I chuckled. “My girl?”
Her eyes met mine and she smiled. “You’ll make her yours for at least a night. It’s what you do.”
Lifting a brow, I queried her, “It’s what I do? Where the fuck do you get that idea from?”
“You forget I’m a lawyer, Devil. I see everything, and I’ve seen you around. You’re a lover, not a fighter, right?”
I drank some more beer and nodded. “True, I am. But you make me sound like an asshole who fucks women for one night and doesn’t look back.”
“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m just stating facts.”
“Okay, so maybe I have had some casual sex lately, but that’s only because there didn’t end up being any connection with those chicks afterwards.” Fuck knew why it was so important to me that Tatum not think I was an asshole, but it was. I’d gotten to know her well over the last few months and respected her enough to care what she thought of me.
“No connection? As in, no attraction besides sex?”
“Yeah, nothing that made me want to dedicate time, you know?” I drained my bottle of beer and placed it on the table we sat at with Nitro and Monroe. “I don’t know, I need a spark, some passion… or some shit, and I’m just not feeling it with anyone lately.”
Nitro cut in. “When you’re finished with your relationship counselling, you and I need to discuss tomorrow.”
Tatum ran her fingers through Nitro’s hair. “You okay?”
He leant his elbows on his knees and took a moment before answering. Glancing sideways at her, he shook his head. “Lot of shit going on, Vegas. I’ve got a headache from hell.”
“You wanna go home?”
He sat up again and laid his arm across the back of her chair. “No, we’ll stay for a while.”
Nitro had come a long fucking way since he’d met Tatum. He and I’d had a shitty day and I knew he didn’t want to be here tonight, yet he stayed for Tatum. A long fucking way.
Tatum finished her drink and stood, reaching for Nitro. “Come on, champ, take me home.”
His lips twitched, a smile almost forming. Standing, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He whispered something in her ear before looking at me. “I’ll come by your place at eight tomorrow morning. We’re gonna see Ghost if it fucking kills us.”
We’d spent hours this afternoon attempting a visit with Ghost, but there’d been some issue at the prison and we hadn’t been granted a visit. Nitro had asked Tatum to help, and she’d come through with the goods after talking with some of her legal buddies.
Tatum turned to Monroe. “You want a lift home, babe?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Eyes on me as she stood, she said, “Good luck with Hailee.”
I glanced at Hailee on the stage. “I never need luck, Monroe.”
“I bet.”
Nitro met my gaze. “Be ready for tomorrow, brother. Ghost can be a motherfucker when he wants to be.”
Yeah, I’d heard those stories, too. I lifted my chin. “Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After they’d left, I made my way back to the bar and ordered another beer. “How much longer is the band on for?” I asked Doug as he handed it over.
“Don’t fuck with her, Devil,” he said, pissing me off.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I’d been coming to this pub for years, and as far as I was aware, Doug and I were on good terms. This attitude off him wasn’t fucking appreciated.
“It means that Hailee means something to me and I won’t stand by and watch you use her.”
“Jesus, does everyone think I’m an asshole when it comes to women?”
“Your history speaks for itself. I can’t remember the last time you dated a woman.”