We both turned our heads toward her as she snickered to herself.
“Can’t believe you’re still chasing that silly dream.”
“Can’t believe you’re still acting like a teenager,” I said.
“Still planning on leaving your mother high and dry?” my mother asked.
“Yep. Got contractors coming out to look at renovating my apartment Monday,” I said.
“And where the hell you gettin’ all this money?” she asked.
“None of your damn business,” I said.
“A beer. Whatever you got on special.”
My heart leaped in my chest as I heard Jacob’s voice.
“One special beer coming right up.”
I gasped when I looked up and saw him. His left eye was swollen and bruised, and I knew he couldn’t see out of it. Even my mother was gaping at him as he sat down beside her, casting her an evil glare.
“Jacob. What the fuck happened to you?” I asked.
“Yeah, salt-n-pepper. What gives?” my mother asked.
“I’m fine,” he said as he brushed my hand away. “But I could use a beer.”
“You’ll take your beer in a booth. Come with me. Lindy?”
“I got this. You go,” she said.
“Anyone gonna get me another shot?” my mother asked.
“You got money?” Lindy asked.
I dipped a clean rag down into the ice machine and gathered some in my hand. I grabbed a beer and took the cap off on the edge of the bar, then nodded for Jacob to follow me. He groaned as he slid off his chair, indicating to me that more than just his face was hurting. I sat us down at a booth in the corner, then handed him his beer.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked again as I pressed the ice to his eye.
“I’m serious. I’m fine,” Jacob said. “It’s club business.”
I didn’t like his answer, but I knew it was the only one I was going to get from him. Having spent my life around the different clubs, I knew that not even the most valued and trusted women knew everything that their men were up to. Mostly for the purposes of keeping them safe. The less they knew, the less of a target they would be.
I pressed the ice to his eye and sighed. He let me t
ake care of him, but I could tell it was new to him. And given what I knew about how he was raised, it didn’t shock me at all. He was used to taking care of people, not being taken care of.
“Where are the other guys?” I asked.
“They’re fine. Back at the clubhouse.”
“Where you supposedly got this shiner,” I said.
“Like I said. It’s business.”
I brought his hand up to hold the ice before I slid away from the booth. If he wasn’t going to give me any other answers than that, then I had a job to do. But as I got up from the booth I felt his hand grab my wrist, and instantly I was pulled into his lap.
I wrapped my arms around him and his lips crashed into mine. The ice clattered to the floor underneath the booth as my lips swelled against his. His tongue tasted like candy and his warmth was so comforting. I ran my hands through his hair, latching onto his raven locks as he groaned into my mouth.