CHAPTER TWELVE

Danielle

Rough and ready looking men and women, all of whom you’d expect to see at a biker bar, laughed and drank, chased after kids, made out in the corner, or shot pool… all while smoking. The men wore jeans, boots, and cuts and the women wore a variety of biker chic attire, all of which were absolutely nothing like me or the people I hung out with. I felt like I’d been transported onto some form of a movie set full of extras.

I also couldn’t have felt more out of place had I been abducted by aliens. Although, I did have a weird and ungracious thought that an alien spacecraft was probably cleaner and smelled better.

“Comin’?” Mags asked, already a few feet in front of me.

“Oh, yes. Sorry,” I said, and rushed to catch up to her.

She led me into a commercial grade kitchen where another group of women were chugging beer and pulling out hamburger and hotdog buns, condiments, and bags of chips.

“Everyone, this is Dani,” Mags said. “Booker’s woman.”

The group stopped what they were doing. And I mean, stopped. All of a sudden, I had ten sets of eyes on me, most curious, but one pissed. She was tall, probably five-foot-eight, dark hair with a purple strip dyed down the side and just like the rest of the ladies in the room, her hair was big. She wore a black pair of leather pants, a strapless bustier, and four-inch hooker boots. She looked like a p**n star complete with fake eyelashes and even faker boobs.

I smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace. “Hi.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Susie.” A woman close to my height separated herself from the group and made her way to me. She was blonde like me, only not as natural as she might have been in her prime. She wore jeans, a low-cut T-shirt, and a vest that had “Property of Crow” on a patch. “I’m Crow’s old lady.”

“And my sister,” Mags said.

I deduced Susie was the matriarch, because the rest of the ladies rallied around to introduce themselves to me, but not until Susie had led the way. Even the angry one pasted on a fake smile and introduced herself. Her name was Tiffany, but she told me to call her “Tiff.” I tried not to throw up in my mouth.

“Dani brought a few things,” Mags said, and lifted the bag onto the stainless-steel island.

“What can I do to help?” I asked, wondering where the hell Austin was.

Tiffany grinned at something or someone over my head and made a girlie saunter toward the door. I watched as she pulled Mack into an intimate embrace, her back to me, whispering something in his ear that had him rolling his eyes. He adjusted his expression before he smiled at her and then set her away and headed straight for me.

“Hey, Dani,” he said sweetly, and kissed my cheek before looping a brotherly arm around my neck.

“Hi, Mack.” I didn’t miss the scowl and little stomp of Tiffany’s foot as she twirled and walked away.

“Did you meet everyone?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Mind if I steal her?” Mack asked the other ladies.

“You kids have fun,” Susie said. “Thanks for the stuff, Dani. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” I let Mack lead me out of the kitchen and back into the great room. “Where’s Austin?”

“He got caught up with something.”

“How long will he be?” I asked.

“No idea, babe. Sorry.”

I swallowed, my stomach churning with nerves. “Maybe I should go.”

“I got ya, Dani. Come and meet a few of the brothers.”

Mack grinned and I knew I didn’t really have much of a choice, so I followed him around the room meeting the brothers and their women. I wasn’t entirely sure I’d remember any of their names, but I tried to smile and not hide behind Mack as the men eyed me both curiously and suggestively. I recognized Hatch’s name when Mack introduced me, and he put me at ease instantly. Long dark hair and a beard gave him a Rollo from Vikings look, and he had blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

I also knew I wouldn’t forget Knight. He didn’t stay long, but he made a lasting impression. I should figure out a way to introduce him to Kim. He was really tall, but so was she, so they’d be a gorgeous couple.

I was half an hour in, and still no sign of Austin, so I asked where the ladies’ room was and got a chuckle from a few of the men.

“I’ll show you,” Mack said, and led me down another hallway and to the second door on the left. He banged on the door, got no response, so pushed it open, and indicated for me to enter.

“Thanks,” I grumbled, and closed the door behind me. Finding the light switch, I flipped it on and wrinkled my nose. Gross. A toilet, sink, and a white pressboard cabinet were all that sat in the relatively large space. It looked like a heavily used bar bathroom, complete with toilet seat up and empty toilet roll.

I opened the cabinet to see if I could locate more toilet paper and found a container of disinfectant wipes along with the warehouse rolls of paper, so I wiped the toilet down best I could before replacing the roll and doing my thing. After washing my hands and drying them with toilet paper… no paper towels anywhere to be found… I pulled out my phone and sent Austin a text.

I’m thinking I need to give you the definition of glued. You’re obviously busy, so I’m going to call a cab.

I dropped the phone into my purse and pulled open the door, but it wasn’t Mack on the other side of the door.

Austin grinned, sliding his hand to my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. “A cab, huh?”

“Where have you been?” I demanded.

“Sorry, baby, got caught up with the Prez. I’m all yours now. No more business.”

I poked his side. “Jerk.”

He laughed and lifted my hand to his lips. “Did you meet everyone?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “Mack introduced me to a few people, but be warned, I won’t remember who they are… except maybe Knight and Hatch. And I met Susie and a few of the other ladies when Mags took me back to the kitchen.”

Austin nodded. “Those are the key women. They belong to someone.”

“Belong to someone?”

He tugged me down the hall toward the great room. “Old ladies.”

“Oh, right.” I pulled him to a stop, and he faced me. “Who does Tiff belong to?” I asked.

“Fuck. She’s here?”

I frowned up at him. “Yeah. She’s here and really good at giving the stink eye.”

“Ignore her. She’s no one.”

“She seemed pretty friendly with Mack.”

“Mack’s friendly with everyone.” Austin cupped my cheek. “Hang in with me, yeah?”

“I feel totally out of place,” I admitted. “Everyone’s looking at me weird.”

“What the hell? They’re being rude?”

I shook my head. “No, they just keep looking at me like I’m an alien or something.”

Austin laughed. “Babe.”

“I’m the only one wearing clothes.”

“I told you to wear what you feel comfortable in.”

“I am,” I stressed. “I just didn’t realize I’d be wearing forty-two layers more than anyone else.”

He grinned as he grabbed my hand and turned back toward the bathroom. “Come with me.”

He led me past the bathroom, up a set of stairs, then another, down a wide hallway with doors every few feet, and into the last door on the left. Flipping on the light, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. He slipped my purse from my shoulder and I let it fall as Austin guided me to a bed and laid me down on top of it, stretching out beside me. He continued to kiss me until I came to my senses and pulled away from him, flopping onto my back and taking several deep breaths.

Austin leaned over me and smiled, his hand settling in the middle of my chest. “You are the prettiest girl in the room, baby. That’s probably why they’re all looking at you. But no one will disrespect you, because they will answer to me, so you tell me if you run into a problem.”

I stroked his cheek. “I’m a big girl, honey, I can deal. I just don’t want to do this without you. I appreciate you sending Mack to help, but I don’t want Mack. I want you.”

He kissed me again, and then sat up and pulled me from the bed. “Glue.”

“Yes, glue,” I repeated. “If I have to put a leash on you, I will.”

He wrapped his arms around me and slid his hands under my cami. “Don’t make promises you’re not willing to keep, baby.”