“Yeah, I do.”
His mouth quirks. “There’re fine lines separating antisocial outlaws who keep to themselves, outright anarchy, and spending your life in and out of prison.”
“I’ll choose option A.”
“I thought so.” He holds out one arm, motioning me closer. “According to Dex, things are working out well with Loco’s girls coming in. And the amateur night is new. That’s why he wants extra help. Make sure Loco’s girls are looked after, okay?”
“I will.”
Murphy claps his hands together. “Everyone feel better?”
Rock hugs each of us to his sides. He squeezes me harder than necessary and leans closer to my ear. “You get mouthy with me like that at the table again, I’m going to take you out back and clean your clock. You feel me?”
“Clean my clock.” I smirk. “Who still says that?”
“I do.” Rock pushes us away. “Get out of here.”
* * *
We stepout of the clubhouse and find Wrath, Dex, and Ravage waiting for us outside the garage. Wrath’s even more irritable than he was at the table, glaring at us as we cross the gravel lot.
“The fuck took so long?” He runs his shrewd enforcer gaze over me. “Shame you’re in one piece. I hoped Rock was kicking your ass.”
“Just a therapy session,” Murphy says.
“I wanna gooooooo!” Rav shouts at the sky. “There are chicks getting naked right this very second and we’re standing here in the parking lot talking about our feeeeelings. What a bunch of bullshit!”
Wrath checks his phone. “If it’ll calm your tantrum, no one’s getting naked yet.”
Dex nods. “Loco’s girls won’t be there for another hour.”
“Oh, thank fuck. Can we go?” Ravage whines. “It’ll take almost a fucking hour to get there. I want to be early.”
Wrath and Dex fire up their bikes, drowning out Rav’s yowling.
“RC,” Wrath shouts at Dex. “Take the lead.”
Dex nods.
“You seem to need some extra supervision tonight, Teller,” Wrath shouts. “You ride next to me.” He pats his leg like he’s calling one of Z’s dogs to his side.
I glance at Murphy who shrugs. “Whatever.”
It’s still daylight when we arrive. Murphy waves to us as he continues on to Furious.
Crystal Ball isn’t much during the day. A nondescript gray and white box in a sea of cracked pavement. Hardly the dazzling fantasy experience we advertise. At night, when the neon buzzes to life, it’ll look livelier, if not still dated. At least the new clubhouse we built next door has a clean, modern exterior.
We line our bikes in a row up against the back of the building. I toe my kickstand down and ease off, setting my helmet on my seat.
“Blacktop looks like shit,” I say to Dex.
Wrath smacks me upside the head.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Dex says, shooting a sarcastic smile at me.
“No, seriously. When we’re getting the work done at Cedarwood, I want to divert some of it here. Maybe freshen it up. Just because it’s the only strip club in the area doesn’t mean it has to look like a dystopian bomb shelter.”
“Yeah, okay.” Dex glances down and kicks a chunk of blacktop. “I guess you’re right. It’s looking rough. I don’t spend a lot of time outside.”