by Lilly Atlas
“I’m ten minutes early.” He accepted a beer from Carli, one of the club girls who’d been hanging around for years, before making his way over to Maverick and the pool table.
Handlers’ Honeys, Double H girls, or just the Honeys, they’d come to be called. Carli also happened to work the pole at the club’s strip joint. And she was one of the unlucky girls to have been on the receiving end of some man’s fists a few days ago.
The right side of her pretty face was covered in a thick layer of makeup, but no amount of goop could hide the swelling. “How you doing, darlin’?” Zach asked.
“I’m good, Zach. You?” Her eyes roamed him appreciatively, but before long returned to Maverick. They’d been messing around on and off for years. Zach suspected Carli was half in love with Mav and secretly hoped she’d one day become his ol’ lady.
Never gonna happen.
But it wasn’t surprising. Mav drew chicks like flies to honey. Something about his hair, or so he liked to brag. It was shaved to stubble on the sides and in back but long on top. He often slicked it back or sometimes even wore it in a man bun. What had he called it? An undercut or some shit. Regardless, he was convinced it was hair porn for the ladies.
Mav would give up his bike before he’d take on a woman long-term. Not that he didn’t like women. Mav liked them too much to ever pick just one. That and a shit upbringing being passed from one foster home to another had built a deep-seated distrust of women. But he didn’t need to trust them to fuck them.
“Beat it,” Maverick said to her.
Her expression fell, but she left. In the end, she was just a club girl. Not anyone’s ol’ lady, so she did as she was told. Mav didn’t mean to be a dick to her, but if he gave her an inch, she’d be writing his name with hearts and flowers. Cold hard truth of it was she was there to fuck, nothing more. Best not to blur the lines.
“Bad news?” Maverick asked after Carli was out of earshot.
Zach clinked the neck of his bottle against Mav’s then downed half of it in one long gulp. “The worst.”
“Fuck.” Named Road Captain about a month ago, Maverick was new to board meetings, but no less invested than the guys who’d been in charge for years. The club was his life, as it was for most of them.
Mav was tall and strong but lean as a whip. And he modified his body as often as others changed their socks. Who knew what he’d do when he ran out of skin to ink. Maybe move on to piercings, though Zach’s best friend claimed he was leaving the holes at eyebrow, tongue, nipples, and some kind of metal in his cock. Made Zach’s balls shrivel imagining someone aiming at his junk with a needle.
“Any idea how Copper’s gonna want to handle it?” Mav returned his pool cue to the rack.
“Not sure. But I’m guessing some kind of show of force will be necessary to get the message across. Let’s move. You know Prez will flip his shit if we’re late.”
Just then, Copper poked his head out of the meeting room. “Why the fuck am I in here by myself? I get any more alone time and I’m gonna whip my dick out and start beating off.”
“Told ya,” Zach mumbled as Mav chuckled.
They filed into the meeting room along with the rest of the board members. Copper sat in his usual spot at the round table with his VP, Viper, at his right-hand side. Viper had a good fifteen plus years on Copper, but never wanted the president’s patch. Instead, he was the best fucking VP around. Gave everything he had to the club and kept Copper in check. He’d been around, seen it all, and knew how to advise his leader. In great shape for a man in his late fifties, Viper had a long, graying beard and even longer hair. Mav often compared him to a young Willie Nelson.
Along with Zach and Maverick, Rocket, the Sergeant at Arms was present. He was a mean motherfucker who didn’t speak much but seemed to notice any and everything that happened around him. His powers of observation were almost creepy. Rocket could get inside a man’s head and see things buried deep.
Jigsaw, the club’s treasurer, was last to arrive. Named for a nasty crisscross of scars on his left cheek that looked like puzzle pieces, he was the smartest fucker Zach knew. Much of his past was a mystery, but rumor had it he was some kind of NASA scientist in a previous life. Before his wife and child were killed in the attack that left him scarred.
“All right,” Copper said as soon as Jig’s ass hit the seat. “Let’s not waste time with bullshit agenda items. We all know why we’re here. Zach, tell me why there are motherfuckers pushing H through my town.”
All eyes turned to Zach and he cleared his throat. “Gray Dragons are—”
“Godfuckingdamnit!” Copper slammed his meaty fist down on the table, rattling the wood and tipping a full glass. Amber liquid splashed across the table and onto the floor, but no one made a move to clean it up. One of the girls would be tasked with the chore after the meeting. “Fucking Shark,” he said of the Gray Dragon’s current president.
Zach nodded. “It ain’t good, Prez. I spoke with one of Shark’s girls, or former girls, before I went to see Bill yesterday. She’s been hiding out from him. Finally wised up and left his ass. Only took a few broken bones, weekly beatings, and being passed around like a bad cold for her to get smart. I gave her some cash to disappear for a while.”
Copper nodded and dragged a hand through his hair. “Good work.” If there was one thing the man didn’t stand for, it was mistreatment of women. “Fucking disgusting.”
“Anyway, he’s upping his game, looking for more territory. Townsend is a great place to sell. Lots of tourists coming through. Constant new business. He’s also, uh…” This was the part Zach really dreaded telling Copper. “He also bought up a few debts owed to us.”
Jigsaw’s mouth turned down at that. As treasurer, he took the club’s finances—particularly money owed from lending—very seriously. “The fuck you mean?”
Zach stared at the puddle still expanding across the table. “Remember Bill Durant? Borrowed ten large and owes over twenty now?”
Jigsaw nodded, his charcoal eyes hardening with displeasure. He knew what was coming.
“Got a call from him earlier saying he had the money and was ready to pay. There was no fucking way. I was just there last night and he was sniveling and pissing himself over it. Said he needed more time, a few weeks. Then this morning he’s got it? Didn’t take too many threats for the pussy to spill. Dragons gave him the cash. He’s got two months to pay them back with only five percent interest.”
“They’ve got enough expendable cash to be loaning it out with such shit return?” Mav asked, clicking his tongue ring against his teeth.
“Looks like it.”
“Fuck,” Jig said.
“What’s the point?” Viper chimed in. “They’re loaning out money with a long grace period and shit interest. They ain’t gonna get rich doing that. It’s bad business.”
Jig shook his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Making money isn’t the point. Stealing our business is. Loan sharking is where we make fifty percent of our income. Word gets out they’re offering low interest and long payback periods, they’ll hijack all our business before you can scratch your nuts. It will cripple our bottom line and allow them to move in easily. Once they’ve gotten our customers, they can raise the rates and start pulling in what we were.”
“They the ones who fucked up our girls?” Copper asked.
Rocket hadn’t spoken yet, but that was pretty par for the course. Didn’t mean he wasn’t fully engaged. Nothing escaped his attention. He was just a quiet fucker, so it was a surprise when he said, “Fucking pieces of shit. Who else would it be?”
With a shrug, Zach leaned forward on his elbows. “Gut feeling says it’s them. But I don’t have proof yet. Carli’s been the most helpful and she said they all wore ski masks. No one spoke. Just jumped them as they were leaving. We’ve beefed up security at the strip club.”
Silence descended on the table. Copper ran a hand across his bottom lip, something he did when he w
as deep in thought. Made him a shit poker player, but a good president. He never acted rashly. Never made decisions based on emotion. He was rational, logical, and steady.
Except when it came to one gorgeous waitress and her adorable kiddo. Then he was a damn fool. Shell had been in love with Copper since she was old enough to notice he was a man. Probably even before. They had a complicated, twisted history with one constant. Copper refused to admit any feelings or attraction toward her. He had sixteen years on her and used it as a giant stick to keep beating her back. Poor kid was bound to reach her limit and latch on to someone else at some point, and then all hell would break loose, because whether he was willing to admit it or not, Copper had it bad for the girl.
Thoughts of Shell and the diner steered his mind toward thoughts of Toni. And that was nothing but trouble. He had no use for a woman taking up space in his head. Not now, when shit was coming to a head with the Dragons.
“Here’s what I want,” Copper said, after what had to have been five minutes of silence. “Grab their dealers, see if you can get any info out of ’em. Rough ’em up a little. Not enough to warrant any hospital visits, but enough they won’t be able to fuck any of those nasty gang bitches for a while.”
Zach leaned back in his chair. As enforcer, that task would fall to him.
Copper met his gaze. “We need to send a message to Shark. We’re on to him, and he can’t fuck around in our territory. Actually, let’s take it one step further. We’ve been lax about letting them through our turf because we’ve never had any beef. So, you see any of those banger assholes in our town, you bring ’em in. Zach will take care of ’em.”
Copper stared straight at Zach who nodded in response to the unasked question. He understood. He agreed. He was ready. His mind was in the game. And he’d stay that way.
“We take a step back and impose strict territory rules. We stay off their turf, they aren’t welcome in ours. I don’t give a shit what you see them doing, eating pizza, mowing their grandma’s lawn, having coffee at the fucking diner. You see ’em wearing their colors, they get a visit with Zach. Everyone on board?”
The men grunted their approval as Zach’s brain whirled with possibilities. His life was about to get hectic as shit. Being seen around town was nothing new for the Gray Dragons. “We gonna let them know they’re not welcome, or are we just going to start snatching them off the street?”
“I’ll be letting them know.” Copper’s lips twitched. Crazy fuckin’ Prez was enjoying this shit. “It’s only fair to give them a heads up. All right. Let’s get the fuck out of here. Bar’s calling my name.”
The men filed out thumping Zach on the shoulder as they left. They all knew he was up to the task and could handle it as enforcer. But, holding the title didn’t mean he went looking for shitheads to pound on. Sure, he got enjoyment out of scaring little boys like Bill, but doling out punishment that could start a war between clubs? Not exactly something to look forward to.
“You good?” Mav asked, once they were the only two remaining at the table.
“Yep.”
“Heard your sexy new neighbor lifted the ban on our kind at the diner.”
An image of Toni and her mouthwatering curves floated through Zach’s mind. “She sure did.”
“Well, I gotta be out of town the next two days for Copper, but what do you say we get ourselves some fuckin’ pancakes Sunday morning?”
Zach smiled. He’d be busy as hell himself the next few days. Early mornings, late nights. Probably meant he wouldn’t lay eyes on Toni again. “Sounds perfect to me.”
Watching Toni’s ass flit around the diner would be the perfect way to turn what was bound to be a shitty weekend into something to look forward to.
Chapter Seven
Toni thought she understood busy, as far as the typical rush of the diner. Hungry townsfolk and visitors poured through the doors, keeping the tables full and the staff hopping. Everyone wanted to chat with her, and she was blown away by the number of patrons who had stories from when she was a child running loose in the diner.
Their memories never failed to bring a smile to her face. As she’d grown older and her relationship with her parents declined, it became difficult to recall any happiness from her younger days. Hearing the stories helped her to remember there were times of definite happiness in her childhood. It helped heal some of the wounds inflicted by her parents’ rejection.
The mornings were so hectic, by the time they closed at one each afternoon, she was exhausted and dreading the supply ordering and bookkeeping awaiting her.
Then Saturday rolled around, and Toni learned a new definition of the word busy. The servers were practically sprinting between tables to keep up with the demands for coffee top-offs, extra butter, and checks. A long line out the door all morning led to a constant stream of orders, and lingering customers kept the diner open hours past its typical closing time. By the time they’d chased the final diners out the doors, cleaned the restaurant, and the staff headed for home, they were almost three hours past typical closing time.
“Holy crap,” Toni said to Michelle as she flexed her feet in her sensible but ugly work shoes. The arches ached something fierce. “How the hell do you do this every week?” They were lounging in a booth, both too bushed to move.
Michelle chuckled and reached for a glass of water she’d been working on for a while. She looked weary and younger than her twenty-three years, dressed in skinny jeans and the diner’s signature T-shirt. “First off, I stay hydrated. Second, I have no choice. You’ll build up a tolerance for it.”
A pang of sympathy hit Toni’s heart. Of course, Michelle had no choice. She was a young single mother. Worst part of it was Toni got to go sit in her office for a few hours before going home to a quiet, peaceful house. Michelle spent three hours at home with a rambunctious toddler then moved on to her second job, cleaning offices in the evenings. No wonder the poor woman looked one stiff breeze from blowing over all the time.
“You working tonight?” she asked Michelle, after groaning at the pleasure of a good stretch to her calves.
“No!” A lightness came over Michelle that Toni hadn’t seen yet. She smiled, revealing a straight set of shiny white teeth and then sighed in pleasure. “And, to make the day even better, my parents commandeered Beth for the evening. I’m a free woman for the next fifteen hours.”
“Oooh! Any big plans?” Toni raised her arms over her head, lengthening the knotted muscles in her back. A hot bath and some solid couch time was just what the doctor ordered.
The laugh that came from Michelle was more of a scoff than a humorous sound. “I have no freakin’ idea. I don’t even want to tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had more than two straight hours to myself.”
After dropping her arms, Toni leaned against the back of the plush booth. “Do you want to hang out? I don’t really have any girlfriends, and I haven’t actually done anything fun since I’ve been here.” Unless she counted sitting on her porch with a forbidden man. “Neither of us are up for a crazy night out, I’m sure, so why don’t we just have some drinks at my house and watch a chick flick?”
“Yes! That sounds amazing. Most of my girlfriends have moved away over the last few years and then with Beth, I never get a chance to have any fun.” A panicked look cross her face. “Not that being with Beth isn’t fun, but—”
Toni held up a hand. “Please, no judgment. I think you’re absolutely amazing for raising a daughter on your own while juggling two jobs. There’s no way I’d begrudge you a night away.”
“Will your boyfriend mind? That guy I saw you with at the funeral and a few other times. Tall, thin, always in a suit.”
“Uh, he went back to Chicago.” Toni hadn’t introduced him to anyone at the diner, so she didn’t really think her employees had even noticed his presence.
“Oh, you must miss him.”
The momentary silence was thick, awkward. “I kinda broke up with him, so…”
Michelle
’s hand flew to her mouth in a poor attempt to stifle a gasp. “And I just stuffed my whole foot right in my mouth, didn’t I? I’m so sorry. Are you doing okay?”
“I am. Very okay. Not upset at all, actually, which I suppose means I should have done it a long time ago.” Toni straightened and winced when her back protested.
“Well then, goodbye and good riddance. I’ve learned that it’s best to shed the baggage before it becomes too heavy.” Shadows crossed Shell’s face. “Trust me. Some baggage can be so heavy it’s impossible to carry.”
Toni knew about that kind of baggage. Maybe she and Shell would be kindred spirits. Have a lot in common.
With a shake of her head, Shell lost the gloom and smiled. “Girls night sounds perfect.” Bouncing on her feet as though the idea of a chick flick and some booze was akin to an all-expense paid vacation to Hawaii. “Okay, let me run home and change so I don’t smell like French toast and I’ll meet you at your house.”
“Perfect.” Toni couldn’t help the happy feeling warming her.
A new friend in Tennessee.
A business, a house, a hot male neighbor, and a new friend. If she wasn’t careful, she’d have a full, satisfying life in Tennessee without even meaning to.
The thought wasn’t as uncomfortable as it had been just a few days ago.
When Toni arrived home, she shed her diner T-shirt and jeans, leaving them in a pile on her bedroom floor. The shower beckoned her and, hopefully, it would infuse her with enough energy to stay awake until Michelle got there. After showering the day off, she dressed in yoga pants and a Chicago Bulls T-shirt. Not much of a sports fan herself, Uncle Mark had dragged her to a game last winter and in the spirit of the game, she’d purchased a shirt for a team she didn’t care about.
An hour later, a rap at the door announced Michelle’s arrival.
“Come on in. It’s open,” Toni called out from the kitchen.
“You have any tequila?” Michelle asked as she appeared in the entrance to the kitchen. “I brought some margarita mix. Figured this was as good a time as any for a few margaritas.”
