Chapter 3
It was still early, and Punisher’s Eden wasn’t busy yet.
That would happen after dark when the dancers started performing and those looking for drinks arrived.
However, I was here enjoying the relative quiet so I could complete some paperwork, pay bills, and place orders.
Sure, I could do those from home, but I preferred to be accessible to the staff.
During closed hours, there was still a lot happening.
Deliveries of alcohol and supplies, cleaning crews working, and dancers rehearsing routines on stage were among them.
During this slow period, employees would often come to me with issues or concerns.
When the club took over the strip club seven years ago, we hadn’t been looking to acquire another business.
As a club of all single guys, it wasn’t unusual for us to hang out occasionally at the strip club.
Yeah, the women were one attraction, but so was a change in scenery.
And it provided a different crop of women to choose from when it came time to hook up.
Not all available women came to our clubhouse to party.
Sometimes, we wanted to see who else was out there.
Another reason was that if we conducted business with outsiders, most of whom were men, they would often request the strip club as a place to meet, conduct business, and socialize.
We would never do it at our clubhouse for anyone not closely affiliated with the club.
We’d been frequenting the place for about a year.
And a few of us had begun to sense that there was something off about the place.
The staff worked hard and tried to ensure that all customers were satisfied, but there was an edge of desperation to them.
When more than one dancer pushed to get us to have sex with them for money, a red flag was raised.
Then one night, one of the dancers burst into tears when Reaper turned her down.
That night, we discovered the ugly secret hidden behind closed doors.
Prostitution was illegal in Virginia, though we knew it happened.
As long as those involved did it of their free will, then we had no skin in the game.
It wasn’t a shock to find out it was happening in the strip club.
What was shocking was the fact that the owner was forcing dancers and waitresses to do it, and he took the bulk of the money they earned doing it.
He used threats and other forms of coercion to make them comply.
More than one had been beaten. They were too afraid to say no.
When we learned of this, the club had gone after the owner.
Suffice it to say that when we were through with him, he no longer owned the club.
He signed it over to Reaper and left town, but only after spending months of healing time in rehab.
He had a terrible “car accident” which left most of his major bones broken.
He was in a full-body cast for months, then had to relearn to walk, dress, and perform all those tasks again.
He knew that if we ever heard about him doing the same thing again, his life was forfeit.
Spawn kept tabs on him to this day just to be sure.
The club hadn’t intended to keep the strip club, but the employees, especially the dancers, had begged us not to sell.
They were terrified they’d end up in the same situation or worse.
At least they weren’t selling drugs, too.
In the end, as a club, we decided to keep the business to ensure no one was used in that way again.
We provided them with a safe and clean work environment and paid the staff well.
Our cut was more than reasonable. These simple business practices enabled us to attract people from all over and earned us a reputation for having the best and most beautiful dancers, as well as outstanding staff.
The club was located on the outskirts of Bristol, on the Virginia side of the border.
Since there was a lot to do and we were open seven nights a week, I had my club brothers—Sandman, Riot, and Ratchet—work with me to ensure everything went smoothly.
Ultimately, though, I was the member in charge of managing it.
My trip into the past was halted by a hard rap on my office door.
I had it open in case anyone wanted to speak to me.
Glancing up, I caught sight of Tinker standing in the doorway.
I was surprised to see him. Immediately, concern hit me.
During the work week, he was either on a job site, at the Iron’s Rehab office, or home with Haven.
I came to my feet. “Is everything okay with Haven? What do you need?” I asked in a rush.
“Whoa, hang on, no need to panic. Nothing is wrong with Haven. She’s at work. I didn’t mean to scare you. Shit, I need to vary my routine a bit if this is the response I get for dropping in to chat,” he said as he entered the office. He closed the door behind him.
Relieved, I dropped back in my chair. “Christ, you almost gave me a heart attack. To what do I owe the honor of you varying your routine? Did you decide today would be the day to play hooky? Wait, before you tell me, can I get you anything?” I gestured to a fridge I kept in the corner.
I hated to run out to the bar all the time for a simple drink.
I kept a few beers and a small selection of bottled water and soda in it.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Do you have water in there? The ride over was a hot one.”
“There should be,” I told him. Before I could get up, he went over and got into it.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“I’m good,” I told him.
When he came to my desk, he sat in one of the chairs on the other side of it. Twisting off the cap, he drank almost a quarter of the bottle before he stopped. Tinker’s gaze caught mine, and he stared intently at me.
It took a lot to make me uncomfortable or nervous. As both of us were club officers, it made us equals. I sat there and waited for Tinker to get to what brought him here. I knew it was more than because he wanted someone to shoot the shit with. After a solid minute of staring, he sighed.
“Goddamn it, you don’t give anything away, and nothing makes you nervous. I hate you,” Tinker grumbled.
I chuckled. “It does take a tremendous amount of self-control. Are you ready to tell me what brought you here? Is something wrong with the club that I need to know about?”
As the enforcer for the club, it was my responsibility to maintain peace and ensure the safety of all members, both on and off the road.
I made sure the guys followed the club’s laws and rules.
If conflicts arose between our club members and those of other clubs, I dealt with them.
Maintaining the Iron Punishers’ stance and reputation was a priority for me.
Sometimes that meant I got my hands bloody to do it.
Tinker shook his head. “No, nothing is wrong with the club or anyone in it.”
“And Haven is alright, so I’m lost. Is this just to chat? Not that I mind.”
“I want to talk about the other night at The Grove,” Tinker suddenly blurted out.
“What about it?”
“Why were you so eager to go with us?”
“I thought it would be fun to hang and to put Astrid at ease. She’s only been around a few times.”
“Come on, Mayhem, I know you better than that. If you have concerns about her, I need to know. I don’t want my old lady to be exposed to someone who could be dangerous or up to no good. Why were you checking her out? What did you learn?” he asked in a rush.
Guilt hit me as I realized I had caused Tinker to worry about Haven’s safety. I hurried to reassure him. “Tink, there is nothing for you to worry about. Astrid isn’t a danger in any way to Haven or anyone else in the club.”
“Then why did you go with us?” he insisted.
Deciding I needed someone to confide in and talk to about what was on my mind, I answered him.
“The truth is, I wanted to see Astrid again. She’s been gone for months.
I’ve been waiting for her to come back so I could get time with her.
I thought that, as two couples, it would allow me to learn more about her without placing her in an awkward situation or feeling pressured. ”
“Let me make sure I understand you. You wanted to spend time with Astrid, to get to know her, and you thought that with Haven and me along, it would allow you to do it?”
“Exactly.”
Slowly, a grin spread across his face. Then he laughed and slapped his thigh with his hand.
“Goddamn, I knew it. I knew you liked her. I could tell the way you acted the first and second time we met her, and then at the wedding, you danced with her. Christ, tell me that’s what it is and not just you trying to get her into your bed.
If it’s the latter, then don’t. Haven likes her and wants to be friends.
If you fuck around with her, Haven will be upset, and if she’s upset, I’ll have to hurt you, Mayhem,” he warned.
If it had been any other woman than Astrid, I would’ve told him to fuck off or messed with him, but I refused to make light of what I wanted.
“I’m not trying to get her in bed and then kick her to the curb after a night or two of fun.
There are plenty of women I can do that with.
You’re right. Astrid piqued my interest that first time here, and then again when she saved Haven from Rick.
Spawn checked her out and assured me that she has nothing shady in her background.
I knew she was a pilot, but I wanted her to share about herself, so I pretended I had no clue.
A large part of her military record is redacted. You know what that means.”
“Do you know why she was medically discharged? Or why she gets VA benefits? I noticed she didn’t say why.”
“I don’t. Spawn can find out, but I asked him not to dig into her like that.”
“Tell me what she makes you feel? Why her?” he asked.
I sighed as I leaned further back in my chair.
“Astrid makes me feel like a mess on the inside. I’m not sure exactly how I feel.
I want to know everything I can about her, but I’d rather learn it for myself or hear it from her lips.
I want time with her. And I don’t want her wandering the goddamn planet.
She needs to be where I know she’s safe and where I can be with her.
I was planning to go looking for her if she didn’t return here soon.
When you told me she was preparing to settle here and that was why you were going to dinner, I almost crowed.
Damn it, Tinker, I think she might be the one.
I constantly think about her. I dream about her. ”
“What about fucking other women? Or having them blow you? Have you still been doing that?” he asked abruptly. I reared back in distaste.
“Hell, no, I haven’t! The last time I had anything other than my hand was a week before we met her here at Eden. Since then, no one has interested me, and believe me, I’ve had offers.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it. That waitress the other night wanted a piece of you badly. I loved the way Astrid told her off.” He smirked.
“I did too. It made me feel like she was protecting her man. Shit, am I crazy to think like this, Tink?”
“No, you’re not crazy. You know how I fought my feelings for Haven.
I could’ve ruined it for good with some of the stupid things I thought and did.
Don’t be like me. If you have feelings for Astrid, show them.
Make sure she knows without a doubt you’re into her and what you want.
Women seem to think we’re only after sex, and maybe we can’t blame them after the way we lived our single lives. ”
“I’m scared,” I admitted softly.
“Scared of what?”
“What if she doesn’t see me that way? I keep telling myself she’s not immune, and I get this vibe off her sometimes that makes me believe she’s interested in me. Then doubts surface, and I tell myself she’s only friendly due to her friendship with Haven.”
“Have you caught those vibes coming from her when she’s around any of the other brothers? Or random men? Was she checking out guys at The Grove?” Tinker fired back.
“No, she wasn’t checking out guys the other night, and I haven’t gotten that feeling off her when she’s around other guys, brothers or not,” I said gruffly.
“I wondered at the way she went after Georgia at the restaurant. It was as if she were staking a claim. You can drive yourself insane asking what if, or just go for it. Ask her out on a date. Ask her to spend time with you so you can get to know each other. If you’d like to ease her into it, we can go out as couples or invite her to the clubhouse to hang out on the weekends.
The weather is super nice. This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous.
The pool is officially open at the compound.
And I heard it’s been heated. Why don’t I get Haven to invite her to swim on Saturday?
We’ll have a simple cookout, see if the others are up for it.
If not, we’ll do it. That way, you can see her and maybe get to ask her to date you. ”
It wasn’t a horrible idea. Maybe a crowd would make her more comfortable. But it would shine a light on the fact that I was interested in her. However, that didn’t matter to me. The sooner everyone knew that I wanted her for myself, the better.
“I like it. Will you tell Haven why we want this?”
“Not unless you want me to. I say we get Haven to invite Astrid, and then after the weekend, I’ll explain it to her.”
It took me less than thirty seconds to accept.
Once I did, we spent a few more minutes going over the plan, and then we shot the shit for another twenty minutes before Tink said he had to get going.
After Tinker left, I had a hard time concentrating on work.
I kept thinking of Saturday and wondering if she’d agree, and if she did, whether I could wait less than forty-eight hours to be with her again.