Chapter 8
Rowan
“We need a night out,” Frankie said, as she slung herself over the bar at the clubhouse without a care in the world. “Like I’m talking margaritas, tacos and some spicy quesadillas, baby!”
Rolling my eyes, I served the boys at the end of the bar, and moved back down to her.
She’d been so hesitant for me to be here and now she was acting like she had taken up a permanent residence at the back of the bar.
I knew it was because I told her what happened with Trey, and that Tee and Tori were here.
Not that they were here tonight or anything.
“We actually do,” I admitted. “It’s been far too long since I had a night out and forgot about all my troubles.”
“Let’s go into Rouse Hill!”
“Girl, Raf is probably still looking for me.”
She sighed. “I know, but if we have my cousins there, I don’t think he’d start anything. I mean, he is lethal because he’s never been caught, right? We stay public, even he’s not stupid enough to think he’s untouchable there.”
It was tempting, I’d give her that. “I don’t know…I do have work tomorrow afternoon.”
“So, you have all morning to sleep it off,” she pushed. “Please? I miss my girl. I feel like I never hear your voice anymore. Don’t you love me?”
I flipped her the bird and continued to pour the boys their drinks once they came up, ignoring her pleading eyes and moans that we never hung out anymore. My bruises may have died down enough to put makeup on, but I was still hesitant. After all, I left for a reason.
“What’s going on?” Chaos asked, looking from me to Frankie and back to me. “She looks like she’s about to slide off her stool in dramatic fashion.”
“That’s definitely Frankie’s style.”
Chaos smirked. “I’ve figured that part out. What’s she whining about?”
“She wants a girl’s night out, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Well…I mean…you know why, right?” I bit my bottom lip, unsure how much he knew about my stay here.
“Oh the Ironborne thing? Don’t worry about that. We got it handled, but if it makes you feel any better, I can come watch you guys if you want to go out.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, with a shrug. “Why the hell not, right?”
“You would be doing me a massive favour.”
“We’re all family here, Ro. When is your shift over?”
“Cammie is covering me from eight.”
“Sweet, well come and get me when you’re ready and I’ll take you girls out.”
“Maybe I should clear it with Reaper first,” I hedged.
“Don’t sweat it, Ro. I got you.”
He headed off to the table where a few of the boys were sitting and I moved over to Frankie. “You got your wish, bitch. Chaos is going to take us out and make sure we’re safe.”
“Tiago is going to be sooooo happy,” Frankie giggled.
She was already on her way to being tipsy, but she deserved that after the stress I put her through recently.
I knew the shit with Raf was getting to her as well.
It had been a long time since they were together, but he had scared the ever living shit out of her.
“Just tell him to meet us here at 8.30.”
Frankie pulled her phone out to text Tiago, while I turned back to the bar.
Most of the bikers were all huddled together, drinking and talking.
Cammie was due for her shift at eight, which meant that the other bitches would probably be here around then.
Since Cherry chased the other two out, they tended to steer clear of me.
I was a-okay with that.
When I looked up for my next customer, I felt the air leave my lungs and I gasped audibly. “Oh…Wy-Reaper.”
“Chaos tells me you want to go out.”
“Yeah…I mean if that’s okay. I finish at eight, and was going to go after.”
“Why do you need permission?” Frankie decided now was the time to pipe up…to the president of the club we were currently in. Just great. “I mean, she’s an adult, and she’s your employee. You don’t get to tell her where she can and can’t go.”
Reaper looked down at Frankie, with an expression I couldn’t quite read. He slowly turned back to me, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “She’s right, Rowan, you’re free to come and go as you please. I just want you to be safe. You know why you came here in the first place.”
“Yeah, because of your dickwad son.”
Shit, fuck, shit.
“Frankie!”
Reaper, to his credit, didn’t react, or visibly he didn’t, but that had to hurt. I knew how much he loved Trey, just like I did. “Chaos and Beast will go with you, to make sure you’re both safe. Stay with them, yeah?”
I nodded quickly, but the way he was looking at me was something other than that of someone wanting me to be safe. It lingered, almost like he was going to change his mind.
Was he?
With a rap of his knuckles on the bar, he pushed away, leaving Frankie baulking. “Is he serious? He didn’t even respond to me!”
“You just got under the skin of the Shackled Sons MC prez, Frankie. Be thankful you’re not chained up in the shed.”
“Oh my god, is there a shed where they torture people out there?”
“Why?” Chaos’ deep timbre sounded from behind her. How the hell did he get over here so fast? “You want to try it out?”
Frankie shuddered, before she turned around to face him. He had a cheeky grin on his face, one I knew would get any woman he had his eye on in trouble. “Uh…no.”
“Relax, peaches,” Chaos said, chuckling. “You haven’t done near enough damage to end up in there.”
“Peaches?” she spat back.
“Sure, those round peaches you got back there are juicy as fuck,” he replied.
I had to stifle my chuckle as Frankie gasped in shock, before she moved away from him.
He laughed before he grabbed a coke from behind the bar and headed back over to his mates.
Frankie was horrified, but not in the way I’d expect.
She was smiling a little, almost like she wanted the attention from him.
“No,” I said to her. “You are not to get involved with bikers, Frankie.”
“Oh please, as if I would.”
Rolling my eyes, I got back to work, trying to avoid the gaze of Reaper who was keeping an eye on me from the corner of the room where he sat with Mav, Shadow and the one they call Pope.
It did things to my tummy when I realised he was looking at me like this, like he wanted to clear the clubhouse out and take me against the wall.
Was I reading too much into it? I never saw him with the club girls–aside from Tee that night–and yet, he kept his eyes on me.
Watching.
I wished it was him taking us out tonight, but I understood he couldn’t do that. A girl could hope, though. There was just something about Wyatt Jameson that I wanted for my own.
Chaos and Beast waited by the door with Tiago and Frankie when I was finally ready.
I’d gotten out of my work clothes and dressed in a tight leather skirt, fishnet stockings and knee high boots.
The top I had on only just reached my skirt, but was free flowing and didn’t constrict my movement.
I could feel the cool air float up underneath it with every movement.
“Damn,” I heard someone say as I passed them. Turning, I smiled at one of the prospects–who’s name escaped me right now–who was taking me in from top to bottom. “You sure you don’t need someone else to watch over you ladies tonight?”
Chuckling, I walked past him and toward the party waiting for me. Turning back, I saw Reaper at the doorway to Chapel, looking very much annoyed. There was a tension in his expression, and the way his mouth was moving, I could tell he was grinding his teeth.
Before I could ask him anything, he was pulled back into the room by Maverick, and Frankie was grabbing my hand and pulling me away.
Chaos drove us in a car, the three of us crammed in the back, while Beast and Chaos sat up front.
Tiago had brought a flask into the car with us and we were all sipping on the disgusting vodka he’d poured into it, but I was a girl on a limited income.
I needed to get drunk prior to entering the establishment.
Once we arrived, Frankie and I headed down the long ass line to wait to get in. Usually, we flashed our tits to get in fast but I didn’t think she’d want to do that in front of the bikers and Tiago. He’d probably have a fit.
“What are you doing?” Beast asked me, his scarred brow raising slightly. He was so intimidating with his facial tattoos and scars, but I’d never really had to talk to him before. Up close, he was even more intimidating.
“Uh…lining up. Can’t you see the long ass line?”
“Shackled Sons don’t line up.”
He took my hand and led me, followed by Chaos, Tiago and Frankie up to the door. The bright red neon sign flashing overhead read, Chainbreakers. I knew this place. Trey had taken me here once before.
“Is this place one of the Shackled Sons’ places?” I yelled, so I could be heard over the music.
Chaos nodded. “This is the nightclub one. We have one over in Windsor that is strictly a bar. What you want to drink?”
“Vodka.”
“Straight?”
“Ew, no. Vodka Cranberry.”
“I’m not ordering a bitch drink, Ro. Give me a real order.”
Chuckling, I pointed to the bottle of Jim Beam on the wall and he winked before he went over to get them.
Frankie had grabbed a booth seat and was beckoning me over.
Tiago was eager to get on the dancefloor, but Beast looked ready to find a hookup and be done with the night already.
He always had a scowl on his face, like he was permanently grumpy.
I’d almost fallen off my seat when Cammie had told me he had an identical twin brother in the club.
They may be identical by genetics, but they didn’t dress the same and Beast had the scars and tattoos on his face, so it was easy to tell them apart.
Chaos joined me and led me over to the booth with a tray of drinks.
We all cheersed and Frankie grabbed me and Tiago and we headed out onto the dancefloor.
Dancing to music I didn’t recognise, mainly because I preferred my music a little with some more drum and guitar riff solos, but I could find the beat and get down.
Dancing always made me feel better. I was freer as I danced to the beat, it was the only thing that mattered.
Tiago had split off, finding a woman to grind and make out with in the corner. Frankie and I danced like no one was watching, even though I knew we had two burly bikers watching our every move. That only made it easier to let loose, because we didn’t have to worry someone was going to hurt us.
Especially not in a Shackled Sons’ establishment.
Frankie made the signal for a drink and I nodded, heading to the bar with her.
The wait was longer than necessary so I told her I’d stay in the line while she went to the bathroom.
Dancing a little to the music around me, I could feel the weariness hitting me fast. I’d been up since four this morning, and the sleep I’d gotten before that had been limited as well.
“You wanna go?” Beast came up beside me, scaring me half to death. “You look beat.”
“I can’t leave Frankie.”
Beast looked past me, toward where the bathrooms were. She and Chaos were making out against the wall, her leg up over his thigh as his fingers brushed under her skirt.
Jesus.
“Uh…”
“She’s safe with Chaos, I promise. You look like you’re done, and I am too.”
I checked my phone and saw we’d been here, dancing for hours. No wonder we’d been thirsty.
“Do you promise she’s safe?”
“Chaos is our Sergeant at Arms, Ro. Trust me. Out of everyone, she’s safest with him. He’d never hurt a woman, either. He’s a lover, not a dick.”
Unease swirled through me, but she looked like she was as into it as he was.
“Let me just ask her first.”
He nodded and waited for me at the bar. When Frankie caught sight of me over Chaos’ shoulder, she pulled from his lips.
“I’m going to head back with Beast. Are you…okay with…”
“She’s good, princess,” Chaos said, half turning his head. “Go home to the prez.”
Before I could ask what he meant by that, his mouth was back on Frankie’s, and I was being led out by Beast. Fuck…I didn’t like leaving her there, but she said she was okay. She was okay, right?
God, was I the worst best friend in the world?