Making the Cut (Saving Dallas 2)

“Thanks Luke,” she said, never really making eye contact.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Linda. Luke and I appreciate you being here.” Where the hell had that came from? Luke beamed beside me, obviously pleased with my comment.

“The pleasure is all mine.” She sashayed away, shaking her perfect ass as she went, and giving me time to admire and appreciate her. Her long, slender legs were toned and muscular. She walked with so much grace you would think she wore flats instead of platform heals. She was, for lack of a better word, hot.

“You like what you see, babe?” Luke asked from beside me. I snapped back into the conversation to find the three of them staring at me with an amused expression.

“What?” I asked, not knowing what was so amusing. “She’s hot.”

Luke laughed and shook his head, “Here I was thinking it was the guys I was gonna have to watch out for. Looks like it’s gonna be the strippers.”

“She’s a stripper?” I asked, but now that he said it, I could see she had the body of one.

“The best stripper,” Possum chimed in. “You need to come down tonight and watch her in action.”

“Oh hell naw,” Luke said, shaking his head vigorously.

“And why the hell not? I think it would be fun.” I had never seen a stripper in action, other than on T.V. I could handle it.

“Brooklyn’s gonna be here,” Ronnie informed us, smiling at Luke, pleased with his discomfort.

“We’ll see. Come on, babe. I have some more people I would like you to meet.”

Luke pulled me away and through the growing crowd of people. The clubhouse was swarming with men and women of all different ages. From those who looked like they had just graduated high school to those that were carrying oxygen machines. Luke introduced me to everyone we encountered. All of them were gracious and kind and seemed to have the need to reassure me that they were here to protect me. I had never felt more loved.

The bar was lined with women and PROSPECTS behind it, serving drinks and making sure everyone was taken care of. Several women floated around carrying trays of beer, chips, and liquor-all dressed in skimpy attire and wearing platform heals. The pool tables were crowded with people throwing their bets down on who was the best. Tables, chairs, couches and barstools were all taken, and even the meeting room was full of patch members who looked to be in deep discussion. I told Luke I needed to go to the bathroom and for the first time since we had entered, he allowed me to leave his side. I had been introduced to almost everyone, so there was no doubt about who I was here with.

The bathrooms were set up much like what you would find in a bar. There were four sinks that lined the counter, along with a mirror that stretched the length of the wall. The stalls were made of wood, and the doors of them had the Reaper emblem carved out. Along the counter, every beauty product and toiletry you could imagine was available to you. From makeup and hair spray, to tampons and condoms-they had thought of it all.

The bathroom was just as alive as the clubhouse. It was full of women, all hogging the mirrors and re-applying makeup. A window on the back side of the bathroom was open, helping to vent some of the cigarette smoke. It smelled like Marlboros and cheap perfume. The excitement that had been bubbling inside me died when my eyes met Maddie’s in the mirror.

The last time I had seen her was at my house, after my assault. Maddie and I didn’t have a very good relationship, but she had been there and that was more than I could have asked from her. Flanking her were Monica and Jennifer, the twins I remembered from my first night at Luke’s. Next to them were Jenn, Baby, and Jugs-all of whom I had met.

“Slap a pair of jeans on her and she almost looks like a biker babe,” Maddie said, eyeing me in the mirror as she applied a coat of lip gloss to her already red lips.

“Don’t be a bitch, Maddie. She is a biker babe,” Jenn said, walking up to me and wrapping me in her arms. She smelled good, and her hug was motherly. Her embrace gave me reassurance and I let Maddie’s comment roll off my back. She walked up to me until she was in my personal space. Not a good idea. I cocked my eyebrow at her and stood my ground, letting her know that she did not intimidate me.

“I’m not gonna pretend I like you. I’m sorry about what happened with Frankie, but that doesn’t change anything,” she said to me, not even looking me in the eyes, only examining her fingernails. Bitch. If I was going to be around, maybe it was time we just got this over with. “Maddie, why do you hate me so much? Is it Luke? Do you want him or something?” So maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I felt the air in the room shift and you could cut the tension with a knife. Apparently, I had struck a nerve. Maddie closed the distance between us, until she was so close that when she spoke her warm, peppermint breath tickled my nose.