by Faith Gibson
Rocky hadn’t told the team she was selling. She thought Friday would give her plenty of time to tell them before anyone inquired. “Uh… Yeah, I guess that’s okay.”
“Is there a problem with today? I can reschedule for tomorrow if necessary.”
“I had wanted to tell all the employees before I met with someone. I don’t want them to find out this way. Can you please put the person off until tomorrow? That way I can gather my team together today and let them know what’s going on.”
“Of course. Would you like me to be there with you tomorrow?” Joel offered.
Rocky smiled to herself. Her uncle’s partner was a sweet man. “I appreciate that, but this is a preliminary showing. If and when I have someone ready to sign on the dotted line, that’s when I’ll need you with me.”
“Of course, dear. Whatever you want. I will call the broker and set up a meeting for tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Mr. Warren.”
“Anything for you, Rocky. I’ll call you when I have the exact time.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you then.” The line went dead, and Rocky flung herself backwards on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The sadness crept its way into her heart. This was really happening. She crossed her arm over her eyes and gave herself a moment to let it all sink in. Rocky knew it was the best thing to do for everyone involved; still, she couldn’t help but regret it had to happen. If only…
Rocky needed to call Bridget, but it was too early. She would wait a while, but not too long. She wanted to give her friend plenty of time to call the troops together. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep with the thought of selling the bar going through her brain, Rocky rolled out of bed.
She’d forgotten to set the coffee pot when she got home, so Rocky fixed it to brew while she was in the shower. She couldn’t function without her caffeine. She kept soda in the refrigerator for emergencies, but she preferred to hold a mug of the hot java so she could enjoy the aroma as well as the taste. As soon as she was out of the shower, she poured her first cup of coffee and sipped it while she untangled the mess that was her hair. After that was taken care of, Rocky left it hanging around her shoulders to air dry. She sat down at the small table that doubled as a desk, lit a cigarette, and clicked away on her laptop. Rocky wanted to check about going into nursing school. To see what her options were with regards to grants and loans. After two cups of coffee and three cigarettes, Rocky had most of the information she needed. Since she didn’t have any college credits, Rocky would have to take some required courses before she could register in the local nursing program. That was the bad news. The good news was the quarterly payments weren’t as outrageous as she’d thought they would be. Plus, they offered scholarships.
When she deemed it was late enough to call, Rocky phoned Bridget and told her about the prospective buyer and asked if she would gather the employees together that afternoon instead of Friday. If they couldn’t make it, she’d call them personally and tell them over the phone, even though she hated the idea. Bridget promised she’d get everyone together, and as she hung up the phone, Rocky’s doorbell rang. She unlocked her door and headed downstairs to see who was calling so early. When she looked through the peephole, she was relieved to see it was Vivian. She unlocked the metal door and smiled at her disheveled friend. “Looks like you just rolled out of bed.”
Vivian was grinning even though she waved her hand in the air. “Oh, you know me. Why call it an early night when you can enjoy a fine male specimen for hours on end? Please tell me you have coffee.”
“I have coffee.”
“I love you even more than I already did,” Vivian cooed as she followed Rocky up the stairs.
“Don’t keep me waiting. I know you’re here to gloat, so go ahead. Get on with it,” Rocky teased as she poured her best friend a strong black cup of joe.
“I’m telling you, Rocky, I’ve been with some mighty fine men over the years, but Finley and his friends are like gods. I told you about the one who calls himself Sixx, and the hateful one who makes Thor look like a pimply-face teenager. But the one last night?” Vivian fanned herself with her free hand. “Girl, he was something else. Sinclair is his name. He’s tall, and he is built, but not too bulky. Just enough to make you want to run your tongue over the grooves between his abs. And his V? It pointed down to the finest cock I’ve ever seen. His hair is long and dark, and his eyes are black. He looks Italian but not in the ‘My name is Guido, gold chain wearing, mob goon’ kind of way. More like the ‘he’s going to be the best lover you ever had’ kind of way. Sinclair is a broody sort, but not so much it’s a turn off. Everything the man does is with purpose. The way he speaks. The words he chooses. The way he studies you.” Vivian shivered.
“Wow. I think you’re in love with him. So? He’s hot. How was he in the sack?” Rocky sipped her coffee while studying her friend.
Something was off, and Vivian’s next words explained what it was. Without looking at Rocky, Vivian said, “I wouldn’t know. Everything was going great. We had a nice dinner with champagne before heading to the bedroom. I’m pretty sure it was a guest room, because there was no sign of anyone living in it. Anyway, Dana and I… I asked Dana to go since you couldn’t… Dana and I got down to business while waiting on the men to join us. Before they did, though, Sin – that’s what Finley calls Sinclair – Sin sort of issued Fin a challenge, and Finley accepted. While Dana and I were kissing, Fin dropped to his knees and swallowed Sin’s fat cock down his throat. I’ve seen men go at it before, but seriously, I was jealous at the way Fin could deep throat his friend. It was ah-ma-zing. Sin looked shocked at first, but Finley got in the groove.”
“And? What happened next? Don’t tell me the guys fucked each other and left you and Dana to your own devices. Or did you not pull out the toys?”
“Uh huh. Before he could shoot his wad into Fin’s mouth, Sin pulled out and ordered Finley to get on the bed. He chose Dana to play with instead of all of us taking turns. He fucked her well and good, her words, and then he left the room. I asked him to stay, but he seemed distant after he got his nut. I almost had my feelings hurt, but Finley more than made up for it. He played with both of us for a little while before he abruptly left the room. When he returned, Fin informed us we needed to take things back to either my place or Dana’s. We went to Dana’s since it was closer where we spent the rest of the night tangled in a three-way heap.”
“So, Mr. Tall and Broody likes blondes.” Rocky wasn’t dissing Vivian; she was merely making an observation.
“That or he prefers the silent type. I could tell during dinner he was more drawn to Dana than me, but whatever. I got what I wanted, and it was heaven with a capital H. Even watching Sin was hotter than a lot of sex I’ve had. I am telling you, Rocky girl, you have got to get your hands on Sinclair. And your mouth. And your pussy. I’d be more than happy to watch him in action again.”
Rocky laughed at her friend. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. And if he’s as fine as you say he is, I wouldn’t mind playing. But that’s all it will be. I learned my lesson about trusting a man. Speaking of Satan, I spent last night in my office hiding from Blake.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope. After I went to see my lawyer, I decided a little bartending would be good for the soul, but as soon as Blake entered the room, I stayed away doing paperwork all night.”
“Why did you see your lawyer? Everything okay?” Vivian got up from the table and refilled her cup. “You need me to top you off?”
Rocky held out her cup while Vivian filled it to the rim. “I’m selling RC’s.”
“You’re what?” Vivian shrieked.
“I’m selling the bar.”
“I heard you the first time, but what I meant was why are you selling? That’s your Uncle Ray’s legacy. Your legacy now.”
“Not much of a legacy if I can’t pay the bills. Mr. Warren said he’d float me a loan if I needed one, and if I don’t sell soon, I may have to take him up o
n the offer.” Vivian started to interrupt, and Rocky knew what she was going to say. She held up her hand. “No, Viv. I love you, but no. I think it’s time I let someone else have it who can do it justice.”
“What are you going to do after you sell it? You want to come work at the airport?”
“I’m thinking about going into nursing.”
Vivian stared at Rocky for a beat before she responded. “Does all this have anything to do with dickhead coming around again?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know. I thought if I ignored him long enough, he’d keep away. He called me last night.”
“How the fuck did he get your number?”
Rocky sighed and leaned back in her chair, cupping her mug in both hands. “That’s a good question. When I asked him, he said he always gets what he wants. Viv, he’s not done with me. I’m going to take a self-defense class down at the gym. I need to be able to protect myself in case…” Rocky couldn’t finish her sentence. Thinking about Blake made her sick to her stomach.
“You need to get a restraining order.”
“A piece of paper isn’t going to keep him away from me. Guys like him don’t give two shits about restraining orders.”
“See, this is why you need a friend like Sinclair. He’d squish Blake like a bug.”
Rocky rolled her eyes. She knew Vivian wouldn’t leave her alone until she’d at least met the man. “I’ll be his friend, but that’s as far as it goes. Besides, he might like Dana and not want to play with anyone else.”
“From what Finley said, Sinclair’s not the settling down type. He has a huge home up in the hills next to the Angeles Forest. He drives a Lamborghini. Why would he want to settle down when he can have his pick of women?”
Rocky wasn’t about to hurt Vivian’s feelings by saying if that were true, why would he want to play with Vivian and her friends? Vivian was a knock-out, no doubt about it. But she was also a little rough around the edges. Maybe this Sinclair liked his women experienced. Whatever the reason, she would definitely like to see this “god”, as Vivian put it. She wasn’t above having sex with someone that hot.
Her best friend rose from the table and rummaged through Rocky’s cabinets. She pulled out a box of instant macaroni and cheese. “Want some?” she asked. Neither one of them ate what most people would consider normal food for breakfast. Rocky picked up the habit when she was living with her aunt after her dad died. Linda couldn’t cook worth a crap, so she bought instant everything. Since Rocky didn’t like oatmeal, and Tommy refused to share the cereal, Rocky started eating rice and mac-n-cheese for breakfast. When she moved out, the habit stuck. Vivian didn’t care what you fed her as long as you fed her.
“Yeah, I’ll take a pack. Throw some tuna in mine, if you don’t care.” She needed the protein. Hell, she needed all the necessary nutrients for her to be healthy, but Rocky didn’t eat like she should, and she rarely remembered to take her vitamins. Besides that, she refused to go to the doctor. The last time Rocky did, she’d received some bad news that rocked her world. Fucking Tommy.
When the noodles were nuked, Vivian divvied up the one can of tuna into the bowls, added the cheese powder and stirred. She set Rocky’s in front of her, and the two women ate in mostly silence. The only sound was the spoons scraping the bottom of the bowls. Vivian retrieved the empties and rinsed them out before putting them in the dishwasher. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her large breasts. “I’m worried about Blake.”
“I am, too, honestly. It’s another reason I think selling the bar is a good idea. If he realizes I’m not there twenty-four, seven, maybe he’ll give up.”
“Why don’t you move in with me? At least for a little while?”
“I may have to do that. If the new owner won’t let me continue to rent this place, I’ll need somewhere to crash until I figure something out.”
Vivian pushed away from the counter and stood behind Rocky. Vivian bent over, wrapping her arms around Rocky’s shoulder. She kissed her on the cheek. “You’ve always got a place with me, babe.”
“I know, and I love you for it.” For that and for so much more. Rocky would never be able to repay Viv for everything she’d already done.
“All righty. I’m going to go home and get some sleep before work.”
“Since when do you work during the week?” Rocky asked.
“Since Jocelyn got pregnant and can’t stop throwing up.”
“Jocelyn’s pregnant? How’d that happen?” Rocky knew how it happened, but the woman in question was a lesbian.
“It seems her lesbianism isn’t one-hundred-percent tried and true. She shagged an Air Journey pilot on one of his layovers.” Vivian had been a waitress at RC’s when Rocky started working there. It was how they met. When Vivian was offered a weekend only job at one of the restaurants in LAX making more in tips in three days than she did in two weeks at the little out-of-the-way tavern, she jumped at the chance.
“Huh.” Rocky shrugged and pushed back from the table. “You never know about people.”
“No, but I know all about you. You take care of yourself, and for Christ’s sake, be careful.”
“I will. Love you, Viv.”
“Love you right back.” Vivian pulled Rocky in for a hug and gave her another kiss on the cheek.
Rocky followed her downstairs to make sure the outer door was locked up tight behind her best friend. Rocky leaned against the door and stared at the back entrance to RC’s. Selling was going to break her heart, but in her heart, she knew it was the right thing to do.
It took him longer than expected, but Sinclair finally found the listing for RC’s. He called the broker and asked to meet with the owner that afternoon. When the woman returned his call, she informed him the current owner needed an extra day before she could meet with him. Sin was eager to talk to the woman, but if she couldn’t meet, she couldn’t, so he scheduled an appointment for the following day. After thinking about it, he decided to visit the little bar again, giving it another once-over, hopefully without feeling sick. He needed to find Uri and apologize, so Sin decided to invite the Goyle to meet him at RC’s for a drink.
He tried Uri’s number, but it went to voicemail. Sin didn’t leave a message, opting to call again later. After making the call, Sin dressed in workout clothes and headed to the training field. When he arrived, the males who were already there were in deep discussion. The word Unholy was being thrown around. When he stepped up beside the group, Banyan handed him his sword and said, “Seems the Unholy are stirring.”
Being the West Coast leader, Sin liked to be in the know on all happenings regarding their Clan. “Would somebody care to be a little more specific?” he asked as he eyed each of them.
Thane spoke up. “Sorry, Sinclair. I should have called you, but we were patrolling late into the morning hours. We actually came straight here from dealing with the bastards.”
When Sin took in the males before him, he realized most of them were bloody. He raised his eyebrows, and Thane continued. “Last night was different. They were fighting with a purpose. They were spread out around the city instead of staying in a large pack. I called in reinforcements to help contain them all. We managed to round up most of them, but a few slipped through. The main thing you need to know is there were rumblings of a new leader. I couldn’t get a name out of any of them. While they know there is someone trying to take over, they don’t know who it is.”
“That cannot be good. If the Unholy are actually listening to and obeying someone, whoever it is must be powerful. Banyan, double-up on patrols. Scatter the Clan throughout the city until we can get a name. Add me to the rotation. This is important.”
“Yes, sir,” Banyan said, inclining his head.
“Okay then, let’s get busy.” Sin normally sparred with Banyan, but he chose to let someone else train with the Norseman. Each of them needed to be challenged to the best of their abilities, and no one was better suited for that than Banyan. Except maybe Urijah. Sin ha
dn’t seen the two males go at it, but he knew if they ever did, it would be a sight to behold.
Three hours later, they called it a morning. Sin was excited about hunting Unholy. He hadn’t patrolled in a long time. Rafael preferred he remain on the sidelines considering he was next in line to the throne. When Sin called him a hypocrite, Rafael had laughed. It was necessary to keep tabs on the mutants, but it was also exhilarating. The Goyles on the East Coast had it better in that they could fly more easily than those on the West Coast. New Atlanta had been hit harder during the explosions that rocked the world, and even though they had rebuilt the city, it was still less inhabited than the cities in California.
If he wasn’t needed to rule the West, Sinclair would move to the inner states where the most damage had been done. The giant fissure that separated the country had left many of those states uninhabitable. Sin would love to take over a couple thousand acres and build a house out in the middle of nowhere so he could take to the skies whenever he felt like it. Being second-in-command of the Stone Society meant he would stay where he was needed most. For now, that was California.
Chapter Seven
Rocky confirmed with Bridget everyone would be at the bar an hour before they were scheduled to open. Most bars opened early, before noon, but RC’s had always opened later since they didn’t have a large lunch crowd. The location was out of the way, and most people who frequented the small establishment came there for that reason. It was smaller and more intimate. The new owner might decide to change that. There was plenty of room to expand the kitchen and serve more than bar food, but Rocky had kept it simple, the way Uncle Ray had. There were several other businesses in the area, but they weren’t in a strip mall. The building sat off by itself, which Rocky had thought was appealing. That was until Blake.
Even with the park across the street behind the building, it wasn’t the most secure place, so whenever Rocky left, she made sure she looked around before going to her car. She kept mace on her keychain and had it ready to use should she need it. Rocky beeped the locks on the car and hurried from the back door to her vehicle, sliding in and slamming the door closed. She reengaged the locks before she put the key in the ignition. Anyone who saw her would think she was paranoid, and they would be correct. She’d lived through the nightmare Blake Stansbury had brought on, and she prayed to all deities who would listen that she never had to endure anything like it ever again.
