Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Before she left Ash’s apartment and after she rebraided her own hair, she had taken the time to undo his messed up braids and fix them so it didn’t look like he was wearing a fuzzy crown.
While he usually had one of the strippers keep them neat, Lyric had wanted any excuse to continue to touch him. To extend that intimate connection.
Since she trusted him with her hair, it was no surprise when he trusted her with his. The mutual trust they shared was valuable. She hoped after what they had just done, nothing would change.
She was aware it had been a risk to ask Ash to be her first. But it had been a risk she’d been willing to take.
She was related to the males that she trusted just as much as him, so it wasn’t like she had a large selection to choose from.
Even if she did…
No, she couldn’t imagine getting naked and having sex with anyone else.
Ash had always been the man for her. Even if he never knew that.
She only hoped that the experience hadn’t turned him off and away from ever wanting to do it again. She could learn a lot from him and she was a very willing student.
However, all that time spent at his apartment meant she’d been late getting to the shop. She apologized profusely to her first client of the day and would end up working through lunch—maybe even dinner—to get caught up.
She rolled her hips in her chair as she drew a custom piece for her next appointment.
Ash had been right. She was already feeling a bit sore. A soak in a hot bath would be perfect.
Only, that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
But besides feeling a bit of discomfort, she didn’t feel any different. Maybe losing her virginity wasn’t as big of a deal as she originally thought.
A snapping of fingers in front of her face had her jerking her head back and glancing at Carl.
“What are you dreaming about?”
Nothing she’d share with him. She pulled in a breath and pushed the memory of what happened in Ashton’s bed from her mind. She needed to concentrate on what was in front of her, not what was behind her.
“A customer asked me to design a unique piece for him.”
“Damn.”
“So, I’ve been trying to come up with something.” And failing since she was distracted and daydreaming more about a naked Ash than concentrating on work.
The bell jingling above the shop door had her only male employee snarling, “Oh look. Here comes the redhead.”
She didn’t have to see the newest arrival to know the “redhead” was Avery. Carl didn’t like her because Lyric’s closest club sister was loud and boisterous.
On a good day.
Carl should count his lucky stars he hadn’t seen her on a bad day yet.
The fieriness of redheads was true. Don’t cross her or her sister, Lexi, unless you wanted a sharp tongue lashing. And possibly something thrown at you.
Avery had damn good aim and would use whatever was within reach to hurl at the deserving person.
Their club brothers were pros at ducking and dodging.
Sometimes they got her riled up over nothing simply to watch her temper flare.
While they considered it entertaining, Lyric thought it was a dick move, and if they got beaned in the head with an unknown flying object, they deserved the bruises and more.
“Hey, girl,” Avery greeted, giving her a quick side hug.
Thankfully, her club sister was in a chipper mood. Avery was drop-dead gorgeous when she was smiling. And scary as hell when she wasn’t. But then, half her genetics were the same as Ash’s. Intolerance to bullshit was in the blood.
“Hey!” Lyric greeted back, then frowned. “Why are you here?”
It was impossible that someone spotted her going in and out of Ashton’s apartment, right?
Heaven’s Angels had been closed and the employee parking lot was hidden behind the club. That was another reason she’d picked that particular time to show up at his door.
Avery set her hands on her hips and acted offended. “I can’t come visit my bestie?”
“Sure you can. And luckily, you caught me between clients so I can give you my full attention. So, why are you here?” she asked again, spinning on her chair to face her.
Avery’s loud titter had Carl shooting daggers her way. She must have caught it because, without looking at him, she pretended to twist her raised middle finger like a lipstick tube and mimed applying that invisible lipstick to her lips while smiling even bigger.
Lyric bit back a sigh. “Carl, did you want to go take lunch?” Emphasis on the go part.
Carl did not bite back his own sigh. In fact, it was so loud the neighboring businesses probably heard it. But without saying boo, he grabbed his car keys and left.
“Good,” Avery chirped as soon as the door closed behind him. “He’s always listening in on our conversations.”
“Maybe it’s because you don’t know how to keep your voice down.”
“If I want to be heard above the noise from the tattoo guns, I can’t exactly be in here whispering, can I?”
“But you don’t have to be so loud you drown them out.”
“Well, unlike what some men think, women need to be seen and heard. Whether they like it or not, women are allowed to take up space.”
Lyric rolled her eyes, despite agreeing with what she said. Avery was all about “fuck the patriarchy.” Which was kind of messed up since the biker culture was all about it.
Avery’s personality had probably rubbed off from her mother, who was DAMC through and through but fought tooth and nail not to end up with a biker.
Spoiler alert: she ended up with a biker. Not just any biker, but Jag Jamison.
Rumor had it that both her parents bumped heads constantly before bumping uglies.
Avery grabbed Carl’s stool and rolled it over next to where Lyric sat at her drawing table.
“Settling in I see.” Lyric wasn’t going to get much work done with Avery there.
“I have important business to discuss!”
Lyric shot her a “sure you do” look.
“I do!” she spouted.
“Shouldn’t you be at the pawn shop?”
Avery flapped her hand around. “Bri asked me to run an errand.”
“Is the errand in the room with us?”
Avery practically shimmied on the stool. “Okay, so listen...”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Chill mentioned that the paperwork for Shadow Valley Enterprises is finished. Did you know that your name is listed on the application for the LLC?”
“Of course. Lily had me sign the forms for that as well as the application for the dispensary. Zane asked me if I minded having my name on the business before he even did it.” However, she didn’t know the paperwork had been finalized. That was good news for the club’s future.
“And you didn’t mind?”
“Piper and I talked about it since the LLC doesn’t only cover the dispensary. It also includes Shadow Valley Fitness, which she’ll take over managing eventually, and this shop. We both want what’s best for the club.”
Avery cocked one reddish-brown eyebrow and rubbed her thumb and index finger together in the universal sign for money. “Are you getting any compensation for that?”
“Should we be?” She had simply done it for the good of the club. Especially after the club, which technically owned In the Shadows Ink, allowed her to take over managing it after her father retired.
If they wanted to be dicks, they could’ve handed that management spot over to any of the club brothers instead. A shop manager didn’t need to be a tattoo artist. But now Lyric had the power to manage the business how she wanted.
She originally feared that the club officers would put her brother Phoenix in charge of the tattoo shop. Lyric had the sneaking suspicion that Crow had put in his two cents about the matter, too.
Because of that, she had no problem becoming the “president” of Shadow Valley Enterprises, LLC, on paper.
Her club sister shrugged. “I would ask for something. If not green paper, then green leaf.” She snorted. “Funny, that’s the name they were throwing around.”
“What?”
“Green Leaf Wellness. Chill also said that Nix agreed to be manager and Gage will be assistant manager.”
“I think my brother will make a great manager.”
“Unlike a tattoo artist.”
“Did Zane mention who else will be working there?”
“Trick and Havoc for sure. They want Liam as head of security.”
It made sense about Trick and Havoc since they currently filled in at DAMC businesses where needed. “Security will be important. Did Liam agree?”
At twenty-seven, Avery’s cousin was rudderless.
Growing up, Liam had wanted to become a cop like his father, Axel, and his twin sister, Laney.
But when he backed out of going into the police academy last minute, everyone thought he’d become a prospect instead, since the DAMC was in his blood.
Only, it turned out that he didn’t want to do that either.
If Liam took on head of security at the new dispensary, it would give him a purpose and a guaranteed job.
“I don’t know. I just found out about all of this not an hour ago! Lily also sent in the application for the dispensary. I think once it’s open I want to work there instead of the pawn shop.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” Avery bugged her green eyes at her. “The pawn shop is boring.”
“How is selling pot more exciting?”
“Because I’ll be working under your brother instead of my cousin and my crazy sister! If you haven’t noticed, Nix is hot!”
Lyric rolled her eyes. “No, I haven’t been paying attention to my brother’s hotness. Gross.”
Avery smacked her arm. “Of course you’d say that. Havoc is smoking hot, too.”
“I’ll agree with you on that one.” At least neither of them were related to Havoc.
“Anyway, Chill also said they found an empty building to buy near Heaven’s Angels if the dispensary is approved!”
That wasn’t a surprise since a medical marijuana business was only allowed in certain zoning to keep residents from bitching. It would make sense that putting a smoke shop near a strip club would reduce the amount of NIMBY—not in my backyard—complaints.
“It’ll probably be good to have Rage nearby if shit goes down at the dispensary and the security guards need assistance.”