Cooper walked around me then stood directly in front of Vaughn.
“Better?” he asked, struggling not to laugh at Vaughn’s irritated grunt.
“Sure. Now I think you’re his enemy, not mine.”
Vaughn leaned his chin on Cooper’s shoulder. “Yeah, this works.”
Cooper rolled his eyes. “We want Harlow protected. In Ellsberg, she is.”
“We’re in Ellsberg,” I pointed out.
“You’re planning to leave. It’s why you checked into a hotel rather than rent a place.”
“I figure I’ll stay for the summer. Like a vacation.”
Cooper glanced at the front of the house where a car pulled into the driveway. When he looked back at me, his demeanor shifted.
“You’d have a place here, if you wanted one.”
I gave him a nod. “I’m not a club guy and I’ve never done the team thing. I might have to change that though.”
My gift for Harlow arrived in a black Suburban driven by two trained killers I hoped would soon be my business partners. For now, Troy and Minka acted as lackeys doing delivery runs.
Cooper and Vaughn tensed immediately at the approaching people, but I waved them off.
“Are they friends of yours?” Cooper asked.
“They’re delivering a gift for Harlow. Keep your testosterone in neutral, guys. Minka bites.”
Walking out of the backyard to the front driveway, I smiled at golden boy Troy and his exotic partner Minka. She was glancing around the suburban oasis as if on another planet.
“Why?” Minka asked, shaking her head.
“A chick.”
Minka smiled, but Troy looked uneasy about Cooper and Vaughn being joined by Dylan and Judd.
“I had it wrapped,” Minka said, handing me the package. “You’re welcome.”
Setting the gift in the backseat of my SUV, I smiled. “Harlow will like this. Thanks.”
“Do we get to meet her?” Minka asked, craning her neck to look past me. “Is she a blonde or brunette?”
“Once I talk her into moving to Houston, you two can be best friends. Until then, I’d suggest you leave before the Reapers crew gets curious.”
Troy snorted. “I think we can handle bikers.”
“True, but I’m hoping to marry into the family. Bloodbaths aren’t welcome, so leave.”
Giving me a grin finally, Troy sighed. “You have a way with words. See you in Houston.”
I watched them before I turned to find Cooper and his boys exuding scary killer vibes. Laughing was a bad choice, but I couldn’t help myself. These guys needed to get out of town more.
“No worries,” I said, walking past them. “They’ve promised to leave town without shooting anyone. Didn’t get a promise about stabbing though.”
“Funny. Who are they?” Cooper asked, following me.
“They do what I do,” I said then added, “Just not as well.”
I reached the deck where the women chatted in between bouncing babies. Harlow looked up at me and smiled in the most beautiful way. She owned my heart, but I didn’t feel like a chump for being her slave. Who could argue with such a smile?
“Ready to eat?” she asked, gesturing towards the grill where Aaron flipped burgers.
“Sure, but is there anything else to do in Ellsberg besides grilling?”
Harlow stood up and hugged me. “No, not really.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” Raven grumbled. “We have bars and shit.”
I took the plate Aaron handed me then sat down with Harlow. “So you eat and drink.”
“We fuck a lot too,” Judd said. “What more do you need?”
Everyone laughed except Vaughn who sidled up to me. “Can you bowl?”
Noticing the others roll their eyes, I remembered Harlow saying Vaughn was a little nuts about bowling. The competitiveness shined from his blue eyes. I met it with my own. Bowling was one of my many skills and I might have finally found my match.
Chapter Thirty Nine ~ Harlow
Rafael settled down an hour after we arrived at Vaughn and Raven’s house. I think it was all the beef. He stopped acting like the odd man out and learned to relax with the crew. By the time Tucker, Maddy, and Scarlet arrived, Rafael was in the front shooting hoops with the other guys. I sat with the girls, enjoying the sweaty view.
As curious as I was about the people who stopped by, I was more interested in getting Rafael to the cabin. My sex life was on many minds too. In fact, Bailey pushed Winnie over so she could sit next to me.
“Getting porked tonight, huh?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said with a bit too much enthusiasm.
The girls laughed at me, but I didn’t care. Rafael made me brave in a way therapy and martial arts classes never could.
Winnie stood up, pushed Bailey over, and sat next to me again. “Are you nervous?”
“Of course.”
“It’ll probably hurt,” Bailey said. “He’s a big guy. I think you get my meaning.”
I glared at her, but she only grinned.
“Try getting drunk,” Raven suggested. “Relax those muscles.”
“I don’t need advice.”