19. Onyx
ONYX
Pearl and Skye are talking as I walk around the bar and grab a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and pour myself a glass. I take a seat next to Pearl on one of the stools. We have lots to talk about but first things first, I’m starving. “I’m ordering breakfast. Anyone in?”
“Absolutely,” Skye says, and Pearl nods. “Order enough for the group. No one goes out today.”
I pull up my app and order our usual, muffins, loaded pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and a container of cinnamon and nut flavored oatmeal that always comes in a big tub and we end up eating the next day.
Then I place an order for the rest of the day because I have no doubt we’ll be cooking here for lunch and supper if Pearl’s got us on lockdown.
I add things to make hamburgers on the grill.
“What do you want, potato salad or macaroni salad?” I ask.
“Never mind, I’m getting both. One for lunch and one for supper.
We’ll have some macaroni salad with burgers for lunch and potato salad with the pork ribs for supper. I’ll even cook.”
Skye gives me a smile but not one of them says a word about Hawg and I appreciate the hell out of that.
I need time to sort out what I’m going to say.
I grab a leftover bagel from a bag sitting on the bar and split it in half before taking a bite because after everything that happened last night and the energy we spent, I am running on empty.
“Moving church to today?” I ask Pearl.
She nods. “Going to have to since somebody ruined the plan for yesterday.”
“I couldn’t leave her out there alone. I had a plan, but Hawg and the Royal Bastards rode in.”
Her piercing eyes meet mine. “I’ve been brought up to date. Seems there’s a lot you have been keeping me sheltered from the last few days.”
She’s not wrong. “I wanted you to have a great wedding and planned to bring you up to speed before church yesterday, but things got in the way, like rescuing Shine.”
“You should have had all of us with you. You can’t just ride out on your own. What were you thinking going up against the Scorpions all by yourself?”
“I wasn’t planning to go up against them. I was planning to make a deal with their VP to trade Shine for the drugs. Set up a meet and then we could get them onto neutral ground and take them out. Or something along those lines,” I say as I meet the president’s narrowing eyes.
She shakes her head. “From now on, I need to be aware. No matter what. We’ve always worked together. It’s what keeps us safe. No more lone wolfing. You’re part of a sisterhood that has each other’s back. Don’t forget it again.”
I close my eyes. “This I know.” And I also knew I wasn’t going to get away with what I did without getting my ass chewed by the prez. I have it coming so I take it until she’s finally done.
“So you know about the Desert Riders leaving you the bag the other night? It’s up in my room, but honestly, it’s nothing you need to see. Just another pathetic scare tactic, but we’re going to need to deal with them, because clearly, they still have you in their sights.”
Pearl nods. “Yeah, I’m thinking through that right now.
A little wrinkle in the plan with the ladies we sent north.
Apparently Lacey, one of the twins we helped, liked it here a lot, loves the warmth and made good friends with the rest of our crew.
Duchess called me and asked me if we have a place for her.
Her sister’s getting married, and she wants to take this time to venture out on her own for once in her life.
If so, she’s got someone riding this way next week to pick up a load of girls that need to go north and she’d send Lacey too. ”
I take a long draw of my orange juice to wash the bagel down. “I liked Lacey. She was super independent, helpful, and I could see her fitting in nicely. What do you think, Skye?”
Skye looks thoughtful. “I think we should give her a shot. See what happens.”
“You think it’s Duchess’s way of getting a pair of eyes and ears into the club to see what’s going on?”
Pearl takes a drink of her coffee. “Could be, but we’ve got nothing to hide. She knows about the girls we take in and they go to her, and we’re not doing anything that would raise any red flags. I think it’s fine if the group votes her in. We’ll ask at church and I’ll let Duchess know afterward.”
Skye looks up and decides that she needs to go get ready for the day and Pearl gets up to leave too. It’s not hard to guess who’s walking down those stairs and joins me at the bar two minutes later.
“Did you bribe the ladies to leave?” I ask before taking the last bite of my bagel.
“No, but I would have. I wanted some time alone with you, but thought we’d have this conversation in bed.”
I inhale a deep breath before turning to look him in the eyes. “Probably better that we have it right here and now.”