Chapter 10
The Girl
Lennon and I spent an hour that afternoon looking at pictures on Instagram and holding up swatches of colored strands of hair to my face to see what color would suit me best. Lennon preferred warm colors, often suggesting various shades of pink or red. Her favorite was a bright crimson, saying I’d look just like a real-life Poison Ivy with red hair and those gorgeous green eyes. I didn’t want to look like Poison Ivy, though. I wanted to look like me. Feel like me . I wasn’t sure if I’d ever felt like myself before. I’d always felt like maybe I wore someone else’s skin because nothing ever felt just right about me. I wanted a color to help me feel a little more like myself. I just wasn’t sure what “myself” felt like.
“I like red, but it makes me feel spicy, so I don’t think I’d want my hair to be red all the time. No one should be fired up twenty-four seven. A girl needs to relax sometimes.”
“Spicy, huh? Ooookay, what about a shade of green?”
“Mold, peas, and boogers are green. Pass. ”
Lennon sighed. “Okay, no mold, peas, boogers, or spice. You didn’t like any of the pics I found on Insta either, and those were mostly pinks…you said your favorite color was blue?”
I shook my head. “No, blue just makes me feel happy. My favorite color is kinda blue, kinda purple. It’s a comfy color, but it makes me feel happy too.”
Lennon rose from her perch on my bed and walked over to her case of hair supplies and rummaged through the contents. She hummed and tsked to herself while shuffling through bottles of dye before walking back over with two tubes in her hands.
“Okay, if we mix this ultra marine blue with this violet, it should make like… an indigo color. Does that sound good to you?”
I rolled the word around in my mouth like a marble. Indigo. Indigo. Innndigooo . Yep, that was it. Indigo sounded perfect.
“Oh yeah,” I replied with a grin.
TV shows and movies did me dirty. Like a major disservice. I had no idea it took so long to dye hair. You could probably add up the time from all the makeover montages I’d seen, and it wouldn’t even put a dent in how long I’d been waiting to wash this dye out. It had been eons, and I was impatient to see the results of Lennon’s hard work. The girl really had an eye for color and what would look good on whom. She showed me looks she had curated before, and I had to say I was impressed. I mean, I had no idea that looks could even be curated or what curated meant, so maybe it was easy to impress me. Still, I could tell that Lennon had an artistic flair that lit her up inside.
I couldn’t stop fidgeting, waiting for the dye to be ready to rinse off. Lennon couldn’t stand watching me fidget, so while we waited for the color to finish setting in, she painted our nails (a matte black with a silver accent nail on my middle fingers for me, and cherry bomb red for her) and then went through my meager wardrobe to help me find an outfit for our girls’ night. I hadn’t been shopping since I didn’t have any money, so I was extremely limited in my choices. My wardrobe mostly consisted of shorts, T-shirts, and workout clothes that were slightly too small for me. I had a pair of athletic shoes that a nice club girl named Winnie had given me, but I still usually wore my boots unless I was running.
Ellis’s old clothes sat, untouched, in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my room. She had fun taste, and I’d have loved to wear a few of her outfits, but it just didn’t seem worth upsetting Priest again. Underneath all his angry growls was a sea of pain, and I just didn’t have it in me to hurt him on purpose. Someone that sad should get hugs, not shoves…wearing his sister's clothes in front of him felt like a shove. Maybe the next time I saw him, I could give him a hug and let him know I got it. I sometimes got in my angry feelings, and I knew what it was like to be so mad and hurt and not be able to do anything about it. It fucking sucked balls.
“Okay!” Lennon’s voice snapped me out of my reverie, in which Priest whispered in my ear in his smoky, growly voice that I gave the very best hugs he’d ever huggled. “Time to rinse! Now, I want to do a big reveal at the end so I can see your reaction. Go ahead and close your eyes, and don’t open them till I tell you. I mean it, no peeking!” I obediently closed my eyes and allowed Lennon to lead me into the bathroom, where we could rinse the dye out in the sink. She had shown me pictures of a style that she thought would be cute and wanted me to try. As long as my hair was long enough for me to pull into a ponytail to keep it out of my face and off my neck while I exercised, I didn’t really care what style she chose.
I told her so, pointing out that I usually cut my own hair so I didn’t know what kind of styles there were. I trusted her opinion, but she talked me through the process as she trimmed and shaped my ends and added layers for volume. As she washed and cut and styled my hair, a feeling of relaxation and contentment washed over me. I sighed, tipping my head this way and that as Lennon needed to style my hair. All the while, my brain hummed contentedly.
Lennon’s hands moved confidently as she spoke about Ellis and the plans they had made to open a spa and resort one day, friends whom she had grown apart from after high school, a guy she met at the grocery store who flirted with her while in line at the deli, and how banana pudding cheesecake was her new favorite dessert. We had been getting to know each other for weeks, but this was the most Lennon had ever spoken about herself. Usually, she liked to ask me questions, so I enjoyed hearing about Lennon’s life. Especially when she told stories about Ellis. She looked so happy when she reminisced about her friend, and I took it as a sign of what a good person Ellis must have been for someone as awesome as Lennon to remember them so fondly.
“Hold your breath!” Lennon started spritzing my hair with spray, and I coughed as a sticky mist enveloped my head.
“Give a girl a second to inhale next time, damn!” Lennon snickered as she fluffed out my hair and fiddled with it, trying to make my unruly strands match the vision she had in her head. She must have been satisfied because I heard her taking pictures with her phone. Before and after photos were a must, apparently, for her project, so of course I allowed her to snap as many as she wanted.
“I don’t want to toot my own horn, but….. toot, toot, bitch , you look fabulous. Nope! Don’t you peek. I still have to do your makeup!”
I huffed impatiently. “Uhhg, spoilsport! Fine,” I whine. “I want something tasteful, maybe with a beauty mark on my upper lip in the shape of a heart? No bedazzling, rhinestones are so last season.” Lennon snickered and then proceeded to shlep about a pound of makeup to my face. She went all out, plucking my eyebrows and highlighting and exfoliating my lips before she painted them. Lennon even turned my back to the mirror when she applied mascara so I couldn’t sneak a look in the mirror. The heifer was thorough. No one could ever claim anything different.
“Alright, you’re done. Gimmie one more second before you look!” Lennon dashed out of the bathroom and returned holding a cobalt-blue Skyy vodka bottle. “Okay, Girl,” she said as she unscrewed the top of the bottle and held it up. “Here’s to new looks and new beginnings. Cheers!” She took a shot straight from the bottle and handed it to me.
“To new looks, new beginnings, and new friends!” I winked and tossed back my shot. Lennon turned me by my shoulders, and I caught my first glimpse of the new me. My eyes widened in shock and delight at the frickin’ art my hair now resembled. The bottom few inches of my wavy hair were a deep and vibrant shade of indigo. As my eyes roamed the length of my hair, I saw that Lennon had somehow pulled streaks of blue and violet up toward my face, like someone had dipped their hands into the last two arches of the rainbow and then run their fingers through my waves. My natural hair color was there too, more and more the higher my eyes rose—from the tips of my ears to the crown of my head was untouched. The entire effect was something Lennon called ombre, and it made me look like a mermaid. Not a nice one who saved drowning sailors but more like a siren who’d lure someone into rocky waters just so they could see the light leave their eyes up close.
I was so mesmerized by my hair that I was startled a bit when I finally met my own eyes in the mirror. My green eyes were luminescent, and Lennon's smoky shadow made them pop. Heavily lined with a cat-eye on my upper lid and a fringe of mascara-coated lashes, my eyes were accentuated and looked downright alluring. My lips were a glossy pink, giving me a plump cotton candy smile. When I asked her what look she was going for, Lennon had smirked.
Oh, honey. I’m giving you man-eater eyes and babydoll lips. The combo of innocent and sultry is like catnip to guys. You’ll be beating them off with a stick at the club.
Honestly, at the time, I was more focused on the whole beating people with a stick portion of her answer, but seeing the fruits of Lennon’s labor for myself, I understood what she meant. I looked girly, but I also looked like the kind of poison that made a man die with a smile on his lips. The mixture of danger and innocence perfectly encapsulated me. I was dangerous, but I was also relatively new to the world as a free woman, and I had yet to experience a lot. I wanted it all.
Lennon shifted her weight from one foot to the other behind me, nervously waiting for my verdict.
“Is it too much? I was going for a vampy nymph look, like a water sprite who moonlights as a hitman. Do you like it?” I turned to look at Lennon, who was biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands together.
“I don’t like it.” Lennon looked like she was about to burst into tears, so I hastily added, “I freaking love it! You’re a Bobdamn genius, Lennon!” Lennon squealed happily before enveloping me in a huge hug.
Pulling back, she fluffed my hair over my shoulders and said, “Indigo looks good on you.” Lennon gulped down another vodka shot before she returned the bottle and turned to the mirror. “My turn,” she said with a smirk.
Leaving Lennon to perform her wizardry with makeup in the bathroom, I went into my room and started getting into my outfit for the club. She had music playing softly from her phone in the bathroom, but I wasn’t paying much attention to it as I mulled over my new look and Lennon’s words. Tossing back another shot, I put on a pair of fishnet stockings and shimmied on a pair of cuffed black high-waisted shorts.
Careful not to smudge my makeup, I put on a low-cut white scooped-neck crop top with a crow in flight splashed across my boobs. My ass-stomper boots and butterfly knife completed the ensemble. Doing your own makeup must be easier than someone else’s because Lennon came out of the bathroom looking stunning after a few short minutes. Her long dark hair was up in an artfully messy bun, with wisps of hair framing her heart-shaped face. Her lips were stained the same cherry-bomb red as her nails, and her face looked flawless. Her dark eyes danced as she nodded at my outfit.
“You definitely look like a biker chick now, Girl. Gimmie one sec, I have a moto jacket that would look killer on you. I’ll change and be right back with your jacket, then we can head out!” Lennon skipped out the door before I could say anything, returning a few minutes later in a black bodycon minidress and heels. She wore a pair of silver hoop earrings and a black lace choker, and held a leather jacket and a pair of studded heels in her hand with a pleading look on her face. I shook my head and backed away.
“Oh hell no, no heels! I told you I want to be able to curb stomp someone if I need to and running in heels is annoying. My boots are fine!” Lennon rolled her eyes in exasperation .
“What kind of club do you think I’m taking you to? There will be dancing and drinks, no curb stomping required. Plus, in a pinch, you could always take one off and stab someone with the heel.”
“Good idea, my Sith apprentice. The answer is still no. I’m a boots or sneakers kind of gal, but I appreciate your dedication to fashion. Together, we can stomp or stab the night away!”
Lennon cackled merrily, taking another shot of vodka.“Okay, Girl, you win.”
“About that…” I said.
Lennon turned away from her reflection, where she was checking for eyeliner smudges, and quirked her brow in question, waiting for me to continue.
“I don’t want to go by Girl anymore. That’s not who I am. I mean, I am a woman, but I’m not Girl. I don’t want to just be Girl . I’ve thought about choosing a name for myself for a long time, but nothing ever seemed to fit me. Until now. I… I want to be called Indigo. It suits me, I think.”
Lennon’s eyes softened as she nodded, giving me a hug. “It does suit you. It’s perfect. It’s you .” My eyes started feeling shiny, and as she pulled back, Lennon could see I was feeling squishy feelings.
“Nuh-uh, no ma’am, Indigo. No crying! You’ll wreck your makeup, and I didn’t work my fairy godmother magic just for it to end up on a tissue! A pillowcase, maybe,” she added with a wink, “but not a tissue.”
I threw my head back and laughed, thankful for the break in tension. I felt like a goddess right now, and this girl right here was the reason. Ever since we first met, Lennon just accepted me as I was. The exhilarating rush her friendship and acceptance brought me was unparalleled. I could be raw and unfiltered and unapologetically me for the first time, and not worry about getting smacked back down into the dirt for the sheer audacity of being myself. I’d never had anything close to a friend like this before, and it was everything. I didn’t think I could ever thank Lennon enough for her friendship, and I already knew enough about who she was to know she’d never accept thanks for it anyway. It was just who she was.
I fanned my face to dry up my tears while Lennon dabbed the corners of my eyes with a wad of tissue. Lennon handed me the jacket, which I slipped on, fluffing my hair out and over my shoulders. We each took one more slug of vodka, and then Lennon snapped a quick selfie of us both grinning like loons for her Instagram. Lennon yanked my bedroom door open and stood on the threshold, her hand on her hip.
“Are you ready?” Her serious tone surprised me before a sinfully wicked smile stretched across her face. “It’s time for your debut, Indigo. The guys are gonna eat their fuckin’ hearts out.”
I pulled my shoulders back and tipped my chin up, feeling fierce and ready. I felt like there was no limit to what I could be now, like I was leaping into a land of infinite possibilities.
“Hell yeah, bestie. Let’s burn this candle!”
Priest
Bones and Ace were seated at one of the booths in the clubhouse, nursing beers and conversing. I walked over, dodging the new club girl, Winnie, who had been trying to catch my eye for the past few weeks. She was good-looking and everything, but she had a clingy vibe about her that I couldn’t stand. Hopefully, she’d take my avoidance as the gentle letdown it was meant to be and set her sights on a brother who’d be more interested in what she had to offer. I slid into the booth beside Bones, across from a seemingly agitated Ace.
“Ace has been filling me in on what’s been going on with Pyro. You’re gonna want to hear this, amigo .” Bones shook his head and took a long drink from his beer. I quirked my eyebrow up.
“Oh yeah? Well, what’s crawled up your ass then, Ace? I’ve never seen you so…loquacious.”
Ace chuffed a small laugh, the corner of one lip quirking up in the closest thing to a smile I’d seen on Ace’s face since the day he posed for Ellis’s and Lennon’s prom photos.
“I wasn’t spying, you know. Or eavesdroppin’. You know Duke’s got me doing odd jobs and whatnot, keeping myself busy.” I nodded along, knowing full well that Ace was the club’s jack-of-all-trades. He did odd jobs and maintenance around the compound and lived in a small apartment in Sagebrush. The Vietnam War had claimed a piece of Ace’s soul that he’d never been able to reclaim, and as long as I’d known him, he’d been on the outer fringes of things. That was where he liked it, though. He fought his demons every day, but he’d always been there for this club whenever needed. We were his family now, and I trusted his judgment.
“No one could accuse you of being nosy, you grumpy old bastard. What did you overhear?”
“Pyro…and the girl.”
My jaw dropped. I cleared my throat, trying to mask my shock.“Well, Ace, they’re adults. Why the fuck should I care who she spreads her legs for?”
Bones shot me a glare before Ace cut in, “Jesus, man. No. She’s not sleepin’ with him.”
A feeling shot through my chest that I refused to acknowledge was relief. Honestly, I didn’t want any of my brothers sleeping with her simply because she was enough of a problem as it was. Add in feelings that came from regular access to pussy, and she could become even more of a distraction. Which was the last thing I needed right now.
“Okay, well, what were they doing, then? Why is this an issue?”
“I noticed him watchin’ her. Didn’t think anything of it at first because everyone was kinda keepin’ an eye on her. One night, I was in the club late, restocking the bar, when I heard somethin’ from upstairs. When I went to check, Pyro was in her room…” Ace’s hand clenched his beer bottle in his fist. “He must have picked the lock or maybe she forgot, though that doesn’t seem likely. Pyro was going through her clothes and touchin’ her… things .” He widened his eyes in emphasis, like Bones and I could possibly misunderstand. Ace had caught Pyro in her panty drawer. “I called his name, and when he saw me, he made some excuse about stumblin’ into the wrong room, but that was a complete load of horse shit.”
It was creepy, for sure, but it didn’t explain the level of animosity Ace was displaying for Pyro. “What else?”
“He talks shit about her all the time. How she’s an uppity bitch and how she sucker punched him, and that’s the only reason she got the drop on him. I don’t know who he thinks he’s foolin’, though. The whole damn club saw her lay him out.”
I didn’t have time for this shit.“Okay, so he perved on her panties once, and he’s running his mouth. It’s Pyro; the man loves to hear himself speak, and he’s an ass to everyone. That girl doesn’t need anyone sticking up for her. She can stick up for herself. Are you seriously this pissed over some schoolyard meanie bullshit?”
“Meanie bullshit? Yesterday, he cornered her in the kitchen. Didn’t know I was working in the garden bed below the open window. He told her it wouldn’t be long before she was tossed out on her ass, and as soon as she was, he was comin’ for her. Told her he was gonna pay her back for humiliating him. He was gonna…use her. Do… things .” Ace, a war veteran and MC soldier, paled, remembering whatever threats Pyro issued to her . “The things he said… they were completely fucked up , Priest. He said she was just askin’ for it with that smart mouth of hers, and one day he was gonna be able to do everything he wanted, and no one was gonna give enough of a shit about her to stop him.”
I looked at Bones, who was grinding his jaw. We had no illusions about who we were as individuals and as a club. We all had blood on our hands; we all were on the wrong side of the law and operated on the fringes. We did have standards, though—lines we had to draw. The Crows operated within their own moral code, and one of the most absolute laws we had within the club was no rape . My grandpop Gavin was one of the OG founders of Los Cuervos and insisted that all Crows abide by this rule. My dad explained once that Gavin was raised by his mother, a victim of sexual assault, and the trauma she lived with changed him. He couldn’t abide a rapist, and he passed that conviction down to the next generation and the next after that.
No one should ever take what should only be freely given, and with our lifestyle Los Cuervos had never experienced a shortage of willing women looking for some fun. The fact of the matter was, if Duke found out any of the Crows had raped someone, it resulted in an expulsion from the club and an act of club justice. Duke was a firm believer in an eye for an eye even before Ellis’s loss. He’d go fucking Old Testament wrath on anyone he caught forcing themselves on someone.
The single time a Los Cuervos member assaulted a girl from Sagebrush, and she ended up committing suicide afterward… Gavin’s punishment was so vicious it served as a macabre warning for any other brother who might consider rape in the future. Once Gavin discovered what had occurred and knew that one of his very own had committed such a brutal act, he executed the offending brother himself. His name was struck from our ranks, and what was left of him was fed to the hogs kept by our New Mexico chapter.
“What did chica loca have to say about his threats?” Bones asked. “She doesn’t walk around the club like she’s scared of him or feeling threatened. Girl has given every indication she’s happy here so far.” I nodded my agreement. I didn’t spend as much time with her as Bones, Cricket, and Lennon did, but I do watch her obsessively, and I never noticed Pyro making her appear uncomfortable.
Ace chuckled. “I like her, that girl. She’s a firecracker. Don’t take no shit, especially off Pyro’s stupid ass.” Ace sneered. “She can handle herself. I ain’t worried about her. Pyro tries anything, I’m confident she can handle it. My point is, it shouldn’t get to that point. It’s not the LC way.”
I nodded, agreeing that we didn’t condone rape at all. “That’s true, and we can have a discussion with Pyro about his attitude and threats. I can’t punish him for something he hasn’t done, though. Until he touches her against her will, my hands are tied.”
“I get that, Priest. Just wanted you and Bones to be aware of the situation. I wonder if that little girl’s brought out Pyro’s true colors. If you’d asked me six months ago if any Crow would threaten to rape someone, I’d call ’em crazy. After hearing Pyro, though…it just didn’t sit right with me.” No, it didn’t sit well with Bones and me either.
“Thanks, Ace,” Bones said, “we’ll keep an eye on Pyro. Priest and I are gonna be heading into Reno tonight, so we’re gonna grab a bite at the bar before we go. ”
Ace stood and patted me on the back as he strode toward the exit, not one for socializing after church. Bones and I abandoned the booth and headed toward the bar where Prospect had our burgers waiting.
“Here you go, VP. No tomatoes.” Prospect slid my burger over and handed Bones his plate. I curled my lip at the tomatoes and sunny-side up egg on Bones’s burger. He took a huge bite and had egg yolk and tomato juice dribbling onto his chin as he chewed. I mimed gagging—burgers shouldn’t drip like that. Bones grinned and chewed obnoxiously, knowing how picky I was about my burgers. Prospect reached for the scotch to pour me a drink, but I waved him off.
“Water for me. I already had a few in my office, and we need to hit the road in a bit.” Prospect handed Bones and me bottles of water and walked down the bar to see if any of the club girls needed a refill. We were halfway through our burgers when the music playing on the Bluetooth jukebox suddenly cut off.
“Attention, please!” Lennon’s voice rang through the club from her position at the top of the stairs. “You all may have gotten to know our guest, Girl, in the past few weeks.” Lennon sauntered down the stairs, looking dressed to kill in a teeny-tiny dress for a night at the club. “Well, she’s turning over a new leaf and embracing her new life. Indigo is making her debut, so let’s give her a Crow’s welcome!” Lennon hit a button on her phone, and suddenly, “Rhapsody in Pink” by Stella Cole blared from the speakers. All eyes were on the staircase as the girl started down the steps. She wore the same chunky boots she always wore, with fishnet tights and high-waisted booty shorts that would make Daisy Duke jealous. Her little crop top hugged her tits perfectly and showed off a sliver of her pale stomach. My eyes widened when my perusal arrived at her shoulders, which were engulfed by indigo-colored waves. Fingers of blue and violet played peek-a-boo toward the crown of her head, which remained the ash blond it always was. Her luscious pink lips curved into a deliciously deviant smile as she got to the bottom of the staircase and gave a little spin and a curtsy.
Wolf whistles and catcalls started ringing through the club. Bard was standing on his damn chair and clapping for her like a dumbass. Cricket stepped forward to engulf her in a hug, and when he swung her around, she let out a cute little giggle that got on my last nerve. At my side, Bones frowned in Lennon’s general direction, which was his default setting whenever Lennon was around. She glared right back and motioned for Bones to come greet Indigo like she had undergone some sort of metamorphosis instead of a dye job. Bones and I walked across the room, and he paid her some kind of compliment that made her face light up.
Well, we couldn’t have that.
“Where are you two going dressed like that ?” I took my time dragging my eyes from her toes to her face, letting my thoughts on her whole biker slut outfit apparent. I did the same to Lennon, raising my eyebrow at the dress that showed far too much T her touch made me feel even more agitated than I already was, and it pissed me off that she had any effect on me at all.“Calm down, Growly Gus, we’re just going dancing at a club Lennon knows of in Reno. As for an escort…”
Indigo looked around the room until her eyes caught on Cricket standing by the bar talking to Thor. She gave a loud whistle, catching Cricket’s attention. “Hey, conscience, your services are required! Lennon and I are in need of a squire to take us around town. You in?” Cricket, the damn pain in my ass, pretended to consider it before he winked at her and said, “Whatever milady requires, she shall have!” Oh, for fuck’s sake. Bones and I must both look like we had sucked on a lemon because smug giggles from Lennon and Indigo signified that they were, in fact, going out whether we liked it or not.
Cricket and Thor ambled over, and Cricket threw an arm over Indigo’s shoulders. My eyes narrowed as I caught the familiar gesture, and it made me wonder exactly how close the two of them had gotten. A feeling that certainly was not jealousy swelled in my chest. The idea of any of my brothers getting snared in her web caused my jaw to clench and my molars to grind. I’d need a fucking mouthguard if she didn’t get out of my town soon.
Thor approached with his signature golden retriever energy and asked, “Mind if I tag along?”The girl…Indigo…her face lit up like the Fourth of July at his question.
“Sure! The more the merrier, big guy. Will you be our DD? Lennon and I pre-gamed,” Indigo explained to Cricket’s mock dismay, “and really if you’re going to be wielding that heavy equipment in your pants, you should stay sober. It’s the responsible thing to do.”
She solemnly nodded along to her statement while Cricket and Lennon tried their best to hold in a torrent of laughter. Thor looked smug as hell before Bones asked, “Heavy equipment, chica loca?”
“His hammer, duh.” Indigo rolled her eyes like we were being especially obtuse, and that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back because Lennon, Cricket, and Thor all dissolved into a fit of laughter while Indigo watched them in confused bemusement. Even Bones chuckled a bit, but I wasn’t fuckin’ amused.
“Ohmigod, Indi, you’re the best.” Lennon linked arms with her and headed to the door, both cackling like witches. Before Thor and Cricket could follow, I held my hand up, stopping them.
“Keep an eye on them. I want to know if anyone pays her special attention, who she talks to, etc. If she goes to the bathroom, I want to know how many squares of goddamn toilet paper she uses, you feel me? Eyes on her at all times. It’s her first time out of Sagebrush, and I have a feeling she’s gonna try something.” Cricket saluted me like the smart-ass he was, and Thor nodded his understanding. They both slid their leather cuts on over their shirts and headed out the door.
“And keep your damn hammer in your pants, Thor!”
Bones and I stood on the clubhouse porch watching as Thor drove them out of the gate and down the road in a club SUV. We were heading into Reno for business shortly, but I would try to ensure we finished early so we could stop by whatever club Lennon was dragging them to. I was interested to see how Indigo behaved in the wild, and I suspected I might be able to gain some insight into her hidden agenda tonight.
We headed inside to finish our burgers and change for our trip to Reno. Tonight, we’d be checking on Bear over at Savage Delights, our underground fight ring. I put on a black Henley shirt and rolled the sleeves up to my elbows, sliding my cut over the shirt. The faded blue jeans and black boots I already had on were good enough for Savage Delights, and I didn’t really care if I looked good for the fights anyway. It wasn’t like I was going out for a night of fun like Lennon and her. I slicked my hair back with some pomade and called it good. Bones came out of his room looking much the same as I did.
“Nice hair, Priest. Never seen you slick it back for the fights. You got a date I don’t know about or something?” I shoved Bones, who bounced playfully off the wall in the hallway of the living quarters of the compound, his laughter echoing in the small space.
“Screw you, man. I noticed you changed your shirt. Tryin’ to look good for Lennon? Hoping she’ll call you to come pick her up from the club?” I dodged a punch Bones aimed at my head and snickered as we trooped down the stairs.
“Too far, bro. Don’t even joke about gatita like that.” Chuffing back a laugh, I held my hands up in mock surrender.
“Sure, man, sure. Heaven forbid your kitten know you’ve been in love with her for years.”
Bones’s expression turned as black as his hair, but he didn’t say any more on the subject. The look on his face alone was enough to make me drop it, and I felt a little guilty, knowing I was spreading my misery around. We walked over to our bikes and grabbed our helmets out of our saddlebags.
“Hey, man, you know I’d never say anything to her. It ain’t my place. We good? ”
Bones strapped his helmet in place and slid his sunglasses on. Shaking his head, he said,“Yeah, man, we’re always good. Let’s get this shit show on the road.”
Shit show, indeed. Tonight should be business as usual, but something in my gut told me the girl who’d invaded my space and taken over my thoughts would prove to be the trouble I always believed she was. Bones and I started our bikes, the deep rumble resonating in my soul. Riding a bike felt like pure, unadulterated freedom. Releasing the clutch, I slowly led the way down the long driveway to the gate with Bones slightly behind me and to my left. Once we were both clear of the compound, we shifted into second gear and opened up the throttle, roaring down the highway to Reno.
The constant tightness I felt in my chest eased slightly whenever I was on my bike, thundering down the open road. I carried the weight of the club, my family, my guilt, and my resentment for Indigo on my shoulders, but for the moment, it was just me and my bike flying free. I took my first deep breath all day, allowing everything to wash away like a wave on the beach. Everything would be waiting for me when we parked in Reno, all the weight right back on my shoulders where it belonged, but I couldn’t deny that it felt good to set it down, even if only for a little while. Sometimes a little while was all you had, so you had to make it count.