Of course, I didn’t exactly meet a lot of nice girls around the clubhouse.
“First order of business. The Raisers need a leader,” Cain said. Nobody argued with that.
“I’m out. I’m not even on the West Coast half the time,” Shane said needlessly. We all knew that. He’d never been the crazy badass he pretended to be. He was a total fucking badass, it turned out, but in an entirely different way.
The man had finally found peace and he deserved to enjoy it.
“I nominate Doc,” I said.
“I nominate you,” Doc said with a grin.
“Fuck that,” I growled. The guy might have patched my ass up a lot of times, but I wasn’t taking over his fucking club. The Raisers were a massive pain the butt.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Cain said. I just shook my head.
“I’m an Untouchable. There is no way they will accept me.”
“But they do respect you,” he countered.
As much as I hated to argue with the club Prez, I was not having it.
“Find someone else,” I growled and stood up. Fuck the rest of the meeting. I didn’t fucking care at this point.
I wandered off to the bar to drown out the swirling thoughts going through my head. I couldn’t bitch about club business to anyone. I didn’t have a trusted old lady waiting at home. This was one hundred percent on me. I was number two, so I really couldn’t bitch to anyone. Not even Vice. For the first time since joining the club, I felt totally fucking alone.
I slid onto the bar seat next to Connor.
“So, that went well,” he said, sipping his drink. I ordered from Three Boots and he brought a whole bottle. I took a big slug and shrugged.
“They want you to do it, right?”
“No fucking way in hell that is happening.”
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” Connor intoned, sounding like a fucking English professor or some shit. I glared at him.
“Not this head,” I vowed.
“We shall see,” he said in that phony ass voice again. And then he laughed at me.
“I will kick your ass,” I warned him. His grin only got wider.
“Ooh, I should bring your ass in for that.”
“You aren’t on the clock, motherfucker.”
“True,” he said, sliding a wad across the bar. Connor drank for free, but he tipped well. We all did. “Speaking of which, I need to get home.”
I didn’t blame him. He had a fine looking woman. We’d all watched her grow up, so I didn’t look at Cass like that, but she was a beauty, no doubt. I felt jealousy churn inside my gut. I could use a pretty lady to curl up with, especially on a night like tonight.
Con left, and there I was, completely alone, waiting while someone else decided my fate.
Chapter Two
Claire
“Are you sure you need to go?”
I shrugged and gave Ashley a tepid smile. I knew she didn’t really care if I left. She was just worried about my share of the rent, never mind the fact that I was the only roommate who bothered to clean up the place. I’d made sure to get the word out for a subletter and even set up appointments for her to show the place later today.
But I did have to go. And not just because the living conditions were awful. My grandmother needed me. And school was over. It was time.
I had no desire to stay cramped up with nursing students when I was no longer a student. Once I passed my exam, I could work anywhere. Hopefully somewhere near Gran’s house. But it didn’t matter. Family was family, and she was all I had left.
More importantly, I was the only one she had left.
She was getting older. It wasn’t safe for her there all by herself. I knew how badly she wanted to stay in her home, and having someone there with her would make that possible. I missed her, too. The commute from one side of LA to the other was too far for me to come over all that often. Not with a full course load.
But now, it would be like the old days.
I shoved another cardboard box into the cramped hatchback. I didn’t have much. But I hadn’t needed much, either. I’d fast tracked through nursing school and spent all my time on that. I glanced down at my prized possession. My trusty running shoes were all I needed. Well, and books, sleep, and food.
I could hardly wait to taste Gran’s cooking again.
“We’ll miss you,” she added lamely. She wouldn’t, although she might miss the time I spent keeping the kitchen and bathroom clean. But I smiled anyway.
“Take care. Maybe we’ll end up on rounds together someday.”
She nodded and stood back as I shut the car doors and climbed in. This was it. The beginning of the rest of my life.