Chains laughed. “So you’ve lost interest in the redhead at Stella’s?”
“No. I’m still priming her, but this sweet piece from last night is worth another round or two.” Eagle tilted his chair back. “Jigger had a sexy blonde throwing herself at him all night. Crow didn’t do too bad either. You missed a good time, bro.”
“I’m sure the next time I go to Cuervos there’ll be chicks wanting to have biker cock. It never fails.” Chains picked up a bottle of water and took a deep drink.
“You sound like that’s a fuckin’ bore.”
“Most chicks are too eager, and sometimes I like the chase.”
“This is coming from a guy who’ll only fuck club girls?” Eagle laughed.
Chains shrugged. “Whatever.”
“What’s gotten into you lately?”
A vivid image of Autumn in her pencil skirt flashed through his mind. “Nothing,” he muttered.
“It’s Thor,” Jigger said as he plopped down next to Eagle. “When’s he coming home?”
“This afternoon,” Chains replied.
“I’ll go with you to help out. I’d love to get another glimpse of that sexy vet.” Jigger waggled his brows then leaned his elbows on the wood table.
Chains shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“Sexy vet? What the fuck, dude? You’ve been holding out on us.” Eagle pounded his fist on the table and several members looked over. “Thor’s vet is sexy as fuck according to Jigger.”
Chains clenched his jaw.
“That’s why you’ve been spending a shit load of time over there,” Crow said. Aztec, Skull, and Brutus guffawed.
“When were you gonna tell us about this?” Rooster asked.
“Never—he wants to keep her to himself,” Cueball said.
Chains narrowed his eyes. “Just shut the fuck up about it. My ass was at the clinic because of Thor, and you all know it.”
“Is she sexy, bro?” Rooster asked.
Chains just glared.
“Fuck, dude. Deny it or embrace it, but don’t just sit there lookin’ pissed ’cause that tells us you got a hard-on for this sweet piece,” Eagle said as the members burst out in laughter.
“I don’t have a fuckin’ hard-on for anyone,” Chains replied.
“Then, why’re you getting so damn mad?” Goldie chuckled.
“Because you’re all such fuckin’ morons.” Chains guzzled the rest of the water and glanced at the door. Relief washed over him when he saw Steel and Paco walk in. He didn’t want to think let alone talk about Autumn, especially to his brothers. The fact that he was bothered by their ribbing spoke volumes.
After Chains had left the clinic the day before, he’d gone back to the clubhouse and holed up in his room, burying himself in work; he needed something to take his mind off of her. By the time he’d packed it in at four in the morning, he was so damn tired that he fell asleep the minute he hit the bed. But the morning brought thoughts of Autumn, and as hard as he tried, he just couldn’t get her out of his mind. Her smile, her sexy-as-hell curves, and those captivating eyes all overwhelmed his conscious thoughts.
The gavel pounded, and Chains jerked his head up and looked at the club president who stood at the head of the table. The noise in the room came to an immediate stop as Steel called church to order.
“The first thing we have to discuss is whether or not we want to sell weed to this group in Kansas. Chains ran a background on these guys, and I’ve checked them out with some of our other contacts as well. So far it looks okay,” Steel said.
“Would this be an ongoing business?” Army asked.
Steel shook his head. “Nah. We don’t need the fuckin’ ATF in our business, but we need the cash to buy more weapons. We stand to make a shitload from this sale.” He glanced over at Chains. “Give us the lowdown on these buyers.”
He lifted his chin as he rose to his feet. “The buyers are a father-and-son team. They work outta Wichita and have thirty people on their payroll. The dad, Gary, runs one of the most prestigious real estate companies in Wichita, and I bet none of his employees suspects he’s the head of a drug-smuggling ring,” Chains said with a laugh. “He and his son have a bogus company from where they launder the money. They sell natural stuff like soaps, lotions, and other shit.”
A low murmur of laughter filled the room.
“Love those states that haven’t legalized weed—gives us a good revenue,” Muerto said.
“Yep. These dudes distribute weed to about ten of them,” Chains replied. “The kick in the ass is that this dude’s wife’s all over the society pages in the newspapers. I bet the people they hobnob with at the country club don’t have a fuckin’ clue where the money comes from. Posers to the max.”
“I hate posers,” Diablo said.
“I second that,” Sangre added.
Suddenly Goldie shot to his feet. “Who wants to beat the shit outta posers?”
And then the room exploded with strings of expletives as some of the members pounded their fists on the tables while others jumped to their feet. Chains laughed, then plopped down on the chair, waiting for Steel to hit the gavel and bring church back to order.
Paco pushed away from the wall and put two fingers in his mouth, then whistled so loudly that Chains thought his eardrums would burst.
“Fuck, dude,” he said.
“You’re better than the damn gavel.” Steel laughed, then looked over at Chains. “Are we ready to roll on this deal?”
Chains nodded. “Pretty much. I just wanna check a few more references who’ve done business with these buyers. If it all checks out, we’re good to go.”
“Okay. Let me know and I’ll set it up,” Paco said. “To change the subject, we got the Steamboat Springs rally coming up soon. Hawk and Banger told Steel and me that they expect some trouble from that fucking MC one of their ex-members joined.” He snapped his fingers several times. “I can’t remember the name of the damn club. It’s on the tip of my fucking tongue.”
“Are you getting old or is Chelsea keeping you up all night?” Rooster joked.
“Rising Order,” Paco blurted out. “That’s it”—he glanced over at Rooster—“and fuck you.”
Rooster guffawed and flipped the vice president his middle finger.
Steel leaned forward. “I told the Insurgents we’ll help if those assholes start up any shit.”
“Damn straight,” Chains said.
“Hawk knows he can count on us,” Eagle added.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a good fight.” Brutus tipped back on his chair.
“Fallen Slayers said they’d join in too,” Skull said.
“I didn’t think they were gonna come. They seemed lukewarm about it last week when I went to their club party,” Eagle said.
“They got a couple of new members, and to hear Roughneck say it, the two dudes are crazier than shit.” Steel chuckled.
Roughneck was the president of the Fallen Slayers MC, which was located in Silverado—an hour’s drive from Alina. The two MCs were friendly and often partied or helped each other out when rival clubs tried to mess with either of them.
“If there’s nothing else, get the hell outta here and go find a drink and a good lay.” Steel tapped the gavel on the table.
A mild commotion rippled through the room: metal chairs scraped against the concrete floor as members stood up, voices echoed and reverberated, and heavy boots left the room.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you to pick up Thor?” Jigger asked.
“Yeah,” Chains replied as he headed to the bar.
“It wouldn’t be any trouble.” Jigger followed behind him.
“I’m good, so leave it alone.” Chains held up two fingers to the prospect manning the bar.
“What’s the name of this clinic Thor’s in?” Eagle asked as he sidled up beside Chains.
The prospect placed two shots of tequila, some lime wedges, and a salt shaker in front of Chains, then
scurried away. He licked the back of his hand, sprinkled a pinch of salt on it, then licked it again before he threw back the tequila in one gulp. Heat slid down his throat to his chest, and he finished it off by biting into a lime slice.
“Do you know the name, Jigger?” Eagle said.
Ignoring the impulse to smash Eagle in the face, Chains picked up the salt shaker for his second shot.
“Are any of you guys going to take me and Angel to the drugstore? We need to get a few things,” Lila said.
The cloying scent of perfume overwhelmed him, and he pushed away from the counter.
“I’d help you ladies out, but I’ve got to pick up Thor.”
A wide smile lit up her pretty face. “I’m so happy that he’s all better. I’ve missed him.”
Chains squeezed her shoulder. “Me too.” He glanced over at Eagle. “You’re not doing shit, so why don’t you take the women to town? You got too damn much time on your hands.”
Eagle slowly brought the beer bottle to his mouth. After a long pull, he set it down on the bar. “I’m gonna find out the name of the clinic, bro.” He then turned to the Lila and said, “I can only spare an hour for your shopping trip.”
Lila squealed and rushed away.
“You’re a softie,” Jigger said as he stared at the club girl’s ass.
“Don’t give me that bullshit—you were one second away from offering to take them,” Eagle replied.
Chains pulled out the keys to his SUV and chuckled. “Have fun with the girls.”
“Fuck you,” Eagle muttered.
He turned away and walked out of the club. In less than thirty minutes he was pulling into the clinic’s crowded parking lot. When he entered the building, several people with dogs, cats, and a couple of guinea pigs littered the reception area. Chains walked up to the counter and rang the chrome call bell. A woman who looked vaguely familiar came up to the front.
“May I help you?” the short-haired brunette asked.
“I’m here to pick up my dog—Thor.” He wanted to ask if Autumn was around, but he didn’t. The doctor was just Thor’s vet, and after today he wouldn’t see her again unless Thor needed some medical attention. Asking about her would be lame as hell, and besides, interest in a citizen wasn’t his thing.
“Okay.” The receptionist looked at a computer screen. “Dr. Sanford wants to talk to you.”
An annoying streak of excitement surged through him. Fuckin’ pussy. “Okay.”
The woman leaned back in her chair and stared at him. “I think I know you.” She squinted her eyes, then they widened as a pink flush spread over her face. “Chet Graver, right?” A smile spread across her face.
“Yeah—but the name’s Chains now.”
“Chains?”
“Yeah. You look familiar.” He tried to remember if she was one of the many girls he’d hooked up with before he got hitched to Krystal, but he was drawing a damn blank.
“Shelia Bixby. Alina High—class of 1987. Remember?”
A memory of them climbing into the back seat of his used Camaro flashed through his mind. “Oh yeah. How’ve you been?” They’d hooked up after a football game, and for him, it had been a one-time deal, but Sheila had interpreted it as the beginning of a relationship. For the rest of their senior year, she’d chased the hell out of him.
“Real good. I have a couple of kids—a son and a daughter. What about you?”
“No kids.”
“What about a wife?” Sheila leaned forward slightly.
“Nope.”
“I’m divorced.”
Chains nodded.
“I just moved back from Carbondale a year ago. I wondered if you still lived here.”
“Well … now you know. So how long do I gotta wait before I can get my dog?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. What do you do?”
“Web development.” He glanced over his shoulder and spotted an empty seat.
The door opened and one of the techs walked into the reception area. She glanced over at him and smiled.
“Hi. I bet you’re here to pick up Thor.” He didn’t miss the way she checked him out. He looked at her nametag. That’s right—the chick’s name is Christina.
“Yeah. I was just wondering when I can get him.”
“Soon. Dr. Stanford should be finishing up with her patient. Thor’s been such a good boy.”
“Didn’t you come out here to bring a patient back to one of the rooms?” Sheila asked, irritation punctuating her words.
Christina gave her a sidelong glance, then cleared her throat. “Minnie Cuellers,” she said.
A woman jumped up from her seat, and a white bichon frise barked.
“Hi, Minnie.” Christina crouched down and rubbed the dog under its chin. “How are you doing?”
“She has a bad case of the runs,” her owner said.
Christina stood up and held the door open.
“That doesn’t sound too comfortable.” The tech glanced over at Chains. “Nice seeing you again.”
He lifted his chin and began to walk toward a vacant chair.
“So maybe we can go out for a coffee to catch up,” Sheila said.
Chains looked over at her. “My schedule’s pretty full.” The last thing he wanted to do was encourage her. She’d been a major pain in the ass, and he didn’t want to invite her into his life.
“I’m sure you have a free hour—everyone does.” She licked her lips and held his gaze.
“Chains,” a soft voice said.
He glanced over at the door and saw Autumn: hair pulled up in a messy bun with tendrils hanging down around her slender neck, high-heeled ankle boots that made him think lecherous thoughts, and a sheen of gold shimmer over her full lips. He sucked in a breath. Damn.
“I’d like to speak with you before I release Thor.” She held the door wide open.
“Sure.” Chains shoved his hand into his front jeans pocket and swaggered over. As he walked past her, the scent of her perfume enticed him: vanilla with hints of cinnamon and musk. It was sweet and spicy and sexy as hell, and it was the first time he’d smelled it on her. Something told him that she wore it for him, and if she was trying to beguile him, it was working.
He stood aside then followed her down the hallway, admiring the way her hips swayed and her ass wiggled; once again, nasty thoughts filled his mind.
“Here we are.” Autumn looked over her shoulder at him and color rushed to her cheeks. She quickly turned away and scurried to her desk.
Chains sank down on a black leather chair and locked his gaze on hers. For a second everything in the room stood still, then she shifted her eyes away and pushed papers around on her desk. He settled back in the chair, smug that he seemed to have an effect on her. The doc was acting damn cute, pretending that he didn’t make her nervous as hell.
“So,” Autumn said while glancing at the computer screen. “Thor’s doing great. He’s a little weak from everything he’d gone through, but he should be back to normal in a few days.”
“That’s good.”
“For the next few days, feed him a bland diet. Some suggestions are plain, unseasoned boiled chicken or turkey breast, the skin off and shredded, with some rice. You can substitute a yam for the rice.” Her gaze was still fixed on the screen.
“Got it.”
“None of his usual treats or dog food. After a few days, you can gradually introduce his dry and wet food and see how he tolerates it.”
“Okay. Are you gonna keep talking to that damn screen, or are you gonna look at me?” His question made her visibly stiffen, then she swiveled around slowly.
“I was making sure I didn’t miss anything important to tell you.”
“Yeah … right.” A smirk tugged at his lips.
“If Thor’s not feeling well, or if you notice anything unusual, call me.” She stared at him as if to show him that she could do it without any qualms, but her tight facial muscles and that adorable pink sheen coloring her cheeks gave her awa
y.
“Sure. So, do you want to get a slice of chocolate cream pie at Leroy’s after work?”
Her eyes sparkled for a split second, then she looked back at the computer. “I’m sorry but I’m not able to.” Her shoulders sagged a bit. “I’m engaged.”
Surprised, Chains glanced at her hand. “I don’t see a ring.”
“I don’t wear any jewelry at work”—Autumn looked over at him—“but I’m flattered.”
“Don’t be. I was just asking because you saved Thor’s life. I used to grab a cup of coffee with Thor’s old vet all the time.” Chains jumped up. “I gotta get going.”
Autumn stood up. “Of course.”
“Just tell me where he is—you don’t have to tag along.”
Her face fell. “I’m sorry that I upset you.”
“You didn’t do shit. I know you got a full house, so there’s no need to take up any more time with me. Christina can help me out with Thor. Is she engaged?”
Autumn’s mouth opened slightly as she shook her head.
“Good to know.”
The vet picked up the phone and pushed a button. “Have Amanda go to Recovery. Thor’s owner is ready to take his dog home.” A pause. “Thanks.” She placed the phone back on the cradle. “Christina is assisting Dr. Jenkins.”
“Whatever. I know where the room is,” he said as he walked out of the office. While Chains ambled to the recovery room, he was madder than hell at himself for succumbing to such juvenile and cheap antics back in Autumn’s office. He grimaced when he replayed the comment he said about Christina. What the fuck had possessed him to act like such a pussy? Playing games and trying to make a chick jealous wasn’t his style. And why in the hell was he so damn bothered by the fact that she was engaged. I don’t even know her. So she’s got a sexy bod—Lila, Ruby, Alma, and Kelly have great asses and tits too. And she sure didn’t act like she was engaged. I wonder what her fiancé would say about that. I didn’t figure her for a cheating bitch, but most women are. She’s just like Krystal, only classier. Fuck them all.
By the time Chains arrived at Recovery, anger was pumping through his veins, but one look at Thor, whose tail was thumping against the floor, and the fury evaporated.
Chains Page 6
