Hammer (Regulators MC 2)

The big paw that he calls a hand pulls me up then cups the side of my face, and his other hand gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You’re good here, Drill Sergeant. Swear. We’re gonna head straight home and sort your shit out. As soon as we do, you can come home, ’kay?”

My throat feels tight, like I’m going to burst into tears at any given moment, but I manage to make my voice sound strong when I answer him. “Okay, Tank.”

“Your sister is gonna get her justice, and we’re gonna make you safe. Count on it. Till then, keep yourself out of trouble and listen to Ice.”

Nodding, I somehow keep myself together as Tank drops his hand and walks out of the club with Tripp, Shooter, and Boomer. I can’t help staring after them for a few seconds. It’s not long before I hear their box truck’s diesel engine rumble to life and then drift away.

This is it. I wanted to get out of North Carolina, and the Hellions made that happen for me. Therefore, I refused to let myself cry like a whiny little girl when they made so many sacrifices to get me what I wanted.

Taking a deep breath, I blow my frustrations out and shore up my spine of steel. I can do this. It is only for a little while.

I turn back to Ice and Coal, putting on the best impression of a chipper, professional smile that I can muster, and ask, “So, where’s my patient?”

Coal snorts and turns his head away, almost as if he can’t stand to look at me. No biggie, I can ignore him as much as he can ignore me.

Concentrating on Ice, I continue, “Also, I was wondering if you guys could tell me where I will be staying.”

One side of Ice’s mouth ticks up in a half-smile, as if he finds me amusing.

“I spoke with Hammer’s brother, who’s been doing his best to help Hammer out, and we decided that it’s best if you stay with Hammer at his condo. Tank said you were Drill Sergeant Bust My Balls?”

I nod.

The other side of his mouth ticks up so he has a full blown grin now. “Well, then you can consider your time with Hammer as his own little boot camp. Trust me when I say he needs it. If you’re ready to go, I’ll take you over there now.”

My eyes widen at his obvious attempt to hurry up and get me out of the club. Am I holding him up or something? Or is it that he doesn’t want the customers to come in and see me?

It may be a bad idea to ask, but I can’t seem to stop myself from doing so. “You trying to get rid of me or something, Ice?”

“Well, I made the dancers stay in their dressing room so you wouldn’t get uncomfortable. They need to get their asses in motion, though, and do some final preparations before we open the doors. Unless you wanna see some nearly naked bodies, I suggest you get your ass up and in motion.”

Crinkling my nose at the idea of seeing half-naked women, I stand up and grab my bag from the floor. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that spectacle. I’m ready when you are.”

Coal lets loose another snort, but continues to pretend I am not there. “I’ll stay here until you get back.”

“Sounds good, brother. Let’s go, Drill Sergeant Bust My Balls, and get you to your patient.” He is smiling when he says it, but I can’t tell if it’s because he thinks my name is funny or because he thinks the joke is really me.

Deciding not to let that question fly, because I didn’t really like the answer to my last question, I quietly follow the big, bad biker president down the hallway.

He stops briefly to knock on one of the closed doors and barks “All clear” through the panel before continuing on our journey. I hear the door open behind me and studiously ignore the sound, not wanting to see a woman naked and more than likely looking much better than me on my best day.

I have one foot out the back door when I hear a sharp catcall whistle behind me. Shocked at the sound, I turn my head and promptly trip over my own feet at what I find. There, standing in the hallway in a star-spangled banana hammock, is a buff, drop dead gorgeous man smiling at me. I don’t catch all of his features, mainly because my eyes are glued to the bulge that seems too big to be true in the man’s tight, sparkly, and rather patriotic thong. Regardless, I do hear him offer me a good time if I ever decide to come back.

A hard wall, otherwise known as Ice’s back, stops me from falling flat on my face.