“Since I was eighteen.”
“Wow.” She rears back. “That long. How old are you now?”
“Twenty two.”
“Four years and high school sweethearts? That’s amazing. I dated Riot for a while.” Riot’s a Misery MC. “Back before he was in the Misery MC. He was just—what do you call them before they are members?”
“Prospects?”
“Right. Prospects. So we would go to the parties and drink and other stuff but then he decided he wanted to be a full-fledged member and I guess there’s a no woman rule because he broke it off.”
“You don’t seem to upset about that.”
“Nah, I mean. Riot’s a good time and all but he can’t hold down a job and if I’m going to hitch my wagon to a man then it’s going to be to a guy who can get a real job. He tells me his job is Misery, but that’s not a real job. All they do is sit around in that shit hole and drink and screw.” Her expression is a mix of annoyance and resignation but at least not hurt. “I still go to the parties because hot biker guys, free booze—what’s not to like?”
The Misery MC must be true one percenters—a club that earns money for its members by engaging in mostly illegal activity. Around here that means trafficking in drugs, guns, and sex. Getting a place to live becomes an absolute priority.
“You wouldn’t know of any places that are renting? I need a two bedroom with a garage if possible.”
She cocks her head. “Like a house?”
“It can be a house or an apartment but Grant doesn’t like parking his bike out in the snow.”
Neither does Abel. Their rides are like their babies and snow isn’t good for a baby.
“A guy I know flips houses and has some rental properties. I could ask him.” She hands me my course materials and digs out her cell phone.
“That’d be great.”
Her eyes gleam with mischief as she holds the phone to her ear. “It’s good for me too because this guy’s wagon is big time and this gives me an excuse to call him.”
I’m not certain that the wagon she refers to is the guy’s dick or his wallet. Either way, I suppose it doesn’t matter.
“Hey Robert, Mandy here. How are you? Yeah, I’m good. Listen, I’ve got a girlfriend who has just moved to town and she needs a place to rent. Has to have two bedrooms and a garage.” She listens for a minute and then places her hand over the phone. “You’d have to pay first and last month’s rent in cash along with a deposit but he has a duplex he just flipped.”
“How much?”
The price she quotes is a lot higher than I expect. I open my mouth to tell her no, but Grant opens the door to the entrance at just that moment.
“Hey baby.” He leans down and kisses me. At first it’s just a light touch of his lips against mine but for some reason, I need more. I lean into him and open my mouth. The invitation is taken up immediately and his tongue slides in to caress mine.
“Hold on Robert. Her man just walked in and he’s kissing her like he just got off a three year tour of duty.”
Grant chuckles against my mouth and then releases me.
“Shit, in the full daylight, you’re even better looking.” Mandy turns and gives me a saucy grin. ”You are one lucky bitch."
"Mmmm. Good as always.” Grant rubs a tiny spot of nothing away at the corner of my mouth and throws his arm around me. "Who've we got here?”
I introduce them. “Mandy was at the party the other night. She used to date Riot.”
“Nice to meet you,” he drawls. His hand dangles over the top of my shoulder and his fingertips are inches away from my breast. It’s innocent, at least I think it is, but even that light contact makes me a little hot.
“Mandy’s friend has a duplex with two bedrooms and a garage but it’s expensive.”
“How much.” I tell him the price and the terms. He doesn’t bat an eyelash.
“Is it near here?” he asks.
Mandy nods. “Only about ten minutes. And actually it’s just east of here so it’s close to the Misery clubhouse too.”
“We’ll take it. Tell your friend Robert we’re going there now.”
“He wants cash,” she warns.
Grant shrugs. “We’ll meet him there in ten minutes.”
Since he’s done with this conversation, he turns toward the door but I reach out to Mandy once more. Tapping my papers, I ask, “Where can I get the supplies?”
“There’s a place just down the street. You can’t miss it. Beauty Warehouse and you can get your books online you just need to be careful because some of the used ones are all marked up.”
“We’ll buy new,” Grant interjects.
I elbow him. "We won't."
“We’ll see.” He points a figure. “Your friend Robert is waiting. Ten minutes.”
In the truck, Grant texts Abel the address of the duplex. “I don’t remember this Mandy chick. You said she’s dating Riot?”
“She used to but she broke it off because Riot lost his job and wouldn’t look for a new one because the Misery is his job now.”
He rubs a finger down the side of my nose before putting the truck into drive. “Misery’s kind of a fucked up club, baby. Abel and I are trying to figure out whether we should pull out entirely or if Junior’s worth saving. I guess that’s Judge’s entire question and why we’re here.”
“What about the guy who met with Mr. Trainor? The one who we think is in league with Chief Schmidt?”
“That’s Moose. He’s the oldest member of the Misery club and has two younger sisters. Something is going on there, but we didn’t get it all fleshed out yet. We will,” he says confidently.
When we arrive at the duplex, Abel is already at the curb, leaning against his bike. Despite his wool coat and beanie cap, his strong jaw and muscular body is on full display. Mandy meets us at the curb. “Shit honey, is every guy you know hot as fuck?”
I grin at Grant. "Yeah. Pretty much."
"You are going to be the most popular girl around,” she replies. A cherry red sports car pulls up. I’ve grown up around classic American muscle cars and so I’m not surprised when Grant’s whole face lights up with approval at the site of the GTO.
“Is that your friend Robert?” I ask.
“Yeah, he’s a car nut. I hate it though because those old cars have shitty suspension. I feel like I’m bouncing around like a super ball in those things and my ass hurts when I get out.”
Mandy’s on the slender side. I slap my own butt. “You need more padding back there.”
She laughs and we move toward the guys who’ve gathered around Robert’s car.
“Nice. Nice,” I hear Grant repeating.
“Okay, enough ogling the other woman,” I joke interrupting the lovefest over the vehicle. “I’m cold out here.”
Grant jogs back to me. “Feeling left out?” he croons. “You know you’re the only one for me.”
“Don’t know whether I believe you. There’s drool at the side of your mouth,” I tease.
He leans down and growls in my ear. “I’m happy to show you right now how I feel.”
The mock threat sends a shiver up my spine that has nothing to do with the cold temperatures.
“If we were at the lake and it wasn’t two hundred below, I might take you up on that offer.”
He winks at me. “Later then.”
Inside the duplex is as perfect looking as Robert’s GTO. It has two bedrooms upstairs and each has their own bathroom. Downstairs there’s a kitchen, living room and small eat-in area and a half bath. There’s even a basement but it’s unfinished. The garage is small but both Abel and Grant’s bikes will fit inside and we can park the truck in the driveway.
It’s beautifully decorated.