up on the floor, Firecracker?”
I looked up, and Slider was standing over me, a smirk on his face.
“Slider,” I said softly.
“You get a tattoo?”
I nodded and tilted my head to the right.
Slider kneeled next to me and brushed his fingertip across my neck. “Damn,” he uttered.
“Sexy, right?” Cyn said.
“Sexy as hell,” he whispered. He threaded his fingers through my hair and looked me in the eye. “You ready to go?” he asked quietly.
I nodded, and he grabbed my hand to hoist me off the floor.
He looked down at me. “You have fun?”
I nodded. I really did have a good time when I was with all of the girls. They were all funny and different in their own ways.
Creed walked through the back door. “You taking her home?”
“I planned on it,” Slider growled.
“Good. I got some shit to take care of tonight, and I won’t be around. You think you can keep an eye her while I’m gone?”
“Not an issue.”
“Good. I’ll see ya in the morning.” Creed left without a glance at anyone.
“That man is an ass,” Marley blurted out.
“Amen, sista,” Gwen agreed. “A hot body, and an assy attitude.”
“Hey,” Gambler said, “you mind not looking at his hot body?”
Gwen grinned like the Cheshire cat. “So, you agree he has a hot body?”
“Burn,” Paige said, laughing. She reached up, holding her hand out to me. I slapped her hand and she hooted, “Woo!”
“I don’t think that was really a burn, baby,” Demon said with a smirk.
Paige waved him off. “In my head it was, and Gwen is my sister.”
“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Demon asked.
“It’s the ho code,” Cyn piped up. “Just like the bro code, but you know, with ho’s.”
We all looked at each other and busted out laughing.
“The ho code sounds more like something you don’t want to be a part of,” King chuckled as he scooted Meg over and sat down on the edge of the table.
Meg elbowed him and rolled her eyes. “I’ll be part of your ho code, Cyn.”
Cyn turned and looked at Meg. “You didn’t have a choice, you were in no matter what.”
“What the hell are you getting a tattoo of?” Demon looked down at Marley’s wrist. “Is that brown?”
“Yeah, it’s a cowboy hat.”
“Oh, yeah, I totally see it now if I turn my head to the side.” Demon twisted his head to the right and squinted. “Yeah, totally a cowboy hat.”
Darby stopped tattooing and glared at Demon. “You might want to sit down by your woman if you know what’s best for you.”
Demon raised his hands, moved over to Paige, and held his hand out to her. “Let’s get out of here, the natives are getting restless,” he said, motioning to Darby.
Paige shook her head and stood. “I think you need to keep your mouth shut around the native who had a tattoo gun in her hand,” she giggled, and he grabbed her sweatshirt off the back of Cyn’s chair.
“See, that’s why I need you around.” Demon wrapped his arms around Paige and pulled her into his side. “Lord knows what I’d get tattooed on me if you weren’t here.”
Darby grinned evilly at Demon and pointed the tattoo gun at him.
“Yup,” Demon said, grabbing Paige and propelling her towards the door. “Definitely time to get the hell out of here.”
“Bye!” Paige called over her shoulder as Demon pushed her out the door.
“You ready to get out of here too?” Gwen said and nudged Gambler’s feet that were hanging off of the table.
“What?” Marley shrieked. “You guys can’t all leave. What about the ho code?”
“Relax,” Meg called. “Cyn and I will be here until the end of the world’s longest tattoo. I just need to get up and get the booze up front.” Meg moved her legs, and King slapped her on the ass.
“Sit, babe. I’ll get it.” He sauntered up front.
Cyn reclined back in her chair. “For the record, I’m only here because Meg is my ride.”
Marley flipped off Cyn and stuck her tongue out.
Cyn blew her a kiss and whispered, “Ho code.”
“Can we go back to the fact that you’re getting a cowboy hat tattooed on your wrist?” Troy asked. His eyes had yet to leave Marley’s arm, and it looked like he was thinking doubly hard.
“Serious?” Meg sat up and leaned her head on her hand. “You’re getting good at the sarcastic ass, Troy. I can never tell if you’re being serious or not anymore.”
“It’s a skill,” Troy muttered. He looked at Marley. “What are you doing?”
Marley’s eyes bugged out, and her mouth dropped. “I’m getting a cowboy hat tattoo.”
“I see that, but why?”
“Uh, well, you see, I thought since my dad calls you cowboy, I would get a cowboy hat, you know because, I love you or something,” Marley said, ducking her head.
“You know that’s forever, right?” he asked her.
“Troy, kno—” Meg interrupted, but Troy held his hand up to silence her.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with you, Meg,” he barked.
Darby stopped tattooing and rolled away from Marley.
“Troy, I’m not stupid, I know a tattoo is forever,” Marley said, her voice cracking.
I moved into Slider, and he put his arm around my waist. I had no idea what was going on with Troy and Marley, but it didn’t seem good.
“That means something that represents me is on you forever. No going back,” he remarked.
“I know,” she said quietly.
Troy reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Gwen and Meg gasped and put their hands over their mouths. “Holy fuck,” Cyn, who had a front row seat, said.
Troy got down on one knee and opened up the ring box. “That tattoo is forever, and so is this ring.”
Marley gasped and grabbed the ring out of his hand. “Holy buckets.”
“Did she just say holy buckets?” Meg looked at King who was standing behind Slider and me.
“Yeah, babe. Shut the hell up,” King ordered. Meg gasped and glared at King but stopped talking.
Troy took the ring back from Marley. “You don’t get this until I get to say the spiel I’ve been practicing for a month, and you say yes.”
“Yes,” Marley shouted.
“Girl, you might want to hear that spiel before you say yes. He might ask you to iron his underwear every day and have fifteen kids,” Gwen advised.
Gambler put his hand over her mouth. “Sorry man,” he mumbled. “Apparently our wo
men don’t know how to act.”
Gwen sputtered under Gambler’s hand.
“I think you’re good to keep going. Mine can’t talk,” Slider said, hitching his thumb at me.
Marley bust out laughing. “She could always object and say no.”
I held up my hands and shook my head. I was all good with Troy proposing to Marley.
Troy cleared his throat and looked up into Marley’s eyes. “I knew the second I laid eyes on you that you were unlike any woman I had ever met. We may have had a bumpy start, but I knew that you were going to be the one to bring me to my knees.”
“Aww,” Meg sighed.
Troy rolled his eyes and glared at her. “Two minutes, Meg. Just give me two minutes.”
“This shit is hilarious.” Gambler had pulled his phone out and was recording everything.
“Hell,” Troy shook his head, “I fucking love you, Marley, and I want us to be together for as long as that tattoo is on your wrist. Marry me, and put me out of my misery.” Troy took the ring out of the box and held it up. Marley reached out her hand and nodded.
“Yes. Yes times a million,” she sobbed as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
Troy wrapped his arms around Marley’s waist and lifted her up in the air.
“Careful of her wrist,” Darby called.
Marley held her arm over her head and wrapped her other one around Troy’s neck. “I love you,” she shouted. “Now I have two things that will be with me forever. My tattoo and your ring.”
“Um, how about three things,” Gambler called. “Don’t forget Troy.”
Gwen elbowed Gambler in the side and rolled her eyes. “You might want to heed your own advice,” she mumbled.
Gambler grabbed her around the waist and wrapped his arms around her. “You might want to watch what you say, or I might make you mine forever, too.”
“Promises, promises,” Gwen mumbled before she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t think you could handle me forever.”
“Hey, focus on me,” Marley called, waving her hand in the air. “I’m getting married,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
Cyn, Meg, Gwen, and I circled around her, and oohed and aahed over the gorgeous ring Troy had picked out.
Devil’s Knights MC Box Set 2 Page 65