Chapter Nineteen
The scent of tangy barbecue and grilled meat wafted through the clubhouse as Rags stepped inside. His stomach growled. Wisps of smoke curled in from the back porch, where the club’s newest grill sizzled.
“Where’ve you been the last couple of days?” Puck asked, pushing away from the bar.
“Busy,” Rags replied, shaking his head at Hog, who set a double Jack on the counter.
“Did you finally get laid?” Blade asked, lifting his own double shot and bringing it to his lips.
Ignoring the jabs, Rags glanced over at three of the club girls as they set up plates and napkins on one of the long folding tables.
“What’s going on?” Rags said, scooping up a fistful of mixed nuts.
“The guys are coming back from the poker run. We’ve got brothers rolling in from the Wyoming, Iowa, and Kansas charters. They’re riding with Animal, Shadow, Bones, Hubcap, and PJ. Tank’s out back trying out the new grill,” Puck said.
“He’s grilling steaks,” Blade added. “You should grab one.”
“Maybe. Is Hawk around?” Rags asked.
Puck jerked his head toward the hallway. “In his office.”
“Catch you in a few,” Rags said, walking away.
As he ambled down the hallway, he waved a hand through the air, fanning away the threads of smoke drifting inside.
“Damn, dude,” Rags said before coughing. “Why the hell didn’t you put the grill in the yard?”
“I wanted to see how it’d work under the patio,” Tank said, flipping several steaks on the glowing racks.
“Now you know it works like shit. The smoke’s filling up the main room. You want help pushing it out?”
Tank lowered the hood. “I thought it’d be fine.”
“Maybe if it wasn’t windy and you closed the damn door.”
“I guess.” Tank’s arms flexed as he hauled the grill across the brick floor. “So where the hell have you been?”
“Around,” Rags said, helping shove the cooker.
“Around where?” Tank grunted.
“Just around. That should do it,” Rags said, releasing the side handle.
Tank nodded and lifted the hood. Charcoal and hickory swirled between them. “I guess I should’ve asked who you’ve been crashing with.” A sly smile tugged at his mouth.
Rags pursed his lips, gave a chin lift, and sauntered away.
“You bartending tonight?” Tank yelled after him.
“Yep,” Rags said without looking back.
He rapped once on Hawk’s office door and stepped inside.
“Hey,” Hawk said, glancing up from his monitor.
“Hey,” Rags replied, dropping into the leather chair across from the desk. “How’s it going?”
“Good. What’s up?”
“I wanna know if you can find out some information for me.”
“Is it club business?”
“No. Is that a problem?”
“No. Just asking. Whaddaya need?”
“Like how much debt my friend has.”
Hawk’s brow creased. “Okay. What’s your friend’s name?”
Rags cleared his throat. “Casey Reese.”
Hawk shot him a quick look, eyebrows lifting quickly as a corner of his mouth twitched.
“What?” Rags asked, eyes narrowing.
“Casey Reese is your friend?”
“That’s what I said,” Rags gritted.
“Since when do you have a chick for a friend?”
Rags’s jaw tightened. “I can do without the fuckin’ commentary,” he said, voice flat. “Can we get to the part where you tell me if you can help or not?”
Hawk nodded. “Why do you want the info?”
“I just do.”
“Does this have anything to do with that chick you’ve been moping over since the festival?”
Rags pursed his lips, his gaze hardening. “We’re just friends. It’s no big deal.”
Hawk laughed. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll remind you of that when she’s wearing your patch.”
“No one’s wearing my patch,” Rags hissed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“We’ll see. Either way, Banger’ll be happy you finally pulled your head outta your ass. He was getting fuckin’ sick of your moodiness.”
“Are you done?” Rags asked through clenched teeth.
“Pretty much.” Hawk turned back to the screen. “I’ll run the info tomorrow morning. That work?”
“Yeah.” Rags nodded.
After giving Hawk Casey’s current and background information, Rags pushed up from the chair.
“How’s the intel going with the Devil’s Reign distributing hard shit in the county?” Rags asked.
The vice president leaned back in his chair.
“It looks like the only thing those assholes are guilty of is being fuckin’ stupid.
That’s gonna cost them.” He scrubbed a hand over the side of his face.
“I’m still trying to figure out who’s behind the influx of China Girl and smack.
It’s taking longer than I thought, but I’ll find out. I’m not givin’ up ’til I do.”
“I know you won’t. If you need anything, lemme know.”
“Yeah.”
“You sticking around for the party tonight?” Rags asked.
“For a bit. What about you?”
“I gotta bartend for Hubcap,” he replied.
“What’s going on with him?” Hawk asked, snapping down the monitor.
“Something ’bout his sister. I don’t know.”
“His sister’s a fuckin’ mess,” Hawk said. “Makes me glad I wasn’t cursed with siblings. My fuckin’ old man was bad enough.”
Rags laughed. “Siblings can be cool, but they can also be nosey pains in the ass.” Megan’s recent interference with Julie pricked at his thoughts.
Rags opened the door, paused, then glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, dude. I owe you.”
“No worries. Just glad to see that fuckin’ long face gone.”
“Later,” Rags said, stepping into the hallway.
The main room brimmed with brothers from several Insurgents charters. He ambled over to members from Wyoming and Nebraska, brothers he hadn’t seen in a long time. and they exchanged bear hugs. The camaraderie was easy, familiar, and solid.
For the next hour, he caught up on gossip from each charter, and talked bikes and the poker run.
Hangarounds and party girls filtered in, and some of the members drifted toward them.
The air thickened with weed smoke, spilled beer, sweat, perfume, and sex.
Laughter crackled loud and sharp, boots thudded against the floor, hard rock music pounded through the walls.
This was his life: chaos and comfort woven together. His family. This was where he belonged, the life he loved.
So why the hell wasn’t he enjoying it? Why did he feel so out of sorts?
Rags grabbed the bottle of Coors Hog set down on the bar and threaded his way through the press of bodies, past brothers slapping backs, and club girls already tugging men toward shadowed corners.
He pushed through the front door, stepped into the crisp air, and inhaled deeply. He should’ve stayed inside making the rounds, hooking up with one of the hot party girls, welcoming the out-of-staters. Instead, all he wanted was to be with Casey, and it pissed him off.
He’d told himself he only wanted one taste. That lie had blown to hell after the hot springs… and later that night. With a day’s distance from the rush of it all, he still wasn’t willing or able to loosen the tight coil he’d wrapped around his heart.
Rags headed toward the river, boots crackling over the dry grass and fallen leaves.
He stopped at the bank. The current fractured against the jagged stones, throwing up plumes of white water that caught the fading sunlight.
A piece of driftwood snagged in a tangle of roots, holding fast against the flow, until the rush proved to be too much and dislodged the wood, the water consuming it.
Vanilla drifted through his senses, not real, just the memory. Dark hair fanned across a blanket, sunlight sliding over bare skin, the way her mouth had gone soft against his, her body pressing close to him until there was no space between them.
He stayed pinned to the bank, hands shoved deep into his pockets, his fingers curling into tight, white-knuckled fists. He breathed in the crisp air, trying to let it steady the unwanted heat stealing through his veins.
Ever since he’d first seen Casey at Owen’s nursery, she’d been under his skin with her wild dark hair, warm eyes, confident smile, soft tits, and sweet pussy wreaking havoc on him. He’d thought screwing her hard would get her out of his system, but that wasn’t the case. He just wanted her more.
Stirrings of feelings he’d buried years ago gnawed at him.
What the hell’s the matter with me?
The sun dipped lower over the jagged peaks, dragging coral and amethyst streaks across the sky before fading into cold dusk. Slowly, his fingers unfurled in his pockets as the memory of her hit hard and settled low.
The rush of the river echoed behind him as Rags turned away and walked back toward the lights. He had to figure out how to get Casey out of his head before it drove him mad.