Chapter Two. #2
The prospects had agreed that, instead of taking turns every two nights, we’d take a week at a time to guard the gate at night.
As we all worked for the club, our day jobs would be covered.
The new schedule turned out great. As there were seven of us, that meant we did our time every seven weeks and were free for six further weeks.
Now I guess it would be once every six weeks, which was still easier than a totally disrupted sleep pattern.
“Better than what we were doing,” I admitted, and Bear nodded.
“Get what you need, have a good shift,” Bear ordered, and I moved away.
Considering what had occurred earlier, nobody seemed to be bothered by the fact that Runner had been kicked. Clark looked disgruntled, but none of the other prospects were fussed. Fanatic hovered close to Jinx, but not in an obvious way. The newly promoted brother clearly valued Jinx’s friendship.
Willow sat with Jinx, too, chatting away as he held baby Danny, who we all believed neutralised the Jinx Effect, as we called it. Jinx never actively caused disasters, but they happened around him all the time. I shook my head as I headed to the kitchen. What else would happen?
April
I yawned as I drove back to Clara’s house. This morning had been a nightmare in the ER. I’d been scheduled there for two weeks, covering for someone who was off sick. It appeared everyone who could have had a household accident, did.
The guy who’d severed an arm with a chainsaw had been the messiest. The fool was damn lucky to be alive thanks to his wife’s quick thinking.
However, I winced at her method. She’d cauterised the wound before he bled out.
It was doubtful surgeons would be able to reattach the limb, but that was their business, not mine.
As I headed home, I heard a hissing sound and frowned.
What was that? A screech escaped me as a diamond-shaped head appeared between my legs.
With a scream, I nearly crashed as I slammed on the anchors and swung to the side of the road.
The rear end of the car flipped around as I flung the door open.
The snake struck and bit my boots as I yelled again and hopped out, falling to my knees and crawling away as I scrambled to my feet. A Harley roared, and then brakes squealed as it moved to avoid hitting me as I raced to get out of the way.
“Are you stupid?” the rider bellowed as he got off his bike.
“Snake!” I screamed.
“What?”
“There’s a snake! It appeared between my legs!”
The guy gaped at me as if I were crazy before he approached. “Holy crap!”
“Told you! A snake’s in my car!”
“Do you know what type it is?” the biker asked, and I looked at him in disbelief.
“How the fuck would I know? I’m a nurse, not a veterinarian!” I exclaimed.
He chuckled and stared into my car. “Well, I don’t think it’s poisonous. Lady, I’m going to snap a picture and send it to a friend. She is a vet.”
I stayed out of the way as he approached and snapped a photo. “Rosie will take a few minutes as she’s possibly with a patient. Anyway, I’m Smokey, Hellfire MC.”
“April, a nurse at the hospital,” I replied.
Smokey laughed. His phone pinged, and he glanced down at it. “Okay, Calamity, her old man, says it’s not poisonous, just grab it behind its head and yank it out.”
“Right, big man, off you go.” I waved him forward, and Smokey chuckled.
“Sure I won’t be stepping on your female independence?” he teased.
“Not when it’s a snake, that’s all yours, buddy!”
“Ma’am, it’s in your vehicle, though.”
“Don’t ma’am me, get that fucker!”
Smokey laughed again, opened the door, reached down, and calmly grabbed it behind the head.
I was horrified at the length of the damn thing, and my eyes narrowed on the tail.
Oh. If I knew anything, that snake wasn’t what his friend had claimed.
I didn’t say a word as Smokey hadn’t noticed and carried the hissing serpent to the side of the road and released it.
His phone pinged as he walked back. Smokey glanced at it, missed a step, and stopped.
“That fucker!” he growled out.
“That was a rattlesnake. I saw its tail!” I blurted.
“Yeah. Calamity just texted me saying his message had a typo and not to touch it. Too damn late,” Smokey grouched.
“You didn’t get bitten? Do I need to rush you to the hospital?” I demanded, slightly panicked. This man had stopped to help—okay, maybe not—but he had helped, and I was concerned he’d been poisoned. Worried, I grabbed his arms and began checking them over.
“April, hey, April, nurse lady, I’m fine. Calamity won’t be when I get my hands on him, but I’m safe. It didn’t bite me,” Smokey soothed.
“Thank God. I was scared.”
“Yeah, I could tell. Let me check the car for any other guests. Then you can be on your way,” Smokey offered.
Suddenly, I felt awkward. Clearly, Smokey had been heading to do something. I was wasting his time. “No worries, I can do that.”
“Nurse lady, you aren’t going to tackle a rattler,” he said, laughing.
True, I wasn’t. Smokey quickly checked my car over before declaring it safe. He held the driver’s door open as I climbed back in and started my engine. He shut my door but rapped on my window.
“Wanna get a drink sometime?” he asked with a confident grin.
“Smokey, I bet many don’t turn you down,” I replied, and he laughed.
The man was attractive and knew it.
“Nope, and you won’t either. I saved you from a rattlesnake, risking my life in the process. A coffee is the price,” he stated with a wink.
“I can’t really do that.” Smokey opened his mouth to argue, then I added, “But a drink in the evening would be okay. Simply a thank you. Not a date.”
“Sounds good. The club owns a bar in town, Hell’s Fury, where we can meet,” Smokey suggested.
“Sure. But just one. I can’t stay out too long,” I said.
“Husband?”
“A bit late to be asking now!” I laughed. “No, but my mom broke her hip and leg, and I won’t leave her alone.”
“Yeah, I understand. How about tonight at seven?”
“Hell’s Fury? Sure thing. But Smokey, it’s not a date, I don’t date,” I stated firmly.
Smokey’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a challenge if I ever heard one.”
“Not at all. The truth. See you later.” I waved as he stepped back and pulled out. I was on edge for the rest of the drive, waiting for another hiss.
◆◆◆
“A date, darling?” Clara looked overjoyed.
“No. Just a drink to say thank you. Clara, I nearly killed the poor guy when I hit the brakes so suddenly, and then his friend did when he said the snake wasn’t poisonous.” I sighed, remembering the rattle.
“This is a good-looking young man?”
“Yeah, he’s attractive, Clara. You’d eat him up,” I teased as I brushed my hair. I’d put on some stylish jeans and a decent top. While I looked nice, I didn’t want to wear a dress that screamed ‘date’.
“You should show your legs,” Clara grumbled from my phone. I glanced down and grinned. She’d wanted to pick out my clothes, then my makeup, and so on. Sadly, Clara couldn’t manage the stairs yet, so she was stuck with my choices and unable to bully me.
“This is a thank you, nothing else.”
“Darling, have you ever dated—”
“Don’t say his name!” I exclaimed. “That’s a surefire way of ruining my night.”
“Okay, I won’t, dear. But do have an open mind. Not all men are like him,” Clara murmured.
“No. But there are enough of that type around that I really don’t want to attempt dating again. Anyway, ma’am, I’m coming down so you can judge me in person.” I cut the call and headed downstairs.
Clara was in her armchair, which she preferred with her bad hip, and beside her was Rose. They were gossiping and drinking tea. They both raised their heads and smiled.
“Ah, beautiful,” Clara said.
“I doubt it. I told you, I’m not dressing up!”
“Doesn’t matter. You still look wonderful either way. Even in your scrubs,” Clara’s nose wrinkled, “you stand out.”
“Okay, ladies. Enough chit chat. You two behave tonight, and only a small sherry, Clara. The medication you’re on is dicey as it is.”
Clara scowled at being denied her usual large nightly tipple. I’d no idea how Clara drank it, as sherry was awful, but Clara had one every night. Of course, as a lady, she had a secret tot of whiskey first thing every morning to get her motor running, as Clara put it.
“Have fun. We won’t wait up!” Rose called, and I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I said adamantly and headed out.
◆◆◆
Hell’s Fury wasn’t what I’d been expecting, which had been rather judgmental of me.
I’d expected a dive bar and had made sure to carry mace.
Instead, it sat on Spearfish’s main street and looked decent.
I’d watched for a few minutes, seeking what type of clientele it attracted, and was relieved to see non-biker people entering too.
Leaving the car in a lucky parking space that had been free, I crossed the road and entered.
Music hit me immediately, and then I heard voices.
The place was packed for a weeknight, which surprised me.
Cautiously, I made my way over to the bar, keeping an eye out for Smokey.
When I reached it, he was already there chatting with two men wearing the same cuts as him.
“Hey!” Smokey smiled as he spotted me.
“Hi.”
“This is Snake Lady,” he introduced me.
“Snake Lady, that’s your name?” the older one asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“No, it’s actually Medusa,” I replied, and he guffawed loudly.
“Smart girl! I like you. I’m Big Al, a founder of Hellfire MC.
This miserable fuck is Chatter, but he isn’t very communicative despite his road name.
Well, not unless you’re his old lady, then he doesn’t shut up,” Big Al said.
He clapped the sour-looking man on the shoulders.
Moments later, I took that uncharitable thought back as his face lit up, and I glanced to where he was staring.
Without a word, Chatter left, and Smokey and Big Al chuckled.
“And that’s his old lady,” Smokey stated as Chatter yanked a beautiful female into him and kissed her. Damn, talk about not being afraid of PDA.
“I’ll leave you kids to your date,” Big Al said as his eyes hit on a woman and his own face lit up. He strode away and tackled her as she laughed.
“That’s Tati, his old lady,” Smokey said. “What are you drinking?”
“Lemonade, and I’m buying.” I turned and saw a bartender waiting.
“That and my usual,” Smokey ordered, and the guy moved away.
“Smokey! I said I was buying.”
“You can get the next round.” He looked at me. “You look beautiful.”
“This isn’t a date!” I insisted, and Smokey chuckled.
“Well aware of that. You’ve made it clear, yet here we are. Both of us are holding a drink in a bar. One would almost say that’s close to a date.”
“You’re a smart ass,” I replied, and Smokey laughed harder.
“Took me a lot of hard work to achieve that status. So, Miss This Isn’t A Date, and My Name is Medusa, although I know it’s April, tell me a bit about yourself.”
I settled onto a bar stool that Smokey held out for me and asked my own questions, directing the conversation away from me.
Sure, I wasn’t searching for a relationship, but a new friend was welcome.
I wasn’t staying in Spearfish long. As soon as Clara was healed, we’d discuss our next actions.
I just hoped Clara agreed with my plans.
If not, they could always be changed. I was amenable to a point, as was Clara.
We’d find a solution. Meanwhile, I could enjoy Smokey’s attention even though I didn’t plan to act on it.