Chapter Two
Leo
“Come over here,” I call out to Grinder. He picks his beer up off the counter and strolls over casually. Asshole takes his dear sweet time.
“What?”
“Don’t you fuckin’ what me. Asshole,” I snap.
“You’re interrupting my drinking, Leo.”
“That’s all you do. You drink too damn much.”
“There is no such fucking thing as drinking too much,” he replies.
“Whatever, brother. I didn’t call you over here to talk about your alcoholic issues. Did you pick up everything we need for the party this weekend?” I should have sent one of the damn girls. They’d do a better job than this dipshit.
“Yeah. Got everything you had on the list. I also picked up some more beer,” he tells me. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes. As if we didn’t have enough beer here.
“You’re on the grills. We’re gonna cook out and have a good time. Just keep your ass sober long enough to do it,” I warn him.
“Come on, VP. When have I ever fucked up the grills?”
“That time you were drunk as fuck and added the lighter fluid. You didn’t have fuckin’ eyebrows for months,” I deadpan. Grinder looks at me and shakes his head, a smile tugging across his face.
“That was different. I was younger back then.”
“Motherfucker, that was like a year ago!”
“Good times, brother. Good times.”
Some days I wonder what the hell is wrong with that man. I find myself wondering if he’s all there mentally. Phoenix said he was but I have a hard time believing that most days.
“If you say so. Hey, did you head over and check out that liquor store I told you about?” He nods his head and takes a long pull from his beer.
“Yeah, the site looks good. The store isn’t in the best shape but we can clean that up.” I nod my head, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it up.
“Think it’s worth investing in? Or is it too much work?” I ask seriously. We’ve been looking at legit businesses that we can get into. We need more legitimate income coming in here and ever since Kenna came into the picture we’ve been doing better.
“I’d say it’s worth it. Get a couple prospects over there to clean it up. Licensing won’t be shit to get. The area is a good one too.”
“I was thinking about placing a few of the girls over there to work. We have the shop running smoothly so it makes sense to venture out a little more.” Grinder nods his head.
“I agree. We can bring it up at church, yeah?” He asks.
“Yeah. I will. I’ll give Phoenix a call and run it past him, too. I doubt he’s gonna have an issue with it though,” I tell him truthfully.
“Are we expecting anyone interesting this weekend?”
“Not really,” I say blowing out a cloud of smoke. “A few guys from up north may take a ride down here.”
“No shit? Been awhile since we’ve had anyone from out of town here.”
“Agreed. Told them we’d have a good time.”
“Don’t we always?” I turn my head to face him full on and shake my head.
“Not when you’re damn near burning the clubhouse down. Let’s see if you can keep it a little calmed this round, yeah?”
“What the fuck, Leo? I’m not that bad.” I cut my eyes at him, narrowing them slightly.
“Not that bad, huh?” I aggravate him.
“Nope. One of the best goddamn cooks we have here,” he says causing me to break into a fit of laughter.
“Keep telling yourself that.” I slap a hand on his shoulder before I walk through the room heading for the office. Taking over while Phoenix is out is a big job. I know I can handle it. I know I can deal with everything that needs to be done. Yet, when I take a seat at Phoenix’s desk, I feel it all slam into me at once. I have to make him proud. I have to run this club the way he would if he were here. This is my life.
I start looking over paperwork and signing off on anything that needs it when someone knocks on the door.
“It’s open,” I call out. The door creaks open and in walks Nessy, one of the club girls.
“Hey, Leo,” she says sweetly making her way over to me.
“Hey, Nessy. What do you need?” Her eyes flash with lust and I know exactly what she came in here for. Not that I don’t appreciate the girls, I do, but there is just something not sitting right with me. Something’s missing. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the way Phoenix looks at Kenna. Maybe it’s seeing the other ol’ ladies with their men but I miss that. I miss having someone by my side, in my bed.
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I smile up at Nessy before holding out my hand to her. She slips her small hand into mine before I pull her into my lap.
Chapter Three
Antonia
“No way in hell can you wear something like that,” Trix, my best friend tells me. Her name is short for Trixie, a cute little southern name for a woman who isn’t cute in the least bit. She’s drop dead sexy and if I swung the other way I’d have my mouth wrapped up in her all the time. Honestly, Trix suits her more. She’s a badass, foul, bad bitch and I love her to death.
I glance down at the denim get up I have going on, feeling very Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake from that award show they went to in the early 2000s. “What? This is cute.”
“Uh, yeah, if you want men staring at you and thinking you’re fucking insane.” She furrows her brows and makes a gagging motion with her hand in her mouth.
“I’m not going there to make friends or get a dick shoved in my cunt. I’m going for work, Trix.”
“Yeah, and that ensemble will really help us get in the door. You want us getting in, don’t you?” Her tone is laced with attitude and sass.
“Fine, then what do you suggest?”
“I’m so glad you asked, follow me.” Trix hops off the edge of the bed and goes to her massive walk in closet. She begins pulling a few hangers with clothes on them, handing them off to me. “This,”.”
She’s holding out some sort of faux latex bodysuit with a pair of the same sort of material in the leggings. “You want me to look like a sweetbutt, don’t you?” I scoff, rolling my eyes.
“They only let the hot chicks in, right? Then we gotta do what we gotta do. Stop being picky and let’s get this job done so your dad can shut his old sexist mouth.” She’s not wrong.
“Fine,” I grit, grabbing the hanger from her hand I strip out of my denim outfit and go for the dominatrix look. I don’t even care that I’m stripping in front of her. We’ve done this dozens of times. Plus, this is what you do with your best friend, right?
“Okay, c’mon, let’s go. I want some good liquor and to get my eyes on some hotties.” Trix is single as hell. She broke up with this overbearing asshole not too long ago. Needless to say, I hated him from the beginning.
I grab my small pleated crossbody bag and walk out of her apartment with her, then go down the stairwell that leads out to the street. Trix rents an apartment on top of my dad’s club, which is more of a curse than a blessing.
The second we’re pushing the door open to the back alley, Magnum, one of my dad’s full patched members, lifts his chin up in my direction. “Ant, how you doin’?”
Everyone in the club calls me Ant versus Antonia. It’s sort of a given nickname. “I’m great, and you’re not getting any.” I giggle in his direction, knowing exactly what he’s going for. Magnum has always had the hots for me, and I’m sure he always will until someone else comes along that piques his interest.
Trix and I head over to her car and she drives over to our opposition’s club. I asked her to park about a block away so we could walk up, but we would’ve had to do it anyway. The streets near this club are packed, and while we walk up the block, the line to get in is half a mile long.
“Fuck, it’ll take us a century to get in.” I mutter under my breath.
“Not on my watch, sister. C’mon, lean into me a
bit and look exhausted. Okay?”
“What?”
“Just do what I fucking say, bitch. It’ll work!”
I do as she says and lean into her, not even having to fake being exhausted. Wearing leather in this Florida humidity will tire anyone out.
Trix and I get up to the front of the line, walking around everyone, and the bouncer eyes us up. “She on drugs or somethin’?”
“No, she passed out about a block away. I think it’s the leather, and I need help. We need water to cool her down, maybe air conditioning, too. I’m so sorry, ‘cause I don’t wanna be this girl . . . but I might have to cut the leather off her and cool her down . . . and I’d rather not do that in the streets.”
He cocks a brow and smirks, holding an arm out and wraps it around the other side of me. “We’ll get you taken care of, sweetheart. Don’t you worry.”
This guy helps get us two seats at the bar, which is pretty much packed at this point. “Prospect, get this girl some ice water, and her friend here can have whatever she wants . . . on the house.”
He smirks at Trix, who gives him a devilish smile as she rakes her nails along his chest. “Thank you so much . . .”
“Grinder.”
“Oh, what a cute name. Is there a reason for that?” Trix licks her bottom lip and I take the ice water that was just put on the bar for me, downing it as fast as possible.
“Mhm, and maybe I’ll show you.” Grinder winks at her and walks off, heading toward the door.
Trix and I stay at the bar for a while, and the bartender asks a few things about us. Trix introduces me as ‘Toni’, not wanting to use my real name, but I don’t mind. I’m here to do a job after all, and I mean, god forbid anyone here knows who I am. At least I’ll be protected.
Eventually we get some alcohol in our systems and make some small conversation with the bartender, figuring out it’s packed like this most of the time on ‘Fridays.
For the most part no one here really begs for my attention. They look hot, but not the god-like hot most women are used to here in Miami. You either have someone who could be on the cover of a magazine, or slobs that drool at the sight of you. There’s no in between.
“Whoa, check him out.” Trix mutters, motioning toward the door with her eyes.
I pick up my glass and take a sip, glancing over to the door we came in from. My eyes deceive me, or maybe they don’t. I’m not sure if this is the tequila, or if this dude really looks this well.
He’s wearing a cut which means he’s part of the club. He’s got this sort of mixed dark brown and copperish colored hair, with a weird sideburn beard sorta thing going on. It’s not usually my style, but somehow the guy pulls it off.
“Hot, right?”
“Oh, he’s hot.” I reply while still staring at him. His gaze falls upon me as I’m talking to Trix and he smirks, obviously having read my lips.
I came here for work, but part of me wants to have a bit of fun too.
Chapter Four
Leo
My eyes linger a little longer than they should. Or who the hell am I kidding? I can stare as long as I fucking want to, and right now I feel like staring. She’s sexy as fuck in all leather, just the way I like them. She’s sitting at the bar with another girl that I’ve never seen before and I’d sure as hell remember those two.
Mack, one of our other brothers slaps a hand on my shoulder as I keep my eyes on the girls.
“We know who you’re hittin’ tonight, huh, Leo?” I pull my gaze from the girl and look over at him shaking my head.
“That the only thing you think about? We’re open to the public tonight, asshole. She isn’t one of us. She’s probably just out looking for a good time like the rest of the girls in here,” I tell him. Although the thought of ripping that sexy leather off her has crossed my mind in the past few minutes.
“Exactly. Show her a good time, VP!” He chuckles as I walk away from him. Her eyes try to dance around mine, looking anywhere but at me. That doesn’t stop me from walking over. When I find something or someone that piques my interest, I check them out. I learn more about them, and that curvy body and plump lips have all my interest at the moment.
“How are you ladies doing?” I ask when I reach the bar. Her friend’s eyes light up as she looks me up and down.
“VP, huh? That’s like pretty high up isn’t it?” the girl asks. I nod my head and extend my hand to her knowing damn good and well that I’d rather be ripping the leather off the other girl.
“Leo. I’m the VP here,” I tell her watching as she slips her hand into mine.
“Trix. This is my friend, Toni,” she says pulling her hand away and nudging her friend. Finally, gorgeous brown eyes come to meet mine and the air is sucked from my lungs. She’s fucking beautiful and not in the club girl kind of way.
“Nice to meet you. You having a good time?” She smiles and damn does it take my breath away. I need to get my shit together. I don’t let women affect me the way she is. I don’t give them the chance.
“It’s pretty fun. Although none of these men have asked me to dance,” she says fluttering her lashes at me.
“Is that right? Clearly I need to have a chat with them.” She smiles at me and before I can overthink what I’m doing, I hold my hand out to her and help her off the bar stool.
“What’s this?”
“Since no one asked you to dance I feel like I owe you one. These guys aren’t being as hospitable as they should be.” She nods her head as I lead her out onto the dance floor. The music is pulsing through the speakers when I grab her hips in my hands. We start moving to the music and she slowly relaxes into me. I can smell her perfume, so light and subtle but it’s there.
The music changes as our bodies keep grinding against each other. I should stop this. I shouldn’t be entertaining any ideas this girl may have in her head. She isn’t one of us. She wouldn’t understand the way of our world and that thought alone should have me pulling away but it doesn’t. Instead, I jerk her body closer, lowering my head to her neck. Toni sucks in a breath feeling me this close to her and I think I like her reaction. A lot.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?” I ask her, running my tongue up her neck to her ear.
“Nothing,” she whispers huskily.
“Yo, VP! Need to talk to you.” Just like that the moment is broken and Grinder is standing behind me. I turn my head to look over at him pissed that he’s interrupting me.
“What?” I snap causing Toni to giggle a little. My hands are still resting on her hips at this point.
“I need to talk to you. It’s important,” he says. I blow out a breath and lean back into Toni and whisper, “I’ll see you later.” She nods her head and turns to head back to the bar where her friend is still sitting. I turn and face Grinder.
“Start talking before I beat your ass,” I growl. Grinder smirks before motioning for me to follow him. We move through the crowd and into the office where I close the door behind me.
“You know how we’ve been watching the new prospect, Jimmy?” I nod my head. “Mack was running some intel on him. Turns out he was part of another MC back out in Maryland.”
“He never said anything,” I tell him.
“No shit. From the looks of it they stripped his colors for him being a snitch. He was working with the local PD.” I don’t like the sounds of this. Why would he come here? What’s he after?
“That makes no sense. We have the local PD here. He isn’t gaining shit by trying that with us. Besides, we’re almost one hundred percent legit at this point.”
“I know. I just wanted you to be aware of that,” he says as I nod my head.
“That girl I was dancing with. You know anything about her?”
“Not much but I’m pretty sure she’s from the streets. At least Trix is. She’s been known around town for a while now,” he tells me.
“Anything off with those two?” I ask, needing more information on her. I want more.
“Not that I know o
f. Like I said, Trix is known on the streets but if that other girl is hanging with her that’s where she came from too. Trix keeps a tight inner circle of friends. She doesn’t stray far,” Grinder adds. I nod my head as I run my hand through my hair. This night isn’t going like I had planned.
Chapter Five
Antonia
“Did he really just walk away from me like that?” I grumble lowly to Trix. Unless it’s astronomical, he shouldn’t have left. Fuck! I had him right where I wanted him.
“He’s the VP, what do you expect? I mean, it must’ve been important for Grinder to pull him away like that.” Trix mutters, taking a sip of her drink.
I roll my eyes, “The only reason you’re jumping to his defense is because you want to know why Grinder has his name.”
“Ugh, don’t you go slut shaming me. I need some action, okay? I don’t want cobwebs growing down there.”
“You’re the most dramatic woman on the face of this planet,” I comment, grabbing my own drink I finish it, needing it to take the edge off.
“I’ll totally take that title, but I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Grinder on my trips out here . . . so, you can chill. He’s really cute and I like what I’m seeing.”
“I thought we came here to do a job, not get fucked.” I mutter under my breath.
“Fine, then go do it.” Trix grumbles. She scoots off her barstool and walks into the crowd of people, already seeming to have a good time. I don’t know why she thought this was just for pleasure, but it’s not. There’s a lot riding on my success, so I can’t fuck it up. It will only give my dad more reason to not believe in me and think I’m a weakling. Like I need any more. He already thinks so little of me because I don’t have a dick.
Trix and I spend the next two hours or so avoiding each other. She’s throwing back drinks, having a grand time while I’ve just been drinking water and mingling with people. I had a little chat with that Grinder fella at the bar, ended up telling him I’m going to be Trix’s designated driver so she can kick back and relax a bit, explaining she just got out of a crappy relationship. He seemed to be really interested when I said that, but it gave me a personal hook like I wanted it to. Grinder ended up discussing some club stuff with me. Stuff I think my father would be interested to hear.
Sharp Edges (Full Throttle Book 2) Page 2
