Dash
Ibang my fist on the door to the Eagles’ clubhouse. They know I’m here. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have opened the gate for me. Assholes have already had me out here waiting over five minutes.
“Hold your damn horses!” a voice yells just before the door opens.
Owen stands there, his jeans undone, his arm thrown over the shoulder of a pretty brunette. Not the same woman we had at our clubhouse. Before we formed the alliance with the Eagles, we had a slight altercation. Blood was shed, and Owen’s ol’ lady was taken to our clubhouse. I guess she didn’t like all that drama and split, unless she’s okay with him fucking other women. Some ol’ ladies are.
“What the fuck you want, boy?” He removes his arm and motions for the woman to go back in the house as he steps outside.
Boy.I clench my jaw, holding my fists at my sides to keep from punching him.
“We got a cop digging into Dean’s disappearance.”
“Well, we both know he won’t find anything, so what’s the problem?”
I shake my head. “Cops digging around are never a good thing. We thought you should know so you can give your guys a heads up.”
“Boy, I am not concerned about some shit-eating cop sniffing around.”
“You call me boy one more time, you’ll be the one eating shit.”
He laughs at my warning. Everything about him grates on my damn nerves. He reminds me of my damn father. His arrogance and disrespect for anyone he thinks is beneath him. He might be the president of the Eagles, but I still deserve his respect.
“Remember where you’re standing,” he warns and slings the door open, going back inside.
I roll my eyes as I head to my bike. A text comes through. Church in an hour. I don’t waste any time riding back to the clubhouse. Seth may have found something already. He’s a fucking genius on the computer. He can hack security systems, shop the black market, any fucking thing we need.
When I get back to the clubhouse, the guys are ready, so I join them. I take a swig of my beer and lean back in the chair while Mason gets things started. I’m still in awe I’m at this table. Me. The high school jock who had his whole world trampled on. I was that guy. Fuck that. I was the guy in high school. I was an all-round athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. Pretty damn good at all of them. Until my dad fucked everything up. You have any idea what it’s like for the whole town to know your family secrets?
It fucking sucks. Simple as that. People you thought were your friends suddenly find it embarrassing to hang around you. The coach who played you every second of every game is suddenly benching you. Girls have no interest in slipping behind the bleachers with you anymore.
That’s what life was like for me and my brother while my mom did her best to keep her shit together. She kept working, kept going right on as though the man she was with our entire lives hadn’t confessed he had a wife and kids two towns over. His marriage to my mom was a sham. Can’t marry someone when you’re already a married man. Nothing was legal. Nothing mattered.
Despite working all the time, my mom found time to drink. A lot. And she didn’t hesitate to drive after she’d been drinking. I should’ve said something to her sooner. Should’ve made her stop. But I knew she was hurting because I was too. I figured drinking was her way of dealing with things. All that got her was an accident, DUI, and more shame.
Meeting Seth changed my life. A chance encounter during a robbery at a convenience store. I acted on instinct and whacked the perp over the head with a forty. Got Seth’s attention. Next thing I knew, I was pledging as a prospect to the Bastards.
I wonder how Peppermint came to the Harlots. She didn’t grow up in this lifestyle any more than I did. Yet she fits right in. Just like me.
Christ, there I go thinking about her again. I would go to see her again, but I don’t want to look like I’m desperate. I am, though. Desperate to fucking see her. Especially after dealing with that arrogant prick, Owen.
“Seth is doing some digging on an officer who has taken an interest in the disappearance of Dean. Probably just a matter of time before he makes his way to our door,” Mason says.
“Dash sent word to Owen to give the Eagles a heads up,” Seth adds.
“About that,” I say, then stop talking and raise my hand. The guys all chuckle, and Mason nods for me to continue. “I don’t like that fucking prick. I understand we’re in an alliance—”
“Then you understand you don’t have to like him,” Mason interrupts. “Your personal feelings toward him don’t matter and had damn sure better not affect the alliance we formed.”
“I understand.”
The alliance will stay intact. I’ll have to deal with that asswipe when I’d rather be kneed in the nuts.
“But what good is the alliance now? We don’t have the Souls to worry about anymore. How does the alliance benefit the club?” I ask, unable to keep my damn mouth shut.
“You think the Souls will be the last problem we’ll have? No. There will be other issues and we’re spread thin. We’re either out on deliveries or picking up shipments. That leaves us vulnerable. Having an alliance with a club this close is a good thing.”
“If they do their fucking part,” I mumble.
“And what part is that, huh?” Mason raises his voice, clearly annoyed with me. “They were right there with us when we slaughtered the Souls. Or did you forget that when you got your pussy ass feelings hurt?”
Well, shit. I just got called out. When it comes down to it, that is exactly what happened. I got my damn feelings hurt because Owen didn’t see me as his equal.
“Didn’t forget anything. I’ll respect the alliance because I respect this club.”
And maybe I won’t get stripped of my patch if the day comes when Owen makes the mistake of calling me a boy again.