Chapter Twenty-Seven
It took me another two days to get things planned, but we had a night arranged, and fifteen of the bikers had said they’d be there.
By my calculations that gave me just enough to fulfil the terms of my agreement with Micro.
At this point, I was so desperate to get this fucking prospect cut off my back that I’d do any kind of wheeling and dealing to make it happen.
I’d been in limbo for too long, and I needed a home.
I’d given everyone the address of the club, but we rode as a group anyway, with me way at the back with two other prospects, and Micro and Harley were both up front, with their old ladies on their rides.
I had no idea who was looking after Micro and Soph’s baby, but that wasn’t my business.
Them getting a night out together with grown ups was probably something they needed though.
Every twist and turn, with Glory glued to me, her arms tight around my stomach, felt like I’d never ridden right until she joined me. There was definitely something special about having her with me, and I’d do pretty much anything to keep her.
She’d had two more nightmares since we saw those fuckers at that place, and we hadn’t done anything more than snuggle and kiss, but that was enough for me. I wasn’t about rushing her. She knew now that I’d give her the world.
The car park was fairly full, but because of who owned the club, there was a full row of motorcycle spots right up front. There were a few rides there, but I knew they weren’t a problem. No other clubs would be in this building with us.
“Harley, you wanna stop drooling over that beauty, and get inside?” Harley was staring at a beautiful ride, and his old lady was twisting her fingers together as she eyed the large building, and absorbed the booming music from within.
“How the fuck are we supposed to hang out and chat if it’s this loud?” Micro grumbled, and I grinned. He’d see. He’d fucking love it. Not least because this place only played good music, as evidenced by the epic tune blaring right now. It was so loud, it was easily recognisable by the beat.
“Someone’s old before his time,” Stag said, slapping Micro’s back as he headed for the door. I grabbed Glory’s hand and dragged her with me to get there first. If I stopped to look at her again, I was going to want to bend her over my ride and do things my club should never see me doing.
“Henley, nice to see you, brother. This is your crew?”
I shook the offered hand, slapping Damon the bouncer on his back.
“This is the Phoenix MC crew, yeah.” I couldn’t really call them my crew, could I? I was still wearing this fucking abomination of a cut.
“We’re his family,” Micro said, stepping up front to shake Damon’s hand, as the bouncer eyed the President patch and nodded respectfully.
“The area’s all set up for you guys. Go enjoy. G will be over to see you a bit later. I know he’s looking forward to meeting everyone.”
I grinned. They’d fucking love him, and he’d love them. This night was killing more than two birds with one stone, or at least I hoped so.
“Thanks, man. Catch you later.” He pulled open the heavy black door, and we stepped inside Grimm’s, the rock and metal club I loved to visit. Now, some of these patrons verged into full goth, but there was everything from them to us average guys, and the atmosphere was incredible.
Harley was staying by the door with his old lady, his hands cupping her face as he talked to her, and I hesitated, wondering if I’d fucked this all up.
V rested a hand on my shoulder and leaned close.
“She’ll be okay. She looked the place up before we came, so she knew it’d be loud, but she wanted to try.”
“What if she can’t handle it?” I yelled back, and she smiled.
“They’ll go home. Don’t worry about them. I want to see more of this place!”
Yeah. It was rocking in here alright, now onto a track by Audioslave, and the dancefloor was packed with bodies writhing together, while lights flashed and the entire building seemed to pulse with the music.
“THIS WAY!” I yelled as I moved ahead of the group, and headed for the VIP section. Right now they thought we’d have to yell over the music all night, but they were in for a fun surprise.
As we reached the area blocked by ropes and stanchions, the black-clad bouncer there high fived me.
“All set up for you, man.”
“Thanks, Josh. Let G know we’re here?”
He smirked. “Come on, man. He knows all.”
Yeah, ain’t that the truth. I stepped back to offer Micro the lead but he grinned, gesturing at me to go first. Probably thought he was being fed to snakes or something.
Still, they were all casting curious gazes around the place, and Stag was probably eyeing up every pretty thing who crossed his line of sight, although hopefully he’d behave himself for once.
Upstairs, the music dimmed to a more manageable level, and everyone seemed to relax a touch.
It wasn’t that it was too loud out there, but it was too oppressive to try and hang, while this VIP area, all black and crimson velvet, with booths and tables for about thirty people, was exactly what we needed.
“Not bad, prospect, not bad,” Micro said as he smoothed a hand over the plush velvet and guided Sophie to a seat. As we settled around several tables, easing into the soft comfy seats, I saw approval on their faces, and knew I’d nailed it.
We could still hear the music here, but it was reduced just enough for normal conversation while still giving us the feel of the club.
The wall was toughened glass, but easy to see down to the dancefloor, and I watched as Glory and V both ran over to press their faces against it and watch the bodies downstairs.
I had a feeling some of us would be working our way down there pretty soon.
The door opened again, letting in a more intense blast of music before it thudded closed, and the pretty little waitress, with full goth makeup, and a tiny black dress with a flared skirt, and chunky boots, waved at us.
“Hey, VIPs. I’m Sasha, and I’m your personal waitress for the evening.
I’ll start by taking your drink orders, and then if anyone’s hungry, I can run through the bar food options.
If you prefer to dance, there’s a door there that leads directly to the dancefloor, and another bouncer there too. Nobody gets in here tonight but you.”
Nice. Micro was grinning widely as he nodded at Harley, and Caroline, who’d looked intimidated as hell until the room dulled the sharp intensity of the music, and closed us off from the larger crowds, was starting to smile too.
“I love your dress!” She gushed to Sasha, and V and Glory moved over from the glass to eye her too.
“Fuck yeah. I love that. Rocket, baby, you want me in a dress like that?”
Rocket groaned, reaching for V, who dodged him with a giggle.
“I want you out of a dress like that, babe.”
I grinned at Glory, tugging her over to me, so she squeezed in between Rocket and me.
Grease had dragged Jamie onto his lap, and was whispering something in her ear that had her blushing and elbowing him in the chest, and the others were still admiring the place, or the waitress.
“Okay, so, drinks.” Sasha made her way around the room, offering a menu if anyone wanted something other than beer, but of course we’d all come here on two wheels and would be leaving the same way, so a beer was it for now. A few ladies opted for cocktails with borderline pornographic names.
“So that’s one Bite Me Harder, and two Grimmsuckers. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she left, taking with her another harsh blast of sound, Micro cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. He nodded once at me.
“You did good, prospect. I like this place. Look at us being treated like VIPs. How’d you make this happen?”
I knew I was grinning like a shithead, but I didn’t care. I’d fucking nailed it, and they all knew it.
“I know Grimm, the owner. We go way back, so I’ve been here a lot.”
“Grimm? He’s called Grimm?”
I grinned wider. “You’ll see. He’s stopping by later.”
Glory
Iloved this club so much, the music, the atmosphere, which even being in this separate room couldn’t entirely dissipate, and the group of people we were with.
I wished I’d dressed up more, but I hadn’t realised this place was so cool.
I needed to shop for clothes that were my choice instead of Sean’s, but that was a problem for another day.
For now, my black jeans, and off the shoulder black sparkly top seemed to do okay, especially now that the heavy sweater and leather jacket were on a hook at the back wall.
This place had everything. The owner, some guy called Grimm, apparently, had put real thought into every detail.
It was pure comfort, and after two of those cocktails, I was feeling deliciously relaxed and a little tipsy.
The single bikers had disappeared downstairs to ‘hit on goth chicks’, and those of us who were paired off were sitting all around one table now, chatting like we’d all known each other forever.
Micro’s wife, Sophie, was new to me because of having a small baby at home, but I knew V and Rocket, and Caroline and Harley, and now I knew Grease and Jay too.
Everyone was fun, friendly and relaxed. No wonder Henley wanted to be a member of this club, this family.
I could see it myself, and I wanted it too.
“Let’s go dance!” V declared, and with that, we girls insisted our men stayed behind to chat, while we headed down that other set of stairs.
The music was instantly oppressively pressing down on us, and I felt Caroline starting to slow down, almost shrinking back into herself, so I reached back and slipped my hand into hers.
She gasped, freezing and staring at our clasped hands and I shrugged apologetically.
Girls in clubs do these things, but maybe she didn’t want that.
I tried to pull away but her fingers tightened, and she shot me a grateful smile, while Jay, V, and Sophie all stared at her with wide eyes.
Whatever. We were going to dance, and my new friend was going to feel safe and protected while we did it.
We moved to a side of the dancefloor and as we tried to create a space for ourselves, the big bouncer from the stairs stepped around us and literally moved people back to make room.
We stared wide-eyed at each other, and began to move to the music.
It was one of my favourite songs by Shinedown, Black Cadillac, so I let myself sink into the familiar melody, singing along as I moved.
Dancing like this, with loud music booming, and other bodies writhing around you, makes everything seem possible.
Suddenly it’s like you’re free, and living your best life.
The music seems to fill your limbs, and guide them, and that lets your mind soar.
It was entirely possible that I’d had more cocktails than I thought, but I was giving myself over to it.
At one point, a guy started moving closer to us, his hips swaying as he reached for me, but even before I could dart away, that same bouncer stepped in his way and sent him back where he came from.
He shot me a quick grin, and a mock salute, and returned to his post by the stairs.
This place was incredible. The VIP thing was next level, and I’d never felt safer except for when Henley was by my side.
Every now and then I caught sight of a man moving around.
At least I thought it was a man, but he was wearing dark clothing, and a dark cloak, with long dark hair, and he seemed to just appear and disappear at random.
I found myself looking for him in between those moments, because it was so strange.
Considering the fears I’d held for so long, I was surprised I wasn’t seeing Sean everywhere, but I was choosing to believe the Bennetts and their men. He was dead. He couldn’t hurt me ever again.
This shadowy guy though, at one point I caught him in the middle of the dance floor, writhing among many female bodies, and he met my eyes, winked saucily, and returned his attention to the women vying for his attention.
“Who is that guy?” V yelled right by my ear, scaring the crap out of me as I spun to face her.
“What?”
“He looks like a sexy vampire! I’d let him bite me!”
Yeah, get in line. I wasn’t the cheating kind, but if he was a supernatural being, weren’t there different rules, or was that just the cocktails talking?
“He winked at me!” I yelled back, but V just shrugged and dragged me into the centre of their little dance circle, and as I watched her, Sophie, Jay, and Caroline having the best time, in this place where we were treated like celebrities, I realised I felt something I hadn’t felt in so long. Like me.